Overlooking Symphony Park, the beautiful club called Cabaret Jazz will spotlight some of the world’s most gifted jazz artists and cabaret entertainers at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts beginning March 2012. Cabaret Jazz will showcase legendary names in entertainment and music history, including three-time Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year Clint Holmes, SFJAZZ Collective, three-time Grammy® winner and saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and cabaret vocalists Barbara Cook and Andrea Marcovicci. Tickets will go on sale beginning January 27, 2012, at 10 am.

Patrons can purchase individual tickets for all shows at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts by calling (702) 982-7805 or by visiting www.thesmithcenter.com. Tickets for most shows in Cabaret Jazz start at $35.

“Cabaret Jazz is the perfect place for local music lovers to enjoy collaborations and performances by our generation’s greatest musicians and entertainers,” said Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center. “Outfitted with a unique ambience, exceptional food and an unbelievable artist line-up, it is the complete dining and club experience.”

Upon its opening in March, Cabaret Jazz will host a number of artists and entertainers. The addition of performances is ongoing and tickets are available to the public upon schedule confirmation. This is unlike other performances scheduled at The Smith Center, which are presented to the public season by season.

“Cabaret Jazz is a distinctly different venue than others at The Smith Center,” Martin said, noting that it will operate similarly to popular live jazz and cabaret clubs that can be found in New York City or Chicago. “It’s an easygoing yet elegant club that will pay homage to the spirit of America’s music and will embody the spirit of Las Vegas.”

In addition, the club will offer a full-fledged food and beverage menu, complete with signature cocktails and a casual dining menu that will include everything from bourbon glazed short ribs to Baton Rouge style gumbo, as well as a list of lite bites.

Built with sophistication and elegance, the 258-seat Cabaret Jazz provides a truly unique and cool experience for music lovers to embrace.

Taking center stage in the stunning, two-story Cabaret Jazz inside the Boman Pavilion, the performance lineup will highlight the following entertainers:

• March 17-18, 2012 - SFJAZZ Collective: Music of Stevie Wonder
• March 31, 2012 – Three-time Grammy®-winner Branford Marsalis
• Beginning April 2012, performing the first weekend of every month - Clint Holmes
• April 13-14, 2012 – Andrea Marcovicci – Marcovicci Sings Movies
• April 15-16, 2012 – Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik
• April 20-21, 2012 – Joey DeFrancesco Trio
• May 11-12, 2012 – James Gavin’s STORMY WEATHER: The Lena Horne Project
• May 18-19, 2012 – Jane Monheit
• May 24-27, 2012 – Barbara Cook
• June 8-9, 2012 – Emily Bergl
• June 15-16, 2012 – Lucy Woodward
• June 29-30, 2012 – Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Photo: SFJAZZ Collective by Walt Denson