A native of Germany, Susanne Mack had classical vocal training in Zurich, Switzerland, where she lived with her family before moving to New York City in 2008. In Berlin, she studied with the famous Brecht chanteuse Gisela May. New York mentors include Barbara Maier, Richard Gordon, David Brunetti and Gretchen Cryer. Mack’s repertoire is varied (she sings in German, French, English and Italian), her narratives often reflecting on the challenges and changes that she experiences as an immigrant and the cultural discoveries of a life lived between two worlds. Mack’s new show, Fragments, debuts on Friday, February 25 and is played again on Thursday, March 3 at Pangea.
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Susanne Mach (SM) Six Questions:
NLE: Growing up in Europe, when did you know you wanted to be in NYC and become a performer here?
SM: This may sound crazy but it has been my dream since I was a little kid growing up in a small town in the south of Germany to move to NYC and sing at the Met. And while I am not exactly performing at the Met, I do live one block away from it!
NLE: As a European by birth, which song from the Great American Songbook resonates most closely to you? Why?
SM: There are so many amazing songs in the Great American Songbook! I always loved “I’ll Be Seeing You”, a ballad of loss and distant love. I have lived far away from home for many decades and I have grown accustomed to missing people.
NLE: The late German actress and singer, Gisela May, introduced you to the history and work of the Weimar golden era of cabaret. What was the most vivid story about that time that she shared with you?
SM: Gisela May was born in 1924, so she was just about learning to speak at the time of the Weimar Cabaret years. Growing up in east Germany during the war, she lost her brother at the age of 17 and became a political activist. The part that interested her most about the Weimar Years was the political fight, the freedom of speech and the resistance against the Nazis. She spent her whole life singing songs to fight fascism. And that’s something that influenced me a lot—the idea that cabaret has the potential to make you think and change the world.
NLE: When Barb Jungr invited you to take her workshop, had you two collaborated before?
SM: I have been a fan of Barb Jungr for many years! One night at Joe’s Pub after a fantastic show she played with Tracy Stark, she was selling CDs outside and I mustered up all my courage to talk to her. I asked her if she was teaching and she said yes and that was the beginning of a great relationship! A few years later I had the pleasure to have her as one of my Master teachers when I was a Fellow at the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret Conference in Connecticut.
NLE: On your new show, Fragments, directed by Jungr, with Music Director Paul Greenwood, how did you select your set list?
SM: I didn’t even know that but somebody recently told me that I am doing “narrative cabaret.” Haha! I love to tell stories and at the beginning of every show, I am thinking about the story I want to tell. In Fragments, I am reflecting on our current time during the pandemic and on how to deal with so much change. The story line needs to be very clear and then I select the songs. I like to sing in different languages, so often a German or French song will be part of the mix.
NLE: During the pandemic, in speaking with family in Europe, did you feel they knew more than we did here in the US—or was the reverse true?
SM: At the beginning of the pandemic I felt that Europe had a reasonable policy and made all the right steps to stop the pandemic from spreading. But the US acted much faster and made sure the vaccine became widely available. I had so many arguments with relatives in Switzerland and Germany who thought we were all crazy with getting tested all the time and strictly wearing masks at family events. I think they are getting it now and they are happy that the travel ban is lifted and they can fly to NYC again to come and see my shows!
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