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Post Office Cafe in Provincetown becomes a Broadway hotspot, "Everyone says yes to P-Town"

Broadway stars flocking to Provincetown for small theater performances
Broadway stars flocking to Provincetown for small theater performances 03:13

PROVINCETOWN - Provincetown is becoming a summer home for some of the biggest names on Broadway. From drag shows to comedians, the Post Office Café and Cabaret on Commercial Street hosts just about every type of performer you can think of.

And this year, they've expanded their Broadway series.

"Everyone says yes to P-Town"

Best Actress Tony Winner Alice Ripley is on this year's schedule.

She says cabaret performances are exciting because, "When we're playing a character eight times a week for several years, you get one day off a week and you don't get to spend time being you. But the cabaret is the challenge to be who are you and why did you choose these songs."       

Musician John McDaniel, who played for years on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, the music director for Ripley's show, and others in the Broadway concert series, tells WBZ, "It's so much fun to call my friends and ask them to come up and perform. Everyone says yes to P-Town."

Restaurant by day, Cabaret by night

Jack Kelly, his husband, and a friend bought the Post Office Café during the pandemic.

He says, "We felt like if we didn't take it that someone might turn it into condos, or it would go someplace that wasn't going to be beneficial for the arts and for entertainment."

It's a restaurant by day, club and cabaret in the evening, with three shows a night, seven days a week.

Entertainment director Mike Flanagan feels the 120-seat performance space helps attract the talent, calling the Cabaret "intimate." And he says the audiences really appreciate it.

"They show you a lot of love and a ton of respect, and it's a really special place to perform. So I think they really value when we get these kind of names to come."

Along with Ripley, this summer's calendar features Kate Baldwin, Liz Callaway, James Jackson Jr., and a performance by Darren Criss at a sister venue, Town Hall.

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