CABARET HOTLINE BREAKING NEWS - 2000 Provicetown Cabaretfest!

On February 11, 1998, I received the following message via e-mail from Joni Rapp, who lives on Cape Cod in Massachusetts:

It was as though the heart was taken out of Provincetown, and it seemed to sound a death-knell to cabaret in a town where live entertainment had flourished for years. In fact, in September of 1999, after the summer season was over, Joni wrote us:

So, it was a great thrill to receive a press packet in the mail in early April from AtLast! Productions announcing "CabaretFest Provincetown," a weekend celebration of cabaret performances, workshops and demonstrations, scheduled for May 5th, 6th & 7th, 2000.

AtLast! Productions is headed by Boston cabaret performer John O'Neil and CABARETFEST! (http://www.cabaretfest.com/) was arranged in conjunction with Pat Fitzpatrick of the Provincetown Tourist Office and the BEACONLIGHT GUEST HOUSE. In fact, Mr. O'Neil was spearheading the entire festival, with the help of a dozen other members of the Boston cabaret community and BACA (Boston Association of Cabaret Artists - http://www.bostoncabaret.org/). The concept of the event began in November of 1999 in the kitchen of the BEACONLIGHT GUEST HOUSE. John was performing there as a special guest in their in-house cabaret weekends and said to the owners of this elegantly furnished Bed & Breakfast, Stephen Mascilo and Trevor Pinker, "What you guys have here is great - can we do more?" They immediately became the first sponsors of the event scheduled for the late spring of 2000.

John next took a short walk down Commercial Street, the main shopping/dining street in town, to lunch with Steve Melamed, the owner of STEVE'S ALIBI, and Pat Fitzpatrick of the Tourism Board, and CabaretFest was born! Other sponsors quickly came to help: THE SCHOOLHOUSE GALLERY, THE WHITE WIND INN, and CAPE AIR, the small airline that flies folks to the Cape from Boston and back.

My trip to the Cape for the festival began just a few blocks from my apartment at the PORT AUTHORITY Bus Terminal. I could have flown to Boston and on to the Cape, but that would mean a trip to LaGuardia Airport, a flight on the Boston Shuttle, then a flight via Cape Air to Provincetown. Expensive. Rail service to Hyannis no linger existed, and train service to Boston would take 5+ hours, plus 2 1/2 hours by bus to Provincetown. The ferry from Boston to Provincetown would not be running until the end of May. There was actually just one choice open - 11:30 am bus from NYC to Hyannis, MA, then a second bus at 5:30 pm from Hyannis to P-town. And this arrangement was possible only once each day, each way. By sticking to the schedule, the best I could do was to arrive at the destination at 7:15 pm - missing the opening events on the schedule.

Fortunately, John arranged for one of the performers, Sarah deLima, to meet the 7:00 am bus, arriving at 1:30 pm in Hyannis, and take me the rest of the way by car to Provincetown (a drive of about 1 1/2 hours). If you have never experienced a 6 1/2 hour ride by bus, I do not recommend it. There was just one stop, for about 20 minutes, in Providence, RI, while they switched drivers. The last time I took a bus ride that was this long was while I was in college, and had to go from Grand Rapids to Detroit for my draft physical! That was in 1958! Things have improved slightly, since they now show a movie on the bus, just like on an airplane!

Arriving at about 3:00 pm, Sarah and I found that we were staying at the same location, the very beautifully appointed OXFORD GUESTHOUSE, also owned by Messrs. Mascilo and Pinker. I had just enough time have a brief guided tour of the public areas of the Guesthouse, and to shower (one needs a shower after 8 hours of travelling) and walk to the first event of the festival, the official "ribbon cutting" ceremony at TOWN HALL at 4:00 pm, where I had a chance to meet all the performers and others involved in the planning of the weekend - with about 30 townsfolk and tourists looking on.

I had not eaten since breakfast at 6:30 am, so I slipped away from the party after the ribbon cutting for a quick sandwich, and then headed over to THE WHITE WIND INN for the Opening Reception at 4:00 pm. A table of cheeses, fruits, cakes, sandwiches and cookies awaited, and the attendees gathered around the piano in the large living room of the inn. Buttons and ribbons were distributed - the buttons were on sale all over town - a $10 button would give a discount or free admission on every event scheduled for the festival - over 200 were sold! The ribbons were for performers, staff and press.

(Just a suggestion to John for next year: put ribbons on all the buttons! I was stopped at least a half-dozen times by folks who wanted to know what the ribbon was for, giving me an opportunity to hand them one of the bunch of fliers I had picked up at THE OXFORD.)

The next scheduled event would not be until 8:00 pm, so I took a stroll around town, trying to get my cell phone to work. The fact that this was not possible all weekend was a source of both frustration (cut off from civilization, as it were) but also relief (cut off from interruption.) I did relent and purchase a phone card (it would cost over $5 for three minutes to call my answering machine from a pay phone, I discovered - with the card it was only 40 cents a minute).

At 8:00 pm I was at the newly rebuilt and completely restored CROWN & ANCHOR (this version has sprinklers throughout) for the GRAND OPENING CABARET, hosted by Carol O'Shaughnessy, and featuring Brad Conner, Brian De Lorenzo, Dorothy Miller, Jan Peters, Ben Sears and Randy Zinkus, accompanied by Jim Rice. While I had met Carol a few times, and had seen Ben and Brad at the Cabaret Conventions, Brian De Lorenzo was the only one on the list (and actually the only one of the baker's dozen of performers appearing for the weekend) that I had actually ever seen in an actual cabaret setting.

Just as I discovered on my recent visit to cabaret shows in Los Angeles, we New Yorkers have it completely wrong if we feel that there is no cabaret done well outside of Manhattan Island. There may be more cabaret rooms and other live entertainment venues in New York than any other city, but when it comes to cabaret talent, no city has a monopoly! I look forward to my upcoming trip to San Francisco to further confirm my belated discovery. Any one of the folks performing in the festival could go head-to-head with any NYC performer - and the musical director was outstanding as well.

Ms. O'Shaughnessy is a real delight - one of the funniest ladies in cabaret, and a true entertainer, a combination of Mae West with a touch of Barbara Cook! After an opening number that featured the entire cast, Carol showed us what she could do. The lady can sing - and can have fun, too! Dorothy Miller, who followed, showed she could belt and could balladeer in one simple set. Ben Sears and Brad Conner did two delightful oldies, and proved they could tap dance, sort of. Where did they find those vests?

I would love to hear an entire show by Randy Zinkus, who followed. His full toned vocals on "Mama, A Rainbow" gave way to a comically twisted rendition of "Lizzie Borden," both songs alledgedly in honor of Mother's Day. Brian De Lorenzo did a witty "Astoria Gloria" followed by a poignant "All the Time." Winding up the show, Jan Peters knocked them dead with Kander & Ebb's "Yes" followed by David Friedman's "My Simple Christmas Wish."

I just had time to get a slice of pizza at a shop across the street (the worst I had ever tasted) before the second show, also at the CROWN & ANCHOR, called LATE NIGHT CABARET - starting at 10:00 pm. Also hosted by Ms. O'Shaughnessy, with Jim Rice at piano, this show featured Sarah deLima, John O'Neil, cabaret newcomer Britton White and Ida Zecco. Carol opened the show with a medley of tunes, including "Wanna Sing a Show Tune," "They're Playing My Song," "Don't Ask a Lady," "My Favorite Year," "The Trolly Song," plus three from PETER PAN: "I Gotta Crow," "I Won't Grow Up," and "Never Never Land." This gals ability to lead from song to song with just a minimum of dynamite patter was amazing!

Britton White calmed us all down with a soothing "Desperado," followed by Billy Joel's "You're My Home." British-born Sarah deLima followed with Coward's "Mad About the Boy," and a very saucy and suggestive "Can That Boy Foxtrot," by Sondheim. Ida Zecco showed us her comic side with Sondheim's equally naughty "I Never Do Anything Twice," followed with her serious side, singing Amanda McBroom's "No Fear."

The "leader of the band," John O'Neil was next, singing an inspiring "The Ship Sails On," by Kirby Tepper, and then he invited Jan Peters to join him in Cy Coleman & Ira Gasman's "People Magazine."

It was just past midnight, and while most folks headed off to the piano bar at STEVE'S ALIBI, and other venues, I headed back to THE OXFORD for a great night's sleep. While the temperatures had crept close to the 80 degree mark during the day, they fell well into the mid-40s at night - great for sleeping. It had been a long day, with another even busier day coming up.

I awoke at my usual 7:00 am on Saturday morning. Breakfast wouldn't be available until 7:30, so I showered, shaved and watched a little TV before moving to the dining area where a selection of breakfast items, fresh baked bread, and some great hot coffee awaited (along with the morning newspapers, including the New England edition of the NEW YORK TIMES!). Strangely, no one else was stirring, and I breakfasted alone, and then took my usual one-hour walk - trying to find the highest point in town this time, testing my cell phone every 10 minutes or so. Provincetown is a beautiful spot, and I even began to harbor thoughts of retiring to this haven some day. I made a resolve to come and visit in October or November, to see what it was like without the tourists. Of course, I intend to stay at THE OXFORD.

The first event of the day would not be until 1:00 pm at the CROWN & ANCHOR, a Cabaret Performance Masterclass presented by Mr. O'Neil and Ms. O'Shaughnessy. So, my one-hour stroll stretched to about 3 hours, and I took a number of photos to illustrate this article of the various places housing CabaretFest events. I sort of used up all the power in the camera battery, and stopped at the drug store for a replacement. I also bought a lottery ticket for something called "The Big Game" which was offering a 300-million dollar prize! Recalling my Dutch-Calvinist roots, I purchased just one. Then it was time for lunch.

Besides the Masterclass at the CROWN & ANCHOR, other events were planned for the afternoon as well, including a lecture on "Comedy in Cabaret" by Ida Zecco at the BEACONLIGHT GUEST HOUSE, a lecture on "The Songs of Fred Astaire" by Ben Sears and Brad Connor at THE SCHOOLHOUSE GALLERY, and a performance by Ernest LiJoi at STEVE'S ALIBI. In between, at 4:00 pm, was "Afternoon Tea" at HOWARD'S END, which at one time was Cole Porter's summer home. It was impossible to attend all the events, so I dibbled and dabbed my way from venue to venue. My cabaret-filled afternoon stroll was followed by a light supper.

At 8:00 pm there were concurrent events, with Brad and Ben presenting "Top Hat - The Songs of Fred Astaire" at THE SCHOOLHOUSE GALLERY, and the trio of Brian De Lorenzo, John O'Neil and Randy Zinkus in "Boys Will Be Boys" at the CROWN AND ANCHOR. I opted for the C&A show, which gave each performer a chance to sing four or five songs, opening and ending with the trio harmonizing for a tune or two. The emphasis was on fun, but there were a few songs interspersed that gave a touch of sobriety to the show, including a wonderful rendition of Tom Brown's "Jonathan Wesley Oliver, Jr." by Randy, Jerry Herman's "I Never Said I Love You," sung by Brian. The show was over too quickly, and though others complained, I hardly noticed the sounds coming from the CROWN & ANCHOR disco dance going on in another room.

At 9:30 I walked over to STEVE'S ALIBI where Dorothy Miller and Michael Larson were entertaining, piano bar style. I stayed close to the bar, sort of "incognito," but the bartender noticed my beribboned button, and asked about the CabaretFest. So much for my career as a cabaret spy.

Then it was back to the CROWN AND ANCHOR for "Girl Talk," with Sarah deLima, Jan Peters and Ida Zecco at 10:00 pm. One could tell that the gals were determined to outshine the 8:00 pm show that the boys had presented. Opening with all three singing "My Favorite Things," including a few lyric changes, Jan and Ida next did a delightful duet treatment of Carol Hall's "Hard Candy Christmas." Ida continued with several numbers, and then Sarah joined her to sing "Getting to Know You." Sarah continued with her set, including some delightful comedy numbers, including John Wallowitch's "Twenty-Seven," and decidedly appropriate rendition of "Fairies At The Bottom of the Garden."

Jan Peters is a powerhouse performer, and her contribution of four or five numbers gave a full showcase of her talents, ranging from a "Moon Medley" to "Grandpa" by Jamie O'Hara and Joe Raposo's "There Used to be a Ballpark." The show closed with the stirring Kahn/Fain standard, "I'll Be Seeing You."

At midnight I walked back to the comforts of THE OXFORD - while everyone else, their performances for the weekend complete, partied on. The combination of the cool, seaside air, and the miles of walking I must have done during the day, assisted by the cocktails consumed at the various events, had me in slumber land almost immediately. The big fluffy down comforter kept me cozy and warm through the night.

There were only two events on the schedule for Sunday. The first was a 12-noon brunch so after another fantastic (and lonely) breakfast at THE OXFORD, I took another stroll around the town, this time walking nearly to the public beach opposite the bay that the town faces. My camera was fully recharges, and so was I, by the end of the walk. I returned to the Guesthouse to pack my things and say goodbye to the most helpful staff that had seen to it that my stays was comfortable.

BAYSIDE BETSY'S, where the brunch was being held, is a restaurant so new, they didn't even have their sign installed yet, so I walked right by, and had to double back. My bus was leaving for Hyannis at 1:15 pm, so my little wheeled carry-on bag followed me up and down Commercial Street like a little puppy dog as I sought directions to the brunch.

As it was, with folks wandering in a bit late, I had to leave the beautiful bayside restaurant before the discussion of "Cabaret in the Millennium" began, led by BACA (Boston Association of Cabaret Artists) President Brian De Lorenzo, but not before the drawing of entries in the raffle - the main prize being free round-trip travel on Cape Air to Boston. While enjoying my French Toast and Sausages, I also had a nice chat with the owner of the restaurant, Steve Melamed - yes, the Steve in STEVE'S ALIBI. Naturally, the discussion was about food, and I sheepishly admitted that I had ordered New England Clam Chowder, a personal favorite, at every lunch and dinner I had on the Cape that weekend. I never ate in the same restaurant twice, so he asked me which place served the best. I replied "Without a doubt, STORMY HARBOR!" and his eyes twinkled. It turned out that he owned that place as well!

Then, my faithful carry-on back in tow, I headed for the bus stop, which happed to be along side the large piers where the whale sightseeing boats dock. I made a mental note to try one of those tours on my next visit - even though I really am not the seagoing type. The bus left promptly at 1:30 pm. Another social hour for festival attendees was scheduled for 3:00 pm at STEVE'S ALIBI, but by that time I was already in Hyannis, switching busses for the rest of the long ride home.

The trip back to New York City was quite uneventful, especially since we were delayed several times with traffic, and had to stay on the very crowded bus in Providence, RI while they switched drivers, arriving at the bus terminal on 42nd Street at 9:45 pm, in a heavy thunderstorm. The storm let up just as we arrived, so I had a chance to get a quick dinner on the way back to my apartment without getting drenched.

Anyone planning an event like this to promote cabaret in their home town or favorite resort town would to well to contact John O'Neil for advice and copies of the program book, promotional fliers, press kits and publicity packs that he and his confederates developed for this event. I have never seen so complicated an event run so smoothly - and provide so much entertainment and information at the same time. I look forward to making this pilgrimage again in May of 2001 - the first weekend in May. The venue reservations have already been confirmed!

Good news for some of the performers who took part was offers they received of bookings in Provincetown clubs for this summer season! Many of the club owners in town attended the events, and used the opportunity to plug some holes in their performance calendars.

My 7&Ginger survey was slightly skewed by the large variance from club to club in the price charged for my favorite cocktail. In fact, in one location I was charged $4.50 for my first cocktail, and $4.75 for the second drink. The following night, for some reason, in the same club, the drink cost an even $5.00! Somehow, as the prices went higher, the cocktail served was less to my taste! But the best cocktail of the weekend was Bloody Mary served brunch at BAYSIDE BETTY'S. Thank heaven they have discovered horseradish on Cape Cod!

BAYSIDE BETSY'S - 172 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-0120
THE BEACONLIGHT - 12 Winthrop Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 800-696-9603
CAPE AIR - 800-352-0714
CROWN & ANCHOR - 247 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-1430
HOWARD'S END - 5 Winslow Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-0169
THE OXFORD - 8 Cottage Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 888-456-9103
SCHOOLHOUSE CENTER - 494 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-4800
STEVE'S ALIBI - 291 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-2890
STORMY HARBOR - 277 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 508-487-1680
WHITE WIND INN - 174 Commercial Street - Provincetown, MA 02657 - 888-449-WIND

For more information about Provincetown CabaretFest, and to be placed on the mailing list to receive information about next year's fest, contact AtLast! Productions - 115 Park Street - Suite 4 - Brookline, MA 02446 - 617-232-1804 - http://www.cabaretfest.com/.

For information about BACA (Boston Association of Cabaret Artists), and to become a member and receive their newsletter, write to BACA, Eight Worcester Square, Boston, MA 02118 - they have a website at http://www.bostoncabaret.org/

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