TV NEWS ANCHOR RETURNS 

TO SALEM CABARET

SALEM, NY — Benita Zahn, WNYT news anchor, returns to Fort Salem Theater on Sunday afternoon, May 7, at 2 PM, in a cabaret entitled BZ and the Girls: Women Who Sing. A part of the theater’s inaugural season eleven years ago, Ms. Zahn has returned at least once in each subsequent season, sometimes with fellow Singing Anchors Jerry Gretzinger and Jessica Layton, sometimes as the lead in a musical (I’m Getting My Act Together and They’re Playing Our Song), and often as a solo cabaret performer. As an actress, she has performed with every major performance group in the Capital Region.

This year’s outing finds her in the skilled company of three other Fort veterans, singers Keri Alonzo, Sue Caputo, and Lynne Kerr. These four Women Who Sing will light up the stage with four-part harmonies: the theater’s website calls them “The Andrews Sisters and The Supremes on steroids.” Interspersed with pop tunes like “Stop in the Name of Love” and “What a Wonderful World,” are musical theater favorites, including “At the Ballet” from A Chorus Line and “I Want It All” from Baby. Musical arrangements and accompaniment are provided by the Fort’s artistic director,  Jay Kerr.

“Each of these women brings a different skill set to the group,” says director Kerr, “which makes for a show of varied musical styles to suit every taste.”  The program was created from their joint request: “We want to do a show together.  Please make it happen!”  

With an undergraduate degree in theater from SUNY Oswego, Benita Zahn is a Renaissance Woman, holding masters and doctorate degrees in Bioethics from Albany Medical College/Alden March Bioethics Institute. She is a marathon runner and competitive triathlete, Honorary Chair for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Run, and a seven-time Emmy nominee. Her early evening channel thirteen newscasts with Jim Kambrich are consistently the region’s top-rated news shows.

Keri Alonzo earned her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. She has appeared with Benita in Park Playhouse cabarets and performed solo cabarets at Fort Salem Theater and Panza’s Restaurant. Susan Cicarelli-Caputo has directed and choreographed at Fort Salem and Capital Rep, and been featured as a performer at both venues, as well as at most venues in the area. Lynne Kerr has performed at Fort Salem, in Manhattan cabarets, including the legendary Village Gate, and has released a CD, Songs My Husband Wrote.

Seating for Women Who Sing is limited, so reservations are required. A $20 ticket includes complimentary coffee, and dessert is available for purchase. Doors open at 1:30 PM. For more information, visit the theater’s website (fortsalemtheater.com) or phone the box office at (518) 854-9200.