By Andrew Gans
11 Jul 2008

Frenchie Davis

Frenchie Davis, the former "American Idol" contestant who made her Broadway debut in Rent, will play a limited engagement at San Francisco's Rrazz Room later this month.

Davis, who will join "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard for a tour of the Tony-winning Fats Waller revue Ain't Misbehavin' in the fall, will play the San Francisco venue July 22-Aug. 2.

The Rrazz Room will also welcome several other theatre folk later this year: Dame Cleo Laine (Into the Woods, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and husband Sir John Dankworth will perform Sept. 2-14; the legendary, Tony-winning singer-actress-dancer Chita Rivera will play the Rrazz Sept. 23-28 and Sept. 30-Oct. 5; and cabaret and theatre favorite Andrea Marcovicci will offer Marcovicci Sings Movies II Oct. 14-Nov. 2.

Frenchie Davis, who was recently seen in Mahalia–A Gospel Musical, made her Broadway debut in Rent. She played Effie in a regional tour of Dreamgirls, and she has also performed in professional productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar in Germany.

Cleo Laine has been nominated for Grammy nominations in three categories: Female Jazz, Popular and Classical. In addition to her Broadway Drood outing, Laine starred as the Witch in the national tour of Into the Woods, and she appeared in Show Boat and Colette in London's West End. Her numerous solo recordings include "Blue and Sentimental," "Cleo Sings Sondheim" and the Grammy-winning "Cleo at Carnegie: 10th Anniversary."

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in 1933, Chita Rivera is one of the theatre's most acclaimed performers. She has won Tony Awards for her performances in two Kander and Ebb musicals, The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and was also nominated for her work in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Bring Back Birdie, Merlin, Jerry's Girls and her most recent outing, the Tony-winning revival of Nine. Rivera's other Broadway credits include the musical Seventh Heaven, her Broadway debut; Mr. Wonderful; the original production of West Side Story; and Bajour. She appeared in the film version of "Sweet Charity," starred in the world premiere of Kander and Ebb's The Visit, and also headlined Bernarda Alba at the Mark Taper Forum. Rivera was most recently on Broadway in Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life. She was most recently seen in the Signature Theatre's production of The Visit.

Andrea Marcovicci starred on Broadway in the short-lived musical Ambassador and in Frank D. Gilroy's Any Given Day. Her screen credits include roles in "The Front," "Someone to Love," "Jack the Bear," "Who Is Henry Jaglom?," "The Water Engine" and "Trapper John, M.D." It has been the cabaret stage, however, where she has received the most acclaim. The singer-actress has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and in concert halls throughout the world. Her solo albums are numerous and include "Marcovicci Loves Movies," "What Is Love?," "Just Kern," "December Songs," "New Words," "Live from London" and "Some Other Time."

The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko is located in San Francisco at 222 Mason Street at O'Farrell Street in Union Square. Tickets are available by calling (866) 468-3399 or by visiting www.TheRrazzRoom.com.