Jane Krakowski (Getty Images)
Jane Krakowski is to make her Town Hall debut next Friday, June 8, with a cabaret act inspired by women chanteuses of past vintage–like Ann-Margret, Mitzi Gaynor, and Eartha Kitt. The 30 Rock co-star re-discovered Ms. Gaynor’s work while watching a PBS pledge drive. “I was transfixed. I was blown away–these were TV shows that were on NBC at 8 pm. I bought the DVD–and got the tote bag from PBS,” she told The Observer. She put together an album and cabaret act, The Laziest Gal in Town, that began at Feinstein’s at the Regency last year.
The act is to be expanded for the Town Hall venue–with additions including guest stars, a “salute to 30 Rock,” and “boys.” “We’re starting rehearsing with the boys today,” said Ms. Krakowski. ”I think it could be fun!” The show will also include some new Broadway numbers–fitting, given that Ms. Krakowski is a Tony-winning stage actress. “It’s the Jane Krakowski platter!” she declared.
Ms. Krakowski was resistant to perform cabaret at first–she referred to the genre as “the C-word” both for the demands it places upon the performer and for the age of most cabaret artists. “It just seems like something you did when you were in your older years and sort of winding down your career,” she said, noting that recently cabaret performers have included prominent younger Broadway stars. “All my contemporaries were doing these sort of shows; it got me over the stigma I had.”
The actress said she was looking forward to performing cabaret for the rest of her career–especially given that 30 Rock‘s next season will be its last, a fact she said the cast knew while they filmed the previous season. “Seven years go by so fast! In the cast alone, we’ve had two new babies and two new kidneys.” Her character, Jenna Maroney, is “wrong in every way. We’ve gotten away with so much because the character is so insane.” Now she has to perform as herself, though, and finds the challenge invigorating: “I tell personal stories, it feels very exposing. Ultimately that became the great joy to me.”
Tickets for this show can be obtained by calling Ticketmaster 800-982-2787 or going to the Town Hall box office.
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