HERE'S WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT ....

Cabaret Hotline Online is an independent website with more than 7,400 pages of news, information and stories on cabaret, owned and maintained by Stu Hamstra. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE is not affiliated with any club or organization. It is totally supported through advertising and membership donations. This blog is an extension of the website and newsletter.

NOW IN OUR 26th YEAR OF PROMOTING THE ART & ARTISTS OF CABARET!

"His eye is on the sparrow...."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

YOU CAN HELP SOMEONE BECOME A MEMBER OF CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE!

We didn't make our goal of 300 members by August 31st but we did reach 250 members with the results of yesterdays mail. But also came about a dozen truly heart-rending e-mails from folks who were members last year (we had 305 members by September 1 last year), and want to support CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE but who simply cannot afford a $20 SILVER membership at this time - one musician even was set to sell his musical instrument on e-bay to cover basic rent/food costs.

If you are not a member - but can afford to join right now, please go to my website and sign up - you can join in a few minutes using PayPal and you will receive your membership card quickly (possibly within 24 hours). Just click on the JOIN HERE button at the top of every page and follow the directions. You can also join with a check - please remember, all checks should be made out simply to STU HAMSTRA and mailed to 676A Ninth Avenue #120, New York, NY 10036.

For every membership received by PayPal between the time this newsletter goes out until Midnight on Sunday, September 13th, I will personally match it with a free membership to one of the dozen folks who wrote in - and I know when they are able, they will contribute the cost of a membership for someone else. The names of this receiving these "scholarship" memberships will not be revealed.

If you are already a member, and wish to contribute a membership for someone else, there are "donation" buttons on the front page of the website as well.

9/11 REMEMBERED ON THE WEBSITE

I searched and searched but could not find a single cabaret event in a cabaret venue for this weekend commemorating the events of "9/11" - how quickly we forget! We have added a special section to our website - - to commemorate this date, and in a special section we have included links to the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE NEWSLETTERS that went out in the dates immediately preceding and after September 11, 2001. There is also a memorial video on the index page of that section featuring an original song, "The Call", written by local songwriter, Karen Benedetto. This anthem - a timeless, healing, and hopeful response - has been performed at the United Nations, has had airplay on radio stations in the New York area and in States nationwide, and has been heard in churches, spiritual centers, and at civic commemorations in the immediate area and across the U.S. It was also a Finalist in the Tipperary (Ireland) International Song of Peace Contest. The video was created and produced by C.J. Hatter.

I myself plan to observe a half-hour of silence and meditation during the period in the morning between the times the first and second aircraft hit the twin towers on behalf of the families and friends of those lost, as well as on behalf of the USA - which now, unlike that day when the nation all stood together as one, we seem more polarized and divided than ever in our history. One prays we don't need another disaster like to one 8 years ago to set our values in order.

NEW SECTION ON WEBSITE - CABARET WORKSHOPS & MASTER CLASSES

We added another new section to the website over the weekend - CABARET WORKSHOPS & MASTER CLASSES. Now, in addition to our special page listings for CABARET EVENTS OFFERING MEMBER DISCOUNTS and CABARET RELATED BENEFITS, this special page will list upcoming CABARET RELATED WORKSHOPS & MASTER CLASSES. Again, this is a free listing page - and the items on the page will have first appeared in the newsletter. If you are involved with this type of event send COMPLETE submissions in TEXT format (no fliers please, no html pages with imbedded logos and photos). If you wish, you may include photos as attachments. We reserve the right not to publish items that don't meet our standards, and publication of these items is for information only and does not, in any way, mean endorsement of the event or its organizers by CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.

UPDATE: KT SULLIVAN WILL PERFORM TONIGHT AS SCHEDULED

We received word overnight that KT Sullivan's father, James A. Sullivan, had passed away on Tuesday, September 8th - no other details were given. Our thoughts and sympathies go the entire Sullivan clan - their annual family cabaret shows here in NYC are legendary. KT has an appearance scheduled for tonight at the room that bears her name: KATHLEEN DOWNEY'S GRANITE ROOM at CITY HALL RESTAURANT (131 Duane Street, NYC - 212-227-7777) and will perform as scheduled.

NYC: GRACE NOTES: SINGERS' SOIREE: SONGS OF CHILDHOOD

MEMBER DISCOUNT: $10 OFF THE COVER
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GRACE NOTES - a Singers' Soiree, hosted by Bistro Award Winner Grace Cosgrove, returns monthly to DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - ) with the next show, SONGS OF CHILDHOOD & GROWING UP!, scheduled for Friday, September 11th at 7:00 pm featuring Lynn Loosier, The Chalks, Roosevelt Credit, Kim Smith, Dezur Kenna, Angela Shultz, Shana Farr and Grace Cosgrove. Don Rebic is Musical Director, with Tom Hubbard on Bass. Lennie Watts serves as Director. This is an on-going lab for top-notch singers - a place for great singers to perform, to try out new material, and to expand their audiences. Each show also introduces a newcomer. This special benefit show will honor SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH (a percentage of the proceeds will go to Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation - ) There is a $20 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. $10 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.

SAD NEWS - KT SULLIVAN'S FATHER HAS PASSED AWAY

Condolences to KT and the entire Sullivan family on the sudden passing of KT's father. We have no further news - watch this space or the blog for details when we receive them. KT has the final performance of her run at KATHLEEN DOWNEY'S GRANITE ROOM at CITY HALL RESTAURANT (131 Duane Street, NYC - 212-227-7777) tonight - call ahead - we will post any show cancellation here, on the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MESSAGE BOARD - or via TWITTER