Festival Artists

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ARNALDO! DRAG CHANTEUSE has thrilled audiences from Seattle and New York to Puerto Vallarta and Manila. He has received NY's Bistro Award 2008, Manila's Gawad Musika Award 2014, and Filipino Community of Seattle's Lifetime Achievement Award in Arts & Culture 2016. Arnaldo! is the founder of Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association and the executive producer and director of Seattle Cabaret Festival, formerly known as March Is Cabaret Month.  www.dragchanteuse.com

ANGIE LOUISE is a member of Actors’ Equity and the longtime frontwoman and songwriter for Weimar-inspired band The Love Markets (“Irresistible” – Seattle Magazine). She has performed many principal roles on Seattle’s AEA stages, toured regionally with The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Cabaret, released three albums, screenwritten two award-winning feature films, and been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize. “A singer, songwriter and actress with fearsome chops.” – City Arts Magazine.   www.angielouise.com

BEN GONIO is a member of SAG/AFTRA  and AEA who holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA from University of Washington School of Drama. Regional theatre roles include Sweeney in Sweeney Todd (Arts West) and Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Arizone Rep); recent TV appearances include NBC’s GRIMM and TNT’s LEVERAGE. Ben is a past City Artist Grant and Artist Trust Grant recipient and dedicates these shows to his mom, Flor Gonio.

BLUE PLATE SPECIAL is three ladies and a ukulele, performing classic three-part harmony hits from the 1940s through the 1960s from such acts as The Andrews Sisters, The McGuire Sisters and The Ronettes. This sparkling female trio features vocalist Cheryl Serio, Seattle’s Queen of Retro Cool (The Spyrographs, The ABBAgraphs); vocalist Meg McLynn (The Sugartime Trio, Purple Phoenix Orchestra); and vocalist/ukelelist Sunga Rose (Honeyville Rascals, Miss Rose and her Rhythm Percolators, Ukestra).  www.sunrosemusic.com

BODACIOUS LADYHOOD is an award-winning a cappella trio who met in musical theatre over 20 years ago and have been singing together ever since, performing in clubs, on stages, and at wineries all over the Puget Sound as well as on national radio. Described as “a tantalizing trio” with “mellifluous harmony” that creates “an evening of show-stopping entertainment”,  Bodacious Ladyhood is three parts harmony, one part comedy, and a whole lot of fun.  

http://www.bodaciousladyhood.com

DAVID DUVALL is a Pacific Northwest-based singer/songwriter/performer who moved into the spotlight from being a musical director/accompanist when he turned 60. He has been director, musical director, and/or arranger for nearly 400 theatrical, nightclub and concert productions across the western US, and his work as a television composer has earned him two Emmy nominations (one win) for Best Original Music. As a singer-songwriter, he has released eight CDs, and has performed extensively as a solo artist in California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Hawaii.

FAYE B SUMMERS has performed in Seattle and nationally for many decades. She appeared in most of Seattle’s theatre venues including The Group, Seattle Rep, ACT, and Village Theatre, and was an original member of the Bathhouse Theatre Company. Her original one-person show, Kicking the Hat, was produced by ArtsWest Theatre. She is currently involved with marketing her original Edith Piaf musical play, A Sparrow’s Diary.

HEATHER GONIO is a Seattle-based performing artist and musician who pursued theatre after years of performing and teaching hip hop. Seattle stage credits include The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Village Theatre, ACT Theatre, Book-It Repertory, and McCaw Hall. After touring Europe in 2008 as a principal singer on Celebrity Cruises, Heather decided to start her family in Seattle, where she balances work, family, and art. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Her favorite role: Mama. 

ERIC LANE BARNES and PAUL ROSENBERG met in 1991 doing 'Falsettoland' at Chicago's Wisdom Bridge Theatre. They have been an item ever since: first as boyfriends, now as husbands, constantly performing for and with one another. Creative collaborations include the stage shows 'Fairy Tales' and 'The Stops,' countless concerts with the now-defunct Captain Smartypants, several Bushwick Book Club Seattle performances, the films 'In-laws and Outlaws,' 'Waxie Moon' and 'Fallen Jewel,' and several CDs, including the OCR of 'Fairy Tales.' Paul and Eric are 1/2 of 'Princess Guy,' Seattle's Most Fabulous Vocal Quartet, performing on May 27 and 28 for the Seattle Cabaret Festival.

JOANNE KLEIN has played on almost every stage or venue in Seattle. From basements to stadiums, from Canada to Costa Rica and even the streets of Paris, Joanne is a performer of wonderful wit, a super voice and great choice of music and arrangements. Art Saves Lives is her motto and without it, she would have been a criminal. You can see Jo at jazz jams, theatre venues, and places where music is respected and desired.  www.joannekleindiva.com

JOHN ENGERMAN has been writing, arranging, music directing and playing for theatrical productions since the mid-1970s. His highlights as a composer include "Ronnie Bwana - Jungle Guide," "The Big Bad Wolf (and How He Got That Way)," "Ming the Rude" (Empty Space Theatre), "The Ballad of Mary Reade" (Bathhouse Theatre), and "Prince Brat and the Whipping Boy" (Seattle Children’s Theatre). His arrangements for cabaret include revues about Nat Cole, Duke Ellington, Rosemary Clooney, The Fabulous Sateens, The Sirens of Swing, and numerous one-woman shows with his wife, the fabulous Jayne Muirhead.

JUDY ANN MOULTON, a member of Actors’ Equity and Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association, has been performing on Pacific Northwest stages for over 30 years, including The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Bellevue Civic, and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Favorite roles: Princess Puffer/Edwin Drood, Old Lady/Candide, Annie Oakley/AGYG, the Narrator/Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the title role in Mame. Her concert “Judy Sings Judy”, an evening of Garland classics, was awarded BroadwayWorld.com’s Critic’s Choice Award for Best Theatrical Event for 2010. 

KAREN SKRINDE has been performing for over 30 years in the Pacific Northwest, appearing at The 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Village Theatre, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Seattle Public, Key City Public, Tacoma Actors Guild, and in cabaret shows with Seattle Cabaret Festival and Thumper’s. Karen coaches and assistant-directs young people in plays and musicals and serves as an adjudicator for Washington State Thespians. During the pandemic, like her dog Maisie, Karen’s favorite activities were: sitting on the softest part of the couch, eating all her meals out of a bowl, watching movies, and snoring.

THE LOVE MARKETS are a Weimar Berlin-inspired band who make songs of love and revolution. Their records BEAUTY FACTORY and WORLD OF YOUR DREAMS find heroes in unlikely places, combining subversive wit and exuberant soul with songwriter Angie Louise's sultry vocals and adventurous keys, Robertson Witmer's expressive accordion, David Marriott Jr.'s shape-shifting trombone, Dave Pascal's dexterously juicy bass, and Chris Monroe's sinuous drums. Celebrating 12 years on Seattle’s arts scene (ACT Theatre, Seattle Art Museum, TV’s “ArtZone”, City Arts Fest), The Love Markets head into the studio in 2022 to record their third album. “Irresistible… Intoxicating… A deliciously dark carnival.” – Seattle Magazine. www.thelovemarkets.com

MARK FINLEY did his first professional show at the age of 10 and has now been an entertainer for 50 years. Finley has performed around the world on stage, screen, and television and been a writer, a costume/clothing designer, a dancer, a model, a personal assistant, an actor, an accompanist, and a world-renowned LGBTQIA+ cultural icon. He is single and lives with his dog, Rufus, in Seattle, Washington.

MATTHEW STULL is a trained actor, voice talent, singer, and founding member of The Bobs, a Grammy-nominated a cappella vocal group with an international following. As a member of The Bobs, Matthew performed with an astounding variety of acts including Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Ray Charles. Matthew has performed at the Emmys, the Oscars, the Tonight Show, and PBS specials, and contributed to the soundtracks for both television and major motion pictures. www.matthewstull.com

PRINCESS GUY is Seattle’s Most Fabulous Vocal Quartet™, crafting hilarious and touching performances that interweave song and story. A self-directed, independent confluence of four guys in tiaras, PG brings the harmony with unexpected interpretations of all manner of music as well as original songs. Princess Guy is Eric Lane Barnes, Jeffrey Erickson, Paul Rosenberg and Ritchie Wooley.  www.princessguy.com

ROGER SCHMELZER’s abundant use of America’s Songbook conveys a message of hope, kindness, and optimism that takes audiences on “a journey back to Old World New York Cabaret.” Since making his critically acclaimed NYC solo debut in 2017, Roger has appeared at Carnegie Hall and performed in Chicago, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Seattle and St. Louis. He is directed by the legendary Marilyn Maye, who says “Roger makes it his business to entertain you. He is fun, festive, fervent, and friendly. His love for the music is contagious and you’ll love the man who presents it.” Musical Director: Jeffrey Harris. Bass: Dave Pascal.

SIREN + SINEWAVE are Carla Hilderbrand (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ted Lim (backing vocals, upright bass, lap steel), both staples in the Seattle music education scene. Ted is a veteran rock, blues and Americana bass and guitar player (Carolyn Wonderland Band, Rachel Carrington, Dusthorses, Anthony Phillips Band, Cult of Ted). Carla hails from the classical music world and has performed as a soloist with companies including Portland Opera, Seattle Opera, Seattle Youth Symphony, and Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chambers Singers. 

THE SIRENS OF SWING features three Seattle cabaret luminaries - Karen Kay Cody, Joanne Klein and Jayne Muirhead - with music direction by John Engerman. First produced in the 1990s, their tributes to the infectious sounds of classic vocal trios such as the Boswell Sisters and the Andrews Sisters were hit shows at the Cabaret de Paris. With lush harmonies and jive rhythms, they take audiences on a musical journey back to the 1930s and 1940s full of sass and romance. 

VALERIE PIACENTI has made Seattle her home for the past 35 years, performing at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Cabaret de Paris, Kirkland Performance Center, and The 5th Avenue Theatre. Valerie was the soprano soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet's SILVER LINING, including the London production accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic. During her twelve years in New York City, Valerie made her Broadway debut in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, starring Kevin Kline, and performed in shows off-Broadway, cabaret, and concerts. 

HEATHER WARD was born in the Toronto area of Canada to a multi-generational musical family. She modelled, acted for stage, film, TV and commercials, and earned a music degree in Jazz Performance, performing in Vancouver jazz venues and the International Jazz Festival. After moving to Seattle and raising three children, Heather has returned to singing and acting on stage and film, teaching voice lessons at her home studio, and doing voiceover work.