So You Want to Sing Cabaret: A Guide for Performers

Contents

• 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.