Courage at the End

Well, we had the last matinee of Mother Courage today.  Which will mean a little less alienation on a regular basis in my life.

It was truly inspirational to be in a company with so many fine actors and see them work at a consistently high caliber show after show.  And it was truly awe-inspiring to have the honor to watch Nancy Robinette show after show (and to even exchange 5 lines with her– woo-hoo!!!).

Thanks to all who came to see the show!

Elaine Stritch in NJ

Great article in the NYTimes about the legend in The Full Monty at Paper Mill.

J’Aime “Chanson” Beacoup !!!!

WoW!!!  Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!

With apologies to Stephanie Block for her short reign, Amanda McBroom’s new CD, Chanson, is by far the best all-new cabaret CD of the year.

In the recording, McBroom pays hommage to that other singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. 

Now I have seen A LOT of people doing A LOT of Brel material over the years.  And the trap always seems to be that somehow singers look like they’re doing an excerpt from a production of Jacques Brel Is…  rather than creating their own original take on the material.  Even someone as good as Sheera Ben-David on her Brel CD feels like she’s in  a production of the show where the music director decided to throw in a rock guitar.  And what is particularly interesting about McBroom’s non-Jacques-Brel-Is… work on this recording is the fact that she was a replacement in the original production of the show and toured with it extensively.

As a canny maneuver, McBroom opens the CD with two tracks, Girl in an Armchair and Early Morning Hangers On,  unfamiliar to listeners whose only exposure to the Brel songbook is the show.  Also, the arrangements by music director Michelle Brourman and arranger Stephan Oberhoff update the sound of the show.  They seem to have moved the vibe of the material from a French tinny-accordian cabaret room to a sensuous tango palace.

But above all, are McBroom’s fierce interpretations of the material.  Without going into outer space, McBroom finds strong, personal points-of-view for each song and delivers them with conviction and a fabulous sound.  I can’t tell you how many times during the CD I found myself thinking “Oh, that’s what the song is about!”  – and this is all for material I could have recited!  Her Song for Old Lovers etches the disfunction of the relationship deeper than I’ve ever heard it portrayed; No, Love You’re Not Alone is an amazing portrait of the desparation one feels when tring to help a partner cope with their demons; and there’s a deft lightness in I Loved that finds a perfect pitch for the song’s final punchline.  I’m especially taken with Ca Va, a song about the Devil’s business report back from earth, all done with an edgy Middle-Eastern sound. 

Having seen McBroom’s version of Carousel in concert, I have to admit that no disc could deliver her amazing gestures with the song.  But much as her version of the song is the best that one could ever see in concert, it is by far the best one can hear on CD — or at least the 11 versions in my iTunes library!

Track List:

1.	Girl in an Armchair
2.	Early Morning Hangers On
3.	Songs for Old Lovers
4.	I Loved
5.	My Death
6.	Ca Va
7.	Ne Me Quitte Pas
8.	No, Love, You’re Not Alone
9.	You Don’t Forget The Past
10.	Marieke
11.	Carousel
12.	If We Only Have Love

Are you ready for “A Date with judy”

Judy Simmons performs her new show A Date with Judy as part of the Signature Theater Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret series on Friday, July 10th at 7:30pm.   Howard Breitbart music directs.

Be sure to check ou the other attractions in the series including Natascha Diaz (particulary of interest to anyone who just saw the film Every Little Step), Euan Morton, and Emily Skinner.

Benefit for Jane Pesci-Townsend

Not only is Jane Pesci-Townsend one of the most galvanizing forces of nature imaginable as a performer, she is an amazing teacher / director who has inspired legions of performers.  Sadly she’s been battling cancer.  Signature Theater is hosting an all-star fundraiser:

Give it up for Jane!
On Monday July 13th, Washington’s theatrical community is coming together for a special fundraiser for DC actress Jane Pesci Townsend entitled Give it up for Jane!. Jane has appeared on our stage in Putting It Together and Funny Girl, and teaches in our Overtures program. She has been battling cancer and we want to help with her medical bills and support her on her recovery.

At 8pm on July 13, come to a special cabaret that promises to be fun and crazy – every trait of Jane’s personality! It will be a great time and you can make donations at the buckets at the door. We’re hoping to raise $10,000. The evening features Signature favorites Sherri L. Edelen, Eleasha Gamble, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Matt Conner, Evan Casey, Nick Blaemiere, James Gardiner, Channez & Rob McQuay, plus a number of special guests!

If you are unable to attend but would like to make a donation to help Jane, please send a check to the theatre made out to Signature Theatre with JANE on the memo. Signature will be donating the proceeds from the evening to Jane.

Thanks for everyone’s help and support and let’s all Give it up for Jane!

For more information about this event, please call the Signature Box Office at 703 820 9771.

Stephen Holden on Stephen Pasquale

The NYTimes on the crooner: “The relaxed jazz classicism of Mr. Pizzarelli’s quartet made a sympathetic setting for Mr. Pasquale’s gently swinging approach. (The only song to receive any vocal ornamentation — and it was minimal — was “Summertime.”) Larry Fuller, the quartet’s pianist, merits special attention. If you closed your eyes and concentrated on piano solos that flowed as lightly and sweetly as a mountain brook, you could swear he was channeling the musical spirit of one of Billie Holiday’s greatest accompanists, Teddy Wilson.”

Mary Foster Conklin on “Renegade Cabaret”

A message from the great Mary Foster Conklin:

Dear Michael -
 
Hoping that you’re well.  Just wanted to share an article with you about a left of center cabaret venue, featuring an old friend of mine.  The article appeared in yesterday’s NY Times:
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/garden/25seen.html?hp
 
Tell your DC pals that if they are up in NYC this summer, to come to the Highline Park at Tenth Avenue and 20th Street around 9pm and definitely check it out.  They’ve got a page on Facebook and a website is coming.  They are looking to expand their performer roster, so don’t be surprised if you hear of a certain singer with a punk past singing the blues on the fire escape very soon. 
 
Take care.  Best, Mary

And in a later message …

I went last night – it’s truly a New York experience.  Beth is a terrific singer, but also has logged many years as a street performer.  During the Bush years she was part of a group of women called the Missle Dick Chicks, who traveled around the country causing general havoc wherever Republicans roamed free.  This offbeat cabaret venue is the perfect vehicle for her talents.
 
I’ll be making my debut next Tuesday.  Wish me luck.  mfc

BTW — Thanks also to Alex Tang for sending a copy of this!

Die, Vampire, Die! Workshop

The song Die, Vampire, Die! from [title of show] has recently been one of my favorites to sing.  I love the message it has of freeing yourself from the vampires, defined as “any person, thought, or feeling that stands between  you and your creative self-expression.”

Half the team behind [title of show], Susan Blackwell and Hunter Bell,  will be teaching a “Die, Vampire, Die” workshop in Seattle in July  “designed to assist participants in identifying and nurturing the seedlings of ideas through the writing process and into performance. “

Good for them, and wish I could go!  At least for those of us in the “other” Washington, Signature will be producing [title of show] in their season next year; it will be interesting to see how the dynamic of the show will change when not performed by the people portrayed.

AuditionTrax Singer’s Newsletter

Tom Griep of AuditionTrax publishes an interesting monthly newsletter for singers, where each month different theater/music professionals give 10 tips.  I thought this month’s ideas by Joshua Finkel were particularly useful, and easily adapted to the cabaret performer.  Here’s my favorite:

Set an audition checklist. Before going into the room and actually before every rehearsal of your number, declare what you want to accomplish in positively phrased goals. Don’t write something like “I won’t be nervous” or “I won’t crack on the high note”. If that weren’t happening, what WOULD be happening? Rephrase it in positives: “I will be calm and energized” or “I will sing the high note with emotional fullness and even breath”. That gives you a positive thing to do, instead of a judgmental or defensive outlook as you prepare.

Now isn’t that what we all should be doing to prep for a show?

When was the last time you called your best friend from grade school?

Ron came home from a long car trip (without me) and started talking about a couple of his friends that he had lost contact with and resolvied to atone for that.  I knew he must have listened to the copy of The Story of My Life that was in the car.

The show basically tells the story of two friends who meet as quirky children and develop a life-long friendship that ends in unfortunate drift.

The CD is an excercise in pure charm, featuring terrific performances by Malcolm Getz and Will chase.  Ben Brantley’s review of the show in the NYTimes was not what one would call positive.  And what is personal and touching when played on an iPod directly into your head may very well be unbearable on-stage.

However, this show has a plethora of material just waiting to be exploted on the cabaret stage — Justin Ritchie, The Butterfly is waiting for you!

BTW, Ron keeps listening to the CD in the car.