cabaret
starring lea dElaria
JAN 18, 2025 @ 6:00pm & 8:30pm
LEA DeLARIA: OUT RAGE
With a multi-faceted career as a comedian, actor and jazz musician that began in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1982, Lea DeLaria holds the distinction of being the first openly gay comic on television in America, and earned a place in our hearts from her three-time SAG Award Winning role as Carrie “Big Boo” Black in the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Now, the acclaimed jazz vocalist, Emmy Winner, and author of the infamous U-Haul joke takes aim at WTF is happening in the world today, bringing her Sicilian rage, sharp tongue, and musical prowess to the Chan National Queer Arts Center. In other words, it will be an unforgettable evening of song and dance.
Please note: This is an 18+ event. ID will be required for entry.
Lea was the first openly gay comic on television in America, and is an accomplished Jazz performer who has performed in concert venues all over the world. She is best known as ‘Big Boo’ from Orange is the New Black (3 SAG Awards). Lea can currently be seen in the indie feature film Potato Dreams of America, and in the Indigo Girls jukebox feature film, Glitter & Doom. Lea recently starred in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tennessee Williams' play, The Night of the Iguana, directed by Emily Mann. TV credits include Girls5Eva, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, East New York,The Blacklist, Physical, Reprisal, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Shameless, and Broad City. Film credits include Cars 3, Support The Girls, and First Wives Club. Broadway credits, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Bernadette), The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott) and On The Town (Hildy), Obie and Theatre World Awards.@realleadelaria www.leadelaria.com
MEDIA
Boys Keep Singing
Modern Love
FEATURED ARTISTS
LEA DELARIA - Vocalist
CHRIS GRASSO - Piano
MARCO PANASCIA - Bass
SHIRAZETTE TINNIN - Drums
Chris Grasso - Pianist
Chris Grasso is a jazz pianist who specializes in working with vocalists. Chris has performed with Gene Bertoncini, Keter Betts, Carmen Bradford, Lea DeLaria, Kenny Garrett, Allan Harris, Nicole Henry, Buck Hill, Marlon and Stephanie Jordan, Lewis Nash, Nicki Parrott, Ken Peplowski, Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli, Chuck Redd, Joshua Redman, Avery Sharpe, Janis Siegel, Suede, Denise Thimes, Frank Vignola, Bobby Watson, Cassandra Wilson, Matt Wilson and more. He has appeared at leading venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, the Iridium, and the Music Center at Strathmore, as well as festivals in the U.S. and overseas. Chris serves as Music Director for Washington D.C.'s most in-demand jazz singer, the incomparable Sharón Clark. They have appeared together on many stages, from the National Mall to the Kennedy Center, and have received rave reviews from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and JazzTimes. For more information, visit www.chrisgrassomusic.com.
Marco Panascia - Bass
Marco Panascia (pronounced: pana-SEE-ah) is an accomplished freelance bassist born in Italy and residing in New York City since 2002. A dual citizen of Italy and the United States, Panascia is celebrated for his versatility across multiple music genres. His strong doubling skills on the acoustic and the electric basses have earned him global praise and recognition. Currently a member of Lea DeLaria’s working band, Panascia has made a name for himself by being featured in the groups of several jazz luminaries, such as Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Kevin Mahogany, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Eric Reed, Dado Moroni, Alvin Queen, Bobby Watson, Peter Bernstein, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Sands, Claudio Roditi, Sheryl Bailey and Dan Wilson. He has performed at prestigious venues and festivals worldwide, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Central Park SummerStage, Umbria Jazz, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Panascia first gained significant international acclaim during his tenure with jazz piano sensation Eldar Djangirov, with whom he performed extensively on three continents. Their collaboration resulted in two highly regarded album releases on the Sony BMG Masterworks label: "Live at the Blue Note", and "re-imagination", the latter earning a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2008.
Panascia’s performance credits on acoustic and electric bass include some of the most highly regarded artists on the contemporary jazz scene and beyond, such as Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Seamus Blake, Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Greg Hutchinson, Lewis Nash, Matt Wilson, Victor Lewis, Nasheet Waits, Helen Sung, Clarence Penn, Ulysses Owens and Francesco Cafiso. A dynamic and sought-after performer, Panascia’s musical versatility extends beyond jazz into a range of genres, leading to a collaboration with contemporary classical ensemble “Alarm Will Sound”, and performances with prominent pop and R&B groups and artists, including “Postmodern Jukebox”, Randy Rainbow, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Holliday and Brian McKnight. In early 2020, Panascia toured in Canada and the United States with the award-winning Italian operatic pop trio, “Il Volo”, selling out major venues such as Radio City Music Hall. He is also a first-call bassist in the world of musical theater, subbing regularly for over a dozen successful Broadway productions in Manhattan, such as “Wicked” and Disney's "The Lion King" and “Frozen”, and he was a featured musician in the groundbreaking Off-Broadway show "Sleep No More" from 2012 to 2017. His innovative bass playing has also made an impact online, with his YouTube channel garnering over 1.5 million views since its inception.
Mentored by Los Angeles studio electric bass legends Carol Kaye and Nathan East, and by classical double bass maestros Nello Nicotra and Bertram Turetzky, Panascia was the first prize winner of the 1998 Edinburgh International Double Bass competition in Scotland. After moving to the United States, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, as a full tuition scholarship recipient. Currently an adjunct faculty member at the New School University in Manhattan, Panascia frequently conducts clinics and masterclasses across the United States and internationally. Recent teaching engagements have included the Rochester Bass Retreat and the Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York; the SC Double Bass Conference at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina; the USU Guitar and Bass Festival at Utah State University in Logan, Utah; and the Bass Fest at the State University of New York in Fredonia, New York.
Aside from being featured as a sideman on more than 50 recordings, Panascia has released "Bass Duo Live", an album documenting a live concert with Dario Deidda, one of Italy's most celebrated jazz musicians, on a swinging and highly conversational acoustic/electric bass duo performance. The album is available on Bandcamp, both in physical and digital form.
Marco Panascia plays a Grand Panormo double bass by Barrie Kolstein, and endorses Markbass amplifiers and basses, Mike Lull custom electric basses, Benevolent basses, Alter Ego Basso, D'Addario Strings, Lindy Fralin pickups, and NinoMute products. For more information, please visit marcopanascia.com
Shirazette Tinnin - Drummer
Fulbright Scholar, drummer, educator, clinician, author and health coach, Shirazette Tinnin was born and raised in North Carolina. Her early influences were gospel music, R&B and soul music. Her stylistic influences would eventually expand into jazz, rock and music from many parts of the African diaspora.
A graduate of Appalachian State University, Shirazette studied with Todd Right, Dr. Rob Falvo, Rick Dilling and Scott Meister. She studied and continues to be mentored by drummers Cindy Blackman, Lewis Nash, Terri Lynne Carrington, Ernie Adams and more. Shirazette received a full scholarship for drum set and jazz pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, where she studied under professor Ron Carter.
A 2008 recipient of The Sisters in Jazz Collegiate All-Stars for IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) Award, Shirazette has also taught on the collegiate level at Columbia College in Chicago.
Currently residing in New York City, Shirazette was the house drummer for The Meredith Vieira Talk Show, Season 1 on NBC.
Shirazette performs and tours frequently with premier bands and artists such as the Allan Harris Group, Tia Fuller Quartet, The Mimi Jones Band, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble, Toshi Reagon, Women of the World Ensemble, Yuri Juarez, Queen Esther, Gabriel Algeria Afro Peruvian Sextet, Camille Thurman, Sydnee Winters, Natalie Douglass and many others. Shirazette is also the leader of her own projects including the Shirazette and Sonic WallPaper Fusion Band (formally known as The Shirazette Experiment) and The Blue Popped Culture Trio.
Shirazette is an active clinician, educator, mentor, composer, a certified personal trainer and published author. She is passionate about preserving the health, wellness, stamina and integrity of her craft. Her articles about performance and health advocacy have been featured in Modern Drummer and Tom Tom Magazine.
Shirazette is endorsed by Canopus Drums, Vic Firth, LP Music, and Sabia
Production Team
Crystal Watts, Stage Manager
Patrick Takahashi-Keene, Backstage Manager
Andy Heller, Audio Production Group, Inc., Audio Crew
Robin De Luca, Lighting Board Operator
Danny Sullivan, Artist Liaison
FRONT OF HOUSE
Dana Dawson, House Manager
Barb Oplinger, Head Usher
Ian Fullmer, Box Office
Media Sponsor
