When did you discover your voice?
As a little girl, I was very introverted, so I would sing alone in my room. That ended when I was 9 and I was put in a school talent show. … Something happened. My shyness fell away. I let it all out onstage.
What was it like to grow up in Cairo?
My father was an ambassador to Egypt. I was born in New York and my dad was working at the United Nations at the time. We moved to Egypt when I was 4, which was where I grew up except for the two years we lived in Hong Kong. It was an exciting childhood. I went to an American school in Egypt with diplomats’ kids. It was the same as any American prep school, but we’d go on a field trip to the pyramids. I had track meets in Athens and London. Later, I was an English major at Yale. I was going to apply to Harvard Law, but …
The showbiz bug?
I spent most of my time at Yale doing musical theater, and I really wanted to move to New York to try to work on Broadway. I ended up doing my first role on Broadway playing a jazz singer.
How did you wind up in Vegas?
I was dating a guy who had some stuff going on in Vegas. We were supposed to come to town for two months, max. Of course, I ended up moving to Vegas. I was tired of the New York weather. And I knew that as a musician I would never be able to own my own home in New York City. I wanted a better lifestyle, plus there was so much singing work in Vegas. I ended up starting with “Country Fever” at the Golden Nugget. All of a sudden, I had health insurance and a 401(k). I fell in love with the theatrical community in Vegas. They are my chosen family.
You’ve shared a stage or recorded with superstars including Paul McCartney, Gladys Knight, Barbra Streisand, Elton John and Slash. Any favorites? Didn’t Barbra handpick you to perform with her at the MGM?
With Streisand, her team reached out to me and asked, “Would you like to sing with Barbra when she returns to the MGM on her ‘Back to Brooklyn’ tour?” My mouth dropped. Same with Paul McCartney. He was the headliner for Earth Day at the Hollywood Bowl and invited our band, PM Dawn. I’ll never forget Paul talking to me at soundcheck. … Paul told Ringo that he had to sing the na-na-na-na’s, but he said, “I can’t Paul. I just had dental surgery.” So, Paul grabbed my hand and we sang the na-na-na-na’s together. … Between Barbra and Paul, I can die now.
Tell us about your holiday show Dec. 14 at The Smith Center.
I love Christmas music. The show is going to be a mix of all different genres — jazz, pop, Broadway, blues and old-school Christmas songs. The theme is “Naughty & Nice,” but it’s all family fun, plus a few edgy songs or ones with comedic twists.
Do you have a favorite song for the season?
I love “Christmas Time Is Here” from the Charlie Brown cartoon. It always makes me cry. Also on the tears list: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
What are your Christmas plans?
We love to go to that Enchant Christmas festival. Clint Holmes has a great holiday show. A lot of my friends do holiday shows. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of singing. ◆
