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 offers a poignant, sharply funny take on queerness, history, and survival.
“Miss Otis Regrets” performs on Sunday, June 8, 7 pm, Post Office Cafe and Cabaret, 303 Commercial Street, Provincetown. Tickets are $35 general admission, $40 preferred seating, available at June 8 ticket link.
The show also performs at:
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.
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.”
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.