So You Want to Sing Cabaret: A Guide for Performers
- Author: Feinstein, Michael
- Author: Matsuki, Sue
- Author: Sabella, David
Book
$55.75Contents
- Chapter 1 - Cabaret: Historical Background
- An overview and history of the cabaret rooms of Europe in the 19th and
- early 20th centuries.
- Chapter 2 - Modern Day Cabaret: 20th -21st Century
- Crossing the Pond - The early proponents in the U.S. (such as Mabel
- Mercer) of modern day cabaret and their impact on American popular
- singers of the 20th century (Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland).
- * What has cabaret come to be known as in the last 40 years?
- * Who are the major performers today and what makes them
- "cabaret singers"?
- * How does cabaret performance differ from other live vocal
- performance shows?
- Chapter 3 - Cabaret Training: What it is and why it is needed
- Training programs - what they offer to singers and why training in the art
- of cabaret performance is important.
- What a singer should look for in a cabaret training program.
- Chapter 4 - Cabaret and the Musical Theater Singer
- The chapter addresses the training and perspective of a musical theater
- performer and what parts are or are not applicable to cabaret. Examples
- of Issues addressed are:
- * The elimination of the "4th wall"
- * Being yourself vs. Being a character
- * The relationship a musical theater performer has to the audience vs.
- the relationship the cabaret singer has to the audience.
- So You Want to Sing Cabaret - Tim Schall, Proposal
- Chapter Descriptions
- * What habits (good or bad) do musical theater singers develop that
- helps/hinders them transition into working in cabaret.
- Chapter 5- Cabaret and the Classical Singer
- The chapter addresses the training and perspective of a classically trained
- "legit" singer and how that training/perspective is adapted to cabaret.
- Examples of Issues include:
- * Taking the focus off of your voice
- * Putting the focus on the lyric
- * Trusting your body
- * Being "natural"
- Chapter 6 - Cabaret and the Pop Singer
- The chapter addresses the training and perspective of a pop singer and
- how that training/perspective is adapted to cabaret. Examples include:
- * Where are you creative objectives as a pop singer and where are
- they as a cabaret performer?
- * Riffing: To riff or not to riff? What is its purpose in pop singing and
- what is it, if any, in cabaret performance?
- * Making a recording vs. performing a song live
- * Transitioning from a "sound machine" to a live human being with
- something to share/say.
- * The jazz singer: how cabaret work can help them relate more
- directly to their audience and add an extra dimension to their
- performances.
- Chapter 7 - It's About The Lyrics (newly added)
- Cabaret is a lyric driven art form. This chapter explores why a singer
- should consider the lyrics first when choosing a song. The challenges of
- different genres of lyrics and how they are best adapted and used in a
- cabaret setting are explored:
- * Great American songbook lyricists
- * Musical Theater lyricists (many times, the same as the above)
- So You Want to Sing Cabaret - Tim Schall, Proposal
- Chapter Descriptions
- * Pop lyrics - the challenge to make these dramatically playable
- Chapter 8 (newly added) - Working With Your Music Director
- Note: This chapter could potentially be divided into two chapters:
- 1) Working with a Musical Director/Pianist and 2) Creating Arrangements.
- One of the most important relationships in the singer's development as a
- cabaret performer is with their musical director/pianist. This chapter
- discusses:
- * The criteria you should look for in a musical director - skill sets,
- willingness to collaborate, area of musically expertise.
- * Communicating with the musical director/pianist in light of how
- much musicianship skills and language a singer has or does not
- have.
- * Creating arrangements - why this is vital and how to participate in
- the process even though you are may not be the musician in the
- room.
- Chapter 9 - Putting it Together/Creating an Act
- Note: This chapter could also become two chapters, because it is loaded
- with important information.
- Creating an Act or Show is often a very daunting project for singers. Live
- performers from pop/rock singers and nightclub singers to classical
- singers in recitals have struggled with putting together cohesive
- programming that flows with a beginning, middle and end. Topics
- discussed include song choices, song types and song order. We explore
- the purpose of an opening number, the purpose of a closing number, the
- 11 O'clock number, the encore and different types of ballads.
- Patter, or stage dialogue, is also explored. Patter is a craft in and of itself
- and can often either be too stiff or too sloppy. It has tremendous impact
- on the show, yet should seem as if it is spontaneous and natural - but
- So You Want to Sing Cabaret - Tim Schall, Proposal
- Chapter Descriptions
- should be planned out.
- Working with a director is explored. What is a director's role in the
- creation and performance of a cabaret show? What service does the
- director provide for the singer?
- Chapter 10 - Cabaret As A Means In Itself
- Cabaret performance is a specific art from in itself. Many singers choose
- to focus their performance work solely in this area. This chapter discusses
- the path of the singer focusing on cabaret:
- * U.S. cities that have cabaret communities.
- * What expectations can be met career-wise and artistically.
- * When is this the right choice for a singer.
- * How to market yourself
- * Working in clubs - agreements, light/sound, promotions
- * Recording content, demos, websites and self marketing.
- Chapter 11- Cabaret Training As A Tool
- Cabaret is also occasionally taught in university musical theater training
- program. This chapter explores how the personalization of material can
- help musical theater performers, non-singing actors and classical singers
- in their performing and auditioning - whether they choose to pursue
- cabaret work or not.
- Chapter 12 - Closing Thoughts
- * An overview of the national cabaret landscape. Specific cities and
- what is their cabaret scene like?
- * Advocating for the art form. Why does it need preserving and how
- to preserve it.
- * Educating and informing future generations.