Roger Schmelzer comes to Capital Cabaret amid a successful career as a not-for-profit arts and business leader and as an accomplished cabaret vocalist. From his Indianapolis base, Roger is CEO of the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds and has led the boards of The Great American Songbook Foundation (founded by Michael Feinstein), Theater on the Square and The Cabaret over the last 15 years.
As a vocalist, Roger has been hailed as “a born crooner, put on earth to sing standards in a supper club.” He creates an intimate evening of classic cabaret updated with a crisp, contemporary sound.
Following his critically acclaimed NYC solo debut (directed by the legendary Marilyn Maye), Roger appeared at Carnegie Hall in a tribute to Jerome Kern sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. From there Roger has literally taken his act on the road, performing at cabaret venues from coast to coast and earning the label “master of the American Songbook.” Roger’s recording, "About Now" was described by public radio as "Chock-full of the sorts of clever lyrics and lush arrangements that characterize songs for intimate settings from the last century to today."
A graduate of Indiana State University and the Indiana University School of Law, Roger’s career in politics, government, law, and communications has included high-level stints in the Indiana Statehouse and Washington, D.C.
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