The very successful “Happy Birthday” series at The Palm Cabaret and Bar returns for their monthly tribute. In this case, the celebration centers around the late Karen Carpenter, vocalist and drummer for the legendary pop duo The Carpenters. “Happy Birthday, Karen Carpenter!” will take place on Sunday, March 1, at 4 pm, for one performance, only.
“The ‘Happy Birthday’ series is an excellent showcase for local and visiting talent, and an excellent opportunity for tourists and locals to enjoy some of the finest acts in town,” comments Paco Ojeda, who produces the monthly performances. Known to many as the managing editor for the prestigious Vallarta Lifestyles magazine, Ojeda dedicates much of his personal time promoting the development of a strong performing arts community in Puerto Vallarta through a series of performances and music appreciation lectures.
“Each tribute is centered around a specific music personality, along with their birthday” he explains. “The challenge is to pair popular songs by the celebrated personality with artists that happen to be in town and available to perform on those particular dates. For the performers, this challenge provides an excellent opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and perform songs that may not be necessarily familiar to them. And for the audience, it provides a one-time opportunity to enjoy these spontaneous performances.”
The concept has proven successful. Tickets for two of three previous tributes (one for American singer-songwriter, actress, comedian, film producer and entrepreneur Bette Midler, and another for Grammy Award-winning American singer and songwriter Carole King) were sold out ahead of time.
Richard and Karen Carpenter produced a distinctive pop musical style during the early 70s, later becoming one of the best-selling music artists of all time during their 14-year career. Karen’s untimely death in 1983, brought media attention to anorexia nervosa, encouraging celebrities to go public about their eating disorders.
Joining Paco onstage this weekend will be Amy Armstrong, a regular performer at The Palm, renowned for having “the voice of an angel, and the mouth of a sailor.” Amy is a talented vocalist, equally comfortable delivering a soulful power ballad, or a comedy song (www.amyfreddy.com). She will be performing with Luis Lujan and Andrea Mottura, an Argentinean voice/guitar duo known as Bohemia Viva. Luis and Andrea began performing at The Palm last year and quickly earned many loyal fans due to their talent, charm, and smooth, blending voices.
Also participating in “Happy Birthday, Karen Carpenter!” will be The Kinsey Sicks, “America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet.” They are renowned for performing both original music and lyrics, as well as parodies of well-known songs a cappella.
Finally, local artist Kathy Overly will enlighten the audiences performing her oboe, a wind instrument that was a staple in many of The Carpenters’ hits, such as “For All We Know,” “Superstar,” and “I Know I Need to Be in Love.”
Tickets for this one-time performance are selling fast and can be obtained at The Palm Cabaret and Bar box office at Olas Altas 508, Emiliano Zapata www.ThePalmPV.com, and also online through vallartatickets.com. Please visit Paco Ojeda’s website, www.paco-ojeda.com, for more information about this and other music-related events
