Rumor Willis :: Rising Star Makes Her Feinstein's SF Debut

Rumer Willis has lived what some might call a charmed life. The daughter of Hollywood royalty, her parents are movie stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. To her, they're just Mom and Dad.

"It wasn't until I was older that I realized it was different," she said of her Tinsel Town childhood. "I had nothing to compare it to. It didn't seem different."

Now, Willis has followed her parents into the "family business." She's made numerous film appearances, has performed on Broadway and appeared in a well-received cabaret act at Cafe Carlyle in New York.

On June 22 and 23, Willis brings her act to Feinstein's SF. In a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Willis spoke of her love for classic jazz and blues artists such as Etta James, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Al Green and others.

"She sings with such heartache," Willis said of James. "She sounds like she's handing you her heart."

Willis added that she adores Green's persona. "He's got such swag," she said. "He's able to make music that touches you in such a deep way. I like jazz, blues and soul. Back in the day people seemed to sing because they'd die if they didn't. There was so much passion, so much conviction."

Though we can assume that the music of these singers will be heard in Willis' Feinstein's show, she's not talking. "I like it to be a surprise," she said of her song selection.

At 27, Willis is already a seasoned performer. In addition to several film roles, she's now a regular on the popular Freeform series "Pretty Little Liars," has starred on Broadway in the plum role of Roxie Hart in "Chicago," and cut a rug during "Dancing With the Star"'s twentieth season.

"It was an amazing experience," she said of Dancing. "They asked me to do it; it was a great way to learn how to dance and perform live."

On May 19, 2015, Willis and her dancing partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy were crowned the season's champions. It was soon after this victory that Willis joined the cast of Chicago.

"It was incredible," she recalls of her Great White Way debut. "It's an experience you always dream about as a kid. I never expected, as a kid watching that show, to be in it. It was a dream come true."

And then there's the applause which Broadway performers receive at curtain call.

"Its one of those crazy moments; you can't believe it's happening," she said. "I love knowing that people are able to take something away from my work. I'm glad I was able to do this show."

Few performers have been able to perform in such a wide variety of venues. For Willis, it's been a perfect combination.

"I like them all, they're all very different," she said. I find something that I like in each of the creative genres. I hope to find more ways of expressing myself. I hope to explore more options as new opportunities come up."

Rumer Willis at Feinstein's at the Nikko, 222 Mason St. June 22, 7pm and June 23, 8pm. $50-70. $200 food/drink minimum.

www.feinsteinsatthenikko.ticketfly.com/calendar