Members Only Showcase is THIS Sunday, March 1st

The DC Cabaret Network is delighted to present the fourth DC CABARET NETWORK MEMBERS ONLY SHOWCASE.  Please join us for a wonderful evening of Cabaret featuring our own DC Cabaret Network Members on Sunday, March 1st at 8:00pm at The Arts Club located at 2017 I Street, NW.  These talented Cabaret performers will be accompanied by the extraordinary Musical Director Alex Tang and directed by Judy Simmons.  Wine and sodas will be available for a small fee (cash only bar).

Reservations are highly recommended and should be sent to:  (please include your name, phone number and address) info@dccabaretnetwork.org

$10 for non-members and $5 for members (cash only)

Our performers for the evening are:

Debbie Barber-Eaton

Davey Brown

Emily Leatha Everson

Char James-Duguid

Andrea Klores

Michael Miyazaki

Byron Murray

Mary Reilly

Ron Squeri

Sarah Thomas

Eileen Warner

Nicolas Zill compositions/Rachael Goldman

Developing a song for performance — my view

by Emily Leatha Everson

There is much work to be done on a song before it is ready for public view and everyone develops their own process. Here I’ll share a little bit of mine.

At some moment before each performance, I have a little panic attack. An inner voice shrieks “What in the bloody HELL are you doing?” To throw some cold water on this annoying freak-out, I have found it helpful to simply respond to a list of questions, which I answer for each song before each performance…part of a “Pre-performance Routine.”

I’ve gathered these questions from many places (acting classes, song performance classes, articles, voice lessons, books, etc.). This list does not stand in for the whole process of crafting a song performance (for me, this requires a much longer list and the help of many talented and supportive people!). But, this most basic set of questions reminds me that I have a specific reason to sing this song today. I have something to say. I have a story to tell.

Who are you?

Who are you singing to?

When is it?

Where are you now?

Where were you before?

What just happened/What are you responding to?

What are you doing now?

What is your goal?

Why are you doing this?

How are you doing this, using what means/actions?

What obstacles/dangers must you surmount to achieve this goal?

This list is just a starting point. Feel free to change it to suit your needs!

Please feel free to share questions and exercises that you find helpful in your “pre-performance routine.”

Field Report: Arts on Foot

Thanks to all the wonderful DC Cabaret Network members who sang as part of Arts on Foot on Saturday, September 13, 2008, at the Warehouse Theater. Here’s who sang what, accompanied by the terrific Mary Sugar:

David McMullin

The Tale of The Oyster

We Can Be Kind

Kathy Reilly

I’ll Remember April

Yellow Days

Ron Squieri

Sway

One More Walk Around the Garden

Joanne Schmoll

A Wonderful Guy

Lazy Afternoon

Michael Miyazaki
I Had A Dream About You

It Must be Him

Emily Leatha Everson

There Will be A Miracle

I Want Them Bald

Lonny Smith, Alicia Steffman, Elizabeth Keyes

A  Good Man is Hard to Find (show title)

A Good Man is Hard to Find

100 Easy Ways to lose a Man -Liz

Lonely Town – Lonny

You Go to My Head – Alicia

Marry the Man Today – Alicia and Liz

A Good Man is Hard to Find (reprise) All

Terri Allen

From Time to Time

What the World Needs Now

“Psycho Cabaret” Featured in DC Theatre Scene “Fringe Scene Stealers”

Judy Simmons, Michael Vitaly Sazanov, and Emily Leatha Everson (what’s with all the three-part names?) get the star treatment from Joel Markowitz over at DC Theatre Scene.

Getting Psyched @ Psycho Cabaret!

Cast of Psycho Cabaret: L to R, George Fulginiti-Shakar, Lonny Smith, Emily Leatha Everson, Arlene Hill, Terri Allen, Judy Simmons, Chris Cochran, and Michael Vitaly Sazanov

by Terri Allen, Psycho Cabaret Producer

Well, we had our first Psycho Cabaret! performance as part of the Fringe Festival at Chief Ike’s last night.  We all seemed to get our lyrics straight and the audience liked the selections.  It seems as if we have indeed, created, a psycho show!  If I had to be honest, I saw some extraordinary performances tonight.  And George Fulginiti-Shakar, our musical director and on keyboards, really centered us, and kept the show moving forward.

OK. Since this is a blog, I have to be honest, and say that George left his piano stand at home!  Somewhere between the time I pulled up in my car to unload some chairs, and the time I found a parking space and walked back to the club, I saw George walking down the street.  Because I had just gone through the rigor of finding a parking place, I wasn’t surprised at first.  But then suddenly realized he was walking in the wrong direction. And, why was he walking AWAY from the club?

There always has to be some drama, doesn’t there, when a show opens?  (I know I diligently ironed my clothes for the show and then as I was leaving my apartment, of course, they fell off the hangars……and, you can imagine the rest!  A true comedy moment.)

The good news — evidently, Arch Campbell (on Channel 7) mentioned that the Fringe Festival was happening and mentioned Psycho Cabaret! (One of our cast member’s father emailed him about the Fringe Festival and he mentioned our show!)  Who knew!!!!

Anyway, Chief Ike’s has a definite personality. (OK, it takes me back many years ago when I sang in a club at Ocean City and there was always noise in the background and people talking at the bar.  And then there was the other club. . . oh forget it, you have to talk to me to get the full story about that!)  Let’s say that there can be a battle between those folks who hang out at the bar, and our sophisticated audiences who come to see a show.

But back to the present.  Psycho Cabaret! Come see us.  Eight singers (including our strong musical director who graces the stage to sing) . . .  Yes, I’m a bit prejudiced – some really interesting material, and an interesting environment.

And, yes, it is Fringe!   Come support us!  You’ll have a good time!

Capital Fringe Fest 2008

by Terri Allen, Psycho Cabaret producer

It’s Fringe time!  This year we’re a bit psycho!

We’ve started work on our Fringe Festival show.  If you don’t know, this will be the DC Cabaret Network’s third year to participate in the DC Capital Fringe Festival.

This year, we’ve changed the concept a bit and the show is called Psycho Cabaret.  The premise:  the world is crazy; people are stressed; up seems like down and down up – everyone is . . . yes, just a bit psycho!

We’ve just started rehearsing.  Everyone’s material is really interesting – a few well-known songs (I don’t want to divulge them just yet!) and songs from Fascinating Aida, a great one by Jason Robert Brown and much more.

Cast members are: Terri Allen, Chris Cochran, Emily Leatha Everson, Arlene Hill, Michael Vitaly Sazonov, Judy Simmons and Lonny Smith. Judy Simmons is directing the show and Helen Hayes award-winner George Fulginiti-Shakar is musical director.

This year the Festival is expanded, and will run three weeks – July 10 – 27. That’s good news and bad news – we’ve got six shows to sell out over 3 weeks!

We have another challenge this year, because we are not in our beloved Warehouse venue, but have been moved to Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, 1725 Columbia Road in Adams Morgan.  For those of you who aren’t 20 or trendy and don’t know this venue, it is a cool, hip bar.  But, it is a bit off of the beaten track —  even for Adams Morgan, and parking is extremely limited.  So, we’re going to encourage everyone to support cabaret and bring 20 of your closest friends to the show!  We need to sell seats.

Here are the Psycho Cabaret show dates:

Thurs. July 10, 7:45 PM
Sat., July 12, 7:30 PM
Thurs.,  July 17,  6:00 PM
Wed., July 23, 7:45 PM
Thurs., July 24, 6:00 PM
Friday, July 25, 5:30 PM

The box office opens officially on July 10 at Fringe Headquarters at the old AV Ristorante at 6^th and New York Ave, NW.  But, you can go online NOW at www.capitalfringe.org and buy tickets.  Or call 1-866-811-4111.

Buy tickets; buy them often; encourage your friends to attend our show!

Think Fringe! Think Psycho Cabaret!

Our Third Members Only Showcase is Just Around the Corner

The DC Cabaret Network is delighted to present its third Members Only Showcase on Sunday, February 10, 2008. Please join us for a wonderful evening of cabaret featuring our own DC Cabaret Network members at the Arts Club of Washington, located at 2017 I Street, NW. These talented cabaret performers will be accompanied by the extraordinary Musical Director Alex Tang. Wine and sodas will be available for a small fee.

The featured performers for the evening are: Davey Brown, Emily Leatha Everson, Matt Howe, Jill Leger, Kate McCann, Gita Morris, Barbara Papendorp, Dean Reichard, Mary Reilly, Justin Ritchie, Michael Sazonov, and Eileen Warner.

Reservations are highly recommended and should be sent to: info@dccabaretnetwork.org (please include your name, phone number and address)

Cost for the evening is $5 for paid members of the DC Cabaret Network and $10 for non-members (cash only).