A New York-style ‘piano bar and cabaret lounge’ opening in the city centre has announced the first batch of international and award-winning artists who will grace its stage - including acclaimed West End stars and pop sensations.
Sonata Piano & Cabaret Lounge, off St Ann’s Alley on King Street, will feature a stage, a state-of-the-art sound system and a baby grand piano, with full table service when it opens next month. The venue will be open seven days a week into the early hours.
Situated in the basement storeroom of the former Boots chemist, access to the cabaret lounge will be via a ‘speakeasy’-style doorway in a nod back to the New York and Berlin cabaret clubs of the past.
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As part of a ‘highly eclectic’ launch programme, Sonata will host a wealth of local, national and international musicians including West End star Alex Young, cabaret icon Paulus and distinguished jazz pianist and vocalist Jeremy Sassoon.
Soul singer and pianist Charlie Cooper, songstress The Chanteuse and pop sensation Passmore will also perform at the exciting new bar, while husband and wife duo The Retrosettes will host a regular residency at Sonata.
Olivier Award-winning composer Richard Thomas and comedian and singer Sooz Kempner will bring their original show ‘Wrong Songs’ to Sonata in July. Later in the year, the venue will host ‘Dido’s Bar’, a reimagining of Virgil’s Aeneid – the epic story of migration and assimilation - produced Dash Arts, directed by Josephine Burton and written by Olivier-nominated Hattie Naylor, with original jazz and world music by Marouf Majidi.
Other acts lined up to appear at Sonata include Berlin-based cabaret sensation Jack Woodhead, American piano-vocalist Andrew J Boyer and Canadian soprano and comedian Delea Shand. Sonata will also showcase some of Manchester’s most exciting up and coming talent, including jazz fusion trio Outlier, singer-songwriters Adelaide Taylor and Daf Hughes, and BBC Introducing featured artist Rosita.
The venue will also present featured shows including ‘Voices & Lyrics’, a celebration of lesser-known musical theatre, and ‘Le Chat Noir’, a classical cabaret evoking Piaf, Dietrich and Brel, with timeless songs by the likes of Weill, Schoenberg and Debussy. Budding singers can take to the stage at a regular open mic cabaret night, with accompaniment from a house pianist.
Dale Bassett, founder of Sonata Piano & Cabaret Lounge, said: “This incredibly varied programme is the perfect way to launch this unique new Manchester venue. I am thrilled and privileged to be able to host such a wonderful selection of acts.
“Whether you want to see some of the world’s finest cabaret artists, the nation’s best pianists or the city’s most exciting new singer-songwriters, you will find it all at Sonata. I can’t wait to welcome these fantastic performers to our stage – and guests through our doors to experience their talent.”
Sonata is set to open in July and will host live music seven nights a week. The venue will offer full table service, alongside a selection of cocktails, cheese and charcuterie. Table reservations will be made available soon at sonatamcr.com.
