What is cabaret to me?

Essentially, it's the chance to communicate, really communicate, with an audience, intimately and emotionally. Nothing's needed except the singer, the song, of course a musician or two, and the give and take of the audience. You have the rare opportunity to express your own self with lyrics that mean something and music that shapes those lyrics indelibly. You can explore a vast treasury of great songs that are sometimes lost and yet found again and can be retold in a new way.

I strive to be such a singer, a saloon singer of the old school, an actor telling a story, whether it's the heartbreak or joy of love, or a genius songwriter's wry take on some aspect of life and living.

One of the most rewarding moments for me is when a busy bustling room falls silent, and everyone starts to listen, following every turn and nuance in a song. I may be attempting to find new dimensions in a familiar standard, or working with some obscure piece of material that?s getting a palpable reaction. I know it's going to be a great journey, a rewarding night. It may only last an hour or so, but I can feel the excitement and satisfaction coursing through my veins and hopefully some of that is felt by the audience as well.

© CABARET WEST