Jumping on the band wagon of upcoming events from our fabulous Education Committee. This is something to ponder as we continue to grow. It is from a friend in NYC who is starting out his own producing theater company. And this is a published ad in Backstage. It comes from Three Act Theater Company. It is educational in the sense that it involves 6 rehearsals of coaching cabaret artists. And then culminates in a public performance at the Metropolitan Room and is called In The Spotlight; a Cabaret Event. Of course being New York, they are auditioning for the 12 participants who will be part of the program. But it is still an interesting concept of both education and performance. Wishing them luck and attaching the audition notice - just in case anyone is going out East!
I thought it was time for another mindless post that has very little to do with cabaret, but muses on the songs of the holiday season. Especially keeping in mind we have our gathering this weekend and everyone should be coming with a song in hand to share with the group. If you have not caught any of his antics, Billy Eichner is a NY fixture who accosts pedestrians on the street and bombards them with inane questions, giving them a dollar bill if they answer correctly. He is typical Manhattan in-your-face. He posts regularly on Funny Or Die. This week's topic is stumping street carolers on lyrics to well known carols. His partner in crime is the hysterical Amy Poehler donned in a frumpy Mrs Claus wrap. Most passerbys are so stunned they have no idea how to react. But it is festive and funny. So a reminder before Saturday - look at your lyrics. Maybe Erin will pay you a dollar if you get them right???
Our very own Phil Mattson is featured in a deluxe two part interview and broadcast as 2 episodes on YouTube. It is a special program from advocate David Cummings on KFAI. In addition to Phil, it also interviews Sheridan Zuther and Les Block. It looks at Phil's huge legacy and in particular his fabulous vocal arrangements over decades now. Heavy on jazz with intricate vocalese passages. Stories about his career and the work he has brought to life with the Phil Mattson Singers, and the PM Singers among others.
If you are working on your laptop, cue it up and take it in over an hour or two. Great music from a great man.Takes great chops to do his material well! From Duluth, to Brainerd to the world at large. From swing choir to vocal jazz.
This tip from member Vicky Mountain. It is a workshop being led by friend and colleague of hers - Lucia Newell. Lucia is a well known local artist and this is being presented as part of the Jazz at Studio Z series in St Paul. It is a dual evening of both workshop and concert titled Song and Lyric Writing - Emerging, Unfolding, Transpiring. It begins with a free workshop at 6 PM that is 40 minutes of discussion on the origins of her material through realization. She will hit on improvisation for discovery as well as her musical influences. Following the workshop, there is a full concert along with musicians Zacc Harris, Phil Aaron, Jeff Bailey and Joe Pulice. Concert tickets are $10. Studio Z is located at 275 E 4th St @ St Paul in the second floor studios.
Be aware that this all takes place on Dec 14th - which is also the night of our holiday party!! But if there are any ambitious takers, you could do the workshop 1st and then zoom on over to Kevin's for the festivities.
Another event circulated from the Windy City. Details of our holiday gathering are coming out in the next few days, but here is their take on how to fit cabaret into the holiday season. 40 members will perform classics, chestnuts and oddities over two days at Davenports Cabaret in Chicago. All for the purpose of benefiting Hands Together, Heart to Art - a summer camp for young theater students. I know assembling a Showcase can be a monumental undertaking - but as we continue to grow this might be a nice take on our holiday cabaret cheer here in the Twin Cities.... Loving their logo of a mic in Santa costume, which at first looked like a Pez dispenser :)
For those that missed our Fall Showcase performance last Sunday on a chilly November evening, here is a quick recap. TCCAN is evolving, both to challenge our members as well as a small loyal audience. This showcase bent the rules of our typical cabaret evening where performers would tell a personal story to set up their song. It took a bit more of a non-linear approach and the thread was a common theme of "how do we each practice the concept of keeping in touch." There was a trade-off where one member's dialogue often set the stage for anothers vocals. For Rhonda it is about journaling thoughts into poetry or relating back to pay telephones and her father. For Jonathan it is about keepsakes that connect him to his family while forging an independent existence. For Barbara it is about grounding to the earth and taking her own personal space.... All things that are not the first that come to mind when pondering the theme.
Musically, we had highlights from a broad range of genres - standards, to folk-pop, to art songs. Jennifer brought a poignant Dar Williams story to stage in "The Babysitter's Here" as well as a Bacharach gem about leaving in "24 Hours From Tulsa." Connie had great variety from Mancini's "Two For the Road" to Frishberg's chipper commentary on insincerity in "Blizzard of Lies." Janet delivered charms of a letter abroad in Lloyd Webber's "Song & Dance Letters" and the simplicity of a relationship not bound to technology in Cosy Sheridan's "Carphones & Airplanes." Dean opened us up on a medley of tunes about the excitement of Travel. Barbara introduced us to some offbeat and humorous tunes by William Bolcom and also shared the stage with Joey in a Maltby & Shire piece that exposed a relationship where keeping in touch was obviously a snag. Gently and spiteful way to say goodbye.... On and on in a great evening that was all woven together by the tremendous Tom Linker at the piano and the generous crew at Bryant Lake Bowl. Both TCCAN and cabaret were well represented.
You
have heard about it in the press, on our Facebook page, radio
interviews and recent TCCAN mailings. But this is the last call to get
your tickets for our fabulous Fall Showcase. It is Sunday Nov. 17th @ Bryant Lake Bowl; 7:00 PM. It feauters 8 of our members - Jennifer Eckes, Janet Skidmore, Connie Dussl, Jonathan Peterson, Dean Elwell, Barbara Meyer & Joey Babay with Tom Linker
at the piano. It is stories and songs all around the concept of keeping
in touch and what that phrase means to us. The song range is from
standards, to 70's pop to musical theater. Please come out and join us
for a great evening of cabaret.
Here are a few candids from our last run vocal run through.
