Tenors to perform at two fundraisers this week supporting Palace Theatre rebuild effort

  • Repairs are in progress at the 100-year-old Georgetown Palace Theatre. A majority of repairs should be completed in late April. Courtesy The Palace Theatre
    Repairs are in progress at the 100-year-old Georgetown Palace Theatre. A majority of repairs should be completed in late April. Courtesy The Palace Theatre
  • Tenors UnLimited will perform March 26 and 27 to support the Palace Theatre. Courtesy The Palace Theatre
    Tenors UnLimited will perform March 26 and 27 to support the Palace Theatre. Courtesy The Palace Theatre

    Support the Palace by attending an intimate deluxe performance by Tenors UnLimited (the “Rat Pack of Opera”) from the United Kingdom on Thursday, March 26, at City Post Chophouse. Drinks and heavy appetizers are part of the package. Buy tickets ($100 each) at https://georgetownpalace.ludus.com/index.php. 

    A March 27 performance at the Doug Smith Performance Center is selling fast, but one could check at the last minute for availability.

    Georgetown Palace Theatre on Austin Avenue celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year. Ironically, the historic building suffered extensive damage in a January winter storm. 

    Performances were halted. Equipment, seating, carpet and more were lost. The theatre has always demonstrated adaptability during its long history and with the support of the community is finding creative ways to move forward.

    Tenors UnLimited are coming to Georgetown to help raise funds. Paul Martin (bass-baritone) and Jem Sharples (tenor) are considered the Rat Pack of Opera. They have entertained audiences around the globe with their unique combination of popular opera and classical crossover. 

    Tenors UnLimited have performed alongside Sting, Lionel Richie, Katherine Jenkins, Beyoncé, and the Royal Philharmonic orchestra to name a few. They have appeared on television, radio, and at top venues. The group won the Broadway World Best Touring Show Award in the U.S.A. and achieved a No. 1 selling single in the U.K. with “Who is He?” in aid of The Salvation Army. 

    On Thursday, March 26, the W.D. Kelley Foundation welcomes Tenors UnLimited to an exclusive event at City Post Chophouse. 

    “We love performing in intimate settings,” Mr. Martin expressed. “Jem and I are just as much at home performing in someone’s living room round the piano as we are in a concert venue.” The private audience showcase includes cocktails and heavy appetizers. 

    Then, on Friday, March 27, Tenors UnLimited will perform to a larger audience at the Doug Smith Performance Center. 

    “There are moments where I’ll be channeling certain characters, such as ‘Javert’, from Les Miserables, and the ‘unknown prince (Calaf) from Puccini’s Turandot when we sing Nessun Dorma,” Mr. Martin shared. 

    The repertoire also includes popular classics with crooner and pop favorites, as well as original songs. 

    As a special treat, members of the Palace Performance Company will perform alongside the Tenors for several musical numbers. 

    “We’re delighted to be collaborating with the PPC,” Mr. Martin said. “In fact, during lockdown, we mentored and gave online masterclasses to several of the young performers that had sung with us the previous year.

    “We try to have a choir perform with us at most of our tour shows, as it adds something extra and allows us to connect with the local community.” 

    Tenors UnLimited's first visit to Georgetown was in January 2016.

    “We’ll be celebrating our 10 anniversary while the Palace is celebrating its centenary,” Mr. Martin reflected. “Obviously, we love performing at the historic Palace and are delighted that our show this year is at the Doug Smith Performance Center, having watched the building take shape over the years.

    “But it’s the people we’ve met that have been the most important. My family has a long friendship with Dale Illig of the W.D. Kelley Foundation. We met our fabulous pianist Tyler Groft through the Palace and he’s since toured with us to various venues in the United States and we’re delighted that he’ll be with us again this year.

    “The hospitality we’ve received over the years has been wonderful and has cemented Georgetown as one of our favourite spots to perform on the planet. We’re very much looking forward to catching up with all the friends we’ve made.”

    Indulge in great entertainment that showcases soaring vocals and quick wit while supporting the Palace. Proceeds benefit rebuilding the theatre from the devastating damages sustained on January 25. 

    To thrive as a performing arts venue in the future, the Palace relies on donor support. Go to  georgetownpalace.org to purchase tickets for Tenors UnLimited. 

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