How Important Is It to Have a Director? Here Are What a Few Directors and Artists Have to Say

Shellen Lubin
Article #12 in The New Cabaret Artist's Handbook. Part Two of Shellen's Lubin's discussion on the importance of directors in cabaret. I hope you’ve figured out from the “shopping list” of directorial tools and qualities that I noted in Part One of this article that each director brings their own skill set and perspectives to the...

Just How Valuable Is a Director to Your Cabaret Act?

Shellen Lubin
The New Cabaret Artist's Handbook Article #11 in this continuing series. Most likely there have been times when you've asked yourself this question:  "Do I really need a director for my cabaret show? After all, I have a theme and ideas, plus I'm working with my longtime musical director who is smart and savvy and...

The Musical Marriage Continues: Your Musical Director and You (Part Two)

Shellen Lubin
Article #10 in this running series. For this half of our focus on musical directors (just in case you missed Part One: read it here), I posed some challenging questions to a number of them along with a few singers. We’ll begin with Daryl Kojak, who has been the musical director for most of the Bistro Awards...

The Musical Marriage: Your Musical Director and You (Part One)

Shellen Lubin
Article #9 in this running series. Your musical director is probably your first and most primary connection as a cabaret artist. In fact, if you don't have a director and/or writers with whom you’re working (both of which we will be addressing in future pieces), they may very well be your only collaborator in the...

Why an Audience Is So Important for Your Performance: Now’s a Good Time to Take a Deeper look at Your Relationship with Your Audiences

Shellen Lubin
Article #8 in this running series. "I've learned how special the audience is, the feeling that you get from people being right in front of you, becoming part of your act. You hear every word, cough, and sneeze. They tell you if they're amused or moved by your interpretation and how they perceive you and...

Thinking of Doing a Tribute or Themed Show? Then, You Gotta Get an Arc!

Shellen Lubin
Article #7 in this running series. Let’s say you’ve been in love with Judy Garland and the songs she made famous for years, and you want to do a tribute to her in your next cabaret show.  Or, you think Janis Ian is an underrated songwriter and you want to do a night of all...

What is Patter and Why Is It So Important?

Shellen Lubin
Article #6 in this running series. Patter is such a seemingly trivial term for the talk between songs in a cabaret act. However, the multiple definitions of the word are not all as superficial as the word itself might seem. Patter in the dictionary is 1) the talk with which an entertainer accompanies a routine;...

A Great Show Tells a Great Story

Shellen Lubin
Article #5 in this running series. A key factor to creating a successful cabaret act or revue is to give the show an emotional throughline underpinning it. The classic notion of choosing a bunch of songs that you like, and then alternating uptempos with ballads, can create a haphazard and unfocused experience, even if it...

Tailoring a Song for the Perfect Fit

Shellen Lubin
Interpretation, not imitation! Article #4 in this running series. Most of the time and, in most performance situations—particularly in cabaret, you'll want to give every song you perform your own stamp. Why? If you’re trying to find your own voice as a performer and an interpretive artist, the last thing you want to do is...

Choosing Songs That Are Right for You

Shellen Lubin
Article #3 in this running series. Photo: Shellen Lubin What draws you to a song and why does it matter? If you like a song, shouldn’t you just go ahead and sing it? Yes, it does matter. And depending on why you fall in love with a song, it may or...