The City of Sydney Cabaret Convention
2001: Final Thoughts
The City of Sydney Cabaret
Convention 2001:
How were the performers this year?
Sydney Town Hall Sydney, Australia
In
my final report I will discuss the quality of performance during the
four showcase evenings of this year's City of Sydney Cabaret Convention
2001. However, let me start with an explanation for the lateness of
this final installment. When we agreed to co-judge this event, Margi
de Ferranti and I committed to providing feedback to all the participants.
On the face of it, this seemed reasonable; we believed such information
would further the aims of this convention: to develop young talent.
However, the preparation of this material has proved to be very time-consuming
for both of us. Having finally completed this job, I am ready to report
on the quality of performers and performances at this year's festival
of cabaret.
In my account of last year's
convention, I discussed the apparent lack of understanding among participants
about the definition of cabaret. This state of affairs seemed all
the more puzzling to me when I spoke with various performers and discovered
that most of them could correctly verbalize what "cabaret" was. Why
was it that with such apparent intellectual understanding, the performances
of many of these same artists were decidedly not representative of
"cabaret" as they defined it? Was this due to a lack of performance
tradition here in Australia, a lack of contact with this style of
entertainment being practised in Europe and the USA, or some other
reason?
For the first time in the
five year history of this event, Toni Lamond (who was to have been
my co-judge before illness prevented her from attending the convention)
and I decided to send each of the participants selected to participate
in this year's City of Sydney Cabaret Convention the following definition
of cabaret to help them focus on the qualities we were looking for
in their performances:
"We thought it would
be helpful for all of you to read the following information prior
to your performance in the Showcase segments of this year's Sydney
Cabaret Convention. 'Cabaret' has been defined in lots of different
ways, but there is a surprising amount of agreement about what it
is. Our favorite definition is by Don Heckman, critic of the L.A.
Times:
'Cabaret
is about authenticity, about stepping down from the large stage
of performance to the intimate theatre of personal interaction.
The most affecting cabaret artists are those who can convince
their audiences that what they are saying and singing has the
ring of personal truth. All of which are reasons it can be difficult
for many musical theatre artists Ý familiar with role playing
and large venue projection Ý to make the transition to more intimate
performing circumstances.'
On the basis of that
definition, these are the criteria by which we will be evaluating
your performance:
1. Musicianship:
Intonation, diction, rapport with your accompanist, etc.
2. Presentation:
Ease and confidence on stage, your "connection" with the audience,
microphone technique, spoken setup between songs, etc.
3. Choice
of material: New material "sold" well, or a new "take" on an old
standard, connection of the artist with the selected songs, etc."
It was our hope that with
this information in hand these young artists would be better prepared
to participate successfully. I would like to report that there was
a marked improvement in performance that could be directly attributable
to the information that Toni and I sent out. Unfortunately, this was
not the case.
In my previous two reports
on this year's City of Sydney Cabaret Convention, I spoke of the overall
improvement in the quality of the acts on view. This was certainly
the case; there were far fewer "variety turns." Doubtless this was
due to the selection process that took place prior to the event; only
performers with a demonstrated understanding of cabaret were invited
to participate. What, then, would account for the unevenness of artistry
on view at this year's convention?
In terms of the three criteria
Toni Lamond and I sent to these young artists, musicianship was rarely
a problem. There were occasional difficulties with diction and often
a lack of rapport with accompanists, but both of these failings might
be attributed to performance jitters. The difficulties that Margi
de Ferranti and I noted seemed to lie almost entirely with Presentation
and Choice of Material, the second and third items on our checklist.
Let me deal first with
the choice of material. Why is it such a challenge for young artists
to find music that is appropriate for cabaret? Granted that Australia
is not blessed with ready access to outlets or libraries of sheet
music representing "The Great American Songbook." Likewise, very few
shops here carry the many recordings of cabaret greats, past and present;
most of these items must be imported from the USA, an expense that
few young performers can afford. Perhaps this is the reason why so
many of these cabaret neophytes so often made inappropriate choices
to showcase their talent.
Once again, I must call
attention to the efforts of Ron Creager, the hard-working Musical
Director of The City of Sydney Cabaret Convention 2001 for guiding
and coaching various performers to make informed choices of music
to perform that would best complement their level of ability. It is
a pity that more of the singers did not avail themselves of his assistance.
In addition to problems
related to the songs chosen for performance, what emerged over the
week was the lack of initiative that these young artists demonstrated
in presenting and re-imagining their material. Rarely were arrangements
anything more than straightforward performances of a standard charts.
Was this due to a lack of funds or a lack of imagination? I suspect
both factors contributed. In the long run, the latter is more of a
problem for these artists who seem to have missed an essential truth:
the printed page is the "jumping off point" for creating a performance,
not the last word or note.
In past reviews of City
of Sydney Cabaret Conventions (1998-2000), I have spoken of a number
of pitfalls that artists needed to avoid in order to succeed in this
form of entertainment, with particular focus on the restrictions imposed
by the seven-minute act. Once again, many of the artists failed to
take into account these difficulties. Time and again, it seemed as
if performers chose to sing music that they were comfortable with,
but did not "say" anything about them as people, the sort of material
that some commentators have referred to as "party pieces." I would
guess that virtually any song might conceivably work in cabaret, but
the trick is to make them relevant to the performer.
In terms of performers'
presentation (the second item on the checklist), the aspect of "connection"
with audience is essential. When an artist connects with his/her material,
it is more than likely that those experiencing the act will respond
to the thematic or emotional content. Most of the performers at this
year's cabaret convention had reasonable microphone technique. Ease
and confidence on stage were in somewhat shorter supply, probably
a function of performance jitters and lack of experience.
What was noteworthy was
the ineptness demonstrated in scripting the spoken setup between songs
(the "glue"). Perhaps, the definition that Toni Lamond and I provided
the performers was misunderstood; we suggested that personal honesty
was essential. What was heard was striking: men mostly spoke of very
sad personal events (death of friends or family, terminal illness,
etc.), while the women spoke about feelings in a variety of realistic
situations. Did the men misunderstand, or is the "knife in the heart"
attitude the only means by which men can demonstrate "personal honesty"?
What is it that separates
the boys from the girls in the style of entertainment? Is cabaret
a woman's art? In this City of Sydney Cabaret Convention 2001, there
were twenty-four women and fourteen men (including one female impersonator
who was outstanding), plus two groups performing as part of the showcase.
Of those men, only two or three were remarkable; the remainder did
not grab or hold attention. Why is this the case?
When I think about the
great cabaret performers, I can readily name a few men who have made
it: Michael Feinstein, Steve Ross, Bobby Short, Hugh Shannon, Noel
Coward, Leslie Hutchinson, Ronny Whyte, Mike and David Campbell, Joe
Derise, Peter Mintun, Dane Vannatter, Tom Andersen, DC Anderson, Philip
Officer, Jeff Harnar and Dave Frishberg are the identities that spring
to mind. That may seem like a largish "short list," but it is dwarfed
into near insignificance when compared with the veritable regiment
of their female counterparts. Perhaps the fact that men take longer
to mature into great performers than do women is part of the answer.
Also, I suspect there is something daunting about performing in front
of an audience without the artifice of role-playing. I think this
is a question that demands some thought.
I know that everything
I have written so far sounds rather critical; perhaps my role as a
judge, rather than a rapporteur accounts for that. The news was not
really so bad. There were a number of solid performances during the
four showcase evenings. Let me give you a rundown of some of the acts
that provided me and my co-judge Margi de Ferranti with particular
pleasure.
As I noted, the fourteen
men in the showcases were not as impressive than the women. Having
said that, I would like to commend six performers. Miz Ima Starr came
to the convention to showcase his unique talents as a female impersonator
after years of success in New Zealand. In an action-packed, "take
no prisoners" set, this performer sang, connected with the audience
and provided the sort of spontaneous laughter that is the hallmark
of a well- grounded professionalism.
Two other men, David Keene
and Darren Mapes, working in the more conventional cabaret genre,
were impressive. David Keene, an alumnus of the recent Australian
production of NAKED BOYS SINGING, demonstrated a good vocal technique
(in spite of dealing with the effects of a cold) and strong individuality.
His selection of songs showed off his skill as a performer and enabled
him to reach out to his audience with a warmth that was lacking in
many of the other men. Likewise, Darren Mapes was a crowd-pleaser
thanks to his warmth and comic timing. His patter between two well-chosen
musical selections was relaxed and honest, providing a very convincing
bracket. The only thing lacking in both of these fine performers was
a range of color and tonal quality that comes with vocal maturity.
Three other men - Simon Russell-Baker, Stig Bell and John Ellis -
provided moments of interest. All of them have big, beautiful voices,
but let themselves down by choosing material that did not seem to
connect them with their audience or say very much about them.
There was considerably
more breadth of talent on display among the women. Three artists deserve
particular mention Lena Cruz, Lisa Lorrell and Avigail Herman. Lena
Cruz was the popular choice to win the first prize at The City of
Sydney Cabaret Convention 1998. Since then, she has gained considerable
experience in New Zealand in television and cabaret. Her set was very
polished, vocally secure and well scripted, but somehow the pizzazz
overwhelmed the personality; I missed the essential connection.
Lisa Lorrell, another New
Zealand arrival, proved to be one of the most stylish showcase entrants
in terms of voice and skill in "working the house." What let her down
was the potentially risky decision to choose two ballads for her act,
denying us the chance to see more facets of her talent and giving
the performance a sameness of mood. Avigail Herman, one of Sydney's
most distinguished teachers and performers, has participated in most
of the past cabaret conventions. Of all the artists on view, she was
certainly among the finest musicians and vocal technicians to be heard.
Yet, her choice of songs provided little opportunity for her to demonstrate
the personal charm and sly humor that is so often a feature of her
shows.
There was a group of women
who made a positive vocal impression, but somehow "fell short of the
mark." These included Dalia Dior, Ruby King, Leigh Archer, Tonya Lee
and Caroline Berenger. What distinguished these very capable performers
was their choice of songs. Often a strong opening was followed by
an ineffective song that seemed less than imaginative. Each of these
women, three of whom I have seen in cabaret, has considerable talent.
More consideration about repertory would have made a big difference
in the stamp they left on the audience at the convention.
Among the other women at
the convention who were creditable singers, there were a group of
artists (Lisa Bluthal, Kate Peters, Leah Thomas, Rebecca Hayes, Belinda
Adams and Marissa Denyer) who seemed to be "acting" instead of connecting.
The hallmarks of this style included impersonations of famous people;
use of props, choreography and other obvious homages to well-known
artists; and the use of props and unusual costumes. There seemed to
be a misunderstanding of the essential truth of cabaret: if it looks
like an act, the essence of the person disappears behind the role.
Finally, let me talk about
difficulties I experienced in acting as a judge, rather than a reviewer.
In my previous four years of attendance at City of Sydney Cabaret
Convention, I went to appreciate the talent. My reviews of each session
celebrated what was noteworthy; I was silent about those acts that
were less successful. In contrast, as a judge, I found myself focussing
closely on each act, defining what was of concern, as well as what
was admirable. Because of the emphasis on technique and performance,
this was more difficult than I could have foreseen.
Last year, I closed my
reports with a suggestion that The City of Sydney Cabaret Convention
had stagnated and was in need of sharpening its focus to concentrate
on the development of young talent. It would appear that my wishes
were heeded. I hope this trend will continue including, perhaps, open
coaching sessions for young performers, a forum dealing with the construction
of a cabaret act, useful means for achieving good collaboration with
musical directors and sharing of various musical resources. There
is still so much to accomplish for this festival. Now, I must wait
another year to see what happens.
David M Schwartz
Reports of the 2001
Sydney Cabaret Convention
Daily Reports of
the 2000 Sydney Cabaret Convention
Daily Reports of the 1999 Sydney Cabaret Convention
Daily Reports on
the 1998 Sydney Cabaret Convention
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