It Must Be THAT Time of the Year!

As we gear up and come into the final stretch of our very own TCCAN Cabaret Fest this weekend at Crooner's, I am throwing out two other features from both New York and Chicago as they celebrate their communities as well.

New York and #MAC certainly have as close as we are ever going to get to a thriving cabaret scene, even though it obviously pales in comparison to the stage & concert genres there. But strong they are - enough to have a festival that spans 4 days for what they call their Cabaret Convention. Theirs is almost entirely performance based with 4 slated rosters. Each night has a theme. Each night has a set of hosts as well. This year Barbara Cook, Rosemary Clooney, Julie Wilson, Jerry Herman & Alan Jay Lerner are being celebrated. And what a star-packed slate of singers! Of course their ticket prices are much steeper at up to $500. There better be some wings and a good bottle of wine for that price.


Then on the very same night as ours, the Chicago Cabaret Professionals are celebrating their 20th Anniversary with what is being billed as a Platinum Party. Their offering sounds very swanky with Awards as well as a double show much like ours. They are calling it a cocktail show that is followed by a full on show at 7 PM. Chicago of course also features some notable names familiar to our following. It is obviously THE weekend to celebrate cabaret.

MAC to School

As we get ready for our own Cabaret Fest here on Oct 21st & 22nd, I thought I would feature a similar situation in New York with the MAC; or Manhattan Assoc. of Cabaret. It appears that the onset of their annual calendar takes place in the Fall just like ours. This is their 4th reiteration of the back to school offering. As I peruse the schedule, it again gives me confidence in the great work we do here in the Twin Cities. They talk about Cabaret 101 or an intro to our world. Then it advances to a Boot Camp. It hits on Song Styling, getting Direction, Songwriting and even Image Consulting. All of these topics are areas we have explored. And just like us, they are self-led by members from the organization. Of course, both days end with a Masterclass as well. So it seems like something for everyone from the novice to the seasoned vet.

I know that the event has just passed, but give it a read to see how similar our missions and content are. Impressive.