SPECIAL CABARET EVENT CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY OF SAMMY CAHN *** FUNDRAISER FOR CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE

SPECIAL CABARET EVENT CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY OF SAMMY CAHN
FUNDRAISER FOR CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE
FEATURED CABARET BENEFIT EVENT

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A benefit for The Cabaret Foundation and its Cabaret Scenes Magazine and its website, http://www.cabaretscenes.org will be held on Tuesday, June 18th at IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB (1650 Broadway, NYC - 212-582-2121) with shows at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. "A CABARET FULL OF CAHN ARTISTS" is a cabaret celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of 4-time Academy Award-winning lyricist Sammy Cahn, whose work also included scores for Broadway (Walking Happy, High Button Shoes, Skyscraper) and many songs tailored for Frank Sinatra. Beyond hits like "Come Fly with Me," "Teach Me Tonight," "All the Way," "Call Me Irresponsible," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)," some less-often heard treasures will be heard. There's a special price for those attending both back-to-back shows. The event is produced by Rob Lester. Associate Producer: Stevie Phillips

Performers (in one set or the other, with a few in both): Karen Akers, Scott Barbarino, Deb Berman, Devin Bing, Steven Brinberg as Simply Barbra, Suzanne Carrico, Mary Foster Conklin, The Copa Boys, Frank Dain, Baby Jane Dexter, Lynn DiMenna, Liam Forde, Carol Fredette, Eric Yves Garcia, Eric Michael Gillett, Nathan Charles Hajdu, La Tanya Hall, Karen Kohler, Karen Mason, Sidney Myer, Karen Oberlin, Tony Ponella, Jonathan Rayson, T. Oliver Reid, The Rescignos, Ricky Ritzel, Jay Rogers, Marta Sanders, Jennifer Sheehan, Rick Skye, KT Sullivan, Stacy Sullivan, Lennie Watts, Susan Winter, and Bill Zeffiro (musical director). As with all live entertainment events, cast subject to change without notice.

There is $17.50 cover for one set (in honor of 17-and-a-half years of the magazine's life so far) or $27 for both shows (in honor of Cahn's 27 Oscar nominations) plus a $13 food/dring minimum per show (in honor of the year of his birth: 1913). No membership/industry/club discount cards, group rates or offers can be applied.

SONGWRITERS & SONGSEEKERS: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU

You can see some of the top songwriters who specialize in "cabaret songs" at http://www.cabaretsings.com - check it out!

MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF CABARET

Here's another take on the recent discussions we have had here in the newsletter and on the blog regarding the state of cabaret, sent in by a subscriber:

"I thought it was interesting your comments about emails you have been getting as to why cabaret has been struggling. One of the things I find so interesting is why people need to find blame as to why they are not successful. I go and see many cabaret acts and am so disappointed in what I see and it is so expensive. I see a lot of "Performing" and not a whole lot of real emotional connection with us, the audience. When I see people really trying to learn to connect, it makes me want to cheer them on. I appreciate the Julie Wilsons, Marilyn Mayes, Barbara Cooks, Lee Roy Reams and others of that ilk because they really connect and communicate to the audience, so much more than just ego. I want to be deeply moved and laugh hard."

Another reader commented on the quality of service and (for some venues) the quality of ambiance - likening one club's facilities to a school lunch room. Ambiance is a tough call, since most club owners are trying to keep their costs down, but good service should be a given - it doesn't cost a penny more. My own experience lately has been the seemingly high turnover of staff in many of the clubs. Hopefully, since most cabaret staff members are also performers, this means that the waiters and bartenders have gotten gigs in musicals, on cruise ships and in touring companies of Broadway shows. But I have noticed drinks are now often being served during serious moments in the show, where the waiters used to "wait" until the ballad was over - and then drop off drinks during the applause. This could be a lack of training, or it could be thoughtlessness.

And then there is the "disappearing waiter" act, usually about 3/4 into the show, where the staff disappears - sometimes to tally all the bills for the show, sometimes just to chat or have a smoke. Heaven help anyone who tips over a drink with no staff person around to come to the rescue with a towel or some napkins. I personally think - simply for safety sake - one staff member other than the lighting techie should be in the cabaret room during the show at all times. A few weeks ago I was at a show that ended and no one was around to bring the bills. Fortunately thanks to the honesty of the cabaret audience, no one left without paying. Even worse is the habit in some rooms to hand out the bills during the last song, and then attempting to collect payment before the show has even ended. Perhaps we could call Maggie Cullen out of retirement to open a school for cabaret wait staff!

COMMENTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF CABARET

I have been getting a lot of responses to my article in the newsletter and on the website a few weeks ago regarding the current state of cabaret and the need for action on the part of all to support this art form.

One person reminded me of the time when live entertainment venues were closing all over town, with the owners converting their clubs to discos - even THE DUPLEX was converted to a disco for a few years. Fortunately that period was short lived, but the number of live entertainment venues never recovered to its former numbers. Then there was the "comedy club conversion" - venue owners discovered that they could do away with a lot of staff and expense by simply setting a mic in front of a brick wall and a simple spotlight, and get the comic-want-to-be's to fill their rooms by requiring them to bring a minimum number of paying guests in order to get a chance to perform. A lot of this still goes on today - ever notice the kids in the Times Square area handing out discount fliers for this comedy club or that one? The fliers are marked with the comic's code and he is credited with how many actually show up and pay the cover. CAROLINES started out as a cabaret room!

Another e-mail writer blames the clubs and club owners for allowing anyone - good or bad - to present a show as long as they can fill the room. Folks attending a cabaret show for the first time are "turned off" to cabaret when they get suckered into these events by their friends and family.

Or take this one: The so-called major clubs have become dominated by big names from TV, film or Broadway (many of whom are not even known as vocalists), and there is no longer an incentive for cabaret performers to strive to "move up" since they feel they are locked in to the middle-tier rooms. So they get discouraged and drop out of the cabaret scene. And the whole of cabaret is left with lesser skilled and lesser experienced performers.

Here's another complaint: No one seems to set any guidelines for cover charges any more. One could usually get an indication of the skill level of a performer by the cover charge, but it seems like performers are free to charge whatever cover they wish - with debut, inexperienced performers sometimes putting on shows in the $25-$30 range. This creates some real anger and disappointment on the part of the person who feels he didn't get decent value for his cover fee, and all of cabaret gets tainted. And is a $60 to $150 cover (and usually accompanied by a $40 to $60 minimum) seem realistic for a 55 minute show?

The same could be said of the progressively higher minimums charged by the venues and the steadily increasing price of drinks. Some clubs seem to be taking their pricing cues from the "posh" celebrity clubs catering to the "stretched white Hummer" crowd.

Another complaint I have heard is the practice of clubs to cancel a show and still charge a fee if there are less than a certain number of reservations on the book (lately that number has climbed to 15 in some instances). The performer is left holding the bag - absorbing all the costs of creating, producing, advertising and staffing a show, while the venue is in a win-win situation. The musicians usually need to be paid whether there is a show or not, and the cost of arrangements, post cards, fliers, posters, is money down the drain. As one person wrote me, this means the good performer trying to build a career is frightened off, while to lesser performer with a rich benefactor/spouse and a lot of similarly wealthy friends gets the good dates. This drags down the quality of the art.

And - a little closer to home - one person felt that the cabaret reviews he found often bore no resemblance to the quality of the actual show. He felt there was a reluctance on the part of publications/websites to give a bad review of a bad show. And this, coupled with the raves of friends and relatives on the message boards and yahoo/google group mailings, often led to high expectations and total disappointment.

It is interesting to note that not one e-mail was received blaming the recent apparent drop in cabaret attendance on the economy! Maybe that was a foregone conclusion, but interesting just the same.

More comments anyone? I'm listening.

HUGS

STU

ON RADIO: "EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW": FRANK & FUNDRAISING

On Sunday, December 7th, EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, on the Radio over WBAI 99.5 FM and on the Internet at http://www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram, usually heard from 9:00 to 11:00 pm and hosted by David Kenney, will feature of music of Frank Sinatra at Reprise Records. Some of the songs that will be played: "It Was A Very Good Year", "Send In The Clowns", "My Way", "Strangers In The Night", "Summer Wind", "Fly Me To The Moon", "I Love My Wife", "Mack The Knife", "Something Stupid", "How Insensitive", "Me & My Shadow", "That's Life", "Here's To The Band", "Theme from New York, New York", "The Last Dance " and More.

HELP SUPPORT WBAI-FM & EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN ! Call 212-209-2950 with your pledge during this broadcast. For your pledge of $50 David will send you: KENNEY'S KHRISTMAS GRAB BAG which includes 2 CDs (great stocking stuffers) and a one year membership to WBAI.

Each week David presents the usual blend of big-band jazz, swing, standards, showtunes, contemporary cabaret and celebrity interviews plus MEGA-MEDLEY MADNESS. For more information contact: oldisnew@earthlink.net. You are also invited to e-mail your comments and suggestions for future shows. You can listen to past shows at any time by going to the WBAI Archives. For more information, see http://www.oldisnew.org/ .

WBAI is a listener supported radio station - commercial free. Which means it can broadcast viewpoints from all over without fear of sponsor censorship. David's show plays "our kind of music" - and there aren't many stations doing that anymore, especially in the NYC area. The continuation of this show depends totally on the support of people who enjoy big-band, jazz, swing, standards, showtunes, contemporary cabaret and celebrity interviews. That's your cue to phone in with your pledge.

I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THE TIME TO POST A COMMENT

This blog is for your comments, thoughts and ideas - not just mine. Under each of my postings is the word COMMENT and if you click on that line a box opens up where you can post your reaction and thoughts on the post it is connected to. Now, I realize that to some degree I pick the subjects, but if you have a particular thought to express (like the posting below that quotes an e-mail I received about the state of cabaret) just send it in and if I deem it important (after all, I have to do something to entitle me to the role of editor), I will post it here for others to comment on.

There are a few postings on this blog already that I would love to hear your thoughts on.

HUGS

STU

WOW - SOME SHOWS DO SELL OUT! (SORT OF)

I had an interesting experience last night - turned away at the door of a cabaret show! The performer promised to put me "on the list" but there apparently was a mixup somewhere. The line was out the door when I got there, and I patiently waited in line until I got to the host station only to be told that the show was completely sold out with a waiting list! My reservation was no where to be found. So, rather than pull a "diva act" and end up taking the seat of someone on the waiting list, I apologized to the rather harried reservations' gal and went back home.

So, maybe cabaret is not in such dire straits after all - or was I watching another phenomena take place? There appeared to be several people in the line in front of mr with what looked like one of those familiar "free pass" or "special discount" printouts clutched in their hands. Were ready-to-pay-full-cover customers but who hadn't made reservations placed on the waiting list while free-bees were being seated? No one would answer that question. And no one would even confirm that seats were offered on AE, TDF, or other organizations that help performers fill empty seats.

I always feel sorry for folks that pay the full cover to see their friends perform, who get seated next to folks who get a free ride and oft times have no interest in either the artist or the art. Could this practice be a turn-off to regular cabaret-goers? Can this be the reason many cabaret fans are abandoning the clubs and performers? I'm going to dig some more on this.

Unfortunately, this particular show only has one more performance left this year - and is on a night when I am already promised elsewhere. But if the performer can attract this big a crowd (even the deadbeats who won't pay a cover) I am sure the performer will be rebooked at a later date.

HUGS

STU

FOR PERFORMERS: HOW MUCH DID IT COST YOU TO PRODUCE YOUR LAST SHOW?

There is a short poll in the right column near the bottom, but your comments would be helpful as well. Asking someone to produce a cabaret show is almost like asking someone to go into debt - our CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE November CD show broke even, thanks to some folks who made sponsorship donations - but if you deduct that amount it was a loss. What has been your experiences (and read the post below this one and feel free to comment there as well).

HUGS

STU