Pittsburgh Song Collaborative Presents ‘The Art of Cabaret’

Audience members at the next Pittsburgh Song Collaborative (PSC) performance will be treated to a little bit of history and a lot of music as the Mary Pappert School of Music ensemble presents The Art of Cabaret.

Slated for Saturday, Jan. 14, the concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. with a relaxed nightclub atmosphere in the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation in the music school.

“The word cabaret can be associated with two different things—the type of song and the environment in which it’s heard and enjoyed,” explained Associate Professor Dr. Benjamin Binder, who is the coordinator and pianist for the PSC. “A certain repertoire of songs that is considered cabaret includes Broadway standards, popular music and songs from the American songbook, as well as songs from the historical eras of cabaret in Paris and Berlin.”

Songs by Steven Sondheim to Kurt Weill to Randy Newman will be highlighted during The Art of Cabaret, which will feature Binder accompanying mezzo-soprano Liza Forrester Kelly and baritone Daniel Teadt.

The cabaret environment, according to Binder, is often a lounge-like space in which singers interact with their audiences. “It’s usually a smaller room or venue, and the singer is at the microphone usually backed by a pianist and maybe a rhythm section,” said Binder. “The singer is right there, face-to-face with their audience, often telling stories from their lives as a way of setting up the songs they sing. It’s very chummy and very conversational.”

During The Art of Cabaret, the trio will give a historical explanation of cabaret, focusing on three specific “heyday” periods of cabaret—late 19^th century Paris, France; Weimar-era Berlin, Germany; and mid-20^th century New York City.

The second half of the concert will feature the timeless theme of love and relationships, and will include songs normally heard in cabarets of our own day. “Our singers will tell stories from their lives and share their thoughts on the songs they’ll perform and why they find them personally meaningful,” said Binder.

General admission is $10, and wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks will be available during the concert. A small reception will follow.

“I’m excited about this concert. It’s something that I have wanted to do for a while,” said Binder. “I think people will feel really connected to the performances, the styles will be very accessible and the topics will be very personal and real.”

For more information, call 412.396.6083 or visit http://duq.edu/pghsong.