Cabaret Festival

 

 (Long Beach, NY, April 15, 2018) - Artists in Partnership (AIP), a non-profit cultural arts organization, will host its 16th Annual Cabaret Festival May 17-20  at the Long Beach Public Library, 111 West Park Avenue, Long Beach, NY.   All performances are FREE to the public.  The festival will be a celebration of the cabaret genre honoring the Great American Songbook with performances by renowned local and New York City-based artists.

Featured events include:

• THURSDAY, MAY 17, 7:30 pm, Pianist BILL HELLER will accompany his son JONATHAN HELLER in a cabaret performance
• FRIDAY, MAY 18, 8 pm, STEARNS MATTHEWS will be accompanied by twin brothers ADAM & MATT PODD in "Me and the GershTwins: Songs of George and Ira Gershwin"
• SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2 pm- "Cabaret Conversations: Inside the American Songbook " Established artists demonstrate and comment on the cabaret genre as they honor the songs and the songwriters. SUSAN JAMES will facilitate the discussion with cabaret critic ROB LESTER while artists perform. Husband and wife team ERIC COMSTOCK & BARBARA FASANO, PAMELA LEWIS, and MARIEANN MERINGOLO (singing songs of husband and wife team Alan and Marilyn Bergman) are featured
• SATURDAY, MAY 19, 8 pm Husband and wife team ERIC COMSTOCK and BARBARA FASANO
• SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2 pm ELIZABETH SULLIVAN sings and shares stories of her musical family with her daughter vocalist KT SULLIVAN in performance with JON WEBER at the piano.

 Additional programs

Thursday, May 17, 2 pm   Celebrating Women - In Cabaret Style   Susan James explores the storytelling approach to celebrating mothers, daughters, and sisters. Using songs and encouraging the audience to capture their unique family story, she reflects on her own experiences as the youngest of eight children. “It’s All Relative” is the theme of this year’s Cabaret Festival and short clips will also be presented highlighting festival performers. Join us for an entertaining intro to this annual musical event.

Saturday, May 19, 10 am, 12 noon    Singing Competition and Performances

A singing competition for children and teenagers up to age 19 will be held with rehearsal and critiiques offered by professionals from 10 am - 12 noon.  Students will then perform in front of an audience at 12 noon, where judges will comment on the presentations and award points.  A secret ballot by the audience will also be taken.  The winner will be interviewed as a special guest on the Saturday Afternoon Panel along with professional award-winning cabaret singers. Application instructions follow. Contact 516-322-1138.

As part of its annual Long Beach Cabaret Festival of free events at the Long Beach Public Library at 111 West Park Avenue, the non-profit arts organizations Artists in Partnership (A.I.P.) is sponsoring a one-day singing competition for children and teenagers up to age 19.

 Participants do not need to be residents of Long Beach.  Each contestant must come at 10 am, prepared with a song he/she has memorized, with clearly marked sheet music in the right key, so that there can be very quick run throughs with the pianist before the public performance.  (You may also bring your own pianist or guitarist if you prefer, but cannot accompany yourself.)  During the rehearsal, there will be time for brief encouraging suggestions from the pianist and a coach provided by AIP.).  Students will then perform in front of an audience at 12 Noon, where judges will comment on the presentations and award points.  A secret ballot by the audience will also be taken.  The winner will return later in the day to perform and be interviewed as a special guest on the Saturday Afternoon Panel along with professional award-winning cabaret singers.  Additionally, the top three finalists will receive prizes, CDs of American standard songs, music-related books, and/or gift certificates for admission to cabaret clubs in Manhattan,  

 As this is part of a series of events celebrating and exposing the Great American Songbook, material chosen must be from that genre: standards from the 1920s-1960s, many of which were introduced in Broadway shows and movies, made popular by singers like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, the work of writers like Rodgers & Hart, the Gershwins, and Irving Berlin.  Later material in the same spirit and style can be used, but no rock or later pop.  Choices should be age-appropriate (this will be a factor in the judges' decisions) and you should appear to be singing it as YOURSELF, so avoid things too tied to the details of a specific character from a musical).     

Interested young people should be serious about performing, have good pitch, and be comfortable in front of an audience and judging panel with just a quick rehearsal.  Inquiries are welcome and, to be assured a slot and avoid any issues (such as repeated songs or inappropriate material), please submit the name of your selection and the songwriters' names, and an alternate choice).  Send all inquiries to:

See http://www.aip-arts.org for full information on the other events in the several days of the festival and other AIP events.  

 

This event is made possible with funds from the Long Beach Public Library.

  The library is handicapped accessible, located two blocks from the LIRR station in Long Beach, a 50-minute train ride from New York City’s Penn Station. For further information, visit website www.aip-arts.org. To arrange performer interviews, call 516-322-1138

Schedule is subject to change.