The brand-new musical comedy review “‘Cuse Cabaret” by Gatespring Productions will have a weekend of performances on Oct. 6, 7, and 8 at Jazz Central in downtown Syracuse.
Poking affectionate fun at everything from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Destiny USA to the Cardiff Giant, ‘Cuse Cabaret spins popular songs from Broadway, Motown, folk, jazz, and more into cheeky parodies of life in Salt City.
Playwright, award-winning journalist, and founder of the Goldring Arts Journalism program at Syracuse University Johanna Beale Keller and SAMMY award-winning jazz vocalist and songwriter Hanna Richardson co-wrote lyrics for the collection of parody songs about the city they both love, which they endearingly call “the town with a big ice chip on its shoulder.”
“I’ve lived in other places, and I can tell you, Syracuse is a town full of creative people doing amazing work. I love it here,” Keller said. “Hanna and I have written parody songs about the joys and frustrations of living here – the snow, Wegmans, Jim Boeheim, Armory Square, the snow, the Dome, salted roads, the snow, all the things that make Syracuse what it is. It will be a fun time. People are going to laugh.”
“When Johanna first contacted me about the possibility of co-writing a show of parody songs, my head almost exploded, because this is what my brain does all day, but just in little snippets,” Richardson added. “I think those Mad Magazine song parodies from my youth were a bigger influence than I realized! It was such a treat to work with her on completing full parody songs – so much laughter.”
‘Cuse Cabaret features local performers Novis Fuller (ComedySportz Worldwide), Evelyn Oliver (Redhouse Arts Center, Building Company Theater), Donovan Stanfield (Syracuse Stage, Building Company Theater), and Natasia White (CNY Playhouse, Honey for the Bees band); is directed by Derek Emerson Powell (Syracuse Stage, Building Company Theater) with Ben Borenstein (Redhouse Arts Center, Thanasis…
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