Cabarets are becoming the concert of choice for theatre-goers who enjoy musical theatre material in a casual, relaxed setting while sipping a glass of wine or snacking on a treat.
There was a time two centuries ago when French cabarets were tiny, cleaned-up spaces in the back of wine merchants’ shops. In those days, anyone could sing about a lost love, a flowering love or even socio-political laments about the overworked common man.
In our current century, cabarets are held in more sophisticated surroundings such as theatre venues, restaurants and church halls. The music, often borrowed from the Broadway catalogue or a national songbook, is well rehearsed with clever patter and witty dialogue in between numbers.
Since 2019, Sturgeon Valley Performers Guild (SVPG) have restored this musical format to St. Albert and showcased two performances each year – one in the spring and one in the autumn.
This year’s spring show is titled Unrequited, a series of 27 cover songs creating a unifying storyline about love: its longings, its satisfactions and its losses. The cabaret takes place at St. Matthew's Anglican Church on March 14 and 15.
“There are songs of friendship, situational love, heartbreak and songs from a variety of genres – Broadway, folk, oldies, '90s ballads, rock songs and crossovers. In addition to a breadth of music, there is a breadth of points of view and perspectives,” said co-founder Meridith McLeod Gagnon.
SVPG creates intimate performance art. Unlike glitzy professional cabarets incorporating full bands and sparkling visual extravaganzas to disguise potential mistakes, SVPG’s stripped-down performances rely only on the power of trained vocalists and musicians to convey empathy and identification.
There is a diverse range of spectacular performances related through soloists, duets and small groups. There’s a mix of songs from the jazzy I Sure Don’t Miss You to the lighter pop flavours of ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All.
Judy Wynne polishes the Grammy-nominated Send in the Clowns while Kirsten Throndsen and Darian Vallance belt out Gershwin’s But Not For Me.
“It was from the Broadway show Crazy for You and when the girls harmonize, it has a Diana Krall vibe, an up-tempo jazz vibe," says McLeod Gagnon. It’s a very sweet song in the choices they made and the way they put it together.”
Throndsen also pairs up with Nick Cross for Right Hand Man, a Broadway song dealing with negotiations in a relationship. And Underneath the Stars brings together five vocalists singing three-part harmony.
In addition to the dozen plus singers, multi-instrumentalist Gary Glinski (strings) and Don Belland (piano) add their own devilishly captivating moments.
“We really want to focus on cabaret style music," said McLeod Gagnon. "We like to take a theme and present it in a relaxing, conversational environment. We have snacks. And we walk through the audience while we perform, and hope people will be immersed in the experience."
Performances are Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 15 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew's Anglican Church, 25 Larose Dr. Tickets are $20 at Eventbrite.
