Cabaret 2.0

Remember at the beginning of this blog, a mere 11 months ago, when I was doing my last show of college? Well that show is back but this time with a paycheck! Twice in one year with twice the pressure-  here we go again.

The Show: Cabaret, according to wikipedia is:

a musical with book written by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It is based on John Van Druten's 1951 play I Am a Camera, which in turn was adapted from The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood. Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power, it focuses on nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around the 19-year-old English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the young American writer Cliff Bradshaw.

Other choice characters include the Master of Ceremonies, a gorilla, some old people, and trashy dancers. We are doing the 1998 revival version of the show incorporating an 'actor orchestra'. This means that half of the instruments in the show are played by actors who transition in and out of playing with their action on stage. This is actually the primary reason anyone from NYC was hired. So, yes, you guessed right, I am in the 'actor orchestra'. As the lone flute player I am doing my absolute best to NOT sound like a 4th grader. 

The City: Cohoes, New York. It's sorta the town that time forgot northeast of Albany. 

Half adorable and old towney, half really sad and recessiony. On the main drag about 4/5 storefronts are out of business. The architecture and feel are very quaint, but apart form the karate studio I can see from my apartment window right now, things are less then booming. Cohoes is also experiencing that whole winter thing I skipped in Arizona. Lame/Cold. 

The Venue: Cohoes Music Hall! The theater was built in 1874 and was a thriving vaudeville house through the early 20th century. Acts included Sarah Bernhardt, Buffalo Bill, Jimmy Durante, and George M. Cohan. It's an entirely acoustic theater which means in the words of my director, "Sing for Jesus!" Volume is key. Most notably, CMH is haunted! 

Oooo spooky. It was feature on the Travel Channel's "Most Terrifying Places in America (part 4). There are allegedly 2 ghosts inhabiting the space including vaudeville singer Eva Tanguay. 

Home Base: Well. It's come in phases. First there were cupboards full of mouse droppings , then there was cleanliness. Then there was a new roommate, followed by her chihuahua mix dogs. 
There was no connection to the outside world, but in time there was cable and internet.  
The apartment was 62 degrees with heat on the fritz, now there's temperature control. I can hear the music from the bar across the street after midnight on the weekends, but I can also enjoy Dionne Warwick tunes when I leave to walk to the theater. Very VERY mixed bag.



Cohoes was my 2nd audition back in the city from Arizona. I realize that will probably never ever happen again, but it was incredible to know the feeling of back to back contracts at least once!