Drury Lane Summer Series: Joan Curto "Broadway Woman"

Joan Curto has been called a “cabaret icon” by NBC news Chicago and “an artist with clout” by the Huffington Post. Most recently, she created, produced, directed, and appeared in concerts at the Auditorium Theatre celebrating the music of Cole Porter and vocal legends Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne. She has appeared across the nation in concerts and clubs, often celebrating the music of the Great American Songbook. A Chicago-based artist, she is a familiar face to Chicago audiences, garnering a reputation for her thoughtful interpretations and powerful voice. Joan has performed in many Chicago theaters and clubs including: the Auditorium Theatre, the Harris Theater, Empire Room, Victory Gardens, Davenports, Drury Lane Theatre, Park West, the Thorne Auditorium, and the Claudia Cassidy Theater. She has been seen in numerous Chicago Humanities Festivals and the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Conventions. Nationally, Joan has performed in some of the top cabaret clubs and concert series, including New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Room, the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Milwaukee, the Overture Center in Madison, Gardenia in Los Angeles, and the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. In 2016, Joan was recognized and awarded with the Gold Coast Award by Chicago Cabaret Professionals for her contributions to the art of cabaret and awarded the Chicago After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist. She continues to explore the songs of both the Classic and the New American Songbook and has developed and performed shows across the country featuring the music of Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerry Herman, and Stephen Sondheim. Howard Reich from The Chicago Tribune has praised Joan’s work, describing her as “a seasoned interpreter who makes every note count.” You can find her music on CDBaby.com, iTunes, and Amazon or through her website: www.joancurto.com.