Winner
of the 2006 Nightlife Award for
“Unique Cabaret Performance”
I
am founder, artistic director, producer and performer of the Kabarett Kollektif, a troupe of
New York-based artists dedicated to preserving the European cabaret
tradition and to furthering the art form as a whole. Almost as soon as
I got to New York, I began dreaming of a collective of cabaret artists,
blending songs and styles, tossing around ideas and resources and
language and experience. Not only did I want top-flight entertainers
sharing common ground and sensibilities, I also wished to re-invent the
earliest songs and styles of the genre while incubating new ones.
I
formed the group in January 2003 to fill a niche in the local cabaret
scene and build a bridge back to cabaret’s roots. The debut series took
place in April 2003 at the Duplex Cabaret Theater in the West Village
with the group’s original four members: Germans Theo Bleckmann, Dirk Weiler and myself, and
English-born Gina Leishman.
In January 2004, the group welcomed Belgian Micheline van Hautem,
Canadian Jean Brassard, Frederique Trunk and Greta
from France, and American Marni Rice.
A fundraiser was held in April with the entire ensemble performing.
Using those proceeds, a month-long series was staged at Mama Rose’s in
the East Village with a new show each week: Introducing the
Kabarett Kollektif,
Noise and Smoke: Hits of Weimar Berlin, Paris Nocturne,
and Foreign
Currency: Songs for Our Time. In April 2005, Berlin-Paris
Express was debuted at The Encore. It joined Noise & Smoke and Paris Nocturne
as the group’s most popular shows and all three were reprised at
Helen’s in Chelsea in the fall 2005.
In
September 2005, I was featured on the cover of Cabaret
Scenes magazine. The accompanying article describes my life as
a solo performer, recording artist and leader of
the
Kollektif.
In 2007, I schemed up Kabarett Fête, New York's only festival for European cabaret, and gave existing and new Kollektif members a showcase. These included Frans Bloem of Holland, German-born Micaela Leon, Olivia Stevens of Sweden and American Rebecca Fletcher. I've since brought members of the ensemble together in a European cabaret series at the Spencertown Academy (2008), in two shows I directed for the German Forum (2008 and 2009). In the first of these, Australian Kim Smith joined the fold as our most recent member. We last appeared on stage in 7 Year Itch: Best of the Kollektif at the Duplex (2010).
The ensemble continues to grow...thus far 14 artists from 9 countries have helped nurture the European cabaret arts in New York City under our banner.
For
news about shows, members and more, visit us on Facebook.
For
bookings, please email us here.
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