Dallas, TX (COMEDY WIRE) - Two of Dallas' most dazzling musical performers,
Laura Ainsworth and Michael Gott, will co-star in a romantic new revue, 'Cole Porter: Elegance and Decadence,' debuting Friday, July 21, at the Stone Street Theatre and featuring an array of the chic composer's greatest standards and wittiest comic songs.
The duet promise a sophisticated date show for adults, something that has been absent from the downtown scene for years, with the closing of the Fairmont Hotel's famed Venetian Room and the flight to the suburbs. But in recent years, downtown Dallas has begun to experience a renaissance, with old office buildings being converted into luxury condos and top flight restaurants moving in to serve the new urban dwellers.
The non-profit Stone Street Theatre was recently launched as a showcase for top Dallas talent and to help spur downtown revitalization by providing an entertainment venue with shows every weekend for both visitors and new residents. There is lots of comedy on the bill, but the owners also envisioned hosting New York-style cabaret music shows. Ms. Ainsworth was No 1 on their wish list, thanks to the success of her one-woman show, 'My Ship Has Sailed,' a musical lampoon of age and beauty obsession that has played top venues in North Texas and been spotlighted on both local and satellite television.
She said, 'When the owners of the new Stone Street Theater asked me to perform, I knew I had to create a show with Michael Gott. There's just something special about our blend that I knew would be perfect for this gorgeous new venue. I'm so happy he said yes. We both love the music of Cole Porter, so we are looking forward to putting our own unique spin on it.'
'Having grown up watching my dad (late Dallas saxophone legend Bill Ainsworth) accompany my idols, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett, at the old Fairmont Venetian Room, I can't tell you how excited we are about bringing that sophisticated sound back to downtown Dallas, both for older fans of this great music and for young people who have yet to discover it.'
Ms. Ainsworth, a sexy, vivacious redhead, has made a name for herself in several fields. Aside from 'My Ship Has Sailed,' she is co-writer of her own syndicated radio service, The Comedy Wire (www.comedy-wire.com), providing witty one-liners and parody songs to top DJs worldwide. She is also an accomplished singer/actress with countless plays and musicals to her credit. She even writes a humorous blog on ageism, beauty and fashion at her website, www.lauraainsworth.com. TotalTheater.com raved that she is 'a fine lounge singer with comic flair, who delivers her songs in a beautiful, sultry voice.'
Gott's sublime vocal and piano skills on the standards have prompted comparisons to many great performers such as Michael Feinstein, but his uniquely varied background in pop, musical theater, classical, jazz, opera and gospel resulted in a style all his own. Gott recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as the reigning song stylist of the posh Mansion Bar in Dallas, but he has also played top cabaret showrooms outside Texas, recorded six albums (his seventh, 'Live At The Mansion,' will arrive in September), shared stages with internationally-known celebrities, and composed the critically-acclaimed musicals 'Split Ends' and 'All Stressed Up With Nowhere To Go.'
'Cole Porter: Elegance & Decadence' debuts Friday, July 21, at Stone Street Theatre, 109 Stone Street in downtown Dallas, between Main and Elm, across from Neiman Marcus. Valet parking is available. Tickets are $15. Doors open at 7 p.m. for bar service, and the show starts at 8. Reservations required; phone 469-619-2609. For information and show schedules, visit www.lauraainsworth.com.
