Cosmopolitan Cabaret venue to change

California Musical Theatre will no longer produce shows in the 200-seat Cosmopolitan Cabaret, according to CMT Executive Producer Richard Lewis.

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” which ran from Sept. 28 through Nov. 18, was the final show produced by CMT at the venue, located at 10th and K streets in downtown Sacramento.

Paragary Restaurant Group, which recently opened Café Bernardo and K Bar in the space adjoining Cosmopolitan Cabaret, took over management of the venue on Dec. 5, according to David Taylor, managing partner of building owner David S. Taylor Interests Inc.

The new venue will feature cutting-edge comedy and eclectic styles of music, from progressive rock to jazz, according to Randy Paragary, owner/partner of Paragary Restaurant Group. Paragary said that programming details will be announced soon.

“The cabaret is a wonderfully intimate entertainment space with perfect acoustics and not a bad seat in the house,” Lewis said. “So we’re very excited that Paragary Restaurant Group will be taking the venue in a new direction. Both David Taylor and Randy Paragary have been wonderful partners since 2008, when we began programming the cabaret and we look forward to helping with the transition in every way possible.”

In recent weeks Taylor, Lewis and Paragary have had conversations about a new direction for the venue, and they believe that providing live entertainment directed at a broader audience will be a better fit with the other area businesses, including Paragary Restaurant Group’s adjoining Café Bernardo and K Bar.

“Richard was a pioneer in bringing live entertainment to K Street,” Paragary said. “He deserves total credit for creating a wonderful space. As we move in new directions, we will be building on the venue and atmosphere he created.”

Since it opened four years ago, the Cosmopolitan Cabaret has had a string of critically acclaimed productions.

“We’re very proud of the wonderful shows we’ve produced at the cabaret,” Lewis said. “And we’re very appreciative of the fantastic audiences that have come to see those shows.”

Lewis said CMT will continue to focus its efforts on producing world-class Broadway musicals for the summer Music Circus series at Wells Fargo Pavilion, which recently ended its 62nd season, and presenting top touring Broadway shows for the Broadway Sacramento series at Community Center Theater.