One night only – on Thursday, March 19, 2026 – Ottawa-based actor and musician Genna Giampaolo and her trio celebrate the launch of her debut jazz album Genna With A G in anticipation of its release on March 20. Presented at Fourth Stage at the National Arts Centre (NAC).
Calling all jazz & musical theatre lovers!
Genna G and her jazz trio will pull from their many talents in jazz and musical theatre to celebrate the launch of the debut studio album Genna With A G, performed live for the first time ahead of its official release. Genna will share a sneak peek of this vulnerable collection of her original songs, as well as a few favourite covers, brought to life by talented collaborators Nic Code, Mike Mopas and Quinn Beneteau.
Included in this album, Giampaolo’s first single, “I Wanna Fly” – to be released on March 8, 2026 in honour of International Women’s Day – is a stunning jazz ballad with musical theatre roots, originally inspired by a play about Lorna Bray deBlicquy, Canada’s first female civil aviation inspector. The music and lyrics were written by Giampaolo; and the song was produced by Patric McGroarty, with arrangement by Nic Code.
“Originally, this song was written for a musical we were working on, set post-World War Two – specifically, after women had been given opportunity to do ‘men’s’ work, then told they couldn’t anymore now that the men were back. ‘I Wanna Fly’ is a song celebrating women. Specifically, the trailblazing Canadian women who did big things and paved the way for women to have the opportunity and right to continue to do so.”
– Genna Giampaolo, singer/songwriter, on her debut single “I Wanna Fly”
Recorded at The Orange Lounge Recording Studio in Toronto, Genna With A G includes 10 tracks, featuring bandleader and pianist Nic Code, percussionist Quinn Beneteau, and upright bass from Mike Mopas and Tyler Emond.
About Genna Giampaolo
Genna Giampaolo is an award-winning singer, actor and dancer who has shared the stage with Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban and Jon Antoine. Born in Ottawa, she gained impressive performance credits while working in Toronto for almost 15 years. Ottawa audiences will remember Genna from her early years performing at such venues as The Villa Lucia, Saunders Farm, Preston Street Italian Festival, The Full House and the Super Ex, to name a few. In 2021, she produced and performed in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, reprising her role as Mary Hatch opposite her husband in the show that brought them together. Other theatre credits include Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Janet in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show and Rose Lennox in The Secret Garden; TV/film credits include Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) and Thank You for Bombing (Lotus Films). In addition to performing, Genna also produces and creates new works with her partner Vince Deiulis.
(Photo credits: Mike Mopas, Nic Code, Genna Giampaolo & Quinn Beneteau. Photo by Andrew Alexander. Graphic design by Simon Paul.)
Event details
Presented by: GD Entertainment Productions
Type of event: jazz concert & album launch
Performers: Genna Giampaolo (vocals), Nic Code (bandleader/piano), Mike Mopas (upright bass) & Quinn Beneteau (percussion)
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
Start time: 7:30 PM ET
Duration: 90 minutes (no intermission)
Cost: C$25.00 (plus fees)
Location: Fourth Stage at the National Arts Centre (NAC), 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5W1, Canada
Listen: Listen to Genna Giampaolo’s music
Booking link: Book your tickets here
Contact details: GD Entertainment, Toronto & Ottawa, ON; NAC box office: 1 (844) 985-2787, info@gdentertainment.ca, gdentertainment.ca
Content warning: For audiences 16+.
Accessibility: National Arts Centre accessibility info here.
Refund policy: This event is not produced by the NAC. Final sale – no exchanges or refunds.