Glamour, schillernde Diven, tanzende Männer in Hasenkostümen: Unsere Auntie SAM kennt sich im Showbiz aus. Ihre Tipps für den Weg vom Zuschauerraum ins Scheinwerferlicht.
Dear Auntie SAM: Hi I am wondering if you can help me with finding cabaret shows to perform in? Any advice?
The first night I performed on stage as an adult was a lark. My friends & I had conquered dance floors all over town. My signature look: Breakfast at Tiffany’s meets Marilyn Monroe (Capote’s original vision). Meaning: I always wore short skirts, high heels, & red lipstick, my hair in a bedraggled twist. Drag Queens adored me.
One night, at a drag show, an assistant went missing. So the Queen emceeing asked if I’d fill in – in the inimitable way Drag Queens ask: «Honey, grab two drinks & get on that stage. I need a dumb blonde & you’ll do.»
Truer words were never spoken.
It is often the case that the things that turn out best in life cannot be planned. They happen because you obey intuition (that catty White Queen) and pursue your interests (those mysterious Rabbits).
As a child, I spent as much time as I could with my mom’s mom: my grandma. She was a showgirl in California when she fell in love with a soldier. Despite her dreams, she left her aspirations in that California canteen to raise a family of five with him in America’s Heartland.
But she couldn’t leave her passions.
And I was heir to her love for old glamour: movies with beautiful, bitchy women, dashing men, cheeky showtunes; and her fabulous closet from which I first wore sparkly sequined dresses with furs.
Like my grandma, I left showbiz in my mid-twenties. But unlike her, I left with my heart in pieces.
My friends kept dying. And it was too tough to watch them go.
I retreated into academia & took refuge among the Jesuits. But, much like the sirens seducing Odysseus, showbiz called. Sung my name. And, I hadn’t been tied to the mast.
So, how does one find shows in which to perform?
Step one: have the foresight to be born with a magical heart. Failing that, develop one open to beauty, curiousity, wonder, and joy. But seek steeliness, too. Face pain. Only resilient hearts survive this biz.
Step two: find your talent, & then marry her — as my husband used to say. A blatant rip-off of George Burns, but permitted because it was sweet … & true 😉
But seriously: can you make sandwiches with your feet? Can you sing & dance in high heels? Can you sew? Can you build things? Can you organize people, planes, & me?
All these things are necessary in showbiz. And, although you might now feel as if you only want to be the star of the show, once you get involved you’ll discover backstage is pretty great, too.
(For most of us, backstage is the real show.)
Step three: find people who inspire you & then show them how you can serve them. But don’t be a toady. Show them your talent & your willingness to learn. Show them you’ll start at the bottom, then keep accepting challenges until you rise to the top.
Step four: remember who helped you. Giving thanks is nice. But to really honor their time & care of you, do well. Show them they were right to say «yes» to you.
And then, finally, step five: pass it on. Look outward & into the hearts of those who find you. Recognize a magic soul. Protect, & nourish, & let it grow. Perhaps even brighter than you.
With luck.
You wanna be a star in cabaret, Darling? Then be a person I never need to question.
Everything else: will do.
XO
AS
___
This weekend, ENJOY THE SUN!
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY: Experience PärkliJam! MUSIC, FOOD, BEER, HIPPIES. Bands include: L’ARBE BIZARRE, ARX ELIAS, SKINNY FRESH, TWO and YUNA, & MORE. www.paerklijam.ch 4PM on. FREE
SATURDAY: The GRAND OPENING of VERANDA PELLICANO! KINDERPROGRAMM at 2PM; PINK PEDRAZI featuring MIKE BISCHOF at 7PM; + NEO & NEO riff live at 9PM. Birskoepfli, Birskopfweglein 7 Basel. FREE