Cornerstone Entertainment International, Inc. and Bunnyhop Productions
present
Kirsten Holly Smith
Sings Dusty Springfield
Introduced by Michael Formika Jones, Club Icon
at
The Zipper Factory
(336 W. 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, New York NY)
Saturday, January 31 at 8pm
Sunday, February 1 at 7pm
Dusty Springfield Lives!
I usually detest diva impersonation shows and in fact I almost threw things at the stage a few years ago when I saw a woman do Patsy Cline who wasn't even fit to iron her crinolines. But Kirsten Holly Smith does a smashing Dusty Springfield!

In a show [opening]...the Zipper Factory on January 31, Smith captures both the soulfulness and the sultriness of the British chantoozie of hits like "Wishin' and Hopin' " and "Son of a Preacher Man" (the dirtiest song to ever help shape my early years), not to mention the spunk of a civil rights activist and open bisexual. Between sensitively delivered songs filled with period-perfect hand gestures, Smith tells biographical anecdotes--like how Dusty was a self-cutter who enjoyed mental hospitals as if they were hotels--and by the end, you're in love with TWO top-notch singers with big hair. I pray someone next does a show about Lulu--maybe Lulu herself?
— Michael Musto, La Dolce Musto, Village Voice

You don't have to say you love her, but once you've seen Kirsten Holly Smith's heartfelt tribute to the legendary Dusty Springfield, you won't forget her. Fresh from rave reviews in Los Angeles in the rousing theatrical piece, "Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield" (produced by Jorja Fox, Leslie Brockett, and Jon Imparato) and a recent sold-out run at The Duplex, presented by Cornerstone Entertainment International, Inc. and Bunnyhop Productions, Kirsten Holly Smith Sings Dusty Springfield will play the following schedule at The Zipper Factory: Saturday, January 31 at 8pm and Sunday, February 1 at 7pm.
Michael Formika Jones, the Godfather of Nightlife, New York party icon, and recent MC of the 2nd Annual L Magazine Nightlife Awards, will be the host of our evening.
Respected arranger/musical director Michael Thomas Murray will head the musical trio feautring Mike Shapiro on drums and Romuald Filizot on bass.
Darrell Larson is director for this cabaret engagement based on the stage production originally directed by Derick LaSalla. Mr. Larson began as an actor in film and television in 1970 and later turned to directing, including a program of one-act plays by Sam Shepard at New York's Signature Theatre.
For tickets, please call 212-352-3101 or log on to www.thezipperfactory.com. Tickets are $15 each. The Zipper Factory is located at 336 W. 37 Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, New York NY. The adjacent tavern is open for dinner on Saturday night before or after the show; bar service is available in the theater on both Saturday on Sunday. Dinner reservations can be made at 212-695-4600.
About Kirsten Holly Smith:
With this show, Kirsten Holly Smith offers an opulent, stunningly performed tribute to iconic soul singer Dusty Springfield who died of cancer in 1999 at 59 years old. In this powerhouse one woman tour-de-force, she hauntingly recreates the lady, the era and the image who influenced a generation of pop singers with her unique blend of traditional pop and blue-eyed soul vocals starting in the 1960s. No one had a voice like Dusty Springfield. Ms. Smith captures the essence of the off-beat, psychedelic style of the 1960s and 1970s as the singer rose to fame, as well as the sound that created the legend. The show is a compilation of a larger theater piece called, "Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield" which was performed on the west coast at The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center recently to rave reviews. That show will next be seen in Chicago with dates and theater TBA.
About Dusty Springfield:
Dusty Springfield began her solo career in 1963 with the Phil Spector-influenced pop/rock song, "I Only Want To Be With You." Soon, other chart hits followed including, "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" and what would become her signature song, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me." The juggernaut had begun. Ms. Springfield's talent and courage blazed a trail for generations of women in pop music. She was honored by HRM Queen Elizabeth ll on the day she died with the Order of the British Empire insignia. When she was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, ten days after her death, Sir Elton John said, "I think she is one of the greatest white singers there has ever been."
At times, Ms. Springfield's life was tumultuous and misunderstood. In this riveting solo turn, Ms. Smith nails the songs and the persona of the lady who became a cult sensation that exists to this day. Chart toppers like, "Wishin' And Hopin'," "Son Of A Preacher Man" and "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" as well other classic Springfield gems are sung here with the gusto and soulful yearning that were Ms. Springfield's hallmarks. As the Los Angeles Times gushed, "Smith delivers slam dunk vocals!"
For further information, photos or interviews with Kirsten Holly Smith and press reservations, contact Donald Schaffer: 212-946-1265.
WWW.STAYFOREVERDUSTY.COM

"Smith delivers slam-dunk vocals ... sultry surprises!" Los Angeles Times
"Sung with passion and verve by Smith ... rich musicality with high-octane conviction and style!" L.A. Weekly

"Captivating! ... Springfield, as interpreted by Smith, is a multi-layered creature ..." Back Stage West
"Heartfelt ode to a legend!" IN Los Angeles Magazine "Remember I implied the former 'CSI' star Jorja Fox was becoming a producer? Her project happens Feb. 7 with a world premiere at the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center. Kirsten Holly Smith is the centerpiece of this show titled 'Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield.' (Dusty became a legend in Great Britain and elsewhere.) This will be like a concert, complete with live band and backup singers, described by screenwriter Jack Epps as 'Not just a great performance, it's a reincarnation - a séance with the spirit of Dusty!'" Liz Smith, New York Post