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October 17, 2018Betsy Riley, Popular Area Singer, Back on Stage Oct. 27 In One-Woman Cabaret of Musical Theater Songs
How Did I Get Here? (An Evening on Broadway), Betsy Riley’s one-woman cabaret of musical theater songs, with Michael Clement on piano, plays Saturday, October 27, at Schenectady Civic Players’ 12 South Church Street Playhouse in Schenectady’s historic Stockade district. Proceeds benefit Civic Players’ Centennial Fund.
Show time for How Did I Get Here? is at 8 P.M. on the Players’ main stage, with a dessert reception to follow in the Green Room. Tickets are $25 each and can be reserved on-line at www.civicplayers.com. Or by cash, check or credit card at the door.
Area fans will recall Betsy Riley with Gary Aldrich as a popular cabaret duo, with the late George Harris at the piano, that played the Capital region for many years before Gary moved out West on his professional career, They performed together as recently as two years ago when Gary returned to the area for an acclaimed reunion performance at the Dance Museum in Saratoga.
Betsy’s musical cabaret features music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bock and Harnick, Lerner and Loewe, and Stephen Sondheim. She will sing old favorites like “It’s Today” from Mame, “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady, “Almost Like Being in Love” from Brigadoon as well as more recent songs such as “Vanilla Ice Cream” from She Loves Me and “Leave You” from Follies.
Community theaters have always been the foundation for the development of actors/singers/dancers. Betsy Riley spent many years working in local theaters of the tri-city area appearing as Laurey in Oklahoma, Kate in Kiss Me Kate, Guinevere in Camelot, Margot in Applause, and Phyllis in Follies. She has sung in three productions of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and two productions of Side by Side by Sondheim.
Ms. Riley’s professional career includes a New York City concert series and multiple appearances as soprano soloist with oratorio and choral societies throughout the northeastern United States, numerous churches and temples, the New York City Ballet’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company’s signature piece Revelations, and director/musical director of William Finn’s Falsettos. A Philadelphia career included three years at the Prince Music Theater, and eight years in the mayor’s office as executive assistant to the chief cultural officer of Philadelphia.
