I know we try to keep tabs on the local scene and anything that might relate to the genre of cabaret. But here are a few items from the East Coast which could plant some seeds and be used here as well. We keep speaking more and more to the power of our Education team and the possibilities to connect not only to new members, but larger audiences. Check these out:
First from our nation's capitol in Washington DC. La-Ti-Do a new collective of artists much like our own. They bill themselves as the "world where Musical Theater and Spoken World collide!" The brainchild of Don Michael Mendoza & Regie Cabico, it is a group of both amateur and professional artists in DC that come together for both solo and group pieces. They have shows every Monday in the Dupont Circle area for a loyal crowd and a modest cover charge. Each month has both a featured cause and at least a single featured artist. It sounds much like the curated dance works offered at the Walker. La-Ti-Do is garnering clout with a 2013 Broadway World Best Cabaret Concert award.
La-Ti-Do
In NYC Primary Stages @ Einhorn School of Performing Arts, there is a Cabaret Intensive over 6 weeks this Fall. It sounds very similar to the Yale Conference in that it goes from square 1 - choosing your material - all the way to marketing and promoting the piece. Instead of patter, they refer to it as banter: but it is still about finding your own funny, specific and authentic voice. It will be led by both Eric Kornfeld & Eric Thomas Johnson. Both have experience with such notables as Bette Midler and Betty Buckley. To top it off, each student finishes with a mini-set shared at the Metropolitan Room.
Creating Your Cabaret
And lastly, a unique spin on a Cabaret evening hosted by both the Dramatists Guild in conjunction with Samuel French. It will be a benefit concert at none other than 54 Below with the theme: Sing and Tell on October 1st. It is only one a roster of Symposium offerings for the entire week. The bill includes a slate of names including Bill Russell, Marsha Norman, Emily Skeggs and many more. Each writer/ composer will speak to their creative process and then share short selections of their theater writings. It beckons back to the days of Cole Porter and Gershwin singing songs around a piano - to the current generation.
Sing and Tell; 54 Below
All great offerings and opportunities.
It has been a long while since postings, but summer brings hiatus to many of us who detour from our regular paths of action. Here's hoping you are enjoying your summer adventures.
But here is a recommended summer read that has been passed on to us. Cabaret Secrets by British performer Gary Williams. It sounds as if it might be a bit heavy on some major name dropping from the promo video. But I also think any information we can gather as independent artists is helpful in this very specific world we inhabit as cabaret performers. And as we continue to challenge ourselves from mini-sets or long standing house gigs, it sounds as if this might be a helpful hands-on template to crafting a true solo act from start to finish. All topics that come up regularly in our conversation circles.
And digging further into his webpage, it looks like a whole slate of Podcasts with a few noted celebs like Michael Feinstein, Marilyn Maye and others. Other episodes seem to dwell heavily on the Cruise Ship career which is a different breed than what we ascribe to. But to pick and choose, it might be a worthy hodgepodge to explore for those audiophiles that are not the bookish sorts. Here is the link below and I will also add it to our Favorites links on the sidebar for later reference.
Cabaret Secrets on iTunes
One last side note for summer calendars. At our last Membership Meeting Jennifer pointed out a great new community link called RedCurrent. It is basically a one-stop City Pages listing for all events music or theater. They were very interested in including TCCAN as part of their feed so they have tapped into our calendar listing and do an immediate bump for all things listed. A great and needed boost to our media marketing. So it is mindful that you all forward your individual gigs on to me for inclusion. The more we have to offer, the better our chances of building a true cabaret following in the Twin Cities. Remember to proudly brand yourselves as a TCCAN artist.
Red Current Twin Cities
Cabaret coaching is a concept not new to us as TCCAN members. But it is an Outreach than can be rare for us to stumble onto and put into practice. Here are three upcoming opportunities at varying levels of investment for you.
For starters, we have a great 2 Hour Masterclass coming up sponsored by TCCAN and open to all in the Twin Cities residents; singers or not. We are bringing in local chanteuse Melissa Hart to work with 5 students from our ranks. It takes place Sunday May 3rd at McPhail from 3-5 in Downtown Minneapolis. Melissa has a great resume and a wealth of experience in the genre. She will coach on song presentation and also sample a bit of set up for each number giving reliable insight. The afternoon event is part of our ongoing Education mission, open free for all levels of TCCAN membership and also open to anyone at large for a $10 donation to observe. See how the process works before we step onto the stage.
Also coming up locally is the summer Wesley Balk Institute hosted by Nautilus. This year marks a landmark 38th year of summer training from June 28th - July 18th. The three-week symposium works with not just performers, but also directors and coaches as it explores the total performer. Uniting the elements of not just voice, but emotional investment and physical awareness. Ben Krywosz and his prestigious panel are great advocates of new forms of musical theater which includes the genre of cabaret among others. Several of our members have participated in the experience and speak very highly of it. Tuition for the workshop is $1800 and registration is at the link below.
Wesley Balk Institute
Lastly, for those that want to steep themselves in the true Cabaret art form, St Louis has been very ambitious these last few years and taken over where the Yale Conference left off. The St Louis Cabaret Conference is being held at Webster University. Tim Schall has been instrumental in spearheading this effort and has made a special effort to reach out to our ranks in the Twin Cities. This years event takes place July 18-25th and is branching into more specific tracks; Traditional, Next Step and Professional divisions. There is an impressive roster of Teachers and Panelists from Jason Robert Brown, to Christine Ebersole to Faith Prince just to name drop a bit. What is there not to admire?; it hits everything from song selection and arrangements to marketing and Faculty Recitals. Fees range from $1400 to $3200 with a lengthy admission process in writing and video. But this is strictly for the serious cabaret-ophile and will definitely give you both tools and confidence to carry you forward. Give it some serious thought and check out full details below.
St Louis Cabaret Conference
In our small little cabaret circle, the concept of stars is a vague idea compared to the film industry and pop music. So the notion of cabaret icons or legends becomes even more foreign to the masses. But if one had to define a singular name that rose to the definition, it would likely be Miss Julie Wilson. Sadly, the diva has sung her last song and died at a ripe age of 90.
With a start on stage in musical theater, some 40 years later she had transformed into a cabaret figure who redefined the world of lounge acts into something with pedigree. Not always the perfect voice, but always the consummate storyteller - she was a presence on stage with her larger-than-life lashes and huge magnolia in her hair. Not content with the usual American Songbook, she dug deep into the great Broadway lyricists of Sondheim, Weill, Dorothy Fields, Coward and others that expected a true master to weave the songs they wrote into small one-act plays each. Just recently, she was honored at the MAC Awards with a celebration of her 90th birthday.
Julie had a special connection to many of our TCCAN artists as an advocate of our genre with frequent master class appearances at the Yale Cabaret Conference. It was important to pass on her tools to other young artists so that the cabaret legacy continues into new audiences outside of New York.
Creating Your Cabaret 
