Tuscany-Cabaret

Il Chiostro's Spring Programs in Italy

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Il Chiostro
241 W. 97th St., 13N
NY, NY 10025
800-990-3506
fax: 858-712-3329

Cabaret Performance
with Helen Baldassare
May 31-June 7, 2008
Price: $1,795

Program Description:

"I call them 9-5ers with a dream." So says Helen Baldassare about the typical students of her renowned Cabaret Performance Workshop.They're people who have made choices in their lives; people who have professions and careers. They're people who love the arts in some way - who love music, who love to sing - but rather than choose this as a way to make a living and spend the rest of their lives, they've chosen other real careers. Now, they're ready to learn more about singing. Since 1992, scores of singers, both aspiring and seasoned, have joined the Cabaret Performance Workshop where they've benefited from the experience and wisdom of Helen Baldassare, a highly respected New York cabaret performer, director and private coach. The Helen Baldassare Cabaret Performance Workshop, as featured in the New York Times and on NBC's Today Show, is an exciting, stimulating and nurturing environment where the aforementioned "Nine-to-Fivers" - and many other singers of varying background - come together to learn about the art of singing a song in an intimate cabaret setting. Participants will learn the fundamentals of:

stage presence
microphone technique
refining phrasing
lyric interpretation
overcoming stage fright
connecting with an audience
choosing appropriate musical material
communicating effectively with accompanists

Here, students learn by doing, by watching, by listening, as Ms. Baldassare shares her skill and experience. The accompanist is equally qualified and can play in any key, transpose on-the-spot and carefully determine each student's appropriate vocal range. Participants all share a common characteristic. In varying forms, each has said, "I love to sing!" - in high school, college or church choirs, in community theatre, in the shower! But there the similarity ends. Students have ranged in age from 18 to 70, with musical tastes covering a similarly wide spectrum.In this workshop, Helen has created a relaxed, supportive and safe environment, where taking chances is the norm and where making mistakes is honored. Students come to the workshop hoping to learn more about cabaret; at the end of their study, they realize they've learned even more - they've found a new form of self-expression, tapped into their creativity and discovered new self-confidence. And these are lessons each will take and use far beyond the workshop or the stage of the cabaret. For those who have never performed publicly or have never ventured into the intimate cabaret environment, the question may be, "Can I do it?" With Helen, the answer is "Yes, you can…And you'll have fun!"

Simone, Photo by Dan Lipow

Activities: And what an ideal spot to learn about expressing yourself through song - sensual Italy! During your week of studying cabaret with Helen, you will also have many opportunities to explore the wealth of sites in Tuscany, from optional trips to Siena and other hill towns, to sipping cappuccino in the village café, sampling wine at a local enoteca and feasting on the famous Tuscan cuisine and Chianti wine. The week will be filled with typically Tuscan sensuality.

About the Instructor: Over a period of two decades, Helen Baldassare has trod the boards of off-Broadway, regional theatre, summer stock, supper clubs and cabarets, in the US and abroad. Along the way, she has garnered numerous awards and honors. New York cabaret audiences have seen her at the original Duplex, Don't Tell Mama, The Park Ten, Caroline's Comedy Club, Eighty Eight's and Rose's Turn, as well as at the Cabaret Convention at The Town Hall and at Lincoln Center as part of the "Meet The Artists" series.Ms. Baldassare has taken her one-woman show from Salem, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts; she received critical acclaim at the Cairo Sheraton in Egypt; and she is currently a featured guest artist at the annual Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival.Off-Broadway, she was an original cast member of the phenomenon known as Nunsense portraying nearly every role in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C. Over a span of several years she shared the stage with Kaye Ballard, Peggy Cass and Jaye P. Morgan.A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Ms. Baldassare returned to her alma mater in 1996 to direct the musical production Once Upon A Mattress. She earned an M.F.A. degree from the University of Utah and currently sits on the faculties of The New School University and the Turtle Bay Music School, both in New York City. She has directed numerous cabaret acts and often serves as a consultant and private coach.

I really appreciated how you can bring out the best in each individual person and how you care about people. Thank you for sharing yourself and your talent with me.
A student.

Click here to link to Helen's website...

Setting & Accommodations:

Click here for description & photos...

Price and Registration: $1,795 p/p
($350 p/p supp. for ensuite bathroom or single room-limited availability)

Includes:

Shared double room in country villa
Daily traditional breakfast and dinner, including wine
Workshop tuition: maximum class size of 10
Accompanist
Final cabaret performance at Le Lodole bistro
Guided tour of Siena
½ day excursion to nearby hilltown (Monteriggioni, Radda, Volpaia…)
Transfers from bus/train station in Siena

Does Not Include:

Airfare
Lunch
Local bus transportation
Independent meals and sight-seeing

Note: to determine if this workshop is suitable, all participants must have have an informal interview with Helen and submit materials representing prior cabaret experience.

Getting There: Florence will be our meeting point on the first day of the workshop. We will arrange for a van to pick up the group at the train station at about 3:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. We recommend that you fly into either Florence or Rome (Milan is a bit too far away). Florence is closer but it doesn't have an intercontinental airport, so there are no direct flights from the US. You would have to change planes in a larger European city. From the Florence airport you will need to take a shuttle bus into the center (20 minutes).
There are more scheduled flights from the US to Rome, many of them direct. From Rome, you will need to take a train to Florence (about 2 1/2 hours).
Important! In making your return flight arrangements, if you are flying home on Saturday after the workshop, try not to book a flight too early. From our location it will take 1 ½ hours to get to the Florence airport or 3 ½ hours to get to the Rome airport.
For suggestions about getting to Rome or Florence, accommodations or other logistics, please consult our Travel to Italy link. Renting a car from all the major rental agencies is possible if you prefer to be more independent during the week.

To Register:

Download Registration Form by clicking button at left
Print, fill out and sign Registration Form
Mail or fax it to Il Chiostro with a non-refundable deposit of $300 (address and fax number are on the Registration Form)
You will receive a registration confirmation and subsequently, relevant information about your workshop, travel to Italy, arrivals, suggested supplies, etc.
Or call us at 800-990-3506 to register by phone