The Cabaret Czar

Towards the end of the year, I realize that I'm addicted to cabaret.

I take part in the School of Rock concert, choosing Blondie's "Call Me" - one of the songs from my first Warriors show.  Blondie has been touring here, so it's a topical song.  Although I keep having my singing lessons there, it's the last time I sing in the AIMMS event.  I've moved on to cabaret.  A bit over a year later,  the AIMMS school has closed - a victim of the GFC.

One Sunday night I arrive at La Boheme to find a new pianist there.  He says "Hi, I'm Matthew".

I show him the song I want to sing, and he says "That should be fine".

When my husband arrives, he sees the pianist, nudges me and says "You know who that is!"  I say "His name's Matthew." Bill says "It's Matthew Carey.  Remember, we saw him in that show in the Spiegeltent?"

Several years earlier I had seen my first ever cabaret show, during the Adelaide Fringe.  It was called "Flat on Your Bacharach" - an award-winning comedy with songs by Burt Bacharach.  Matthew played piano, and there were two excellent singers, Libby O'Donovan and Melissa McCaig.  From his seat at the piano, Matthew contributed a lot of wit to the show.

Suddenly I feel a bit overwhelmed.  Matthew Carey is about to accompany me?  He does, and I survive.

As time goes by, I learn that Matthew accompanies a lot of visiting artists.  He even gets flown to Sydney to accompany Liza Minelli.  This means of course that there are only two degrees of separation between me and Liza.

Newspaper reviewers refer to Matthew as "the ubiquitous Mr Carey" and "local cabaret czar".

I begin to connect on Facebook with the people I've met at Cabaret Live - Nikki, Chris, Matthew and various other singers.  I just think it's useful to have a network.

Another person who turns up towards the end of the year is cabaret performer Catherine Campbell.  She and her husband Paul are part-owners of La Boheme.  In fact, La Boheme was created for her.  Catherine has taken time off after having a baby.  But now she is back with a vengeance, taking to the stage with a ferocious energy that draws riotous laughter from the audience.

My conference that year is in Vancouver.  At a cocktail party, I find myself in conversation with a group of Brazilian lawyers.  I tell them how much I love the music of Jobim.  Spontaneously they burst into song.  They know his songs.  We all sing along together.  Then one of them turns to me and says "How come you know all the words?"

Soon after returning, I see a message from Matthew on Facebook:

"The inaugural Australian Cabaret Summer School will be held in January.  An intensive week where you can learn cabaret skills from top people in the business."

A summer school?  They'll teach me?

I have to be there.