"Why CAN'T a Woman...?" with Lianne Marie Dobbs & Ron Abel at Hey Nonny

“She is a STAR! One of the BEST vocalists of the decade!” – BroadwayWorld
Why CAN’T a Woman…? is "one of the most interesting, fascinating, and thought-provoking shows of the season... an honest to goodness work of art" (BroadwayWorld) by acclaimed New York cabaret star Lianne Marie Dobbs. Enjoy this one-night-only Chicago premiere of her “spectacular, intriguing evening” (TimesSquare Chronicle) of leading men’s songs and sassy standards – served UP with a twist of SHE.

Her “saucy and sunny” (Variety) celebration of all the hats that women wear features unique piano & voice arrangements of Broadway melodies and songbook standards by renowned music director Ron Abel, all linked together with passages by female authors & classic heroines from Lianne’s jam-packed bookshelves.

“Lianne interprets a ballad with sensitivity and the dramatic ability of a seasoned actor, yet has a voice powerful enough to cause more damage to a venue’s roof than a Florida hurricane.” – TheaterPizzazz
While enjoying the melodies of traditionally male songs like “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”, “Something’s Coming” and “How to Handle a Woman”, see how Jane Eyre sets the scene for a Sondheim lyric, Maya Angelou turns up the heat for Cole Porter and Dorothy Parker satirizes a Sinatra tune. Go down memory lane with well-worn books that enabled you to celebrate all that women can do, have done for generations, and continue to strive to do!

Lianne Marie Dobbs is a New York stage & screen actor and busy vocalist. She has headlined at 54Below, Feinstein’s at the Nikko, Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael, Blue Strawberry, and The Green Room 42. She has also soloed with the San Francisco Symphony in an evening of Gershwin and toured the country performing leading roles in productions of Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, Always… Patsy Cline, and Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. Some may recognize her from The Equalizer, FBI, Law & Order, and The Gilded Age. In 2020, BroadwayWorld named her as one of the Best Vocalists of the Decade and in 2022 listed her solo show at 54Below as a Highlight of the Year.
Ron Abel is Lianne’s music director & arranger, whose accolades include: LA Critics Circle Award Winner & L.A. Weekly Award Winner for his original compositions and unique arrangements of Broadway hits for orchestras and singers. He has been the music director and arranger for Helen Reddy, Lucie Arnaz, Peter Allen, Joely Fisher, Valarie Pettiford, Ben Jones, and John Lloyd Young