Fall in love with 'Unforgettable' Nat King Cole at ECC Arts Center Feb. 17
"Unforgettable: Falling in Love with Nat King Cole," starring Chicago leading man Evan Tyrone Martin, will celebrate the life and music of a legend on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive.
The performance begins at 7 p.m. To complete the evening, an optional pre-show dinner crafted by ECC's award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program is also available for purchase.
Evan Tyrone Martin, recently seen in productions of "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Side Show," and "Dreamgirls," summons the velvety vocal style of Nat King Cole in this evening of song and story. Martin relates Cole's musical journey - from his upbringing to shuffling along the jazz scene and his emergence as a popular music icon. Classic tunes featured in this celebration of Cole include "Unforgettable," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "L-O-V-E," "Smile," and many more.
Since arriving on the Chicago performance scene, "Unforgettable" star Evan Tyrone Martin has quickly emerged as a talent to watch. The Chicago Tribune says Martin is "destined for stardom" and the BCR News praises, "Martin's vocal ease would have done Nat King Cole proud." Martin's Chicago-area theatre credits include "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Jesus); "Hair" (Hud); "I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett" (Jeff Award nomination); "Dreamgirls" (Curtis; Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination); "Far from Heaven" (Jeff Award nomination); "The Little Mermaid" (King Triton); "Rent" (Tom Collins); "The Color Purple" (Harpo); "Side Show" (Jake; Jeff Award nomination); "Violet" (Flick; Jeff Award nomination); and "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (Valentin; Jeff Award nomination; Broadway World Award nomination).
"Unforgettable: Falling in Love with Nat King Cole" is presented by Artists Lounge Live, a concert series produced by husband and wife team Michael Ingersoll (previously of "Under the Streetlamp" and former Jersey Boy) and Angela Ingersoll (recent Jeff Award winner for "End of the Rainbow").
Artists Lounge Live aims to bring the toast of 42nd Street to Main Street, providing audiences with intimate concert experiences that feature the music of yesterday performed by the tremendous talents of today.
Tickets to "Unforgettable: Falling in Love with Nat King Cole" are $30. A pre-show dinner prepared by ECC's award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program can be purchased for an additional $29. The menu features a starter of a garden salad with vinaigrette, an entrée of herb breaded chicken parmesan accompanied by pasta with alfredo sauce and broccolini and red peppers, and a dessert of pot de crème. Wine and beer are sold separately by the glass. Dinners must be ordered on or before Monday, Feb. 12.
Performance and dinner tickets are available for purchase online at tickets.elgin.edu and by phone at (847) 622-0300. The ECC Arts Center is located in Building H on Elgin Community College's Spartan Drive campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. The ECC Arts Center can be found at www.facebook.com/eccartscenter and on Twitter @eccartscenter.