Our Lady of Victory (OLV) 1987 alumnae Pamela “Champagne Pam” Lewis has been nominated for a Broadway World Award and needs your votes, Floral Park.
Lewis is a singer, songwriter, and performer, with a sultry, silky cabaret style. Her passion for performing and music traces back to he earliest memories.
“I’ve been singing since I can remember,” said Lewis. When asked who wanted to sing “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” on the stage at a holiday gala – Lewis’s natural attraction to the spotlight began at age five for a crowd of more than 200.
“I loved growing up in Floral Park,” Lewis told the Floral Park Dispatch. “My parents made the perfect choice in deciding where to live with a big family; close enough to the city (my father is a retired NYC firefighter) and still having that ‘small town with a big heart feel’.”
She has two sisters and a brother. Her parents were members of the Floral Park Citizens Party for more than 30 years. Her mother, Linda Lewis passed away in 2005; she served as the Citizens Party secretary for 10 years. “My father, George, still lives in the house we grew up in and my sister Laura (Lewis) Costa also lives in Floral Park. Laura’s daughter, Amy graduated from OLV last year and now attends Sacred Heart Academy.
Lewis shared her own fond memories of attending OLV. “My class (1987) was very close; the memories I have of that school are still vivid and valid and the friends I made there are still some of my closest and dearest friends.” She said Mrs. Mullen, in particular, was a huge inspiration to many of the kids in her classes.
Lewis remembers, “I performed at the OLV talent shows and was singing the Go-Go’s with my girlfriends in the school yard, but what really got me to the next level was when our 8th grade class was invited to St. Agnes High School (now Kellenberg Memorial High School) for a tour.” She said, “We were invited to attend the play that the high school was performing, Animal Crackers, and during that show I had decided that that was what I really wanted to do – be on the stage!”
Later Lewis recalls, “My brother got married at Floral Terrace and asked me to sing their first dance as husband and wife.” She said after she gave an impromptu performance, the band, which her brother hired to play for the reception asked Lewis to permanently join their band. Twelve years later, Lewis performs with the wedding band.
Lewis said, “I am so happy that I get to make a living doing what I love to do and what I do best!”
She was introduced to the world of cabaret by frequenting shows with her late aunt Marilyn. Those outings were eye-opening to Lewis on many levels – the broad span of music and entertainment was tantalizing, as was the company… Aunt Marilyn was not only a lover of theatre but a singer and performer herself. Lewis continues to honor the memory of her cabaret companion by performing.
In 2010, Lewis began writing and performing her own cabaret shows in Manhattan. “That endeavor has led me to win the “Best Female Singer” award from Broadway World for her current show, Daddy’s Little Girl.
During her performance career, Lewis has been featured in a range of venues and performances, including music, comedy and acting.
From musical theatre to straight plays, from one-woman shows to cast member, from scripted productions to improvisational audience participation dinner theatre, from chorus member to singer in a rock band…her affinity for the arts led her straight into the arms of guitarist John Hurley – her husband and writing partner.
Among their creative accomplishments, Lewis and her husband won first place in Dean Koontz’s Shoot the Good Guy audio/video book trailer contest.
Lewis performs Daddy’s Little Girl again on Saturday, March 8 at Don’t Tell Mama’s, at 343 West. 46th St. in New York City. Showtime is 6:30 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 with a two beverage minimum. Cash only. Reservations are necessary. Special discount for Floral Park residents, receive $5 off when you mention “Floral Park” when calling 212-757-0758 for reservations.
Visit www.champagnepam.com to vote for Lewis for the Broadway World Award.
