What an exciting spring!
Following the sold-out Off-Broadway success of KLEYNKUNST!, my fellow performers and I showcased at the 51st annual Arts Presenters conference in New York. We also took KLEYNKUNST! on the road, presenting it at the JCC in St Paul. In addition, in February, I premiered my new cabaret show, A Little Yearning, for the Wexner Alumni institute in Sanibel Islands, Florida. As a result of that premier, I was invited by Hebrew University
in Jerusalem to perform and lecture at their international symposium -- Politics and Culture in Musical Theater. I was thrilled to perform
A Little Yearning, and lecture on cabaret as the final presenter at this inspiring event. I also had the pleasure of performing A Little Yearning at the Yung Yiddish Institute in Jerusalem. In just seven days, I fell in love with Jerusalem all over again! I then rushed back to the States for the juried showcase at the Association for Jewish Theatre's 28th Annual International Conference in Detroit.
Now that summer's luscious days are upon us, I greet the season with a number of new projects: a promotional recording of KLEYNKUNST! (with thanks to the Confidence Foundation for awarding me a grant for this undertaking), and a performance of A Little Yearning, together with a participatory workshop about cabaret at the upcoming Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), in Vermont. Plus, here's my newest vision: a song and story exploration of the founding of Tel Aviv through the lens of its cabarets. I plan to return to Israel this August to research Tel Aviv's cabarets, working closely with Dr. Naama Ramot, an expert in the subject. 2009 will mark 100 years since the founding of Tel Aviv; what an ideal time to premier this new theatrical cabaret show!
Before signing off, I want to extend special congratulations to the producers of Kabarett Fete, where KLEYNKUNST! premiered. Karen and Rob Kohler recently won the coveted Backstage/Bistro Award for the Fete and we Kabarett Kollectif members are particularly proud!
Yours, in Joy-
Rebecca
