Sacha’s Supper Club set for Lafayette Hotel

Sacha Boutrous is certainly not the first musician who likes to take listeners back in time by revisiting classics from the Great American Songbook. Starting Thrusday, May 14, though, this award-winning San Diego jazz singer hopes to take an entire venue back in time with the debut of Sacha’s Supper Club.

The venue in question is the Mississippi Ballroom at the historic Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows in North Park. (Ticket information appears below.) The hotel opened in 1946, replete with a swimming pool designed by “Tarzan” movie star Johnny Weissmuller. Other Hollywood icons, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Ava Gardner, stayed at the Lafayette, which hosted big band dances in its Mississippi Ballroom.

SACHA’S SUPPER CLUB AT THE LAFAYETTE HOTEL

With: Sacha Boutrous, Elin Melgarejo, The Mikan Zlatkovich Sextet and The Hang Ten Hoppers

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14

Where: Mississippi Ballroom, Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Boulevard, North Park

Tickets: $12-$35 (all ages admitted)

Phone: (619) 675-5999

Online: sachassupperclub.bpt.me

The ballroom has been used in recent years for periodic music performances, as well as for panel discussions and keynote addresses during the annual San Diego Music Thing, which has since moved to Mission Valley.

Boutrous has three albums to her credit, including 2013’s “NY After Dark,” which is subtitled: “100% Organic Jazz Music.” Her search for a suitable venue for her supper club took her to a number of area locales. After attending an awards event at the Lafayette, she stopped looking. The 525-capacity Mississippi Ballroom struck her as an ideal setting to put a new shine on a weathered musical era.

“Something about the ballroom rang true to me,” Boutrous said.

“I understand that Benny Goodman used to go in there and play with a big band. As I was sitting there, I was thinking: ‘Wow. We’re sitting in the middle of history.’ So I decided I wanted to re-enact San Diego history and the idea of the supper club, which is dining, dancing - a social (setting) for people to get together.”

Open to all ages, Sacha’s Supper Club will be held the second Thursday of each month. Each edition will feature a vintage dance demonstration by the Hang Ten Hoppers, followed by a performance by Boutrous, her band and a special guest artist.

Tonight’s guest is Brazilian song stylist Elin Melgarejo, who lives in Washington, D.C., and was born and raised in Sweden by Irish and Peruvian parents.) Boutrous’ band, led by pianist Mikan Zlatkovich, features such San Diego standouts as saxophonist John Rekevics, trumpeter Steve Ebner, trombonist Kevin Esposito, bassist Glen Fisher and drummer Carlos Vazquez.

The dress code calls for “elegant attire,” which means at least a suit jacket for men. Lafayette Executive Chef Ryan Gilbert has created a special American comfort food supper club menu. It features such items as the How to Marry a Millionaire roasted vegetables plate and the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes cheesecake.

“I want to bring back the elegance San Diego was famous for,” said Boutrous, who sings in English, French, Italian, German, Hebrew, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish.

Read the full story on utsandiego.com.

Source: DiscoverSD