My goal for 2012 is to present my own solo show in the Cabaret Fringe.
I try to accelerate the process. I book a session with Cabaret Summer School mentor Catherine Campbell. I go along with my cabaret friend Alison, to brainstorm some ideas to help both of us to develop our shows.
Catherine offers me some helpful suggestions. But the show doesn't come together. The full-length show will take longer to develop.
And I have travel booked. This year, both our children are at Uni, and my husband and I are finally free to holiday together. We go on a trip to Berlin and Prague. It is exciting to be travelling together once again. Before having children we went on three trips to Europe together and really enjoyed it. We re-kindle the feeling.
In Prague we stay at a lovely hotel and are persuaded to try the formal restaurant. The Maitre D, Miroslav, is quite a character. He has us laughing uncontrollably. And then the grand piano starts up. The pianist calls for requests, and I ask if he can play any Brazilian songs. He can. He launches into some well-known Bossa Nova songs, and I hum along quietly. With each song I get more excited. Then he starts playing Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune). I cannot resist. I sing out loud. Only one other table in the restaurant is occupied. I sing in full voice and don't care who hears. At the end, the people at the other table applaud, and Miroslav brings us complimentary desserts. I've sung for my supper.
Just before we fly home, I receive an email asking if I'd like to perform in Kabarett (part of the Cabaret Fringe Festival). The show will be on the week after I return. Immediately I accept, I can just fit in with the rehearsal schedule. I have to miss the first practice, but I can do the second and third ones. But the jetlag is doing me no favours. I turn up at rehearsal and realize I have left my sheet music at home. Oops. No problem though - they are running way behind time, and Matthew offers me a separate and individual rehearsal at his home. I go along and our run-through goes very smoothly.
I'm doing an expanded version of "Adventures with a Brazilian" - my segment at January's Cabaret Summer School. There isn't much time to drum up an audience. I call a few people and mail out a few flyers. We are doing a "season" - two shows in the space of a weekend - Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
It's a smaller than usual audience, but the best I can do in the circumstances.
Once again there are three of us. I'm on first. Usually I prefer to settle in a bit and wait til others have sung before going on. But Catherine puts me on first, so on I go. It's good experience to go first. I'm quite happy with my segment - much more confident than last year.
Alison goes next, with her piece "Love-aholic", and finally Lindsay takes the stage with his segment about the trials and tribulations of a pharmaceutical sales rep who would rather sing and dance.
Afterwards, friends tell me my singing has developed tremendously, and that I make it seem much easier than last year. I'm happy to hear this, and I believe it's true.
Matthew has also put out an invitation for cabaret performers to perform in the Festival Centre Piano Bar. It's a program providing local artists with the opportunity to be in a showcase which is part of the main Cabaret Festival. I don't take this up - I don't think I'm ready, plus I've just come back from holidays, and it's been enough to put on my 20-minute piece in Kabarett. But several of my cabaret friends do take part. I go along to cheer them on.
My moment comes, however, on the opening night of the Cabaret Festival. After the Gala opening concert, I wander through to the Piano Bar, where a band is starting up. The group is called The Four Chairs. Amongst the crowd I spy some friends - Nicole (who was with me at Cabaret Summer School the previous January) with partner, and Alison (a lawyer I used to work with many years earlier).
The Four Chairs call for volunteers from the audience to come and sing with them. Nicole's partner noisily volunteers her for this duty. She gets up on stage and coolly sings "Hit the Road Jack". She receives enthusiastic applause. The place is packed, and jumping.
After a while they take a break, and after the break they call again for volunteers. Nicole has told me they have the sheet music for "The Girl From Ipanema". By this time I've had a few drinks, and my courage is up. So I head for the stage, and once people see me going there, that's it. I get up and sing my song. It's quite a big audience, and they go crazy with applause.
If I never perform again, I've sung on stage at the Festival Centre. And by coincidence, I had a professional photo shoot that afternoon, so I'd had my hair and makeup done.
A few days later, I attend a Board meeting. When I arrive, the Executive Officer, Rob, says "I've got something for you". He shuffles though a folder and pulls out a photo of me performing at Festival Centre.
You never know who is in the audience.
I try to accelerate the process. I book a session with Cabaret Summer School mentor Catherine Campbell. I go along with my cabaret friend Alison, to brainstorm some ideas to help both of us to develop our shows.
Catherine offers me some helpful suggestions. But the show doesn't come together. The full-length show will take longer to develop.
And I have travel booked. This year, both our children are at Uni, and my husband and I are finally free to holiday together. We go on a trip to Berlin and Prague. It is exciting to be travelling together once again. Before having children we went on three trips to Europe together and really enjoyed it. We re-kindle the feeling.
In Prague we stay at a lovely hotel and are persuaded to try the formal restaurant. The Maitre D, Miroslav, is quite a character. He has us laughing uncontrollably. And then the grand piano starts up. The pianist calls for requests, and I ask if he can play any Brazilian songs. He can. He launches into some well-known Bossa Nova songs, and I hum along quietly. With each song I get more excited. Then he starts playing Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune). I cannot resist. I sing out loud. Only one other table in the restaurant is occupied. I sing in full voice and don't care who hears. At the end, the people at the other table applaud, and Miroslav brings us complimentary desserts. I've sung for my supper.
Just before we fly home, I receive an email asking if I'd like to perform in Kabarett (part of the Cabaret Fringe Festival). The show will be on the week after I return. Immediately I accept, I can just fit in with the rehearsal schedule. I have to miss the first practice, but I can do the second and third ones. But the jetlag is doing me no favours. I turn up at rehearsal and realize I have left my sheet music at home. Oops. No problem though - they are running way behind time, and Matthew offers me a separate and individual rehearsal at his home. I go along and our run-through goes very smoothly.
I'm doing an expanded version of "Adventures with a Brazilian" - my segment at January's Cabaret Summer School. There isn't much time to drum up an audience. I call a few people and mail out a few flyers. We are doing a "season" - two shows in the space of a weekend - Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
It's a smaller than usual audience, but the best I can do in the circumstances.
Once again there are three of us. I'm on first. Usually I prefer to settle in a bit and wait til others have sung before going on. But Catherine puts me on first, so on I go. It's good experience to go first. I'm quite happy with my segment - much more confident than last year.
Alison goes next, with her piece "Love-aholic", and finally Lindsay takes the stage with his segment about the trials and tribulations of a pharmaceutical sales rep who would rather sing and dance.
Afterwards, friends tell me my singing has developed tremendously, and that I make it seem much easier than last year. I'm happy to hear this, and I believe it's true.
Matthew has also put out an invitation for cabaret performers to perform in the Festival Centre Piano Bar. It's a program providing local artists with the opportunity to be in a showcase which is part of the main Cabaret Festival. I don't take this up - I don't think I'm ready, plus I've just come back from holidays, and it's been enough to put on my 20-minute piece in Kabarett. But several of my cabaret friends do take part. I go along to cheer them on.
My moment comes, however, on the opening night of the Cabaret Festival. After the Gala opening concert, I wander through to the Piano Bar, where a band is starting up. The group is called The Four Chairs. Amongst the crowd I spy some friends - Nicole (who was with me at Cabaret Summer School the previous January) with partner, and Alison (a lawyer I used to work with many years earlier).
The Four Chairs call for volunteers from the audience to come and sing with them. Nicole's partner noisily volunteers her for this duty. She gets up on stage and coolly sings "Hit the Road Jack". She receives enthusiastic applause. The place is packed, and jumping.
After a while they take a break, and after the break they call again for volunteers. Nicole has told me they have the sheet music for "The Girl From Ipanema". By this time I've had a few drinks, and my courage is up. So I head for the stage, and once people see me going there, that's it. I get up and sing my song. It's quite a big audience, and they go crazy with applause.
If I never perform again, I've sung on stage at the Festival Centre. And by coincidence, I had a professional photo shoot that afternoon, so I'd had my hair and makeup done.
A few days later, I attend a Board meeting. When I arrive, the Executive Officer, Rob, says "I've got something for you". He shuffles though a folder and pulls out a photo of me performing at Festival Centre.
You never know who is in the audience.
On my way to Kabarett
Taking a bow with Craig and Emily
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