Bawdy and lovable, she was "the last of the red-hot mamas." Singer and entertainer Sophie Tucker made her mark in vaudeville during the early part of this century, then headlined the Palace Theatre in 1914 and went on to star on Broadway, including the Cole Porter hit musical, Leave It To Me! (1938). Now Tucker will be celebrated and impersonated by cabaret diva Sharon McNight, who was nominated for a 1988-89 Tony for playing a character NAMED Diva in Broadway's Starmites. McNight has been likened to a modern-day Tucker and has won San Francisco's Cabaret Gold Award 6 times.

In The Sophie Tucker Songbook, McNight will perform such Tucker vaudeville hits as "He's A Good Man To Have Around," "Some Of These Days," "You Gotta See Mama" and the signature tune, "Last Of The Red-Hot Mamas." Songbook plays Jan. 18-19 only at the Hoytt Theatre of Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael, CA. This is part of their "Singers and Songwriters series, sponsored by Bank Of America and The Jazz KNOB.

For tickets ($20-$22) and information on The Sophie Tucker Songbook, call (415) 479-2000.

--By David Lefkowitz