Creating a Cabaret FAQ

From last night’s Curiously Stronger Performing workshop (in case you weren’t there):

• “What is a cabaret? How is it different than a recital? Or a musical?”
  “Cabaret is personal musical theater” (Amanda McBroom).

  	Cabaret	Traditional Recital	Musical
  VENUE	Place where people are seated at tables, eating or drinking (or both)	Performance hall or church; audience is seated in rows or pews.	Theater; audience seated in rows.
  PROGRAMS	Usually none	Yes	Yes
  THEME	Maybe	Maybe	A specific script
  PATTER	Often scripted, but shouldn’t seem like it.	None, unless it’s a lecture/recital	Scripted
  REPERTOIRE	Anything goes!	Classical, usually in specific sets; other styles occasionally thrown in to make you seem edgy 🙂	One composer (unless it’s a jukebox musical)
  MICS	Yes	No	Yes

• “Isn’t cabaret singing just singing in a nightclub for a bunch of drunk people who aren’t paying attention?”
  Generally not. People who come to a cabaret know that they are coming to hear artists, not just background music while they talk.

• “How do I pick music for a cabaret?”
  What do you want to sing? Do you want to have a specific theme? Do you just want to sing some songs and find a theme from what you’ve chosen?

• “How many songs should I sing?” [not addressed last night]
  Generally, a minimum of 16. Maximum 24. Don’t make people feel like they got shorted but also don’t make them feel like “Is this over yet?”
• “What is patter? Do I have to do it?”
  Patter can be introducing a song. It can be talking about what the song means to you, or why you picked it, or the history of the composer. It could be funny. It could be serious. It’s expected. It makes the experience more intimate and personal.

• “Should I use a microphone? How do I use a microphone?”
  Short answer: YES
  Depends on what kind of a microphone you have. Omnidirectional? Unidirectional? Corded? Cordless? Body mic?
  Do you want to hold the mic? Do you want to sing into a standing mic? Do you want to sit on a stool and sing?
   
• “Who needs to be on my team? Do I need to have someone write a script for me? Do I need to hire a director?”
  You need to have a pianist or a guitarist (unless you play piano or guitar yourself). If you want to put together a small ensemble, you or your pianist can serve as music director. As far as hiring someone write a script or direct, well, I never have, but there are a lot of people who do. It depends on what your specific skills are.
  
  There was a lot more discussed, but you would’ve had to be there! Come to the next one on April 29 (rescheduled from February) on Singing Expressively in “Foreign” languages.

In the meantime, you can see us implement these elements in our upcoming cabaret show at Germano’s Piattini in Little Italy, “Dames in C – and D – and Other Keys,” which will feature music by female composers. We have a great program put together, and the cost is only $5!