After its 2020 success with speakers including Chita Rivera and Joe Iconis, among others, the 92Y School of Music announces an all-new roster of Cabaret Conversations led by award-winning cabaret historian and performer, Michael Kirk Lane. The series streams on Mondays, with the first beginning on Monday, January 25 at 6 PM ET. Here is the schedule:
Monday, January 25: Jinkx Monsoon, winner of season 5 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Jinkx Monsoon is a 6-time MAC Award-nominee, winning in 2020 for Major Drag Artist. With the Vaudevillians, alongside performing partner Major Scales, Monsoon played over 100 performances at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, and was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, before going on an international tour.
Monday, February 22: Telly Leung, performer, recording artist, producer and theater arts teacher whose Broadway and national touring credits include Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin, Rent (final Broadway company), Wicked (Boq and the original Chicago company. Television audiences will remember him as Wes the Warbler on “Glee.”
Monday, March 22: Lennie Watts and Amy Wolk, a duo that has garnered between them 16-time MAC, 5-time Backstage Bistro, and 3-time Nightlife Awards. Lennie Watts is a performer, writer, host, director, singer and current President of MAC. Watts has been active in the New York cabaret scene for 30 years and was recently named one of “The 50 Most Influential People in New York Cabaret” by Nightlife Exchange. Amy Wolk is a vocalist, director, producer and booking manager. Her solo cabret shows include A Wolk in Progress, We Can Wolk It Out, and Wolk This Way.
$25 each or subscribe to all three for $60. Register here: https://www.92y.org/class/cabaret-conversations
92Y’s commitment to cabaret with Michael Kirk Lane also includes:
Cabaret History and Great Performances––Tuesdays, February 2-25, 6 PM ET. In four sessions, using video and audio recordings of influential performers throughout the decades–including Mabel Mercer, Bobby Short, Julie Wilson, Baby Jane Dexter, Nancy LaMott and many more, the series will explore the history of the art form and where it is headed into the future.
$120; register here: https://www.92y.org/class/cabaret-history-and-great-performances
Cabaret Performance: Connecting to your Lyric, on Mondays, beginning January 25 for eight weeks, 8 PM ET. This class will help performers of all levels find a new connection to interpreting lyrics in the cabaret performance style. Cabaret is a unique style of singing and musical performance that is known for its intimacy and the emphasis it places on the lyric. It is also an art-form that allows performers of all levels to find a stage. Students will bring in songs they are familiar with and work to find their unique and honest take on the lyrics and how to communicate their meaning and intention with an audience, whether in person or through a camera. The class will culminate with a live streamed performance.
$200: register here: https://www.92y.org/class/cabaret-performance
Michael Kirk Lane is an award-winning cabaret artist, having most recently won the 2020 Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award for Male Musical Comedy Performer. Along with 3 previous MAC nominations, Lane has been nominated for 10 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards, winning in 2018 for Best Show. Beyond his own experience performing in cabaret, Lane’s has managed The Laurie Beechman Theatre and Don’t Tell Mama, offers him a unique vantage point and perspective on the art form. He’s also been a teaching artist for over 20 years, instructing all ages from pre-school to retirement homes.
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