The Cabaret’s 2022 fall-winter season will kick off in August and include Tony Award-winning Broadway stars Santino Fontana and Matt Doyle, Tony nominees Jeremy Jordan and Jennifer Simard, along with Abby Mueller, star of a Tony-winning production.
The lineup also includes a Ukrainian world-music sensation, one of the hottest jazz artists of our time, an award-winning international cabaret icon, the arbiters of prohibition funk and speakeasy soul, a tribute to 70s super-duo The Carpenters, and a yuletide blend of hot jazz.
As always, the season will include plenty of A-list Broadway stars as part of its signature Glick Philanthropies Broadway at The Cabaret Series. That list includes:
* Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Waitress, Rock of Ages, Newsies, NBC’s SMASH).
* Tony winner Santino Fontana (Tootsie, Hello, Dolly!, Disney’s animated film Frozen, The CW’s musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).
* Abby Mueller (star of the Tony-winning hit Six: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots).
* Tony nominee and Broadway comedy icon Jennifer Simard (star of the hit Broadway revival of Company, Mean Girls, Disaster!, Hello Dolly!).
* Tony winner Matt Doyle (star of the hit Broadway revival of Company, The Book of Mormon, Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie).
The Christel DeHaan International Serieswill feature DakhaBrakha, a group which hails from Kyiv, Ukraine. The world-music/cabaret sensation blends Ukrainian folk music with rock, hip-hop, jazz, and punk to create a sound they’ve dubbed “ethnic chaos.” For years, DakhaBrakha has called themselves “ambassadors of free Ukraine,” and their shows have been punctuated with cries of “Stop Putin!” and “No war!” Now, with escalated political turmoil, their shows take on an even more urgent tone – displaying videos of ravaged Ukraine and sharing about their country’s plight. The Cabaret will provide opportunities online and at the performance for guests to give to Ukraine aid organizations.
Returning by popular demand is the award-winning phenomenon Meow Meow, a Cabaret favorite known for her unique brand of subversive performance. Also part of the Christel DeHaan International Series, Meow Meow wows audiences with an evening of satire, original “chansons apocalyptiques,” 1930s Shanghai show tunes, ’60s French pop and “Radiohead revisioned.”
This season also includes a stellar lineup of jazz performances, all part of the Jazz at The Cabaret Series. The incomparable Kandace Springs will lend her soulful alto voice to songs from her latest album The Women Who Raised Me, paying homage to such classic icons as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Springs, who was initially discovered by Prince, has been described as one of the premier jazz/soul artists of our time.
Parlor Social, the arbiters of “speakeasy soul” and “prohibition funk,” will also be performing as part of the series, marking their second visit to The Cabaret. Led by husband-wife duo, Dessy Di Lauro (Cirque du Soleil, backing vocalist for Dreamcar) and Ric’Key Pageot (pianist and music director for Madonna and touring musician for Diana Ross and Cher), the group has been described as follows: “If Cab Calloway, Outkast and Lauryn Hill had a love child, it would sound like Parlor Social.”
Local performer and personality Brent Marty and New York-based vocalist Amy Rafa pair for The Carpenters Project: An Offering as part of The Cabaret’s Incubator Series. Brent and Amy will take the audience on a journey through the catalog of 70s super-duo, the Carpenters, while sharing how the iconic group’s music has affected them personally.
The Jazz at The Cabaret Serieswill close out the year with a raucous holiday performance by the Hot Sardines. Their show, titled Holiday Stomp, is a Yuletide blend of hot jazz, featuring both timeless classics and original tunes – including swinging renditions of The Nutcracker Suite and White Christmas.
“We’re looking forward to a season that is packed full of diverse performances and showcases the wide variety of musical styles that fit under the umbrella of ‘cabaret,’” said Shannon Forsell, artistic director and CEO.
Ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. Friday, July 29. Pre-sale for those who have purchased tickets to 3+ performances since 2021 and donors of $250+ begins Monday, July 25 at 10 AM. See show details and purchase tickets (when available) at thecabaret.org/shows.
The cabaret calendar
* Amy Rafa and Brent Marty, The Carpenters Project: An Offering – 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27.
* DakhaBrakha – 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13.
* Kandace Springs, Women Who Raised Me – 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17.
* Jeremy Jordan – Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. 8 p.m. both days.
* Santino Fontana –Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8. 8 p.m. both days.
* Meow Meow –Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22. 8 p.m. both days.
* Abby Mueller – Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29. 8 p.m. both days.
* Parlor Soul, Speakeasy Soul & Prohibition Funk – Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12. 8 p.m. both days.
* Jennifer Simard – Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19. 8 p.m. both days.
* Matt Doyle – 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.
* Hot Sardines, Holiday Stomp – 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10.
PHOTO ABOVE: The Cabaret is located at 924 N. Pennsylvania St., also home to the Arts Council of Indianapolis and its Gallery 924.
