As a teenager and student at the High School of Music and Art, singer and writer, Renee Katz, was headed to a career as a musician, her talent centered on the flute and piano. Her destiny was changed on the verge of college by a tragic accident that never diminished her passion for the arts. Katz redirected her focus into singing and writing poetry. She also became an occupational therapist helping others with physical disabilities. Coming fully onto the cabaret scene about a decade ago, Katz has become a regular performing member of the community, with a MAC nomination for Vocalist to her credit. She also released a premiere album entitled Never Been Gone as well as a debut poetry/CD collection that by the same name.
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Renee Katz (RK) Six Questions:
NLE: One of the things you were preparing for when the pandemic crisis caused us all to quarantine was an engagement at the Beach Cafe on April 4. When did it really hit home that this wasn’t going to happen? When did you realize a whole new game plan was going to be needed for the future?
RK: The Beach Café’s Manager, Dave Goodside (one of our NYC Pandemic Heroes) and I were looking forward to bringing Jule Styne back to The Beach on April 4, 2020.
It turns out The Beach Cafe was one of Jule’s hangouts. We did a lot of research to personalize the show. It really hit home that my show wasn’t going to happen when my brilliant Director, Jeff Harnar, had his Sondheim show on March 12th at 54 Below cancelled. Our last full run-through of the show was March 4th, and my very last live rehearsal with a lovely live piano with my Musical Director John Cook was March 17th.
I didn’t really process then how different things would become; and I couldn’t possibly be prepared for how much I would soon miss my team, the rehearsal process, performing, going to live performances, and my community-my friends.
NLE: How have you been spending your lockdown time? What’s your go-to for respite and restoration?
RK: My lockdown time has been spent in my home in Flushing with my husband, my 22 year-old son, and our cat. We go through our moody phases and try hard to comfort one another and encourage each other not to let go of our future goals. We cook and watch more films together, take short walks and drives, and try to give each other personal space. We bring my elderly parents food, medicine and supplies. We help my dad plant his garden, which brings him great happiness. The perennials seem to be resilient; even through a pandemic, and watching them bloom year-after-year, fills us with hope.
As for me, myself, I have organized piles and piles of music and gone through many of my shows. I have begun work on a new show of music collected from our NYC songwriters that has been sent to me to sing or that I have sought out. I want to support our extraordinarily talented community in this way. I sing every day to tracks, videos and even old tapes. Working on my passion is my number one respite and restoration.
Other things that keep me sane are looking at old vacation pictures and at live webcams of outer Cape Cod beaches. I make it a point to listen to Governor Andrew Cuomo every day. He keeps me calm; and as a self -professed “Cuomosexual,†I am a true believer that we all can and should be NYC tough, smart, united, disciplined and loving. Touching on his last point, I call my friends often and am truly in awe of the love exuded by our Cabaret community in these difficult times.
Particularly touching to me has been Susie Mosher’s chronicle of pictures of her beautiful baby, Hudson. It makes me feel everything is possible, just looking in his eyes. I love reading Stephen Mosher’s sensitive and detailed pieces of his journey and those of our community. Watching Richard Skipper and Sue Matsuki honoring the 80th birthdays of both Bobbie Horowitz and Carole Demas was magical. And then there was the Don’t Tell Mama livestream of staff giving back that was just awesome. Seeing Sidney Myer narrating throughout brought tears to my eyes. There is so much more—the excitement of virtual solo performances and shows, Sandi Durell’s New York Virtual Cabaret, Cabaret Conversations at the 92nd Street-Y with Michael Kirk Lane, Piano Bar Live, Conversations with Eugene Ebner—it’s all so exciting and motivating!
NLE: Late in your teens you experienced a traumatic, life-changing experience over which you prevailed. What advice would you give to others about coping with the hardships and tragedies of this pandemic?
RK: I am the very grateful recipient of the New York City attributes of tough, smart, united, disciplined and especially loving. People ask me, “why didn’t you move away from New York City after being pushed in front of an oncoming NYC subway train, severing your hand, then having it reattached but you were still left unable to play instruments or do the fine motor skills you used to?†Well, running away from fear gives the virus or the evil more control. I fight daily to overcome it. To this day, I am still fueled by blood transfusions from my fellow LaGuardia Music & Art classmates and other giving New Yorkers. I am fueled by the street musician or artist sending me a piece of music, art or a poem they created just to help me rise above. I am fueled by my nurse who said, “You have five minutes out of every day to feel sorry for yourself. The rest of the time, you gotta get up and do something!†I am fueled by the spinal cord injured patients I did rehab with, who had to reboot their entire psyche and lives. I am fueled by my son, who doesn’t just sing beautifully; but has graduated college and will be starting pursuit of his Master’s Degree in the fall, despite having learning disabilities. I am fueled by my dad, a Holocaust survivor, who lost his entire family except for his older brother; and I am the second generation named after the grandmother I never knew.  I have all that determination, gratitude and responsibility in my veins. Living through that incident, living through 9/11, and now watching the selflessness of our first responders and essential workers; I am filled with such pride to be a New Yorker.
Each stone thrown in our way, is a way to step back, regroup, and figure out what is most important to our lives.  It also gives us “the gift of perspective†and another layer we can add to our souls, our work, our relationships, friends, and family. Because I was only 17 when I had my incident, and because my dad could rarely show emotion due to his trauma, back then my survival instinct kicked in. If he could survive, so could I! I smiled for the media, through my rehab and surgeries, made it through college and married young. But something was missing. I never got a chance to grieve until my first divorce (almost 10 years later), when I found myself again through poetry and music. It’s very important to find the strength to deal honestly with our emotions in difficult times. I made it my life’s mission to emote and never become numb like my dad. If we embrace rather than suppress hardship, our new perspectives will ultimately yield more compassion and love – the greatest gift of all.
NLE: What are your thoughts on the power of music, i.e., its power to heal, the spiritual aspects of it, and so on?
RK: Music is the one consistency in my life. I never stopped ever working on my music, even in the hospital. If there were times in my life I couldn’t be up there on a Manhattan Cabaret stage performing, I’d be working on repertoire with my Musical Director, doing local shows, and singing in the New York Choral Society and the Queens Oratorio Society. Through my incident, divorces, and the sadness and strength that makes up my being, I can honestly say, music makes me feel completely whole.
NLE: In an earlier cabaret career, you worked with the legendary music director, Chris Marlowe. What was that experience like? How did that prepare you for coming back to cabaret several years ago?
RK: In my 20s and early 30s I was singing at Don’t Tell Mama, Panache and Eighty-Eights. I had the great honor of working with the legendary Christopher Marlowe until he left New York City for Palm Springs, California. He created the arrangement I sang at the Cabaret Convention two years ago of Ribbons Down My Back. Anyone who works with Chris is elevated by his musicianship and his ability to delicately weave his arrangements to showcase phrasing of lyric through the singer. His arrangements, which are often set in minor keys, suit my sensitivity. We did one album together entitled, Never Been Gone.
When I was able to return to the Cabaret stage in Manhattan, it was with Tedd Firth, one of Cabaret’s very best consummate musicians and Musical Directors who phrases and breathes with you as well. He encouraged me to bravely return to Cabaret, bringing my book, also entitled Never Been Gone, to life.
I now work with the amazing Musical Director, John Cook. John also has this delicate weaving ability in his arrangements and this sensitivity matches my own. We collaborate on musical ideas. We have similar musical backgrounds and he challenges me. In the near future, we will be recording several of his gorgeous arrangements from past shows we have done, like Don’t Ever Leave Me that we performed last May at the Mabel Mercer’s tribute to Jerome Kern at Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie.
NLE: What are your post-pandemic plans? What’s the light at the end of the tunnel for you?
RK: My post-pandemic plans include loving my husband, son, family and friends more than I ever thought possible. For me, the light at the end of the tunnel is, and always will be music. I want to give a special heart-felt thank you to Sidney Myer and KT Sullivan for always believing in my talent, and for giving me goals and opportunities that make my heart sing, and bring validation to my many years of vocal training, determination and love of the art form. Bless the art of Cabaret, where simply honesty of emotion, is treasured through voice.
Here is a poem from Renee Katz’s book/album set Never Been Gone, available from Amazon here. Visit www.reneekatzmusic.com to learn more.
Strength derives from the insights we obtain
when we are most vulnerable.
It is only then, that the walls come down
And the soul radiates through—
With honesty and impassioned abandonment
Our art can truly soar.
Video of Renee Katz (by Michael Lee Stever) with pianist John M. Cook:
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