February 2-5, Sunday-Tuesday 7pm, Wednesday 3pm
San Miguel Playhouse, Av. Independencia 82
$350, $400

Lady Zen Sings Ladies of Legend - concert

The superb vocal star Lady Zen, consistently the biggest draw of any singer in San Miguel, grew up singing in church, was subsequently trained to be an opera mezzo-soprano, and then veered off the opera track to sing jazz and blues. She has never permitted herself to be pigeonholed as one kind of singer or another, and with her three-and-a-half octave range and formidable technique, her voice can take many guises.

Since last August, Lady Zen has been displaying her vocal versatility in a bimonthly, five-show concert series. Her three shows last year were an Aretha Franklin tribute, a salute to the Broadway musical, and, in December, a rousing holiday special to end all holiday specials. Her music director and accompanist in the holiday show was none other than Ken Bichel, a star in his own right. The Juilliard-trained, Emmy-winning Bichel has collaborated with artists such as Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Plácido Domingo, and has a particular affinity for working with female singers. He was for a number of years the music diirector for Judy Collins.

Zen and Ken are collaborating again on her upcoming show, Lady Zen Sings Ladies of Legend, which will have three evening performances and one matinee, between February 2 and 5. All shows will be staged at the San Miguel Playhouse, Avenida Independencia 82.

Ladies of Legend will feature songs of Roberta Flack, Sade, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Carole King, K.D. Lang, and many others. Guest vocalist Dwight Blake, whose spectacular Motown special at the Playhouse last March literally had the audience dancing in the aisles, will join Zen on several songs. Bassist Aaron Romo and percussionist Rick Shlosser will round out the bill.

The concert series will conclude in early April with Lady Zen Sings Bessie Smith, a jazz and blues spectacular.

Reserved-seat tickets are 400 pesos for the center section and 350 for the side sections. Tickets for both the Legend and Bessie Smith shows can be purchased online now; and tickets for the February 2 to 5 Legend show are also on sale for cash or card at the Boleto City ticket office, Mercado Sano, Mon. - Sat., 11am to 5pm.

Tickets