Interview: Caitie Frownfelter of SHOW ME: SONGS FROM BROADWAY'S GOLDEN AGE at Birdland Theater

Caitlin Frownfelter is about to make her solo show debut in the cabaret and concert industry, yet hers is a face that many already know. The reason is that Caitie is one of the faces of Birdland - much of the time when patrons arrive at the legendary jazz club in Midtown Manhattan, Caitie's is the face people see. One of the front-of-house staff, there, Caitie is an integral part of the Birdland operation. It is, therefore, only natural that when Caitie decided to get away from the group shows and into the solo spotlight, she would choose her home away from home, which is exactly what she is doing.

On June 27th, Caitie Frownfelter will premiere SHOW ME: SONGS FROM BROADWAY'S GOLDEN AGE in the Birdland Theater. Promising the soprano's songs from the shows she grew up with, Caitie intends to celebrate the classic musicals in her own, individual style, just as the women who originated them did.

As the days pass until the premiere of SHOW ME, Caitie Frownfelter took some time out of rehearsals and her Birdland duties to chat with Broadway World Cabaret about her work on and off the stage, how she found her voice as a singing actress, and where the line lies between classic and corny.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced with minor edits.

Caitlin Frownfelter, welcome to Broadway World!

Thank you! I'm so excited to be here!

Now, to get this out of the way, you prefer to go by Caitie, right?

Yes, please! I always have. I just don't know how to change it on my Facebook!

You are one of the remarkable women who make sure that all of the Birdland guests get checked in and seated in a timely and orderly manner, and always so professionally, which I always marvel at. How on earth do you ladies do such stressful work and remain so calm and kind?

Thank you! My goodness, well it's not always the easiest but we Love that we get to share music with all of our guests and that usually makes it worth it. Plus we always have snacks in the back too so that usually keeps us at bay!

You also have a background in administration, don't you? You're sort of like a show business Jane-Of-All-Trades. Put a picture in my head of your life in the business of show.

Well I have always performed but I got a taste of backstage life when I started working with the Xavier Dramatics Society at Xavier high school down on 16th St. I started as their costumer and then I moved on to help with set design and any other administrative help they needed. Which I loved, those kids were so fun to work with!

While doing all this behind-the-scenes work, you are also a classically trained singing actress. Is it difficult, balancing out the artistic and administrative sides of the entertainment industry coin?

I am! Like any other actress working in the city, it's a puzzle trying to balance work with auditions, taking classes, and planning shows, but if you take it a step at a time and keep putting in the work it's very rewarding and definitely worth all of the late nights.

On June 27th, you will be presenting your solo club act SHOW ME: SONGS FROM BROADWAY'S GOLDEN AGE in the Birdland Theater. Is there a chance that this is your first solo show outing, or did you make that leap in the years before we met?

I have done a few small cabaret shows where I only had one or two songs, but this is my first solo show!

The advertising for SHOW ME uses a very clever turn of phrase: "songs from your grandma's favorite musicals." Were the plays you are covering in this show your own grandmother's favorites?"

Well, I have acquired many grandmothers over the years and despite my age, I tend to act exactly like them. Hobby wise at least. Since their influence was so impactful on me I wanted to create a show that honored the musicals we both loved.

You are a classically trained soprano. What is the journey like as a young girl who wants to be in musical theater? Did you pursue the life of a soprano because you liked these musicals, or did you turn to these musicals when you discovered you were a soprano?

Throughout school, I always sang and I Have loved musicals for as long as I can remember, but I didn't really know specific voice parts until later on when I was in high school. All I knew before was that I would always sing along to anything Julie Andrews did. That was my favorite growing up. When I was in college I then explored more classical musicals. It was a dream to finally find voices that sounded like mine. At that point, I absolutely fell in love with them.

Do you think there is still a place in today's society for these older shows that many consider classics but that some consider corny?

I think these specific shows are very important, especially nowadays. There's so much to learn about classic musicals that were at one point considered controversial. It teaches us so much about the past and different cultures because if we don't know about our leaders in the past, how are we ever going to create anything new in our future?

Is it possible for directors and other creatives to find ways to bring these classics into today's sensibilities, or should they be preserved as museum pieces?

I think there's so much potential with any classical piece, it's in the hands of the director in which direction they're going to take. Like so many of the revivals today, directors are taking a more modern approach thinking it's giving the show more depth. In my opinion, I think keeping it classic and not changing the entire premise of the show to make it relevant today is actually more impactful when most of the themes or messages of these shows are still on-brand for what's happening in our world today, even if it was written in a different way.

If you could play a five-show summer rep singing soprano roles, what plays would you choose to balance out the classics with more modern musical theater fare?

Ooh that's a good question, I would choose; Carousel, She Loves Me, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Shrek the musical

I think there's a good balance between new, old, and some in the middle. It gives a variety of emotions as well and personally, I think each of those would be so much fun!

You have remained positive and upbeat for every moment of the last two years - every time I come to Birdland you have a smile on your face. What is the philosophy that has kept your optimism so strong on the front burner?

Not gonna lie, I love to see you when you come in! But I genuinely love working with the rest of the staff at the club. They're all my friends and that's really how we get through it, I couldn't do it without them.

Caitie, thank you so much for chatting with us today. I cannot wait to see SHOW ME on the 27th!

Caitie Frownfelter SHOW ME: SONGS FROM BROADWAY'S GOLDEN AGE plays Birdland Theater on June 27th at 8:30. Information and reservations are available on the Birdland website HERE.

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