Cabaret Festival in NYC

A number of New York clubs, from Joe's Pub to Don't Tell Mama, are coming together next month to host the city's first ever International Cabaret Festival. The clubs will showcase singers, dancers, and other performers from different parts of the world to celebrate the cabaret genre. 

Scott Barbarino, one of the minds behind the festival, books exclusively cabaret artists for the Iridium club on Broadway. First "falling in love" with the genre almost forty years ago, he's excited for others to experience the versatile art form. "Really what it means is somebody intimiately connecting with another person in a performance," he said, "Cabaret can be anything from a small room with sixty seats to Madison Square Garden."

Barbarino's show at the Iridium club plans to host only New York City cabaret talent. However, the other clubs affiliated with the festival will feature artists from all over the world, including one Jean Brassard. He's been performing in the city for twelve years. Born in Quebec City, his acts are known for featuring "french chansons" or songs only sung in French. He hopes the international aspect of the festival will draw more people to the genre. "If suddenly we're putting out the word that cabaret is not only a place for the American songbook, but that we are here to present music from all over the world, I think we will definitely reach out to more people," said Brassard.

The International Cabaret Festival is set to begin on February 17th and end on the 21st. You can find more information about the event at www.cabaretscenes.org.  

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