We Have to Laugh! Finding Humor in Terrible Times
“Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the show?” That famous joke was obviously not made at the time of Lincoln’s assassination but many years later, a prime example of how, as comedian Steve Allen put it, “comedy equals tragedy plus time.” It’s usually difficult to joke about tragedy while it’s happening, but […]
The Evolving Genre/Gender-Bending Art Form Known as Drag is One Big Hybrid
(This is Part One of a multi-part series on alternative cabaret by Simi Horwitz.) The diva-inspired bitchy and/or adorably naughty drag queen is still with us. Hey, she’s the archetype and a few have elevated drag to high art. Think Varla Jean Merman, the self-described love child of Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman, indisputably brilliant […]
Cabaret Setlist: “Sand” – Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Song #2 in this new running series. Few among us dispute the idea that Stephen Sondheim is the most important living American composer/lyricist in musical theatre. He has raised the artistic bar for songwriting so high that giants in the sky could effortlessly dance the limbo beneath […]
Is it my imagination, or are cabaret singers getting increasingly sloppy with lyrics? I suspect this malpractice has long existed—it’s just that I’ve been growing increasingly impatient with it. I’m not talking about going up in a lyric; anyone can have a momentary lapse. I’m talking about learning a lyric incorrectly and repeatedly performing it […]
Salty Brine at the 2018 Bistro Awards
Salty Brine is the creative force behind “The Living Record Collection,” a series of cabaret performances built around popular music albums. Recipient of the 2018 Bistro Award for Creative Artistry, here he is at the awards show performing from his show “Welcome to the Jungle” where he uses songs from Harry Nilsson’s “Nilsson Schmilsson,” woven […]
Jomama Jones at the 2019 Bistro Awards
Daniel Alexander Jones, an acclaimed interdisciplinary artist, and the 2019 Bistro Awards’ recipient for Outstanding Performing Artistry. Watch as his alter-ego, Jomama Jones, along with back-up accompaniment from Trevor Bachman and Vuyo Sotashe, perform “Supernova,” written by Jones with Bobby Halverson.
Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire Performance of “One Step” at the 35th Bistro Awards
Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire closed the Bistro Awards’ 35th anniversary on March 9, 2020, by performing their own “One Step,” from their revue Starting Here, Starting Now that opened Off Broadway in June of 1977 at Barbarann, a bar/restaurant on W. 46th St.
Liz Callaway Performance at the 35th Bistro Awards
Liz Callaway here singing “The Story Goes On,” from Maltby & Shire’s “Baby” that ran on Broadway from 1983-1984 with a book by Sybille Pearson and directed by Maltby. Callaway played “Lizzie,” one of the leads. Alex Rybeck accompanies.
A Great Show Tells a Great Story
Article #5 in this running series. A key factor to creating a successful cabaret act or revue is to give the show an emotional throughline underpinning it. The classic notion of choosing a bunch of songs that you like, and then alternating uptempos with ballads, can create a haphazard and unfocused experience, even if it […]
Tailoring a Song for the Perfect Fit
Interpretation, not imitation! Article #4 in this running series. Most of the time and, in most performance situations—particularly in cabaret, you’ll want to give every song you perform your own stamp. Why? If you’re trying to find your own voice as a performer and an interpretive artist, the last thing you want to do is […]
Choosing Songs That Are Right for You
Article #3 in this running series. What draws you to a song and why does it matter? If you like a song, shouldn’t you just go ahead and sing it? Yes, it does matter. And depending on why you fall in love with a song, it may or may not be right for you. Songs […]
The Importance of Knowing Who You Are
Article #2 in this running series. “Just be yourself on stage.” Sounds easy, right? The truth is it’s anything but easy. Every time you go on stage, you’re playing the role of some person. In theatre, it’s through a character. In cabaret, the person is you. Defining who you are on stage—the aspect(s) of yourself […]
