On July 30 Sharon McNight will offer the New York premiere of her acclaimed cabaret act — "Songs to Offend Almost Everyone" — as a benefit for the York Theatre Company.

Scheduled for 8 PM at the York Theatre at St. Peter's, McNight's show is designed to "offend people with good taste of almost every persuasion." McNight adds, "It's an overview of forbidden words and offensiveness. We present under-the-table tunes that could rattle a busload of repressed Puritans." Attendees can expect to hear the singer-actress interpret such tunes as Randy Newman's "Political Science," Stephen Sondheim's "I Never Do Anything Twice," Chet Atkins' "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex on His Television Show" and Tom Lehrer's "The Old Dope Peddler." Louis Goldberg will be the evening's musical director.

A Tony Award nominee for her work in Starmites, McNight is currently starring in the York Theatre Company's production of Red Hot Mama, about the legendary Sophie Tucker. Her regional theatre credits include Amanda McBroom's Heartbeats at the Pasadena Playhouse, Dolly in Hello, Dolly! at the Peninsula Civic Light Opera and Sister Hubert in Nunsense in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

Tickets for "Songs to Offend Almost Everyone" are priced at $60 and include the show and a wine reception. The York Theatre is located at 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street; call (212) 935-5820 to make reservations.

—By Andrew Gans