Sultry Nights & Broadway Lights: Leanne Borghesi Live

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Hello, friends and neighbors, you have reached Green Room on Air.

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I'm so glad you're here today.

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Ah, I was in Yosemite last week, beautiful Yosemite, and I had my second concussion in two months.

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So this video is a little late.

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I had wanted it to be out there earlier, but when you have post-concussion syndrome,

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Rome, you tend to not be able to be as productive as normal.

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So it is what it is, as the kids say today.

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And I'm going to get this out today. And I'm so glad you're here.

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Today, we have a wonderful guest.

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Her name is Leanne Borghese.

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And she is someone that I have actually worked with, I think like 15 years ago.

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We talk about that a little bit in the interview.

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And she's a remarkable talent.

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Let me just read from her bio for you so that you can get an idea of what you're

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going to be hearing today, who you're going to be hearing from.

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Leanne Borghese is a vividly fierce and award-winning singer,

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actress, film, and cabaret performer.

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She's captivated audiences from San Francisco to New York City in major concert

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halls, theaters, and nightclubs, venues with her brassy vocals and sultry siren style. style.

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Leanne has shined in lead roles in musical theaters,

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supporting performances in award-winning feature films, and created a string

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of originally critically acclaimed MAC award-winning theatrical cabaret and

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nightclub acts, including The Showbrods,

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Mood Swings, and Borghese's Back.

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Her bold, irrelevant artistry has garnered sold-out shows,

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and most recently, the New York Manhattan Association of Cabarets Award of Best

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Musical Comedy Performer for her smash comedic hit, Borghese's Back.

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And there's more, but I think you get the idea.

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And I thought what we do today is listen to a little bit of her singing.

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And if you're on YouTube, you can actually watch. Isn't that cool?

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Now, what's happening now in her life, and one of the reasons I'm doing this

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video, is for one night only,

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Monday, February 23rd, that's this coming Monday,

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7.30 p.m., She will be singing in a benefit concert featuring cast members from

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the National Broadway Touring Company of The Notebook, celebrating the month of love.

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And the show is called If This Is Love.

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It's going to benefit the Richmond Hermit Aid Foundation and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.

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Two very, very wonderful organizations, and they need your support.

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Monday, February 23rd, 2026, 7.30 p.m.

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At the Marines Memorial Theater on 609 Sutter Street in San Francisco, California.

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And it's not only going to be Leanne and the cast of The Notebook singing, but also Jason Brock.

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Many of you may know him. He was an X-Factor top 10 finisher.

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And also, Dan Ashley The Dan Ashley If you watch Channel 7 News here in San

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Francisco He is the anchor news guy On Channel 7,

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You can get tickets At ono-thenotebook.eventbrite.com.

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I think if you go to Eventbrite and search on If This Is Love, you'll find it.

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But I will also put the link in the show notes so you can just click on it,

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get your tickets for the show this Monday, February 23rd at 7.30 p.m.

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At Marines Memorial Theater.

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Now let's take a quick look at the wonderful Leanne Borghese singing a song in a club in New York. .

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Their feet are. I'm there when he calls me the trusted girl Friday.

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All right.

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But what good?

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Always count on me.

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All right. Well, I think you get the idea there.

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The sultry voice of Leanne Borghese.

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All right. Hey, without further ado, let's let you meet Leanne.

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Well, thanks for coming on today,

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Leanne. Thank you, Ray. It's good to see you. It's been a while. Yeah.

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I think we were in a show together at some point, weren't we?

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Many moons ago, Ray. At 42nd Street Moon?

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Yeah, it was. It was a fine and dandy production. It was a fond memory.

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I don't even remember what it was. What was it? Oh, my goodness. Silk Stockings?

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No, no, no. Oh, that would have been maybe a little bit more vavum. It was nymph errant.

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Oh, yes, nymph errant. I loved that. Yeah.

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What a wacky. I played a German schoolgirl. You know, it was quite in my range.

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The things we do for our art, Ray. And here we are again. I remember that.

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I think last year I was a member of the Italian-American.

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Athletic club? Yeah. Yeah, and I saw you were performing there one night. I did. Yeah.

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Different events. Yeah.

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But you're in New York City now, right? I am.

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Yeah, I've been traveling from San Francisco to New York for the last 14 years, going on almost 15.

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Wow. And so just got back to the city, and it's beautiful outside.

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It's snow, it's cold, but, you know, it ignites like the city only can.

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Yeah. So I'm happy to be here. But I'm more happy to come back to San Francisco

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because we have a big gig coming up. Tell us about it. What's happening?

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Well, you know, it's the Richmond Intermed Aid Foundation. They're coming back

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for one of their big help is on the way benefits.

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But tonight is the 20th. Hold on.

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Let's see. Let me get my facts straight. It's a one night only cabaret with

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the Broadway touring cast of The Notebook, the musical. So it will be an evening of song and...

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A song in love just in time for Valentine Day.

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And I will be performing alongside with a couple other local friends.

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We've got Jason Brock and the newscaster who just joined the show.

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Yeah, I saw that. He's the anchor on Channel 7 News, isn't he?

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I know. I didn't know he could sing.

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Me either. I'm excited for him to be there. I forget his name. What is his name?

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Well, it doesn't matter, does it? You know, he's wonderful. Yeah, he's wonderful.

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And Jason Brock from, I guess people may know him from American Idol.

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And then there's you who's been in Carnegie Hall and all these wonderful places, right?

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My goodness. Over the years, different opportunities through cabaret and art.

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I'm excited to be able to keep bringing things that I keep learning back to

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our stages in San Francisco for such a great cause.

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And the Richmond Hermitage Foundation from Broadway Bears to help us on the

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way to these one-night touring casts.

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Of Broadway shows that come in. It's really great that they put this on for

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our community, and they create a lot of funds for people in need,

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and that's the reason why I've been working with them for over 20 years.

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Yeah, and it's called the Reef Benefit. That's right, Reef Benefit?

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And they benefit AIDS and other...

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Different social services, yeah, different needs for individual people,

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people going through treatment, people who need of aid in our queer community and beyond.

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So they just really help the community and have for so many years,

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Ken and Joe, tirelessly with so many volunteers from San Francisco to now the

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Palm Springs and the benefits.

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I love that after almost 30 years, they're still doing this. 30 years, wow.

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Almost, yeah. I remember when it first started, I can't believe that's 30 years.

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Wow. Getting there, I know. It's amazing.

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It does. It does.

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And so we're going to have the, so the notebook cast is going to be here in

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this city doing the show, right?

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And so they're going to be performing alongside you and Jason and Dan,

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that's his name, Dan Ashley. Yeah.

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And so do you know what, like, how does that work? Do you have to rehearse,

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or do you work on it on your own, or do you come out here and work with them?

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Well, you know, these are pros. These are Broadway performers.

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So they come out. Yeah, well, they pick a song that really speaks to them, so it's a cabaret.

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So they have that theme of love, and they come equipped with what songs inspire them.

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So it was really a time to see these great performers on stage in a different

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capacity in cabaret doing what they love.

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So it's a wonderful opportunity to really get to know the performers.

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So it's a cabaret format, so people come up and sing the songs that mean something to them.

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Yeah, around theme. And we got there and sing, and then we party.

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And we give back. So it's a wonderful gala event.

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Speaking of partying, if you get the VIB tickets, you get to party afterward

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with the cast, right? You do.

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You get to see the cast. You get to have some sparkling. and Steve Montez has

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always put on the after parties and this one will be in the lobby of the Marines

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Memorial, which is a fabulous location.

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So you'll get to meet members of the Broadway national touring cast of The Notebook

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and you'll get to see Dan and Jason and I and get to talk to us.

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And it's wonderful throughout all the years that I've been doing the Reef Benefits

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and so grateful to give my time for these causes that the community that we've

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built, It's really wonderful to see everyone again.

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It's a definite family and the new family of people coming in and finding out about Reef.

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So we really want to get the word out there. It's a wonderful organization.

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Do you know some of the people in the Notebook cast? Or are these all?

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Not in this Notebook cast. It's in the Broadway.

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But if you're wonderful things, it's a touring company. Yeah,

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I'd like to see that show myself.

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You should come. It's the 23rd of February. I am going to come.

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I usually come to everybody I interview on here. I usually go to the shows.

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Good. Yeah. Good. We have to keep supporting live art in San Francisco,

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everywhere we are. And we need it the most now.

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We need it the most. For sure. Absolutely.

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And to connect face to face, right? Yeah. I mean, we get to connect computer to computer here.

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But to really be in presence, heart to heart is different. Absolutely.

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You know, the COVID crisis, you know, we got Zoom out of it,

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which is a good thing, or whatever modem you're using.

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But at the same time, so many arts organizations in the Bay Area.

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Especially performing arts organizations, have really suffered since COVID. And...

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It's great that we are continuing to do these things, and hopefully it'll come

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back to the way it was before.

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Or different. Or different, yeah. Or better.

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Or better. Everything's got to evolve, and I believe the more that people are

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on their screens, getting out and being in a live audience with other people

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to have that live experience.

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We're going back to, like, basic Greek theater, right?

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Bringing communities together. And this is where we go to to have it be something

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that's different and to let the audiences know we're connected.

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We have to have that visceral connection.

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Yeah. And that's what I like to thrive on. And I commit myself to keep putting

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myself in live venues and not only on, you know, on video. Yes. Is it called video?

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Tape. Online. If you decide to go to the show, which I hope people do,

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I really encourage getting the VIP ticket.

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It costs a little more, but it is so much fun to be able to meet with the people

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in the show afterwards and talk with them.

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It's a time to get dressed up. Yeah. I think Jason, I think the last time I

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went and Jason was in, or it was some benefit, and I had a wonderful conversation with him.

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He's a great performer, a great person.

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Each one of the, you'll get to meet the cast, which is great, and then go see the show.

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But it's time to get dressed up. It's a special event. It's a gala.

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Get out and put on your sexy clothes, something that makes you feel good,

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and come out and support a great cause. And that's why I do it.

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I love to wear, I mean, it's all about the gowns and feathers and dresses.

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Well, you're always dressed fabulous way.

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Because it makes me feel good, and it's fun. It's fun just for that moment.

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And then we get back to our day-to-day, so it's special.

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Do you know what you're going to be singing yet? I do. Yeah, is it a surprise?

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Well, everything works out the way that I'm looking at it.

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I'm working on a new show that I'll be debuting in August in Nebraska.

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So I'm Nebraska at the Brownville Performing Arts Center.

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So it is brassy, bassy, and Broadway.

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So I'm working on a lot of the Shirley Bassey-inspired tunes because she's one of my idols.

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And I love who she is and what she represents and the individuality that she

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brings to her work and her boldness. So it will be a compilation of Diamonds

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Are Forever and Goldfinger. Oh, wow.

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How neat. People will know those from the James Bond movies.

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You know, art is art, though. Don't hold me to it. I may switch it up at the

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last minute. That's the fun. You never know. Yeah.

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Yeah. And again, this is February 23rd, right?

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It is. 7.30 p.m.

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It's at the St. Francis? Is that right? No, it's the Marines Memorial.

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Marines Memorial, sorry. Yeah.

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Marines Memorial. Marines Memorial Theater. It's a beautiful theater.

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Have you ever been there?

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I have. Yes, I have. It is beautiful. It's one of our great theaters with the

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double tiers. And it's just grand.

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And it's right in downtown San Francisco. And there's a wonderful Italian restaurant

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next door. And there's other restaurants.

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So come and make a night out of it. Go to dinner. Come to the gala.

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See some great Broadway performers in San Francisco.

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And I look forward to saying hello to all of my friends that I know before and making new ones.

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Yeah. How often do you come out to San Francisco now or the Bay Area?

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Well, it's my primary home. I grew up in the Bay Area.

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So I've had the joy of being able to travel back and forth.

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So it's about half of the year. Oh, okay. I'll be here for different projects

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and come back when I need to. So it works out to half and half,

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half my time. So a lot of travel.

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Yeah, I know. Wow. But hey, you got to do it. It's worth it. Which you love doing.

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It's great for my soul. It's important to get out into the world.

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And you can do that in San Francisco.

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You walk out your door and you're in the world.

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Yes. You don't need to have a car per se. So it just gives a different heartbeat to inspiration.

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It's like the biggest small city in the world it is it's like a big city but it's small.

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And san francisco has that same feeling yeah the city proper yeah so when you're

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in the city you know it's something great and we have to keep revitalizing the

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arts in san francisco we have to keep.

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A live performance. Yeah.

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So we have the Richard Ehrmatt Foundation. Richmond Ehrmatt.

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Richmond. Jeez, sorry. Richmond Ehrmatt.

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Aid Foundation. Aid Foundation. One night only. Yes. The Notebook celebrating the month of love.

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Yes. And it's going to be featuring. Give us the title of the show.

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If This Is Love. If This Is Love. Yeah. So the theme will be centered around that. if this is love.

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Many, many, many incarnations of what you can do with that.

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We have the cast of The Notebook and Jason Brock and Leanne Borghese.

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The wonderful Leanne Borghese here. And Dan Ashley from the ABC News.

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I can't wait. I'm so excited.

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I'm so excited. Yeah, I look forward to these. I'm really excited to come home and do this.

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Great. Well, thanks so much for being here today. You are so welcome.

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Thanks for making all this happen. Good to see you and talk to you after so many years.

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It's been many, many years. Ray, I'd have to say it's probably been like 18 years.

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What? Yes.

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It's been that long. I mean, I've seen you on social media. Yeah,

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I mean, we've talked on Messenger and stuff a few times. But we haven't had a chat.

00:19:56.590 --> 00:20:02.370
So if it takes a Zoom to connect us like this, that's a good thing that came out of all this.

00:20:02.870 --> 00:20:06.590
Yeah. So everybody come see the show. Yes, please come. You will have fun.

00:20:06.590 --> 00:20:07.650
You're not going to be sad. I guarantee it.

00:20:07.990 --> 00:20:13.110
Yes. And let us wrap our arms around you with some love and come and say hello. Yeah.

00:20:13.590 --> 00:20:16.650
All right. All right. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you.

00:20:16.890 --> 00:20:17.830
Take care. You too. Cheers.