This exchange (both the conference and the festival) continues the essential conversation on the art of cabaret among performers, teachers and coaches, writers and historians, and fans.
Cette échange poursuit l’essentiel de la conversation sur l’art du cabaret entre interprètes, enseignants et entraîneurs, écrivains et historiens, et fans.
Workshop teachers, round table leaders, and principal performers
Susan Arjmand is a family medicine physician with academic appointments at Rush Medical College and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She has specialty training in the medical problems of musicians and dancers. She has published and lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of primary care and performing arts medicine and on vocal health for singers. In addition to her medical career, Susan is a professional classical singer, having performed with various music organizations including Light Opera Works, Bowen Park Opera Company, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, L’Opera Piccola, Chamber Opera Chicago, and several professional choral groups. She organizes a monthly salon series in Chicago, Opera Inter Alia, in which local professional opera singers offer performances of opera and musical theater.
Michèle began as actress and singer (Comédie Française, Festival d’Avignon, etc) but left everything for the circus in Sweden, Germany and her own company in France. She was discovered in Sweden by the legendary Josephine Baker who engaged her as personal secretary from 1969-1971. After thirty years, Michèle returned to theater, released three song albums, published novels, historical essays, theater and poems, and produced her one-woman-shows evoking the circus world and more recently her upbringing in Algeria.
She has created events, often televised, such as the Gala de la Presse and Kréatika, the Festival of Authors-Composers-Performers. She was vice-president of the Alliance Francophone, taking her to many countries, most notably Japan. www.michele-barbier.com
Michèle, a commencé sa carrière comme actrice, chanteuse et auteur (Comédie Française, Festival d’Avignon, etc). Mais elle a tout quitté pour vivre dans le monde du cirque pendant trente ans, voyageant en Scandinavie, en Allemagne, puis dirigeant sa propre compagnie en France. En Suède, elle est découverte par la légendaire Joséphine Baker qui l’engage comme secrétaire personnelle de 1968 à 1971. Revenant au théâtre, à l’écriture et à la chanson, elle a sorti quatre albums, publié douze livres (romans, essais historiques, pièces de théâtre et poèmes) et produit et joué dans cinq pièces de théâtre, dont un one-woman-show inspiré du monde du cirque. Son dernier livre, Josephine Baker, les dernières années – La renaissance d’une étoile est paru aux Editions Riveneuve au début de l’année 2022. Originaire d’Algérie, elle a publié plusieurs ouvrages sur son pays natal . N’ayant jamais oublié la Guerre d’Algérie, elle présente en mars 2022 une nouvelle pièce de théâtre et publie un nouveau livre, consacrés à cette période qui l’a beaucoup marquée.
Elle a produit des événements télévisés, tels que le Gala de la Presse et Kréatika, le Festival des auteurs-compositeurs-interprètes. Elle est vice-présidente de l’Alliance Francophone pour laquelle elle s’est produite et a voyagé dans de nombreux pays, dont le Japon. www.michele-barbier.com
A fervent francophile and music lover, Dr. Susan Boldrey is honored to serve as translator/interpreter for the 2025 Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion in Paris. Susan lived in France three years. She teaches French and Spanish as well as English to immigrant and refugee women. Susan teaches a creative way to learn French in “Chansons Francophones” via Zoom. Her PhD in French from Northwestern University involved interviews with 30+ singers, composers and poets of Québec and analysis of Québécois songs as a cultural reflection of Québec from the 1960s to the 1980s. She has been a translator/interpreter with the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion since 2018.
In addition to these roles, Susan is a French and Spanish tour guide. She loves to present photo travelogues to cultural groups. She has traveled to Israel, Japan, Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Canada, Europe and Mexico. Again, we thank you for sharing our celebration of Cabaret Music and Culture in the “City of Light.” Merci beaucoup!
Singer songwriter Anne Burnell performs at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals including the Sarasota Jazz festival, Taste Of Chicago, Plymouth Jazz Festival, and Food & Music Festival in Panama. She released three duo albums with her husband pianist/vocalist Mark Burnell, LITTLE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER, TWO FOR THE ROAD, and THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG (2024). Her solo albums are BLUES IN THE NIGHT, a Harold Arlen tribute, arranged by Count Basie Band veteran Bob Ojeda, and SUMMER DAYS & DREAMY NIGHTS, produced and arranged by renowned guitarist Henry Johnson, features many of her originals including San Juan (which earned her one of two Billboard Magazine Certificate of Achievement in Songwriting Awards). She served as President of Chicago Cabaret Professionals from 2019-2023 and received the 2024 Excellence in Cabaret Service Award. She is an Individual Artist Grant recipient from Chicago DCASE, and Anne & Mark Burnell were awarded the 2024 Gold Coast Award by Chicago Cabaret Professionals.
Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “silky smooth and highly polished”, Mark Burnell has worked with Dave Frishberg, Richie Cole, Louie Bellson, Connie Francis, Howie Mandel, Ward Swingle, Laurel Masse, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Marshall, Blair Underwood and Seth Meyers. Mark’s overseas tours have taken him to Paris, Amsterdam, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Freiburg, St. Croix and Panama. In 2009 and 2010, he was an instructor at the International Cabaret Conference at Yale. Mark taught jazz at Northwestern and Roosevelt Universities, and trained vocalists for 10 years at Carnegie Mellon University, where he received his MFA and BFA, and also directed the CMU Jazz Choir. One of Chicago’s most in demand pianists/music directors, he leads a jazz trio on Saturdays at the Tortoise Supper Club. In addition to the recordings BLUES IN THE NIGHT, SUMMER DAYS & DREAMY NIGHTS, TWO FOR THE ROAD and LITTLE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER with his wife Anne Burnell, Mark has four solo recordings: CHRISTMAS PIANO, a fresh instrumental jazz treatment of holiday music, GOSPEL PIANO from his 25 years at Gorham United Methodist Church, AQUACADENCE, and RIPPLE RHYTHM.www.burnellmusic.com
Jeanie reveled in the experience of participating in the St Louis Cabaret Conference twice and in the Chicago-Paris Cabaret Connexion four times, so far! She studied in Aix-en-Provence, France, worked for Club Méditerranée, and lived and worked in Paris for several years, singing at Jazz Clubs in Montparnasse and at The Hollywood Savoy. Jeanie hails from Sedona, Arizona, and now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has had a fabulous career collaborating in shows and gigs including the Sentimental Journey Big Band, Jazz and American Songbook combos, and was the director of Red Rockappella, a Sweet Adelines barbershop small chorus. She is also a K8 Music Educator and writes reviews for CabaretScenes.Org. Oh là là!
SUSAN DENNIS sings Musical Theatre, Jazz and Classical songs & arias professionally. She has sung solo’s with numerous professional orchestras, as well as Broadway shows and Operas. Susan holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University. She taught at Elmhurst University and Harper College for 30 + years. She is a performer and Artistic Director of Bravissimo Vocal Ensemble. Currently, she is a Vocal Power Instructor.
Angélique Dessaint is a quintessentially Parisian singer who delivers the great classics of French chanson with wit, verve, energy, and generosity.
She offers themed shows, including those on Montmartre, Gastronomy, the Great War, and Edith Piaf.
In 2013, she was honored with the “Edith Piaf Prize,” which she received from Charles Dumont on behalf of the Association of Friends of Edith Piaf of Paris. This award attests to her charisma and powerful, emotionally charged voice.
She also performs in streets, gardens, on terraces, at fairs, and in salons with her
“Monocyclette,” a veritable modern-day barrel organ that allows her to sing while strolling. The Monocyclette is a unique invention, with one wheel and two handlebars, equipped with a portable sound system concealed in a basket. A unique, aesthetically pleasing, ingenious, sporty, and festive invention! A true mood booster.
Angélique’s passion for the stage has guided her every step for over 30 years, immersing herself in all its forms: singing, dancing, classical theater (Molière, Brecht, Goldoni, Feydeau), one-woman shows, film, street performance, children’s shows, close-up magic…
She is always ready for new adventures, for the joy of sharing emotions… from laughter to tears…
Angélique Dessaint est une chanteuse “follement Parisienne”, qui offre avec gouaille, élan, énergie et générosité les grands standards de la Chanson Française à textes.
Elle propose des spectacles à thèmes entre autres sur : Montmartre, la
Gourmandise, La Grande Guerre, Edith Piaf.
Elle a notamment été honorée en 2013 du “Prix Edith Piaf”, qu’elle a reçu des mains de Charles Dumont, au nom de l’Association des Amis d’Edith Piaf de Paris.
Attestant d’un charisme, d’une voix puissante et chargée d’émotion…
Elle propose également d’animer les rues, les jardins, les terrasses, les foires, les salons… avec sa Monocyclette, véritable orgue de barbarie moderne qui lui permet de chanter en déambulation. La Monocyclette est une invention unique, avec une roue et deux guidons, équipée d’une sonorisation portable invisible dissimulée dans un panier. Une invention unique, esthétique, astucieuse, sportive et festive ! Un vrai véhicule à bonne humeur.
La passion de la scène guide chacun des pas d’Angélique depuis plus de 30 ans, dans laquelle elle se plonge sous toutes ses formes: Chant, Danse, Théâtre classique (Molière, Brecht, Goldoni, Feydeau), One-woman-show, Cinéma, Spectacle de rue,
Spectacle Jeune public, Magie Close-up…
Elle est toujours prête pour de nouvelles aventures, pour le bonheur de partager les émotions … du rire aux larmes…
Phone number: +33 (0)683 1932 54
E-Mail : angelique.dessaint@gmail.com
WebSite : Website Angélique Dessaint
FaceBook Page : FaceBook Angélique Dessaint
David H. Edelfelt is one of Chicago’s busiest and most versatile musicians. As a much sought-after master voice teacher and vocal coach, he is in great demand with singers locally and from around the world. His private voice studio on the north side of the city is comprised of some of Chicago’s busiest and most successful musical theater, cabaret and classical singers. His students have received numerous honors and awards and appear on stages across the world, including every major theater and club venue in Chicago, The Ravinia Festival, Broadway and Carnegie Hall in NYC, the cabarets of Paris, the opera stages of Europe, and in nationally televised broadcasts.
As a singer, the Chicago Tribune declares David is “a consummate song interpreter [who] probably sounds great singing the weather forecast” – “one of Chicago’s best”. His one-man shows have been called “superlative, deliciously engaging and simply brilliant.” David has entertained audiences from all over Chicagoland and the Midwest to NYC, San Francisco and Paris. He has two nationally acclaimed CDs: “Love is Born at Christmas” and the inspiring “better”.See davidedelfelt.com.
Called a “tour de force of cabaret, opera, and jazz” by the Chicago Tribune, Hilary has performed across the US and in England. Her nine solo shows celebrate the music of the American Songbook — past and present — and pay tribute to some of entertainment’s most beloved icons (Audrey Hepburn, Carol Burnett). Her CD, Taking Flight, was named “Cabaret/Folk CD of the Year” by Cabaret Hotline. For over 20 years, Hilary was the founder/director of Acts Of Kindness Cabaret, an organization that raised over half a million dollars for local nonprofits and introduced thousands of new audience members to the art of cabaret. She is also one of the founding coordinators of Chicago Cabaret Week.
Hilary has been teaching and coaching voice for over 35 years. She has taught vocal and cabaret workshops and masterclasses at high schools and college both in the USA and the UK, and she is the vocal and stage director for Broadway Camp for Adults. Recently, Hilary launched an online voice program based in brain science called Vocal PLAYground.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2KUW7kFI9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqKP-qx8C8&list=RD3VqKP-qx8C8&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCq7J_TsCEI&list=RDZCq7J_TsCEI&start_radio=1
Singer and actress Anne Fromm trained at the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg. She has performed in numerous musical theatre productions in Germany (Hair, Evita, The Rocky Horror Show…), as well as in the Canadian TV series Watatatow, playing the role of Kim Morisette.
Based in France since 1998, she performs on stage in projects spanning a wide variety of artistic styles and is a member of La Compagnie de la Boulangerie directed by Camille Germser, with whom she regularly takes part in the Cabarets du Theatrum Mundi.
She also explores other artistic paths such as polyphony, world music, sacred singing, dhrupad (classical singing of North India), as well as body practices like shiatsu.
As a vocal coach, she teaches interpretation at the ENM Conservatory in Villeurbanne, vocal technique, and the therapeutic approach to voice, and directs musical theatre productions.
Chanteuse et comédienne, Anne Fromm a été formée à la Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama de Hambourg. Elle a joué dans de nombreuses productions de comédies musicales en Allemagne (Hair, Evita, Rocky Horror Show…) ainsi que dans la série canadienne Watatatow, dans le rôle de Kim Morisette.
Installée en France depuis 1998, elle se produit sur scène dans des projets aux horizons esthétiques très variés et fait partie de la Compagnie de la Boulangerie de Camille Germser, avec laquelle elle participe aux Cabarets du Theatrum Mundi.
Elle parcours aussi d’autres sentiers comme la polyphonie, chants du monde, chant sacré, dhrupad (chant classique de l’Inde du Nord), ainsi que des pratiques corporelles comme le shiatsu.
Professeure de chant, elle enseigne l’interprétation au Conservatoire ENM de Villeurbanne, la technique vocale, ainsi que l’approche thérapeutique de la voix, et met en scène des spectacles musicaux.
Singer, author, songwriter, actress and tap-dancer, Isabelle Georges has created a world of her own, at the crossroads of musical comedy, French chanson and the classical, jazz and Yiddish repertoires. Ten albums testify to her abundant inspiration, the sensitivity and poetry with which she infuses her shows, whether in duets or with a full orchestra. Whether at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Philharmonie in Paris, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, or at the Festival Radio France, the Avignon Festival or the 54 Below in New York, Isabelle Georges makes each of her shows an hymn to life.
Her first major roles include Isabelle in Michel Legrand’s Le Passe-muraille and Kathy Selden in Singin’in the Rain, both awarded the Molière for best musical, as well as Mrs Barnum in Barnum, Madeline de Saint Maur in Nymph Errant, Kate Mc Gowan in Titanic the Musical and La Perichole in Jérôme Savary’s version Isabelle puts her creativity to work in shows she imagines: Judy and Me, La French Touche, Padam Padam, Broadway en chanté, Du Shtetl à New York, Amour Amor, Happy End, Dorothée a Bikhele lider and Oh Là Là de Paris à Broadway! Her creations with symphony orchestras include Broadway Symphonique, Yiddish Rhapsody, C’est si bon and Eve & Adam. Endowed with an unconditional faith in others, Isabelle enhances her encounters with Jean Salamero, who helps her find her voice, Frederik Steenbrink, singer and musical director of her shows, composer Maury Yeston, jazz man René Urtreger, the Sirba Octet, concert pianists Jeff Cohen and Bruno Fontaine, accordionist Roland Romanelli, the Trio Zadig. Isabelle played Isadora Ducan in the musical Isadora, femme danseuse et libre, Mademoiselle Hennebique in Daniel Colas’ l’ornithorynque and Mrs C in the world premiere adaptation of Stefan Zweig’s short story 24 Hours in a Woman’s Life. She is Mrs Fabian for the American series We Were the Lucky Ones, produced by 20th Century Fox Television.
Recordings: Une étoile et moi (2003), December Songs & Something to Live For (2006), Du Shtetl à New York (2008), Yiddish Rhapsody (2009), Padam Padam (2011), Broadway en chanté (2014), Vienne-Paris-Hollywood (2017), Oh là là (2019), Hâte-toi lentement & Dorothée, a bikhele lider (2021), Isabelle Georges chante Bécaud (2022), Bûchere et l’arbre magique (2024) and 24 heures de la vie d’une femme, to be released in 2025.
Singer, songwriter, producer, and director Carla Gordon holds Chicago Cabaret Professional’s coveted Gold Coast Award. Her original songs are performed nationwide.
Gordon’s appearances include The Palace in Ft. Lauderdale, Acorn in Three Oaks, Michigan, St. Louis’s Sheldon Theater, Pangea, Club 42 and Metropolitan Room in NYC. Blacklisted—Songs McCarthy Didn’t Want Us to Hear earned critical acclaim. She will represent Chicago at the 25th Anniversary celebration for Cabaret Scene‘s editor, Frank Dain.
David has been fascinated by this wonderful, magical beast called the “voice”. This has led to a lifelong journey studying and discovering innovative ways to unleash the creative power in performers.
On faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, David teaches singers in Musical Theater, Pop, Jazz, Opera; Vocal Pedagogy; Singing In Popular Styles; Diction; Song Literature, and several other courses. In 2023, he joined the faculty of Carthage College for the Masters’ Program in Musical Theater Pedagogy. Previous schools include The Theater Conservatory at Roosevelt University, Old Town School of Folk Music, Hiram College, and Lake Forest College.
As a singer, he has regularly performed with the cabaret group Opera Inter Alia, holding a torch for the American Songbook and French jazz; Chicago Folks Operetta; Da Corneto Opera Company; Sinfonietta Bel Canto; and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He holds a DMA from the University of Michigan, is a certified Master Teacher of the Estill Voice Model and a graduate of Sheri Sanders’ Rock the Audition Teacher Training and Matthew Ellenwood’s EmoVerity emotional performance pedagogy.
Born in Paris, raised in Detroit, and seasoned in New York City, Claudia moved to Chicago to “do the work”. Actor-singer, teacher, cabaret promoter, her recordings and concerts of Paris/Paree, Paris in the Jazz Age, Romance Language: French Songs for Lovers, and the two Jazz Fauré Project albums are a reflection of her Paris-centric repertoire. www.cabaret-paree.com
In 1997 she initiated Chicago Cabaret Professionals. She has been on faculty for the Community Music Division of DePaul University School of Music since 2003, teaching SongShop, a workshop in song interpretation. Executive director of Working In Concert, Claudia supports the work of its classroom, opera and cabaret initiatives, directs the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion and produces SongShop workshops and concerts.
Elisabeth is the author of “SING!” The Vocal Power Method, “BORN TO SING!” DVD, The Vocal Power Method and “The ABC’s of VOCAL HARMONY,” EAR TRAINING and SIGHT SINGING for SINGERS. She is recognized by National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as a pioneer in the field of teaching Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) and featured featured in the NATS publication, So You Want to Sing Contemporary Commercial Music, as well as Training Contemporary Commercial Singers, published by Compton.
Elisabeth is a graduate of the Juilliard School with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in voice and founder of the Vocal Power Academy in Los Angeles. She has presented Vocal Power Method Workshops for National Voice Teachers Conferences in eleven countries and has certified Vocal Power Trainers throughout the US, France, Italy and Brazil.
Clients include Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle in the film, Beauty and the Beast, Lionel Richie, The Police, Priscilla Presley and was the warm-up coach for Sting at the Grammys in 2007. She has had clients on Broadway, National tours, American Idol, Star Search and was a vocal coach on America’s Got Talent. Her Cabaret act, Op’ra to Pop’ra was performed in New York and Los Angeles clubs and was touted by Los Angeles Music Connection Magazine as “a talent to be reckoned with.” Elisabeth has performed leads in 25 musicals and operas. She won the national title, “Ms Senior America, 2012.” www.vocalpoweracademy.com
Stefan is a versatile performer and vocalist as a solo artist or with a band. He hails from Detroit. He has a diverse repertoire including Jazz, Pop, blues, R&B to Motown, and Classical, not to mention Funk, ethnic music (Ladino, Latino salsa and folkloric, Arabic, Jewish, French, Albanian, Igbo, Yiddish, Polish, Black Gospel) straight improvisation, New Age & songwriting. He has toured as a pianist and Musical Director for different national acts.
He plays acoustic piano, Hammond B3 style, synthesizers, guitar, percussion, harmonica, and drum kit as needed. He has created custom sound design and programming for the Detroit Symphony. Back in the late 70s he accompanied Temptations singer David Ruffin on the road for a year. His jingles have been performed on TV and radio, and he has produced children’s music with clients such as Sesame Street and The Learning Channel.
As a bandleader, Stefan instinctively knows how to work the crowd and keep the party going! “Let’s Build International Goodwill and Inclusion through Music.”
The independent German actor and cabaret artist Thomas Kellner, worked besides multiple shows in big theatres of Germany and France, in New Music creations for operahouses and orchestras in Finland, Norway and Denmark. As dragqueen Rosetta Stone he is directing and performing since 2023 the Rosa Bonheur Cabaret in two Berlin venues and lately on the big stage of GRIPS Theater in Berlin and at Théâtre L’Anomalie in Paris.
The independent German actor and cabaret artist Thomas Kellner studied at Bayreuth University, the National Conservatory CNSAD in Paris and at Anton-Bruckner University in Linz, Austria. He worked in the city theaters of Münster, Krefeld, Bremerhaven, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, aswell as at Kampnagel, Sophiensäle, HAU and Uferstudios Berlin and in Paris at Theatre Ouvert, Studio-Théâtre de la Comédie Française, Nanterre-Amandiers and at the National Theatre in Teheran. For ten years he was performing in the French German Das Kollektiv Mahu.
Since 2017 he creates New Music theater shows with the French-Finish director and author Aleksi Barrière: Ophelia Tiefsee, Katharina Blum, and Graal Theatre and Study for Life by K. Saariaho and Earthrise at Maison de Radio France, Oslo Phil., Stavanger Symph., Nantes’ Lieu Unique and at the Opera and Musiikitalo of Helsinki.
As dragqueen Rosetta Stone he is directing and performing since 2023 the Rosa Bonheur Cabaret in two Berlin venues and lately on the big stage of GRIPS Theater in Berlin and at Théâtre L’Anomalie in Paris.
Gaye Klopack has taught choral music and private voice in the Chicago Public Schools and at the Chicago High School for the Arts for over 23 years. As a Classical singer, she has performed with Grant Park Festival Chorus, the
Chicago Choral Artists and Vox Venti. As a Jazz singer, she released two CD’s
of Jazz standards, Small Day Tomorrow and Come Out ’n Play. She is a member of Chicago Cabaret Professionals and has performed at the Den Theater, Le piano, Rhapsody and Davenport’s. She has performed with Oscar Brown Jr., Clark Terry, Erwin Helfer and Johnny Frigo and most recently with Pat Malinger, Kyle Swan and Pete Benson. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, NATS and CCP. As a voice teacher she has mentored professional Broadway, Jazz and Classical singers. Among them are aYoungARTS winner, two GRAMMY HS Vocal Jazz winners and several who’ve performed on WFMT radio’s “Introductions.” She was also honored as a “Distinguished Teacher” by President Obama for mentoring a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and In 2010 was featured on the front cover of Choral Director Magazine.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dNuiUgMcUT4
Jonathan Lewis is a lifelong performer, growing up in the performing arts, singing and dancing from a very early age and making his musical comedy debut at age 10. He worked professionally in musical theatre for 32 years, appearing in over 110 productions, as well as a few operas and ballets along the way. He has had principal roles in the musicals The Music Man, Oklahoma, Damn Yankees, Fiddler On the Roof, A Chorus Line, On the 20th Century, Carousel, King of Hearts, Dames at Sea, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, among many others.
His theatrical career has also survived such ignominious low points as playing a milk bottle in a 2nd grade Healthy Foods play, surviving a 400-lb. bar falling on his head during “Shipoopi”, and playing Barney the Beaver in a chain saw commercial. Jonathan has worked as actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, dance captain, stage manager, film critic, arts writer, and flutist. He is also the author of two books, most recently his novel Celestial Navigation.
| BECKIE MENZIE has appeared at the legendary Carnegie Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center and Birdland in New York, Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre and Park West, as well as at concert halls and art series across the country. Hailed by Chicago’s WGN Radio as “indispensible to Chicago cabaret,” Beckie was featured in Michael Feinstein’s Now & Then Series for her Carnegie Hall debut. She has been featured at many Mabel Mercer Cabaret Conventions in New York, The Hamptons, and in Chicago, as well as performances for the Chicago Humanities Festival, where she has served as a performer, director and musical director.Beckie serves as a Musical Director for Michael Feinstein’s Songbook Academy. She performs regularly with Tom Michael and as a duo they have toured their many concerts across the country, including Carnegie Hall’s 100th birthday celebration for Cole Porter, and headlined with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and others including the Racine Symphony and the Danville Symphony. Beckie is one third of the GIRLS LIKE US group that includes Laura Freeman and Marianne Murphy Orland. |
Kat Victoria brings amazing tributes to classrooms, school assemblies, public library events and senior centers, with the gift of story-telling and song. An award-winning actress and eighteen-year Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center veteran, she does it all with an engaging down-to-earth and humorous performance that delivers a deliciously silky voice to move, groove and soothe the soul. Since 1995, she has performed at nightclub and cabaret venues including: The Apollo Theater in New York, Park West, Davenport’s Cabaret, and Piano Forte in Chicago, Skokie Theater, and on the waters with Carnival Cruises. She performed in Paris during the CPCx Conference in 2017 at Café Universal, Relais de la Huchette, and Studio Raspail.
Her song repertoire features Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Roberta Flack, Etta James, Mary Wells and other Motown greats. Hers is a sought-after impressionist of Gladys Knight and Tina Turner for community, corporate and private events. As singer-songwriter and recording artist, Kat’s CD, Kat Victoria Hollywood Shine on Me, is available on iTunes. For booking details, contact Katrina V. Miller at 312-785-4765 or katvictoriamusic@yahoo.com.
À 17 ans, fascinée par le cinéma hollywoodien des années 40 et la comédie musicale, j’ai instinctivement choisi le chant, qui est vite devenu mon atout principal, tout en me consacrant au théâtre très vite, je commence à jouer dans des spectacles mêlant théâtre et musique. Je débute avec le Théâtre du Grabuge avant de rejoindre la compagnie de Camille Germser et sa « Boulangerie » où je trouve ma « famille » de théâtre. Cet univers de Cabaret et de Music-hall me permet d’explorer toutes les facettes du genre : chant, danse, claquettes, plumes, strass et paillettes. Parallèlement, je continue à me consacrer au théâtre avec différents metteurs en scène lyonnais (Jean Lacornerie, Valérie Zipper, Maxime Mansion, Grégoire Béranger…) Dernièrement je développe un projet personnel, et me lance dans l’ écriture d’ un texte ; « ROUGE » qui sera créer en 2026. Par ailleurs passionnée par l’univers du Burlesque et de l’Effeuillage je performe en MC au nom de Babette Des Vices, Babette s’est tout faire elle chante et fait même des conférences …
Videos:
Pianist Jean-Claude is an organizer of the Cabaret Connexion and serves as pianist in master classes and concerts. He has participated in many international events and piano concerts. Jean-Claude comes from a family of musicians. For many years he has played regularly in Paris at venues such as Le George V, le Plaza-Athénée et le Bristol. He appears frequently at the oldest Parisian artistic cabaret, Au Lapin Agile. He accompanied Claudia Hommel’s master class at the École Professionnel de Comédie Musicale in 2016 and joined Elizabeth Doyle as pianist for Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion in Paris (2017) and Chicago (2018). He returned to Chicago to perform with Christine Steyer, taking their concert Sweet Spot between Our Worlds to Montréal (2019). He performs as a solo pianist, as part of small jazz groups and also leads Parisian Big Band “BB15”. He has composed and performed for film.
www.jean-claudeorfali.com
HOWARD PFEIFER
From Hamilton to the Chipmunks, and Budweiser to Karen Carpenter HOWARD PFEIFER has worked extensively as a pianist, composer, arranger, vocalist and musical director for more 40 years in the fields of musical theatre, television series, commercials, feature films, and cabaret in Chicago and Los Angeles.
howard@pfeifermusic.com
www. pfeifermusic.com
Angelina Réaux, trained in both theatre and classical music, has performed on and off-Broadway, in repertory, and in the world’s leading concert and opera houses. She appeared as The Beggar Woman in SWEENEY TODD directed by Harold Prince and performed SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM throughout the USA. Her first performance of Mimi in LA BOHEME was conducted by Leonard Bernstein and recorded for Deutsche Grammaphon, televised on Italy’s RAI TV, and was nominated for a Grammy, as well as singing the role of Francesca on Bernstein’s DG recording of WEST SIDE STORY. She has been featured in tributes to Sondheim, Weill, and Bernstein worldwide. Besides creating and directing her own one-woman shows, including STRANGER HERE MYSELF, the music of Kurt Weill for New York’s Public Theatre and recorded for Koch Classics, Ms. Réaux has both directed and appeared in opera and theatre for Chicago Opera Theatre, Opera Omaha, The Studio Theatre in Washington D. C., the Ojai, Cabrillo. Ravinia, Caramoor, and Chautauqua Festivals, singing leading roles at Santa Fe Opera, Washington National Opera, and Houston Grand Opera to name a few.
At Berkeley Rep, Ms. Réaux appeared in The Oresteia Trilogy, Brundibar- adapted by Tony Kushner and designed by Maurice Sendak, Comedy On The Bridge, and premiered Kushner’s new one act BUT THE GIRAFFE at the New Victory Theatre in NYC. Her discography includes recordings on Deutsche Grammaphon (LA BOHEME, WEST SIDE STORY, MAD ABOUT PUCCINI), Teldec (Berg’s LULU SUITE and Weill’s DIE SIEBEN TODSUNDEN), Decca/London (Weill’s STREET SCENE and Blitztein’s REGINA), Koch Classics (STRANGER HERE MYSELF), CRI’s (FRIDA KAHLO SUITE), and Naxos (BERSTEIN’S JEWISH LEGACY).
She recently directed and designed Opera a la Carte’s San Diego’s inaugural production of LA BOHEME, and directed and starred in a Sondheim concert-revue THREE FACES OF STEVE at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles.
Ms. Réaux has performed cabaret throughout the USA and Europe, specializing in music from the Weimar, French chanson, and the American Songbook. This year marks her third season with Cabaret Connexion.
She now resides in San Diego with her husband, baritone Michael Sokol, and their beloved two dogs and two cats.
Lou Ella Rose is a multidisciplinary immigrant artist based in Chicago, celebrated as an Asian Cultural Council Fellow, a Chicago DCASE Individual Artist Program Grantee (2024), and Chicago Cabaret Professionals’ Emerging Artist (2022). A singer-songwriter, actor, playwright, producer, voice-over artist, and speaker, her work spans theater, television, concerts, and festivals across the Philippines, Singapore, and the USA.
Her early career included performing with Repertory Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Theatreworks Singapore, as well as acting in Philippine television soap operas, the Knowledge Channel, and ABS-CBN’s Star Studio Presents. Manila audiences may remember her from iconic commercials such as Selecta Sundae “Jolex” and Lucky Me Spicy Hot Mami in the early 2000s.
She is the creator of The Great Filipino Songbook (TGFS), which showcases the richness of Filipino music while fostering cross-cultural appreciation. As founder and Artistic Director of the folk-fusion band SamaSama Project, she helped the group earn recognition as 1st runner-up for Best World Music Act in Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2023 and one of 20 semi-finalists for the DCASE Chicago Made Music Showcase.
Beyond the stage, Lou Ella Rose is a community leader and advocate. She was among the 10 inaugural delegates of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) and serves on the boards of Asian Pop-Up Cinema and the Chinese Mutual Aid Association.
For as long as she can remember, Maryline Rollet has always sung. First French chanson, then jazz, Brazilian music, pop… Through the people she’s met, the bands she’s been in, and her own evolving interests, she has diversified her projects; her repertoires—covers and original compositions—have intertwined to create a world at the intersection of all these influences, shaped by her own unique sensibility.
Joyful yet melancholic, blending the gentleness of a ballad, the energy of swing, and the sensuality of bossa nova, Maryline enthusiastically draws us into her touching and sensitive world with each concert. And we gladly let ourselves be carried away by this warm, soft voice with its unique timbre.
Du plus loin qu’elle se souvienne, Maryline Rollet a toujours chanté. De la chanson française, d’abord, puis du jazz, de la musique brésilienne, de la pop… Au fil des rencontres, des formations, des envies aussi, elle a diversifié ses projets, les répertoires (covers et compos) se sont entremêlés les uns aux autres pour créer un univers à la frontière de toutes ces influences et sur la corde de sa propre sensibilité.
Joyeuse et mélancolique, mêlant la douceur de la balade, l’énergie du swing et la sensualité de la bossa-nova, au fil des concerts, Maryline nous embarque avec enthousiasme dans son univers touchant et sensible. Et on se laisse volontiers porter par cette voix chaude et douce au timbre singulier.
A native Texan and Baylor graduate of vocal performance, Shelley taught private voice lessons in several colleges in Ft Worth, Houston and Austin. Ms. Schneider has also music directed and conducted several musicals. In 2010, Ms. Schneider studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Her performing career is diverse and includes Shakespeare plays, musicals, operas and cabaret shows. She has performed across Texas with Houston Grand Opera’s educational outreach program. While in the Houston Grand Opera chorus, she performed with opera giants Jaime Barton, Renee Fleming, and Joyce DiDonato. Some favorite performances include Amy in Company, and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti. Recently she performed with a chorus accompanying Andrea Bocelli at Bridgestone Arena. She is on the board and performs with Franklin Light Opera. Ms. Schneider is a professor in the voice department at Lipscomb University.
Baritone Michael Sokol has had great success in opera and music theatre here in the United States and in Europe, in venues from the Metropolitan Opera, to the Philadelphia Orchestra, to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. As a performer in theatre, opera and concert, he has performed roles from Mozart’s Count in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Puccini’s Marcello in LA BOHEME, Shaw’s Henry Higgins in Lerner and Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY and Emile de Becque in SOUTH PACIFIC as well numerous performances of Schubert’s WINTERREISE. Very active in the creation of new music theatre, he created the role of Frank Lloyd Wright in the world premiere of Darren Hagen and Paul Muldoon’s opera SHINING BROW, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and the role of the Magician in the American premiere of Stephen Oliver’s MARIO AND THE MAGICIAN, directed by Francesca Zambello. An expert in the comic masterpieces of Gilbert and Sullivan and Offenbach, he has appeared in and directed over 17 of their respective works. He is currently a company member and performer with San Diego Opera and recently portrayed the Sacrestan in TOSCA, Dr. Grenville in LA TRAVIATA and Alcindoro in LA BOHEME.
He is a frequent collaborator and accompanist for his wife, Angelina Réaux, and is a well established voice teacher and clinician.
Wilfried Touati is a Paris‑based jazz accordionist who explores a wide range of musical styles, from popular songs to classical music and Balkan traditions. He develops diverse projects—from solo performances to orchestral collaborations—in settings ranging from hospitals to concert halls and theater productions. An arranger and composer, he founded the Wilfried Touati Quartet to perform his jazz compositions, as well as Les Enfants de la Bal, a project dedicated to French song covers.
Wilfried Touati est un accordéoniste de jazz parisien qui explore de nombreux styles musicaux (chansons populaires, classique, balkans…). Il diversifie ses projets allant du solo à l’orchestre, aussi bien dans des hôpitaux que dans des salles de concerts, des pièces de théâtres, des spectacles pour enfants.
Arrangeur et compositeur, il créé le Wilfried Touati Quartet dans lequel ils jouent ses compositions jazz, ainsi que Les Enfants de la Bal qui est un projet de reprises de chansons françaises.
Vidéo de mon Quartet/ Quartet’s video:
https://youtu.be/gWfUuU2Gq8w?si=OgUWWGbX2xkwJiXz
Vidéo de mon duo/ Duet’s video:
More participants
Comédienne, musicienne et chanteuse, Mamzelle Amandine s’est formée sur le tard (à l’âge de 25 ans) à la guitare, au chant, à l’écriture mais également au clown et au travail d’acteur comique, ce qui lui a permis d’envisager une dimension spectacle lors de ses premiers tours de chant, en créant des personnages sur scène.
Artiste pluridisciplinaire, elle se produit aussi bien en café-théâtre qu’en jeune public, au cabaret mais également avec son spectacle solo Bonnie Bécasse, seule sur scène, ou avec des groupes de musique jazz, rock, rockabilly ou chanson.
Bonnie Bécasse — Dossier de presse
An actress, musician, and singer, Mamzelle Amandine began her training relatively late (around the age of 25), studying guitar, singing, songwriting, as well as clowning and comedic acting. This training allowed her to incorporate a theatrical element into her early musical performances, creating unique characters for her stage shows.
As a multidisciplinary artist, she performs in everything from small theaters and venues for children to cabarets, and also presents her solo show, Bonnie Bécasse, performing on stage alone, or with various music groups ranging from jazz and rock to rockabilly and French chanson.
Tirzah Joy is an accomplished and passionate singer with a lifelong interest in music. She studied classical music. This led to a love for art songs and opera. She plays guitar and ukulele, and has written countless songs, releasing her first recording, Anyway, in 2021. She began exploring the realm of jazz in 2017. She arranges and sings with”The Swingin’ Sisters.”
Carolyn Broquet spent many dedicated years working in television. She started singing, as a hobby, in 2000 at Old Town School of Folk Music of Chicago. There she took classes, sang in shows and piano bars and was in two bands. Currently she sings with the trio The Swingin’ Sisters. She recently joined the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, which opened a whole new world of singing.
More to come soon…
T. Patrick Davis is a Chicago born vocalist known to masterfully belt and croon blues, soul, pop, jazz, and rock genres in his resonant voice. With his trademark fedoras, he can excite an audience to dance or have them swoon at his rich vocal style. T. Patrick has performed in Chicago Cabaret Professional’s Musical Mondays, Merry Measures, and Strut Your Stuff, in Working In Concert’s SongShop Live and Black Voices in Cabaret concerts, 3 Minutes in the Spotlight, Opportunity Knocks, Harris House of Music, and OTSM Blues Band Live Ensembles. T. Patrick sold out Drew & Patrick Sing All-Time Favorites at Davenport’s in 2022 and Epiphany Center of the Arts in 2023. He performs every season with his blues & soul band l’ensemble at Rosa’s Lounge. T. Patrick is planning a solo blues jazz show for late 2025.
HELENE ALTER-DYCHE has been singing and performing almost all of her very long life. In addition, she is a dancer, actor, songwriter, lyricist, and guitarist, appearing in leading operatic roles, cabaret shows, musicals, dramatic stage plays, dance concerts and film.
A company member of the Playground Chicago Theater Company, Sheri is an actor, writer, and comedian based in Chicago, IL. Sheri is represented by NV Talent and was a performer in the WTTW documentary Inventing Improv and was most recently featured in Ain’t No Use, Wayne Baker Brook’s music video. Sheri was in the feature film B.A.D.D. Performing on both stage and screen, her experience includes improv, stand up, musical theater, commercials, voiceover and narration and Shakespeare. Her TV pilot BENT OUT OF SHAPE placed as a finalist in the BlkScript’s Inaugural Screenplay List, a semifinalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Competition, a Semifinalist in the Filmatic Comedy Season 8 Awards, a Quarterfinalist in the Stage 32 Comedy Screenwriting Contest, and a Semifinalist in the Creative Screenwriting Pilot Competition.
Sheri has performed stand-up in the Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest in NYC, and was a featured stand-up act at the Enagaging Women’s Conference at St. Mary’s College. Sheri has been a guest on WTTW Chicago Tonight, WGN Radio, Vocalo Radio’s Morning AMp Council of Feminist Thought show, and numerous podcasts, discussing film, theater, improv and social justice.
A member of the American Theater Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critic’s Association, Sheri is a journalist who has covered the Sundance Film Festival for the past four years as part of the Press Inclusion Initiative. Her work can be viewed at Linktree.ee/Sheriflanders and has been featured in publications including The Sun-Times, The Chicago Reader, Quill Magazine, Performink, McSweeney’s the Chicago Defender, Newcity Stage, Windy City Times, Rescripted and Chicagoland Musical Theater. Sheri was the recipient of an Author’s Fellowship from the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and has written several screenplays and TV pilots. She is co-producer on a documentary about criminal justice.
Sheri teaches improv and musical improv at the Second City Training Center, and is an alumnae of the Infinite Sundaes, Second City’s Musical House Ensemble who wrote and staged the satirical musical A Better Brother’s Grimm. Sheri was head writer for Choice the Musical, and writes and performs sketch shows with the musical sketch duo Flanders. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, Music program and the iO Improv and Music programs, and she utilizes improv in her professional practice providing corporate training.
Sheri enjoys traveling the world attempting to pet international stray cats.
LISA GOLDBERG began performing in musicals at a young age in her hometown of Houston, and has also been cast in shows in St. Louis, Austin, and Chicago. She received degrees in Comparative Arts and French from Washington University in St. Louis, and spent a year at the Université de Caen. Having raised her three children while serving as a local government attorney in Chicago, in retirement she continues her decades-long work as a cantorial soloist and performs in musical theater. Lisa lives in Chicago with her husband of 38 years.
Known as the “Southern Belle-ter” because of her powerful belting voice, was raised in North Carolina and lives in Los Angeles. With a B.A. in Theatre and Communications from Wake Forest University, she has graced the stage as Guenevere, Adelaide, Hodel, Rosie, and Iolanthe. She also performs with bands at The Whiskey, The Roxy, and Catalina Jazz Club. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, she coaches contemporary music clients, using the Vocal Power Method created by Elisabeth Howard. Suzanna also studied with the Broadway legend, Betty Buckley. Suzanna is also a member of SAG/AFTRA and ASCAP. Suzanna is the creator, producer, and headliner for special events benefiting Healing Arts Reaching Kids (HARK), to provide music and art therapy classes to critically ill children.
More to come soon…
Anne‑Sophie Guerrier is a singer and creator of artistic concepts that blend music and heritage. After completing a master’s degree at a business school, she chose an unconventional path in 2019 by becoming a musician in the Paris metro, before establishing herself in 2021 as a street performer in Montmartre. That same year, she created “Montmartre en chansons,” an original format of sung tours retracing the lives of major artists connected to the neighborhood, mixing anecdotes with the French repertoire. Her distinctive world gained visibility when she began singing from her window after the pandemic; one video went viral in 2022, reaching 3.8 million views. This recognition led her to represent Île‑de‑France at the Grand Concours des Régions (France 3) in 2024, and to collaborate with conductor Guillaume Cardot on a tribute concert to Édith Piaf with 75 musicians—performed to sold‑out audiences and now touring several cities in France and Europe with a three‑musician ensemble. She continues to expand her work with new creations, including sung tours along the Marne and in Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés.
Anne-Sophie Guerrier est une chanteuse et créatrice de concepts artistiques mêlant musique et patrimoine. Après un master en école de commerce, elle choisit en 2019 une voie singulière en devenant musicienne du métro parisien, avant de s’imposer dès 2021 comme artiste de rue à Montmartre. La même année, elle imagine « Montmartre en chansons », un format original de visites chantées qui retrace la vie des grands artistes liés au quartier, entre anecdotes et répertoire français.
Son univers atypique gagne en visibilité lorsqu’elle chante depuis sa fenêtre après la pandémie, une vidéo devenant virale en 2022 avec 3,8 millions de vues. Cette reconnaissance l’amène à représenter l’Île-de-France au Grand Concours des Régions (France 3) en 2024, puis à collaborer avec le chef d’orchestre Guillaume Cardot pour un concert hommage à Édith Piaf avec 75 musiciens, joué à guichet fermé et, aujourd’hui, en tournée dans plusieurs villes de France et d’Europe avec un orchestre de trois musiciens. Elle poursuit son développement avec de nouvelles créations, notamment des visites chantées sur la Marne et à Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Kathryn Hahn is a versatile musician and vocalist with a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University. She performs throughout the Greater Chicago area as both a flutist and singer, and is a member of World Enough & Time, a poetry and music performance group. Her recordings include featured vocals on Desire by the Michael Thorne Group and performances with the South Suburban College Jazz Band.
In addition to her musical career, Kathryn is the founder of Kelley Girl Services, providing booking and event planning, and has served as a music minister in various churches. She is also a founding member of Rhythm of Hope International Initiative Inc., a nonprofit organization. She is Executive Assistant to the president of Family Craft Builders, Inc. and resides in Homer Glen, IL, with her husband and enjoys spending time with their children and granddaughter. Connexion participants know her as the herder of singing cats!
More to come soon…
More to come soon…
Lauryle J is a singer and backup vocalist who gradually transitioned to becoming a pianist over the course of her career.
She is influenced by jazz, soul, and blues, as well as contemporary music.
She has gained solid stage experience and a deep understanding of the repertoire through various ensembles—duos, trios, and quintets—performing alongside experienced professionals in small Parisian jazz clubs and at events. She teaches piano and singing in private lessons.
Lauryle J, est une chanteuse, choriste en premier lieu devenue pianiste au fur et mesure de son parcours.
Influencée par le répertoire Jazz, soul, blues mais aussi les musiques actuelles.
Elle s’est forgée une solide connaissance de la scène, et du répertoire avec différentes formations, duo, trio ou quintet auprès de professionnels expérimentés, sur les scènes des petits clubs de jazz parisiens ou dans l’évènementiel. Elle enseigne le piano et le chant en cours particulier
More to come soon…
More to come soon…
Lealiza is a folk-fusion artist whose voice moves easily between intimacy and intensity. First heard by chance at a community music event, she quickly found herself invited to sing in settings ranging from small gatherings and house concerts to universities, festivals, and larger stages, including Carnegie Hall. Audiences often remark on how Lealiza can make any song feel personal.
Inspired by sounds from around the world, Lealiza’s repertoire brings together original songs that question and reflect, traditional pieces collected from many cultures, and carefully chosen covers that suit her style. She sings in several languages, though it’s more than words that matter to her; it’s the way feeling travels through melody and rhythm, connecting with no translation necessary. Listeners describe those moments as timeless and mesmerizing.
Recording has become as much a part of her artistry as performance. In 2022 Lealiza recorded her first album, Thorns and Petals, at Abbey Road Studios, returning in 2024 to continue work on new material. Singles from those sessions are being released through 2025 and 2026, shaped with her own hand in production and arrangement.
Though she has sung for large audiences, Lealiza feels most at home in rooms designed for listening. She brings a light, human touch to her performances; Lealiza brings an elegant touch but never takes herself too seriously. In France, she looks forward to sharing her music in spaces that value the closeness between artist and audience.
More to come soon…
With a warm, engaging stage presence, Patricia delivers soulful interpretations and passionate performances showcasing her unique blend of Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Pop, and Cabaret influences.
Her love for music began when she started singing at the age of 9 in her church choir, where she was exposed to traditional church hymns as well as spirituals and gospel. This exposure led her to become a member of several choirs, Choral Thunder, an a capella community choir, and The Lakeside Singers, a professional choir, both performing in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
She was exposed to jazz music, listening to the big band recordings of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaugn, Nancy Wilson and Dinah Washington to pursue a singing career . She was a member of The Bradley Williams and the 21st Century Review Orchestra, performing at venues throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. The band also performed internationally, at the Jerusalem Jazz Festival in March 1999 , and was chosen to perform for the rebranding of Anderson Consulting to Accenture in Mumbai and New Delhi India in April, 2001.
She was also a member of The Standing Room Only Orchestra, a premiere Chicago wedding band, performing for weddings and private events throughout the city, surrounding suburbs, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. In October 2006, she had the opportunity to again sing internationally, at the Dubai Hilton The Walk in the United Arab Emirates. There she was able to perform from several music genres and with musicians from around the world.
Patricia brings to the stage a deep love for interpreting and performing beautiful arrangements, and does so with a smile that lights up a room!
More to come soon…
Johanna Paliege was born in East-Berlin in 1987. She studied at the reputated
acting schools Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna and at Conservatoire National
Supérieur d‘Art Dramatique in Paris.
For more than 15 years Johanna is working with various theater companies in
Germany, Austria, France, Luxembourg and she participated in some international
and multilingual projects in Africa, Greece and Turkey.
Thanks to her studies in France, she discovered the art of chanson and cabaret.
During the last years she has continued forming herself in singing and accordeon
and created several shows mixing up music and theater, mainly between Berlin and
Paris.
More to come soon…
More to come soon…
More to come soon…
More to come soon…
Originally from Edison, NJ, Robin has lived in Chicago since 1987. She comes from a musical family with lots of singers (although sadly not Paul or Carly). Robin has been singing in choirs since the age of 9 and was a multi-year member of NJ All State and ACDA All Eastern Choruses. She has been in the chorus for the Chicago production of Too Hot to Handel (the jazz-gospel version of Messiah) since 2008 and was also a member of The Undertones, a 5-person a cappella/doo wop group in theearly 2000s. Robin also plays the clarinet, in high school and college marching band and in the pit for musicals, the Licorice Sticks ClarinetOrchestra and the Klezmer Ensemble at the Old Town School. A huge fan of Broadway show tunes and the Great American Songbook, Robin started todo cabaret singing in late 2024 and enjoys participating in SongShop and some Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) open mics.
Robin retired in December 2024 after a 35-year career, primarily in the consumer products industry. She started applying her analytical/database skills as a volunteer with Working in Concert in 2025.
Retirement allows Robin to spend even more time on her many volunteer activities. She has been a docent with the Chicago Architecture Center since 1997, leading 12 different walking tours throughout the city. She is active with the Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, asa Community Educator and multiyear member of the Grand Champions Club for her fundraising efforts in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Robin is a weekly volunteer at Nourishing Hope (food pantry) working with clients on intake and shopping. And…she was thrilled to volunteer at the Paris Olympics during the summer of 2024 and loves all things French/Paris so the Cabaret Connexion is very exciting for her!
BARBARA SMITH started her career as a folk singer, playing guitar and singing at coffee houses and in hootenannies. Her repertoire includes jazz, blues, folk music and cabaret, performing at Davenport’s, Underground Wonder Bar, Rosa’s Lounge, Chief O’Neill’s and the Cliff Dwellers Club. Winner of the 2018 Skokie Idol Contest, she is sought after for her “Barbara Smith & Friends” shows and as one-third of the popular Swingin’ Sisters. She has been an active volunteer organizer of the Cabaret Connexion since the first in 2017 and serves as Vice President of Working In Concert.
More to come soon…
Patricia E. Tyson is a composer, choral director, vocalist and classical concert pianist. While she works as a registered nurse in hospice, her life’s passion is music. “Music is healing for the body, soul and spirit.” Patricia majored in music education/choral and voice at Chicago Music College of Roosevelt University, studied piano and theory with Josephine C. Inniss and Constance Eberling, and voice with Archie Brown and Alice Dutcher among others. She taught private piano and voice and was a choir director and minister of music for various churches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Dallas and Gary, Indiana. Patricia is an ordained minister; also serving as a Builder and active member of the Jewish progressive Mishkan Synagogue in Chicago.
Patricia grew up at Pilgrim Baptist Church of Chicago, the home of the Father of Gospel Music, Rev. Thomas A Dorsey. She continues to be a guest musician there several times a month. Rev. Dorsey’s music had a tremendous influence on her style of writing, whether secular or religious pieces. She has composed over 500 hymns, choral works and songs of inspiration, including in Hebrew, Spanish, French, German and Swahili. Her CD I Shall Abide and dozens of published songs can be heard on YouTube and ReverbNation. Her Change We Can Believe In was performed by an Atlanta choir in Washington, DC several times in conjunction with President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, and also by King College Prep and Morgan Park High School choirs. Her choral work I Wish You Enough was sung in concert by the Artemis Singers of Chicago in 2023. Her songs encompass various genres, and her music, influenced by current events and causes, is intended to inspire and to encourage singers and listeners to affect a change for positivity and to consider a more excellent way of living and doing. Visit: Patricia Tyson – YouTube
Suzie Telep is a dynamic French vocalist, songwriter, and composer of Cameroonian origin, now captivating audiences in Chicago. Her multicultural upbringing has profoundly shaped her music—a vibrant fusion of jazz, soul/R&B, and gospel, enriched with African and Caribbean rhythms. With a powerful, warm, and groovy voice, Suzie’s energetic stage presence creates an immersive sonic experience, celebrating multiculturalism, joy, and self-affirmation. Inspired by legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Angelique Kidjo, and Miriam Makeba, she enchants audiences with her storytelling and unique sound.
Growing up amidst Paris’s rich tapestry of cultures, Suzie’s passion for music was ignited by West Side Story, leading her to classical voice lessons. Later, she studied vocal jazz, arranging, and composition at the Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris, working with Sarah Lazarus and Joe Makholm. In Chicago, she refines her vocal style with Alyssa Allgood and performs at local venues such as the Des Plaines Theater with Joe Valentino’s band. Her career took a pivotal turn in 2017 with a performance at Café Universel in Paris, marking her entry into the jazz scene. She has since performed at renowned Parisian jazz clubs such as 38 Riv’, Péniche Marcounet, Péniche Anako, and Relais de la Huchette. In 2019, she portrayed Aretha Franklin in a TV documentary on France’s national channel, France 2, showcasing her versatility and talent.
Suzie’s live performances blend musical and linguistic exploration, inspiring joy and reflection on societal issues while celebrating diverse identities. She explores the music and poetry of various languages—English, French, Basaa, Pidgin, Creole, and more—enriching her voice with unexpected sounds. A standout performance at the Saint-Barthélemy Jazz & Book festival highlighted her connection with the audience. Featured in Saint-Barth Weekly as “an outstanding multidimensional artist,” Suzie’s EP project, Afropean Travel, blends jazz, soul, gospel, and Afro-Caribbean music, reclaiming her ancestors’ narratives and exploring her identity as a Black French-Cameroonian woman. You can watch videos of her past performances on her YouTube channel: (62) Suzie Telep – YouTube
More to come soon…
More to come soon…