Wren Ross in Then and Now: A Cabaret

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Music is the song of the soul, the universal language that unites the generations. "Then and Now: A Cabaret" is a musical feast created especially for the Levanthal-Sidman Jewish Community Center by performer Wren Ross. This exciting performance will draw on the universal themes of the struggles and joys of the men and women of this century. Through song, poetry, and narration in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, Wren will bring her considerable vocal and acting gifts to this celebration. In true cabaret style, she will create an intimate dialogue with her audience.

"Then and Now: A Cabaret" will be performed on Sunday, May 17, 1998 at 2 PM at the Levanthal-Sidman Jewish Community Center at 333 Nahanton Street, Newton Centre. There will be a reception following the performance. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. For more information, please call the box office at 617-965-5226. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring mothers & fathers, aunts & uncles, children & older grandchildren together for an afternoon of reminiscence and celebration.

This cabaret is sponsored by The Coalition for Aging is a Family Affair, which is a partnership of the Levanthal-Sidman Jewish Community Center, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly, Jewish Family & Children's Service, and the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged. Serving the Jewish community for many years, these agencies have joined together to create programs which both celebrate the aging process and address the impact of growing older across generations.

This performance was inspired by "Women Whose Lives Span the Century, Contemporary Artistic Interpretations," an exhibit at the Starr Gallery in the Levanthal-Sidman Jewish Community Center. The exhibit presents the varied accounts of women who add their voices to traditional historical accounts.

Wren Ross has been performing in the New York and Boston areas for twenty years. Her recent singing engagements have included the Café Mozart in New York City, and clubs such as the Kendall Café, 1280 Beacon Street, Blacksmith House, and the Lenox Hotel in Boston. This past summer, Wren played to enthusiastic European audiences in Malta and Sicily — where she toured the ancient Greek theatres of Morgantina, Syracuse and Segesta.

Wren was a cast member of "Shear Madness" (Boston's longest running play) for eleven years, and appeared in major roles at The Charles Playhouse, The Next Move Theatre, and The Boston Repertory Theatre. Her one-woman show, "A Strong Woman Is..." received much acclaim throughout New England. In addition to her various singing and dramatic credits, Wren can be seen and heard in hundreds of broadcast spots. She has worked with such notable personalities as Walter Cronkite, Jason Robards, Mason Adams and Ben Vereen. Her voice can be heard in major museums across the United States, and she has also appeared in several award-winning CD-ROM productions. Among her television voice-over credits are the PBS programs NOVA, The People's Century, and Celebration of the American Family. Wren narrated She Lives to Ride, a feature film about female motorcyclists.

Daena Giardella is an actress, dancer, comedienne, and theatre director. She has created and performed numerous one-woman theatre pieces to wide critical acclaim both locally and abroad. For the last few years, Daena and Wren have stimulated each other's work, exchanging artistic insights; for example, with Daena's most recent show, "PLAY," and with Wren's cabaret show, "Unexpected Song."