In these extraordinary and uncertain times of COVID-19, with venues closed and live performance at a halt, NiteLife Exchange is reaching out and covering the effect the crisis is having on performing artists.
Since becoming a reviewer for Cabaret Scenes Magazine in late 2010, and then as the New York Cabaret Editor for BroadwayWorld.com from 2012-2015, Stephen Hanks went on to become a cabaret impresario, immersing himself in the art form from booking, and occasionally directing and performing to becoming a producer, publicist and promoter. He’s also an activist, with a great many thoughts on politics, art as a political statement and the well-being of the arts community.
In his Six Questions: Part 1, Hanks offered advice to cabaret performers about strategies for dealing with their post-pandemic cabaret careers. In Part 2, we ask him to get more personal on his thoughts about this troubled time.
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Stephen Hanks (SH) Six Questions:
NLE: We well know the upheaval that the pandemic has brought to performers; As a non-performer, how has your work life been affected? What do your days look like now?
SH: Actually, the shutdown of the city due to this CoronaVirus crisis has impacted all my work in cabaret, including as a performer. I had booked a return of my Don McLean Tribute Show (that I performed a number of times between 2013-2017) in May at the Beach Cafe that I recently had to cancel. I hope I can bring it back before the end of this already surreal year. But naturally, the pandemic has affected all my other work in cabaret. I’ve had to cancel shows that I booked for clients at different venues that I sincerely hope are still standing when we are finally able to frequent the clubs again. I was already working on a show I’m directing for a terrific performer named Erica Linn that was supposed to launch her debut run next month, but that was postponed indefinitely. And, of course, as a publicist, any shows that other clients were planning in 2020 are on hold. Outside of my cabaret life, I’m really bummed out that I can’t watch or play baseball, which has always been one of my passions in life. So this pandemic is a pain, in more ways than one.
NLE: Does living in Brooklyn make a difference in terms of distancing and isolating? How are you generally coping with the quarantine and all that it brings?
SH: During a time like this, I don’t believe living in Brooklyn is any different than living anywhere else. No matter where you may live, physical distancing and isolating makes you feel like you’re no longer living in civilization. I suppose being in the city as opposed to the “burbs” allows you to walk to a grocery store—assuming you’re wearing a mask and gloves. And I live near Prospect Park, so I can get out for the occasional walk in the empty spaces. Since I usually work from home during “normal” times, I don’t feel isolated per se. But since I live near three busy roads that cut through the heart of Brooklyn, it’s been unnerving, sad, and sometimes horrifying, to hear the constant sound of ambulance sirens no doubt taking Coronavirus patients to area emergency rooms.
NLE: What’s been your favorite thing to do now that life in so many ways is at a halt?
SH: I haven’t been able to ramp up my book reading as much as I would like, but I’ve been writing a few political essays to post on my Facebook page. But my favorite thing has been catching up on a lot of movies, both recent and vintage ones. I’ve always been a fan of “Turner Classic Movies,” but during a period like this you realize that TCM is a national treasure.  I probably shouldn’t mention all the classic old films I finally saw for the first time because my friends in cabaret who are big movie buffs would tease me to death.
NLE: What’s made you laugh, relax, or given you the most pleasure during this lockdown?
SH: It’s been a treat having my wife Bea making incredible and healthy dinners almost every night. When cabaret was thriving, I was eating out a few times a week. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of restaurant dining, but having great dinners at home and venting about the President’s latest travesty with Bea has been oodles of fun. And this past Saturday night, I participated for my first time on Zoom in a virtual reunion of some elementary school and junior high school friends from the late 1960s (hey, I’m old!). That was wild.
NLE: Beyond the restoration of live performance, what positives, if any, might emerge from the pandemic crisis? Do you think there will be permanent negatives?
SH: Well, there are two answers to that; one regarding the New York cabaret world and the other as it pertains to life and society in general. I covered some of my thoughts on cabaret in Part One of my Six Questions. I hope one of the positives is that everyone—from performers to audiences—gain a greater appreciation for the cabaret art form. Three years ago around this time, I contracted a rare infection that affected my ability to swallow and I needed an emergency tracheotomy. I wasn’t able to swallow anything for almost a week and all I could think about was how great an ice-cold soda would feel going down my throat. When you almost lose something precious, like live performances, you realize how much you might have taken it for granted. If there are any “negatives” I’m concerned about in the aftermath of this crisis is the possibility of a club or two closing, which I sincerely hope doesn’t happen.
As for the bigger human picture, one thing that comes to mind immediately is that perhaps people everywhere, especially Americans, will be much more health conscious and realize how we’re all connected when it comes to having a healthy society. We’ve seen how this virus adversely affected people with existing health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, lung issues due to smoking, etc. Hopefully, everyone will now understand the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. And hand-in-hand with that should be a change in our government into one that finally understands how our society will always be a risk if everyone doesn’t have affordable health care.
NLE: What’s the first thing you’re going to do when the quarantine is over and normality is restored.
SH: You would think that’s a tough one to answer because there have been so many things people haven’t been able to do these days, but it’s actually an easy one for me. I’m going to pick four things. First, I’m going to take my wife to one of our local diners for breakfast. Restaurants have taken such a devastating hit during this crisis, I think we should do everything we can to support them—assuming those stimulus checks actually get delivered. LOL. The second thing I’m going to do is hug my daughter Jean. The third thing will be to see a cabaret show, and the fourth thing will be going to a baseball game!
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