Most recently we’ve known Sally Darling as a cabaret artist and storyteller live on Facebook with her weekly Tales and Cocktails. But her background in theater and related areas is rich and varied. Her first professional role as an actress was ‘Anna’ in the King and I with Leonard Graves. She has staged operas, narrated with symphony orchestras and directed. As a narrator for The Talking Book program of The Library of Congress and for Recorded Books, she has over 250 fiction and non-fiction books on tape—winning awards for her compelling voice and interpretive skills. In 2005 Darling entered the cabaret world and hasn’t looked back. She’s been a MAC Award nominee multiple times and a MAC Hanson Award recipient in 2016. She won a 2017 Bistro Award for her tribute show, Totally Noël. Darling is originally from Hampton, Virginia and says, “I found my true home in NYC when I moved here permanently in 1980. First necessity: lose the Southern accent! But knowing that accent brought me almost all the books by or about Southern women at the Talking Book and Recorded Books.”
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Sally Darling (SD) Six Questions:
NLE: What inspired you to go virtual and begin your Wednesday Tales and Cocktails readings? How goes it so far? What’s been the most satisfying part of presenting these tales?
SD: I mentioned to Meg Flather that when we could get back onstage I’d like to do an evening of readings from books I’ve narrated (Recorded Books had me perform an except from To Kill a Mockingbird for visiting librarians). She said, “Don’t wait. Do it now!” And that’s how it started. I gave Meg a shove to do the show of her songs, A Cabaret Sisterhood; she gave me the shove to do this. The most satisfying part? The reaction!
NLE: You are a storyteller par excellence. Likewise, you’re also a historian and often bring that element into your endeavors. When did you discover these talents about yourself?
SD: Studying history I was always interested in the people living in those years. Just the dates was dry stuff!
NLE: In the storytelling vein, you have narrated over 250 audio books. How did you come to begin this particular adventure? What was the first book you narrated?
SD: While visiting my mother and ailing stepfather, I began to read to him and I really enjoyed it. When I returned to NYC I looked for ways to continue and found The Talking Book for the Library of Congress. My first book for them was The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton.
NLE: In a very rich and multi-partite career, you’ve acted and directed for the stage, opera, symphony presentations and more. Is there one particular genre you’re partial to? Any which is more satisfying than another?
SD: I think my favorite genre is always the one I’m doing at the moment! But I admit I’m partial to the readings. There, it’s all up to me to succeed or not. I’m not dependent on anyone else for the quality of the outcome.
NLE: When did you first take the cabaret stage? How did you enter into this particular community?.
SD: My first cabaret show was in 2005 (there have been 13 original programs in these 15 years!) I was having sessions with Paul Trueblood for the sheer joy of it, not having sung for 22 years, singing with him mainly Noël Coward and Cole Porter, the subjects of four revues I’d created, and one day he said there was enough material for a cabaret show. I was flabbergasted. It hadn’t entered my mind.
NLE: You’ve been quite a horsewoman in your time. Are there current avocations that occupy your interest?
SD: These days I’m usually watching the birds in my garden. Rather than jumping over hedges, I’m more inclined to watch them grow!
Sally Darling performs Noël Coward at the 2016 MAC Awards
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