Veteran cabaret singer Tim Schall demonstrated his range and versatility to a packed house at the Bistro at Grand Center on Friday evening. Accompanied by pianist Rick Jensen, Schall performed a broad range of songs, from Irving Berlin ("Let Yourself Go") and Lerner and Lowe ("Almost Like Being in Love") to Mary Chapin Carpenter ("John Doe Number 24") and Paul Simon ("The Boxer").

Schall's concert was part of the second annual St. Louis Cabaret Conference, a four-day professional development workshop produced by Schall. Other featured artists in the workshop and concert series, which continued through this Sunday, include Lina Koutrakos, Jason Graae, Rick Jensen, Amanda McBroom and Alex Rybeck. Students in the workshop also performed in a special concert on Sunday evening.

People argue about what makes cabaret a distinctive art form. Yes, it's partly the venue: cabaret performances generally take place in an intimate setting with the audience seated at tables, and with food and beverage service available. And there are certain songs identified with cabaret performances, although many of them originated elsewhere, often in long-forgotten Broadway or Hollywood musicals.

But not every performance of "Someone to Watch over Me" qualifies as cabaret, and Bobby Short didn't cease to be a cabaret performer when he played Carnegie Hall, so the real answer must lie in the style of the performance. A cabaret performer must put their own distinctive stamp on every song they sing: the audience expects not just to hear "Night and Day" but Steve Ross's or Marin Mazzie's unique take on it. And it had better be good: cabaret audiences are known for the knowledge of the craft and high expectations, and with minimal separation between audience and performer, they can make their pleasure or displeasure known immediately.

By those criteria, Tim Schall's performance on Friday was a success all-around. He chose a broad range of material, from the hallowed classics (Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick out of You" and "So in Love") through the humorous story-song "Ring them Bells" (Kander & Ebb), and made each his own. Schall demonstrated his range as well, moving easily from the persona of the lyrical balladeer to that of the Borscht Belt comedian.

Sarah Boslaugh
Cabaret Scenes
August 15, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org