The Los Angeles Times calls Sharon McNight “one of the great wonders of the musical stage.” My two cents worth? This sarcastic strutting diva’s “Songs to Offend Almost Everyone,” is one of the funniest, most entertaining shows I’ve ever seen.
Her banter is frank and risqué, her stories moving. Reminiscent of comic legends like Martha Raye, her irreverent re-working of songs is both hilarious and thought provoking. “Wind Beneath My Wings,” for example, becoming “Contempt Beneath My Feet” dedicated to the couples in the audience.
Sharon is no slouch when it comes to accumulating awards, either. Right from the get-go in 1989, her Broadway debut in “Starmites” earned her both a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and the coveted Theater Worlds Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut.In the 24 years since, this prolific singer, comedienne and actress has just gotten better and better, “Heartbeats” at the Pasadena Playhouse, “Hello Dolly” at the Peninsula Civic Light Opera, and Nunsense” in L.A. and San Francisco among her many credits.
Renowned for her movie reenactment of “The Wizard of Oz” and for being one of the few real women to impersonate Bette Davis, Sharon has made half a dozen recordings. Her eclectic repertoire ranges from blues to country to––are you ready for it?–– yodeling and good old-fashioned entertainment.
With a Master of Arts in directing from San Francisco State, she has taught at City College of S.F. and the Eugene O’Neill Center, and is now on the faculty of Yale’s Cabaret Conference.
Sharon takes “The Red Piano” stage March 21-24 and 28-31 at 7 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos.