UPDATE: The event has been rescheduled. A new date is TBD.

District Live, the new live music venue at Plant Riverside District, will present the Johnny Mercer Cabaret, a dazzling new show featuring the iconic hits and award-winning songs of Savannah native Johnny Mercer from August 12-15.

The Johnny Mercer Cabaret cast is led by a talented trio, including Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter and jazz performer Stacie Joy Orrico; accomplished Broadway and Off-Broadway musical director Kim Douglas Steiner; and acclaimed vocalist and American Traditions Competition finalist Roger Moss.

“Johnny Mercer was a brilliant songwriter who was able to combine his Southern roots, the influence of African American music with his worldly life that spanned from Savannah to New York to Los Angeles,” said vocalist Roger Moss, who performs throughout the Southeast and across the nation in theatrical and musical productions.

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“In addition to being an Academy Award winning lyricist, he was also a brilliant businessman. He founded Capitol Records and signed, among many artists, including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Mel Torme and The Beatles.”

Considered one of the greatest American songwriters of all time, Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics to more than 1,700 songs from the 1930s to the 1970s. A four-time Oscar winner and 18-time honoree, Mercer crafted the soundtrack of a generation, including iconic hits like “Hooray for Hollywood,” “Accentuate the Positive,” “Come Rain or Come Shine” and the Academy Award-winning “Moon River” from the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).

“Our show incorporates visuals chronicling Johnny Mercer’s life as well as tidbits about his life,” said Moss. “Stacie Oricco’s voice was made to sing Johnny Mercer. Kim Steiner’s arrangement, enhanced by two other talented musicians, captures the essence of Johnny Mercer. Plus, this show is in the brand-new theater, District Live at Plant Riverside. Every seat is a great seat.”

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Mercer absorbed the influences of the coastal South and its people, merging music to create an entirely new sound. Inspired by the world of blues and jazz, he wove African-American musical culture into the rhythm of his lyrics, creating many well-known songs that span the decades.

“Savannah is proud to claim Johnny Mercer as one of our own and continues to celebrate this beloved songwriter to this day,” said Tyler Gray, Director of Entertainment at JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District.

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“It seems only fitting that one of our first shows at Plant Riverside District’s state-of-the-art music venue will be the Johnny Mercer Cabaret. We’re delighted to present this exceptional show, featuring the world-class talent of Stacie Joy Orrico, Kim Douglas Steiner and Roger Moss.”

District Live will host six Johnny Mercer Cabaret performances on Thursday, August 12 at 5 p.m.; Friday, August 13 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, August 14 at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, August 15 at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 at the door and are available at Ticketmaster.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Johnny Mercer Cabaret at Plant Riverside to celebrate legacy of iconic Savannah songwriter

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