Cape Cod Jazz and Arts Festival kicks off 20th year with performance from Tony Award winner Alan Cumming
HARWICH - Summer nights, incredible views, and unforgettable music are all part of the Cape Cod Jazz and Arts Festival, now celebrating its 20th year. Now, live musicians will be performing every Tuesday and Wednesday during July and August.
Tony Award Winner Alan Cumming
Two decades ago, the former owners of the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Harwich wanted to come up with a way to lure more guests during the week. So, they decided to start bringing in live musicians for entertainment.
This year, Tony-award-winning performer Alan Cumming will kick off the festival. "I'll try and be a bit swingy, but I'm not really jazzy, I'm more the arty part."
Cumming is best known for his roles on "The Good Wife" and his iconic performance as the Emcee in "Cabaret." Now, his newest one-man show called "Uncut" is coming to the Cape.
He says "It's about being an outsider and about how I've always felt like an outsider. I've come to realize as I've gotten older, that a great place to… because you've got such a healthy perspective on things."
Not only will Cumming take the stage, but other talented musicians will entertain the crowds too, all summer long from the Garden Terrace Venue of the five-star resort.
There's a wide variety of talent on the schedule, from local favorites like Grace Kelly, to Loren Allred, featured on "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack, and even the Blue Man group.
But Cumming told WBZ he can't wait to take the stage.
"I see it as a great treat for me to feel all the things that I love most about being a performer, which is that connection with an audience, the sort of scariness of live theater, the sort of potential for things to go wrong, and just how energizing and alive you have to feel to be able to do it. So it's a great thing for me to do."
How to see the performances
While dinner reservations guarantee you a seat, the performances are free and open to the public, something that Cumming appreciates.
"You want your work to be seen, and you want your work to be seen by and heard by a really wide demographic of people," he said. "I want to make sure that I play to as wide a selection of people as I can."
The 20th season of the Cape Cod Jazz and Arts Festival starts on July 9th with Cumming's show.
