The cabaret industry is made up by a community of artists who pretty much spend their time being their own boss. Each artist devises their show, writes their show, casts their show, and pays for their show. Then they do the publicity for their show and the ticket sales for their show, and they hope that all of that puts bums in seats, luv, and maybe even dollars in banks. It's a tough way to make a living and a tough way to make art. But they do it. They do it because they love it. They do it because they have no other choice. And because of the difficult nature (and harsh economy) of the industry, it can be nice to have supportive friends and colleagues who make it just a little bit easier.
Here are three artists who are among the most supportive in the community. Each of them is a respected cabaret performer in their own right, artists who have dedicated years to their craft and to the community, but not just by going to see everyone's shows (which they all do, devotedly). No, no; each of these artists has a secret, and it's time they were outed.
Joanne Halev has been a devotee of cabaret for many years. She has also been a student of the art form for many years. Her introduction into the cabaret community came by way of years of classes with cabaret instructor Lina Koutrakos. During those years, Joanne became close to the artists that she grew to know in class and the artists whose shows she attended. Merely by being in class and being in the seats out front, Joanne Halev was accepted into the community and made many friends. When the time felt right, Joanne premiered her first solo act, LIKE A PERFUMED WOMAN, to accolades and awards. She continues to show up in every club and every act, in support of her colleagues - Joanne can be found in the clubs several nights a week, with friends and watching friends.
Joanne has also been known to take under her tutelage artists preparing to make their first nightclub appearance and take them shopping. One of the most fashionable women in the industry, this one-time fashion industry professional knows all the chicest re-purpose shops in the city... and the most affordable. With Joanne acting as their personal shopper, many a cabaret neophyte has walked out onto the stage, that first time, looking like Andy Sachs, right out of the Runway closet after Nigel had dressed her for an event with Miranda Priestly. Joanne takes them to the shops, helps them pick the outfits, does the costume parade with them, and aids in the final decision. Naturally, Joanne has done this for these burgeoning talents out of the goodness of her heart, although close friends have suggested it could be a new career for her. That is, entirely, up to Joanne, but, in the meantime, there are definitely artists stepping up onto the stage feeling good, feeling pretty, and feeling like they belong. Joanne Halev did that
Sue Matsuki has been doing double-duty in the cabaret industry for a while. A musical theater hopeful who found her way into the clubs, Sue has slipped seamlessly back and forth between Broadway melodies and jazz treatments, making the most of her music for a few decades, garnering respect and awards and the nickname The Godmother of Cabaret. She spent more than a little time writing about the industry and art form as a Cabaret Hotspot correspondent, and she co-authored the book So You Want To Sing Cabaret with Hotspot creator David Sabella. At the end of 2021, Sue took her leave of Cabaret Hotspot to focus on her own art and, as though manifested through grit, guile, and sheer determination, Sue found herself singing in some very impressive nightspots. She is a woman on the move, and not just for herself: Sue produces the Urban Stages Winter Rhythms cabaret series every December, she has taken to directing up-and-coming artists, and she created (with her longtime esteemed colleague Gregory Toroian) the Pangea JAZZ BRUNCH, an open mic where cabaret performers can dip their toes in and learn to navigate the waters of jazz treatments with authentic jazz musicians. She works hard for herself but she also works hard for others... even when they don't know it.
For the last two years, hardly a week (maybe two weeks, during a slow month) has passed without Sue Matsuki sending an email or a text to this very reporter, the message of which usually reads something like this: "I just saw the Leslee Warren show at Pangea and you don't want to miss it. This gal is really special." (That was a real email.) Well, this reporter has learned to listen to Sue, for she is always right. (On the way home from the Leslee Warren show, my text to Sue was a simple one: "Thank you."). Sue Matsuki may have been given the name Godmother of Cabaret as a lark from some young 'uns having some fun, but she takes it to heart, and she spreads her benevolence around. Somehow,I doubt I am the only reporter to receive late night texts from Sue, urging them to check out a new artist like Kati Neiheisel or Maria Corsaro (both of whom Sue had join her onstage at 54 Below, as part of her own act). Cabaret, like all of the arts, can be a clique-ish place, but not when Sue Matsuki is around. Sue has a mission to bring people together in the name of art, in the style of family, and in the manner of the mother. No worries, novices: Mama Sue is in the house.
Dorian Woodruff has been playing and singing for his supper for a few decades. He has worked as a studio musician, an onstage instrumentalist, an ensemble singer, and a soloist. He has held positions in shows headlined by some of the most famous people in the industry, and he has sipped French Martinis with the famous people who go to see those headliners. He is refined, he is educated, he has impeccable taste, and he never makes a move without, first, considering whether or not it is the right and proper thing to do. His club acts treat his audiences to intellectual conversation, storytelling filled with imagery, and incomparable, smooth vocals, and when he is not actively engaged in the art of performing, he makes an art out of being active in the community. He attends conventions, master classes, and symposiums, and he can be found in the audience of everyone's show, no matter what club they are playing, or the curtain time. He is always on hand to offer praise, feedback, and support.
Dorian has also been known to assist artists of a more, shall we say, fresh tenure in the industry to locate hard-to-find sheet music to populate their shows with songs rarely heard in nightclub acts. He has sat with artists and helped them plan their shows, even going so far as to help them find just the right Musical Director for their needs. From time to time Dorian has even gotten up and moved to behind the piano, in order to help young new artists to rehearse for their shows. An accomplished musical proficient, each of these favors comes with the greatest reassurance that the road to producing a show will be easier for these artists, newer to the industry. Off stage, he is known for his barbed wit (which Dorian most definitely loves, but that for which he should be known is his tendency toward that most dreaful quality of all: kindness.
Here you can find "Cabaret" Songbook for voice and piano:
Sheet music from the Broadway musical "Cabaret"
"Cabaret" Songbook Vocal Selections. The sheet music book contains every starring song from the original broadway show, the film, and the 1998 revitalisation with Alan Cummings. It also includes the outtakes.
English (US)