Cape May Stage Presents Broadway Star, Anita Gillette

CAPE MAY – Cape May Stage, South Jersey’s premier Equity theatre, is thrilled to welcome Broadway, television and film star, Anita Gillette, in her one-woman show, “After All…” With more than 50 years of performing and entertaining audiences worldwide, this is – unbelievably – her first one-woman show. Join this legend on Aug. 5 at 8 p.m.
“After All…,”directed by Barry Kleinbort and accompanied by Manhattan’s Association of Cabarets and Clubs award-winning music director Paul Greenwood, is a smartly structured cabaret act that dips well into Gillette’s long-standing career in theatre, television and film. It’s a fun tour that illustrates what an incredibly appealing, charming, and versatile performer Gillette is.
This contemporary treasure most recently played Tina Fey’s mother on NBC’s “30 Rock.” But she is also a Broadway veteran with 14 shows to her credit including “Cabaret,” “Gypsy,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Showboat” and “Chapter Two,” for which she received a Tony Award nomination.
However, she may be best known as Mona, the mistress, in John Patrick Shanley’s “Moonstruck.” She’s also had major roles in the following films: “Shall We Dance” (with Richard Gere), “Boys on the Side,” “Larger Than Life,” ”She’s The One” and more. And she’s had recurring television roles on “CSI” and “Law & Order SVU,” as well as appearances in “Sex and the City,” “Frasier,” “Mad About You” among others.
“After All..,” her very first one-woman cabaret, is wickedly funny and completely captivating. It’s a ninety-minute intimate, behind-the-scenes peek at her career and personal life – complete with dishy stories about co-workers as varied as Merman, Cher, and Fey. Naturally, it is jam-packed with tons of fabulous music from the greats like Irving Berlin, Jule Styne, and Johnny Mercer.
Gillette has the gift of being able to imitate the voices of characters in the stories she spins. She can deftly wiggle her body to emphasize a lyric, whether trying to be sexy or satirical. The anecdotes flow smoothly and are well-interspersed with the chosen songs, whether they illustrate a point in her career or emerge as comment. All-in-all, it adds up to Gillette being both a seasoned singer and a sly comedienne.
Anita Gillette’s performance in “After All…” is part of Cape May Stage’s acclaimed Second Stage Series. This completely entertaining cabaret show will run Monday, August 5 at 8 p.m. at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank & Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May. Tickets are $50 and include an after party at the Wine Bar at the Washington Inn, Cape May’s hip, relaxing, contemporary meeting place at the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets. You’ll have a chance to mingle with the stars, while enjoying delicious complimentary finger foods and a well-stocked cash bar. Call (609) 770-8311 for reservations and information or visit the theatre’s website, www.capemaystage.org.