One-man darkly comedic cabaret act performs in Provincetown and Cambridge during June Pride season
McGRATHPR.com – Fresh off a string of praised performances across New England and New York, rising cabaret artist Francis Garner brings his newest solo show “Miss Otis Regrets” to Provincetown’s Post Office Cafe and Cabaret and The Dance Complex in Cambridge this June. Known for his bold choices, theatrical edge, and a voice that critics tout as “powerful” and “arresting,” Garner’s latest production is timed to coincide with Pride month celebrations, offering a poignant, sharply funny take on queerness, history, and survival.
“Miss Otis Regrets” Cabaret Series:
Sunday, June 8, 7 pm
Post Office Cafe and Cabaret, 303 Commercial Street, Provincetown
Tickets: $35 general admission, $40 preferred seating, available at June 8 ticket link
The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge,
Saturday, June 14, 8 pm, and Sunday, June 15, 7 pm
Tickets: $25 general admission, available at June 14 ticket link and June 15 ticket link
Taking its title from the classic Cole Porter tune, “Miss Otis Regrets” is a one-hour, one-man cabaret stylized after a 1950s radio broadcast reimagined through the lens of a modern podcast. The show weaves dark humor with historical parallels, shining a spotlight on the cyclical nature of societal repression—and the joy that endures despite it. This intimate yet theatrically daring piece features music, storytelling, and a keen sense of irony that reflects both personal experience and cultural legacy.
The first half of “Miss Otis Regrets” is loosely inspired by real events, with its narrative mirroring the lyrics of Porter’s song by the same name. The character Carl Otis borrows his name from Carl Rizzi, a gay postal worker investigated by the Civil Service Commission for appearing in drag—an authentic case circa 1950s. One of Rizzi’s actual quotes, offered during questioning, is incorporated verbatim in this show. While Rizzi kept his job, many others weren’t so lucky. Though Carl Otis’s love and murder story is fictional, his birthday matches the title song’s 1934 premiere, and nearly all the music in the first half was written by gay composers and lyricists.
Garner’s prior show, “Over the Hill: Dating Gay Over 30” earned widespread acclaim for its fearless humor and surprising emotional depth. In a standout review from New York critic Bart Greenberg, Garner was praised for his “powerful baritone and arresting personality,” with Greenberg noting how he “used the entire stage” to craft a “wonderfully creepy and marvelously theatrical” opening.
Known for blurring the fine line connecting cabaret and performance art, Garner incorporates choreography and evocative props to build fully realized characters and worlds. As Greenberg put it: “He brought to life those people he encountered with well-thought-out theatricality.”
EDGE Media critic John Amodeo named Garner “one of the Boston area’s most promising performers.” His recent interview with the artist reveals the roots of that promise. Though classically trained in opera, Garner’s musical tastes and performance style reflect a deep emotional range—from Brandi Carlile and Celine Dion to Jobim and Little Nas X. “Only in the last 5 to 6 years have I allowed myself to stop being such a snob and not only listen to opera,” Garner joked, adding that his musical world today is “all about mood and message.”
While “Over the Hill” explored the awkward hilarity of reentering the dating world past 30, “Miss Otis Regrets” takes a more zoomed-out, societal view—though still infused with the same signature charm and raw theatricality. Garner’s most downbeat moments are handled with craft and purpose, as noted in the review by “Lavender After Dark” blogger Jed Ryan: “…Remember that brooding persona and that wig? Garner takes back both of them for the show’s finale, Jill Tracy’s ‘Doomsday Serenade,’ which has been appropriately described as ‘a drinking song for the apocalypse.’ What a way to send off the crowd!”
With “Miss Otis Regrets,” Francis Garner embraces that very tension: between darkness and light, history and present, trauma and resilience. It’s a show for anyone who’s ever laughed through their tears—or danced through their regrets.
To learn more about Francis Garner, visit @FrancisGarnerBaritone on YouTube, and @francisgarnerbaritone on Instagram. For more information about the performance venues and access, visit postofficecafe.net or dancecomplex.org.
About ‘Miss Otis Regrets’
“Miss Otis Regrets” is a genre-defying solo cabaret show that blends vintage radio drama, queer coming-of-age memoir, American socio-political history, and classic cabaret with sardonic wit and pathos. Framed by the haunting lyrics of Cole Porter’s “Miss Otis Regrets,” the show begins as a fictionalized 1950s radio broadcast detailing the life of Carl Otis, a sensitive young man navigating the dangers of queer desire in mid-century America. As Carl’s story unfolds—culminating in his exposure, public shame, and isolation—the narrative seamlessly shifts to the autobiographical journey of performer Francis Garner.
With musical interludes ranging from Arthur Schwartz to Sara Bareilles to M.C. Hammer, Francis parallels Carl’s repression and marginalization with his own queer youth in the 1990s and 2000s, tracing a path from closeted adolescent opera prodigy to disillusioned adult seeking authenticity. Wry commercial parodies and historical references (Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10450, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the AIDS crisis) lend political and cultural context, while candid monologues and powerful musical numbers bring emotional immediacy. The show culminates in a celebration of self-acceptance and resilience, underscored by a defiant hopefulness.
