Yet More Auditions, Thinking About Mabel And Working In The Theatre

More auditions coming up, so we’ve been singing up a storm to get ready.  In the meantime, a couple of weeks ago we had a fun gig playing and singing with a traditional jazz band with whom KJ plays regularly and with whom I will resume performing, the Puddin’ River Jazz Band from Portland.  It is always great to have the opportunity to get up and perform a song in front of an audience, and with a seven-piece jazz band to back me up, I am quite happy to oblige.

I received an online invitation to attend the Cabaret Convention in NYC earlier this month, but I wrote back and let the sender of the invite know I could not attend.  He wrote me back, and turns out it was Donald Smith, Mabel Mercer’s manager of twenty-some years!  He also was kind enough to send me another biography of the great Mabel, entitled Midnight At Mabel’s by Margaret Cheney, which he says is a more accurate representation of Mabel than Haskins’ biography.  I have started reading this, and hope to make a post about some of the topics covered soon.

I have also been enjoying the free online video programs put on by the American Theatre Wing, which offers the Tony Awards.  The show is called Working In The Theatre, and it offers interviews with some of the top performers, writers, directors, producers and designers on Broadway today.  It is quite encouraging to hear the performers talk about what they do to get ready to perform a part.  I was particularly struck by the musical theatre performers–someone said that getting ready to do a show is a lot like being in training for an athletic event, and I would have to say that I agree.  I exercise constantly, watch what I eat so healthy choices are being made, drink Throat Coat teas and if I am singing I pretty much eliminate alcohol from my diet, because it dries out my vocal chords and makes my throat sore.  That is not my favorite, because I love a glass of wine with dinner, but it makes a big difference in my vocal performance if I forgo that during the rehearsal and performance periods, so I do it.

Feel free to leave a comment–are there special steps that you take to get ready to perform?  Have you had some great gigs lately?  We’d love to hear from you.

The Calm Before The Performance

We are rehearsed and ready to go for our show on Saturday.  (What show, you ask?  Why, here is the information to bring you up to speed. )  After our run through last night, William suggested we take today off, and this is a smart move.  Today is a mental health day, so to speak, so that we can relax a bit and be refreshed and really looking forward to singing together when we perform on Saturday.  Resting is actually a part of set preparation that can get overlooked, but it is a crucial part to putting in a good performance.  When you are performing, you are essentially multi-tasking–you are thinking about your singing technique for good breath control, good posture, good placement, as well as your acting choices, as well as taking in what the audience is giving you in terms of response to temper what you are giving to them, as well as dealing with microphone movement and placement, as well as remembering patter and song lyrics, and making it all look fresh and spontaneous, or at least well-rehearsed, so the audience knows that they are in good hands for our set.  That is a lot of focused mental activity, and it is necessary to give yourself a break as needed, because it is easy to start to get sloppy if you rehearse something to death–you start taking parts of the act for granted, rather than applying the full force of your attention to each moment in the show.  Being in the moment, so crucial to good acting, is also vital to great cabaret performance, and if you are feeling stressed, likely it is because you are focusing on the past (wow–I really screwed up that last note . . .oh my god, I said the wrong patter here, etc.) or you are thinking about the future (I have a really hard to sing song coming up two songs from now, hope I can do it, we have so much equipment to pack up after this gig, I wonder how many response cards are getting filled out, etc) instead of being in the moment, and feeling the song through your body and delivering that message of the song to the audience.  It takes a little time off sometimes to rest your mind, rest your voice, and in that extra time that is set aside you make sure that everything is ready to go well in advance of when you need to depart for the gig.  Packing lists are very important, because even if you feel scattered, you can always rely on your impartial list to help you get everything done, stay on track, and thus remove the tension from the experience.  We will do some last minute things today–get a haircut, buy a mic cover, pick up some cassette tapes–and then we’ll pack, prepare and lay out all our clothes and accessories the day before so they are ready to go early in the morning, and then have a relaxing evening of dining and watching a good movie, followed by a good night’s rest.  You also want to surround yourself with people who are supportive of your efforts at performance.  My partners in this show are amazing in that regard–a pleasure to work with, and I know that I am very fortunate in this regard.  I try to live up to their good examples by being a good scene partner, being generous when I perform with them, and being polite to each other and offering supportive comments as we work through our sets.  In a supportive environment, you feel comfortable to take risks in performance, and sometimes that is where brilliant ideas lay, and that is certainly what keeps me so enthralled and enthused about cabaret performance, and keeps me going.

All of this helps to bring me to the point where I can give a great performance the day of the show.

First Full Run-Throughs Of New Sets

We’ve had a busy weekend and more to come up until our gig this Saturday.  (For more information about our upcoming shows, see this.)  This weekend began the first of our full run-throughs of both sets.  It went very smoothly, which was great.  Always there are fumbles at the beginning–most of it having to do with forgotten lines of lyric or patter.  That just means we’ll need a few more rehearsals to smooth it out, but we have them scheduled so it should be great by Saturday.  We were able to time out both shows, and we are well within the time limits needed for this gig, which is also nice, so there is some wiggle room to wait for applause and laughter, as well as rest a moment in between songs.

At a first run-through, you finally get to see and hear all of your planned ideas up and on their feet, which is very exciting, and you get to see the flow of the overall show.  Pacing is very important.  Not only do you have to think about the pace in terms of the experience you want to create for the audience, you have to pace yourself when you are performing a two-hour gig. Having a blend of emotional and light-hearted songs, as well as songs that are in an easy vocal range with those that demand more in terms of breathing and vocal placement helps to give you spots where you can relax a bit.  The good news is that laughing is a good vocal tension reliever, and we’ve been doing plenty of that, and hopefully the audience will join us in that on Saturday as well!

Pictures For Cabaret Flyers

Continuing work on the cabaret performance for Sept. 4th, Labor Day Weekend. (You can find out more about the show here.)  We took some pictures for use in this or possibly future flyers at a local large piano store.  It provided us with many lovely grand pianos perfect for photo-taking.  Our friend, William, helped us with the shoot, and set up and snapped most of the pictures of us, for which we are extremely grateful.  We ended up using props such as feather boas, and jewelry changes were also important.  Probably the biggest thing was to relax and have fun with the pictures–it is really amazing when you get your camera home and start to download the pictures–the look on your face is what really sells the shot to the public, and so it is interesting to see what you were thinking and how it affected the outcome of the picture being shot.

We ended up taking many more pictures than we will actually use, but hopefully several turned out well and you will see them in upcoming flyers!

Clothing For Cabaret

In addition to rehearsal, putting the music books together and memorizing songs, we also worked on clothing choices for our upcoming cabaret sets.  Tuxedos work very well for the men.  You can add personalized touches by the color of bow tie, vest and pocket handkerchief, plus studs that you select.  A local store that has great men’s clothing and good prices is Mr. Formal in downtown Portland, OR. 

As you might suspect, ladies’ clothing choices require more time and work to put together.  The clothing doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, but it does have to look good on you and fit properly.  Some local stores that I like that have some bargain but beautiful clothing include The Glass Butterfly, Ross Dress For Less and Kohl’s, but of course there are many others that you might prefer.  It might be easiest to begin with taking your current measurements and taking those to clothing stores with you as an aid to finding the correct sizes.  Having said that, every brand tends to size their clothing differently, so feel free to grab a couple of different sizes in everything that you like and want to try on, to save a bit of time in the dressing rooms.  If I’m doing a two-piece outfit, I like to start with the bottom half, which tends to be plain.  A short or long black skirt that fits well, along with appropriate hose and heels are a good place to start, and they are pieces that you can use in a wide variety of cabaret settings and performance situations.  Then you will need a top.  You want to think, in advance of hitting the stores, what colors you look good in, and what basic styles are flattering on your body type.  Play up whatever your best body features are, and downplay those that need it–you will know what I mean–upper parts of arms on those of us who are older are not always best to be displayed, for example.  If you have a great bustline, flaunt it–sex sells, after all, and this is a marketing strategy that has worked over time in the entertainment industry.  Once you have some tops, try them on and see how comfortable they are–can you raise your arms and have freedom of movement without the fabric constricting?  The answer should be yes.  Also make sure the waistlines are not too tight–you do need to breathe to sing, after all.

Once you have some separates, then consider a dress.  Colors and design styles vary widely, so they need to be tried on–take some extra time with this. 

Accessories are important.  Consider the earrings, necklace, possible bracelet and any hair adornments that might work well with the outfits.  Gloves are another possibility.  Think about not breaking up lines in the clothing, to create a sleek and slim appearance.  This means you might go for a short black skirt with black hose and black character shoes, for example, to keep a long line and not break up the leg area, especially important if you are short.  This also goes for the arms of clothing–you might want to add long gloves to keep the line long.  Be careful of necklace placement–a choker can break up your neckline, which might not be beneficial if you are a little thicker in the neck area, whereas a longer necklace may help to keep the line more vertical and give a nice long line to the front of the outfit.  Hair up or down–it’s your choice, but pick a style that you look good in, and one that will stay in place for the duration of your sets.  Shoes are important as well–they should be comfortable, and should stay put on your feet, which is why character shoes are always great.  Select a heel that works for you, or flats–whichever is most flattering to your legs.  After you have selected clothing, make sure that you have the appropriate undergarments to work with the outfits, so that straps don’t show or pantylines, and so that you are sufficiently covered even in a revealing evening gown.  A dance store may offer a nude leotard that can work well under these types of dresses.

Once you have a great outfit, wear it with confidence.  The bottom line is you want to feel and look great when you are on stage performing, and your clothing should do its part to help in this regard.  It is a major contributing factor to the style and look of your show, so it is worth paying attention to, especially when it comes time for taking headshots and publicity photos for flyers and other promotional materials.

Cabaret Update

We worked on our sets today. Found out we really need two sets for our upcoming gig, so we decided on songs and song order.  It is a wonderfully creative process to pair and group songs together–Broadway and the American songbook provide a fertile ground for foraging for excellent material. 

We visited the venue site and took a close look at where we’d be performing.  Took stage measurements, took a look at what the sound system was like and where electrical outlets were.  We also looked at how close the audience was to the stage, and just took in all the variables that would play a part in how we perform the sets we are preparing.  We sat where the audience sat and hung out for a while.  Even though the temperatures were mild, it became very warm out there due to radiant heat coming up off the stone flooring used in the seating area, so this will certainly have an impact on how comfortable the audience is and even how comfortable we are as we perform.  Comfortable clothing is kind of a must, and probably a fan for the stage area.

Another aspect that I am working on is clothing appropriate for cabaret gigs.  Men have it kind of easy, in that a tuxedo is always great–just change out the vest and tie, and you are set.  Women have more flexibility and options, but so many choices to make.  I am going for a short black skirt that has elastic in the back so it’s easy to breathe but shows off the legs a bit.  I need a dark purple blouse that is fitted and tailored but doesn’t  cost a fortune.  Bought a black boa for one boa song that I’m planning on doing. 

We worked on putting our song books together today.  What a project that is–but so creative.  Many great ideas just bantering about what we like and connections we can make between songs.  It takes a long time to come up with good song selections, so give yourself plenty of time to research songs and think about the lyrics.

What sets are you working on right now?  How to do you go about making connections between and among songs that the audience will recognize?  Do tell in the comments.