SUMMER IN THE CITY 2009 Weekend Dates:
July 22nd-July26th OR July 29th- August 2nd
* * * * * * * * * * *
By audition only:
Thursday March 26th 7-10pm/Sunday March 29th 2-6pm
Thursday May 7th 7-10pm/ Saturday May 9th 2-6pm
Directors/Performers and Co-founders of SUMMER IN THE CITY Lennie Watts and Lina Koutrakos are auditioning singers for the 8th annual (the 11th and 12th weekends) of Manhattans first and only Intensive Performance Workshops. The 2009 workshops will be 2 separate weekends devoted to learning, further developing and applying the craft and authenticity of cabaret to singers.
In the first weekend we are again taking the format up a notch, including other acclaimed and awarded teachers, professionals, speakers and guests for the advanced and continued education of the already on-the-map cabaret performer. The second weekend is designed to not only introduce singers to the always changing art form of cabaret performing, but to each other, the craft and the community itself.
There are many wonderful cabaret intensives throughout the summer months as well as year round. Watts and Koutrakos, who teach and perform consistently throughout the year are the only ones who offer one of this caliber in New York City.
We are able to offer all this at a price that most of the other intensives are not as we do not have to charge for room and board. Lina, who was on staff at both the O'Neill and Yale for 8 years has learned much about what works and what simply exhausts and both she and Lennie having booked collectively most of the major cabaret venues in town (Most recently Lennie at the Metropolitan Room) therefore having access to many -if not most- of the Cabaret and Broadway pro's in town who are always more then thrilled to be part of this weekend on your behalf.
Over the years our "faculty" has included: Faith Prince, Sam Harris, KT Sullivan, Patrick DeGennaro, Sally Mayes, Karen Mason, Dick Gallagher, Eric Michael Gillette, Julie Reyburn, Mary Foster Conklin, Julie Wilson.........
Awarded alumni include: Alisa Schiff, Michael Vaccaro, Amy Wolk, Geoff Stoner, Eric Pickering, Lorinda Lisitza and this years Backstage Bistro Award winners: Deb Berman and Susan Winter to name just a few!
Watts and Koutrakos, both award winning directors and performers themselves (Backstage Bistros, MAC Awards etc....) are well versed in the ever advancing "American Songbook", Broadway, Pop and Pop/Rock music. An eclectic mix of singers are also what make Summer in the City an expansive learning experience!
The past few years have had an overflow of out-of-towners as well, so this years audition dates are designed to accommodate all of you. If of course you are so far out of town you can not make the auditions and want to know how to proceed, to ask questions in general, to know about fees, read bios on both Lennie and Lina email either Lennie or Lina.
In the first weekend we are again taking the format up a notch, including other acclaimed and awarded teachers, professionals, speakers and guests for the advanced and continued education of the already on-the-map cabaret performer. The second weekend is designed to not only introduce singers to the always changing art form of cabaret performing, but to each other, the craft and the community itself.
There are many wonderful cabaret intensives throughout the summer months as well as year round. Watts and Koutrakos, who teach and perform consistently throughout the year are the only ones who offer one of this caliber in New York City.
We are able to offer all this at a price that most of the other intensives are not as we do not have to charge for room and board. Lina, who was on staff at both the O'Neill and Yale for 8 years has learned much about what works and what simply exhausts and both she and Lennie having booked collectively most of the major cabaret venues in town (Most recently Lennie at the Metropolitan Room) therefore having access to many -if not most- of the Cabaret and Broadway pro's in town who are always more then thrilled to be part of this weekend on your behalf.
Over the years our "faculty" has included: Faith Prince, Sam Harris, KT Sullivan, Patrick DeGennaro, Sally Mayes, Karen Mason, Dick Gallagher, Eric Michael Gillette, Julie Reyburn, Mary Foster Conklin, Julie Wilson.........
Awarded alumni include: Alisa Schiff, Michael Vaccaro, Amy Wolk, Geoff Stoner, Eric Pickering, Lorinda Lisitza and this years Backstage Bistro Award winners: Deb Berman and Susan Winter to name just a few!
Watts and Koutrakos, both award winning directors and performers themselves (Backstage Bistros, MAC Awards etc....) are well versed in the ever advancing "American Songbook", Broadway, Pop and Pop/Rock music. An eclectic mix of singers are also what make Summer in the City an expansive learning experience!
The past few years have had an overflow of out-of-towners as well, so this years audition dates are designed to accommodate all of you. If of course you are so far out of town you can not make the auditions and want to know how to proceed, to ask questions in general, to know about fees, read bios on both Lennie and Lina email either Lennie or Lina.
Summer in the City 09
July 22nd-July 26th OR July 29th -August 2nd
(Wednesday and Thursday evenings. All day Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
CONTACT INFO:
WHO WE ARE
Year round directors and teachers Lennie Watts (CABLAB) and Lina Koutrakos (ADVANCED PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP) are merging to do our 8th annual, 4 day cabaret performance intensive. We offer our collective expertise and share our wonderful connections with you as well. Let us tell you who we are and why we feel excited about what we can "teach" (pass along, share, reinforce etc...) We both, individually, have been having such a good time teaching directing and watching the folks who ask us to assist them in this capacity take the stage. Also we have had such a bad time running against each other for "Best Director" awards around the city over the years that we decided to join forces! We "hook up" every summer now for the last 8 years and give some of the students (Advanced Perfromers-AP's) we're already crazy about and the one's we've yet to meet a performance "upgrade"!
Though it is not a necessity to be both director and performer in order to teach, each of us feels we are at a distinct advantage to be bringing both these things to the table. We really want to offer the kick of having this combination going on simultaneously in our lives- to you. We can tell you what we want to see from an educated audiences perspective, give you solid guidance on how to achieve it from a directorial angle and maintain the understanding of the possible "roadblocks" you face in getting your point of view across from "up there".
Lennie is a Backstage Bistro award winning director, he is also 2002's MAC award winner for Best Director as well. Lennie's "leanings", if you will, as teacher have also covered a great deal of theater and his directorial client list consists of theater "cross overs", to pop singers, straight ahead cabaret performers, and comics. Lennie has also been very successful this past year working with lots of New Yorks talented kids. For Lennie's updated bio: www.lenniewatts.com
Lina also has a MAC and Bistro Award for Best Director. (different years then Lennie!) After winning many Best Female Vocalist awards she started a workshop concentrating, but not limited to, a more "pop/cabaret" student. As a performer, Lina, not a complete stranger to musical theater, has been concentrating on songwriting and fronts her own pop/rock band. Lina was MAC's 2007 "Best Artist of the Year". For Lina's updated bio: www.koutrakos.com
Both Lennie and Lina's "clients" have been nominated and won many Backstage Bistros and MAC awards themselves.
Lennie has been the booking agent in many of New Yorks top cabaret rooms and is the man who is responsible for the incredible performers who have done shows in Mama Roses, The Encore and most recently the Metropolitan Room. Lina has been on the teaching staff at both the Eugene O'Neil Cabaret Symposium and the Yale Cabaret Conference. Both Lennie and Lina have worked many years as part of the staff of Don't Tell Mama's and Eighty Eight's in the cabaret rooms, seeing well over 1000 shows and Lina was also the booking manager at Don't Tell Mama and the assistant booking manager at Eighty Eight's. Being privy to all these shows Lennie and Lina have the very exciting advantage of not only knowing what does work but much more valuable…. what doesn't. Exercising their directorial muscles they also have a real good idea of the why's and how's of both.
OUR OBJECTIVE
To have available to you an accompanist/arranger, directors (Lina Koutrakos and Lennie Watts) Seminars and guests (featuring people from the press, vocal coaches, songwriters, funny folks, business people, arrangers, Broadway types, established cabaret performers etc…) Some of these folks will be joining us in the guest director/teacher capacity as well. And a handful of other AP's to witness your mistakes, growth and successes. This is invaluable. Being a solo performer almost never allows you to "share" the experience and creativity of this process so this is priceless. We will help you pick material, show you the value of arranging it so it becomes "yours" and not just another song that everybody sings. We will work in a variety of ways on taking you far beyond a "good voice" (in this city- we are "a dime a dozen"!) We have every reason to think, with our experience and yours we can help you become a very unique performer as well as a great singer. We will work on lyric content, emotional intent, acting perspective and expressing it all through your voice.
WHAT'S EXPECTED OF YOU
To be someone who really wants to go through the process of this workshop. To show up physically and emotionally and above all else….To do the work. You have to be willing to bring the 3 things- vital to a song- to the stage: Your voice, your head, and your heart. This is not a beginners workshop. It is decidedly advanced, because we want to offer something to performers who are already good and simply want to be better sooner then later. Whatever you take away with you (good and bad) after the weekend, we guaranty we will have an extraordinarily good time. And, please trust that there is absolutely no way you will not learn more then ever watching others have similar victories and make the exact mistakes as you have been. You can't lose! On a more practical note: You are expected to bring a recording device, paper and music. We suggest you bring in at least 5-7 songs you know well enough to sing so we can "dig in" and work on. (works and music).
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS WORKSHOP?
WHAT'S EXPECTED FROM US?
To bring to you "ego-free" all our experience and the ability to pass it on. And to gather as many available and specifically knowledgeable people to share their experiences both on and off stage with you.
THE PARTICULARS
Absolutely pass this along to other singer/performer friends of yours who you think would enjoy and benefit by this.
The itinerary and guests (who are all subject to change- "show biz" kids!) will be posted closer to the weekend.
Please know that once committed you are ours! Wednesday night from 6-10pm. Thursday night from 6-10pm. All day Friday and Friday night from10am-10pm (w/breaks of course!) All day Saturday and Saturday nights show, and Sunday up until about 5pm.
If you have a day job, take off Friday. We will be singing ALL day.
If you are rejoining us, you will be thrilled cuz we're shakin it up again!! The work will be what you know...no nonsense and intense, but the "format" and the information will change!