Lesli Margherita, co-star of Broadway’s Matilda and Dames at Sea, has announced a return to Feinstein's/54 Below this August with a new take on the songs and stories in her nightclub show, Rule Your Kingdom.
Margherita is promising “memorable favorites with a twist, [and] new stories bound to become classics” in the show, scheduled for August 24 and 25 at 9:30 PM, and August 26 at 11 PM.
Margherita, who won an Olivier Award for her performance as Inez in the London production of Zorro the Musical, played the dance-obsessed Mrs. Wormwood for two years in the Broadway musical Matilda, and created the role of Esmeralda in the stage adaptation of the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
She told Playbill, “My show is very much about my life and it’s told mainly through pop songs, with some show songs in it. But it’s not a retrospective of my career. I call myself Queen Lesli, but I don’t think I’m a queen. It has to do with the fact that I rule my own life. My show is very empowering, especially to young women and young people. It’s about taking control of your life and owning who you are—maybe it’s different, maybe it’s weird—but owning it. Rule Your Kingdom is very much about that. The songs and stories are about things I’ve learned. I’ve had a lot of crap happen to me in my life—funny things. I took those lessons to become the person I am.”
Written by Margherita, Rule Your Kingdom will be directed and produced by Lauren Bass, featuring musical direction and arrangements by Brett Ryback.
Margherita said she chose Feinstein’s/54 Below as the place to premiere the revised Rule Your Kingdom, saying, “I love this space because everyone is so close. I feel like I could just sit and tell stories. You feel like you share something really special in this room. I call it a mini Bette Midler show. I have backup girls and a band. I also go live on Twitter during the show. I may do Facebook Live as well. People who expect to see a typical cabaret show are going to be surprised.”
Feinstein’s/54 Below is locate at 254 W. 54th St. in Manhattan. There is a $35–$80 cover charge, plus a $25 food/drink minimum. Tickets can be ordered online at Leslimargherita.com or 54below.com, or by calling (646) 476-3551.
