Previously published in NiteLifeExchange
Show 4, Sue Matsuki
Tracy Stark leapt in at the last minute to accompany Sue Matsuki on piano as Mark Hartman tended to an urgent family emergency.
Tracy and Sue spend a great deal of time together doing shows in NYC; their mutual respect was clear and abundant.
Matsuki paid homage to various musical genres that shaped her future as a performer and teacher. The stories of her big biker and harmonica-playing dad were hilarious, as were her renditions of nursery rhymes he taught her with a bluesy twist, which she shared with us just like she did with her kindergarten class years ago. She brought the house down with a song about a half-frozen snake being saved, complete with a silken hand puppet that assured Sue a stand-up (or sit-down) career in comedy if she ever tires of singing for a living! The applause and laughter were thunderous!
Thanks to Mark Hartman for bringing this Fiesta de Cabaret to Mexico and us. What an invaluable learning experience for the students and an ongoing treat for the audience. The Fiesta closes on Saturday, the 16th.
Show 5, Perry Ojeda
Yas(uhiko) Fukuoka stepped in to play piano for Perry as Mark Hartman, Fiesta Producer with David Sabella, is still with family in the US.
Perry walked onto the Casa Karma Red Room stage buttoned up tight in formal (for Vallarta) attire. After one number, he shed the coat and tie and relaxed into the energy of the audience, who loved him immediately like an adored older brother.
His well-rehearsed show Just in Time celebrates the history and words of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Their backstory and Perry’s intertwined, giving him his first starring role as Gabey in On The Town and, to this day, guide him emotionally and spiritually with positive vibes. Ojeda, recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, has had to relearn how to sing; his control and determination are enormous.
He wants to impart everything he has learned over his decades onstage and in front of a camera to young aspiring actors and singers. The Cabaret students soaked up every word and tucked them away alongside each note that Perry sang beautifully with power and gentleness in equal measure. Bravo, Maestro.
Show 6, Lina Koutrakos
I have asked a number of students who their favorite teacher has been throughout the Fiesta de Cabaret week. The answers were variations on the following –
They are all great, but…
I love each one of them, but…
We have learned so much from all of them, but…
Meet The ‘But’: Paulina Koutrakos, aka Lina – torch singer, songwriter, rock and roller, director, and TEACHER. She cried when it was suggested that she teach, remembering the adage, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”
She can still sing and does, with an infectious Southern Belle boots on the ground-style that celebrates her precocious Carolina/Military Brat upbringing.
Her students say she cuts straight to the chase and does not sugar-coat anything but speaks eloquently about any issue she hears from her students. The students so appreciated her straightforwardness as time was short; they had a week to soak up decades of learned information from various master teachers.
Co-producer of Fiesta de Cabaret with Mark Hartman, David Sabella introduced Lina Koutrakos as the Queen Bee. ‘Nough said.
Show 7, Amigos Say Adios
The wonderful Fiesta de Cabaret came to a close last week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The brainchild of virtuoso pianist Mark Hartman, and co-produced with David Sabella, brought a NYC learning curve to our beach town and left a wealth of knowledge with our singers, both Mexican Nationals and our foreign community.
Seven singers from Vallarta attended the rigorous schedule for eight days and evenings, having their brains stuffed with practical information on what cabaret is and how to perform it. Small things, like moving a microphone stand properly, to voice modulation that will make an audience weep.
Our students learned well and presented a fast-paced final concert in the Casa Karma Red Room at Act2PV. Not one of them appeared nervous; I noticed everyone wore something new. It was appropriate to dress up their newfound voices.
Across the board was change; confidence soared, voices never rushed with phrasing slowed down to perfection. Our singers tried new styles and genres of music, with classically trained voices getting campy and balladeers jazzing the hell out of their lyrics. They obviously had fun, and the teachers seemed genuinely sad to say goodbye to this particular bunch of students. Maybe it’s our sunshine?
Whatever it is, I look forward to the Second Annual Fiesta de Cabaret a year from now. Bring it, New York!
