The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) announces the sixth year of its MAC TO SCHOOL weekend event. The two-day online cabaret event features panel discussions, interviews, workshops, and showcases, and will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19 from 10:00 AM to 6 PM each day over the MAC Zoom channel.
MAC TO SCHOOL is open to MAC and non-MAC members.
Panel discussions, interviews, workshops, and showcases will feature cabaret performers, musical directors, directors, and booking managers from NYC and beyond, and will be moderated by a member of the MAC Board of Directors.
The complete schedule is as follows:
Saturday, September 18th:
10-11:30 AM
Panel Discussion: Nuts and Bolts: Establishing, Maintaining, and Growing Your Cabaret Career
A cross-section of cabaret professionals—performers, musical directors, directors, and booking managers—discuss best practices, shortcuts, what works, and what’s possible in the cabaret industry, and take questions from the online audience. A wide-ranging discussion with useful nuggets for beginning, emerging, and mid-career cabaret artists.
11:40 AM -12:55 PM
Setting Up A Song, with Phyllis Pastore
Patter is the connective tissue of your cabaret show. Bistro Award-winner Phyllis Pastore has over 30 years of experience creating patter that keeps audiences engaged, on their toes, laughing, and in the palm of her hand. In this workshop, 4-5 students will work one-on-one with Phyllis in a master-class format, applying her principles to create patter for their own shows—and all students will come away with an overview of what makes great patter, and when to let a song speak for itself.
12:55-2 PM
Lunch—hang out in the Zoom Room with your fellow attendees!
2 -3:15 PM
Pop Song Workshop, with Farah Alvin
Between juke box musicals and the prevalence of contemporary pop scores on Broadway, your rep book is incomplete without a handful of pop songs. MAC award nominee Farah Alvin has made a career of translating Top-40 songs into theater pieces, from her Drama Desk-nominated turn in Off-Broadway’s The Marvelous Wonderettes to the hits of the Bee Gees and Burt Bacharach on Broadway. Her hit cabaret shows On Vinyl (named the Best Cabaret Show 2019) and B-Side were comprised entirely of ‘70s hits. She will teach you how to select pop and rock material that translates well to a cabaret setting, how to build an arc into a pop song, and how to play to your strengths in this genre, even if you’re not a natural pop singer. The class will cover pop-rock material from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, as well as contemporary choices. Farah will work in a master class format with 3 students (and potentially one alternate), who should be prepared to sing to a track and should select a pop or rock song written between 1950 and 2021.
3:25-4:40 PM
Comedy Song Master Class, with Kristine Zbornik
Hone your comedy chops with Broadway/TV/cabaret performer and multiple MAC Award winner Kristine Zbornik! Kristine will work one-on-one with four students (and possibly two alternates) in a master-class format to maximize the comic impact of their performances. Slots will be apportioned on a first-come-first-served basis. Participating singers will submit self-tapes of 2 comic pieces they wish to work on, with tracks that can be used in the live Zoom session, by September 15; Kristine will let folks know if they need any alterations in the tracks (such as keys or tempos) beforehand. Singers will work on one or both pieces, as time allows, using tracks or working acapella.
4:50-5:50 PM
Sidney Myer in Conversation with Cabaret Historian James Gavin
Why does cabaret matter so much to the world, and certainly to New York, and why has it survived every prediction of doom? James Gavin, author of Intimate Nights: The Golden Age of New York Cabaret, and performer Sidney Myer, is in his fourth decade booking Don’t Tell Mama, have some ideas about that! This conversation between two old friends and industry insiders will touch on Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, and cabaret’s special place in the nightlife of New York City.
Sunday, September 19th
10-11:30 AM
Panel Discussion: Notes From The Great Beyond
Cabaret stars Natalie Dougles, Marissa Mulder, Steve Ross, and others share an insider’s eye-view of cabaret on a national and international stage.
11:40 AM-12:55 PM
Musical Thought Exchange, with David Friedman
How to hold onto positive thoughts despite the uncomfortable feelings those thoughts can engender: that’s the secret of David Friedman’s revolutionary self-help method, “The Thought Exchange.” In this workshop, David will explain the Thought Exchange method, then work with one singer on acting a song, one singer on a vocal issue, and one person on a life or career issue. He will also work with more students as time permits. Please indicate on your registration form if you want to work with David on an acting, singing, or career issue. All singers who wish to work live with David should bring a song and a track.
12:55-2 PM
Lunch—hang out in the Zoom Room with your fellow attendees!
2:00-3:15 PM
Jazz Styling Master Class, with Laurel Massé
If a song has words, the words matter. This is as true in jazz as it is in any other genre of music. In this session, Laurel Massé, founding member of the Manhattan Transfer, will teach a few of the ideas and practices that have served her in her almost 50 years in the business, including vocal warmups, safeguarding vocal health, the importance of diction, tips for memorizing lyrics, and how to tell stories in a way that invites the listener in. Additionally, Laurel will work with three students in a master-class format. Singers should prepare a song they know well enough to sing without looking at the lyrics. Singers may sing to a track or accompany themselves. Even if you are not planning to sing, you may find value in having a song in mind as Laurel helps the other singers to fully inhabit the lyrics.
3:30-5 PM
Original Closing Numbers Showcase
Every show needs a closing number, and these songwriters from in and around the cabaret community offer a parade of brand-new, underexposed gems that will close YOUR next show with a bang! Original works by Alpher & Litt, Amy Engelhardt, David Friedman, Dan Gross, Noel Katz, Lina Koutrakos, Christine Lavin, Bob Levy, Kim Oler, J. P. Perreaux, Johnny Rodgers, Paul Rolnick, Tracy Stark, Tom Toce, and more!
Flat registration fee for MAC members: $50. Registration fee for Non-MAC members: $100, or join MAC for only $50 (Basic level) for a full-year membership to take advantage of the deeply discounted MAC member price of only $50 for the entire weekend. The $50 registration fee is good for admission to all events. Tuition is the same regardless of how many events you attend.
Visit https://macnyc.com/mac-to-school-registration/ to register.
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