Brandon Cutrell: Risking and Winning

In the past two years, Brandon Cutrell has earned two MAC Awards and a Bistro Award for his first three cabaret outings, sang in the ensembles of several benefit concerts, appeared in the second Broadway Unplugged concert as well as The Broadway Musicals of 1956, and earned a devoted following as the lovingly snarky host of "Mostly Sondheim," a weekly open-mic variety show at the Duplex. And on June 5^th, Cutrell's career will take another leap forward with One Night Only, a new concert at Feinstein's, one of the most respected venues in the city.

"Each cabaret I do allows me to make or at least try to make huge artistic leaps," Cutrell says. "A lot of people think cabaret is really easy. I, however, think it's an amazing artform that challenges my abilities as a musician and actor." Those challenges, he continues, begin with the very process of choosing the songs. Out of a hundred possibilities, Cutrell, music director Ray Fellman, and director Phil Geoffrey Bond had to select fourteen songs for the concert. "I never want to pick material that is irrelevant to me," Cutrell says. "If I can't find a part of me that relates with authenticity to a song, I won't put it in my show... Sometimes what you find– or the reasons for the connection– can be frightening. But that's when you know you HAVE to sing the song! To quote John Bucchino, 'if you never risk, you never win.'" Once the songs are set, they must be refined into an emotional whole. "Ray and I decide how we believe the songs should flow musically. Then, Phil joins the equation to help me with the 'theatre' within the songs." That theatricality is a tightrope that can make or break a concert: too much is overwhelming and artificial, not enough leaves the show cold and emotionless. "Cabaret is all about being yourself," Cutrell muses. "It's easy to go to that 'actor' place and go through the motions of a song. It just doesn't work in cabaret, though. People can see right through it."

Like No Reservations, Cutrell's most recent cabaret at the Duplex, One Night Only will not focus on any particular theme, story or composer, but will be an intimate evening of individual songs, ranging from classics by Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer to modern hits by k.d. lang and Alanis Morissette. "My style is to choose songs that mean something to me, that make me feel something in my gut, that knock me over when I actually hear the lyrics," he explains. " That's my theme... Songs that I, Brandon Cutrell, think are important. Not just songs that I think are pretty or cabaret-friendly!"

The two years in between No Reservations and this concert, he continues, have changed him, and given new meanings to the songs he sings. "Time changes your connection to a song in the same way time changes your connection to people, life, work, etc.," he says. "It's life experience. It's emotional growth. I'll give you a personal example: There's a song I'm singing at Feinstein's that relates directly to something that happened to me in high school. In rehearsal the other day, I told Phil, my director, that that was my connection to the song. He said, 'You're still hung up on that? Get over it already.' The point is, when I'm over it, I won't need to sing the song anymore. For now, it's in my bones, which means I'm going to sing it."

As one of the more prominent up-and-coming cabaret artists, Cutrell can see firsthand the wide range of styles in the art form, and how the genre is changing. "It can be almost anything you want it to be," he says, "because it is usually self-produced." The different styles can lead to rifts within the community, though Cutrell believes that there is room enough for all kinds. "The performers that like "old-school" cabaret will continue go that route. The performers that strive to be innovative will hopefully continue down that path."

"One thought, though," he continues. "When I competed in The Algonquin's Young Artist Competition last December, I was told the judges had a very difficult time agreeing on the definition of cabaret. Some thought it included jazz. Some didn't agree. Some thought it should be more youthful and casual. Some thought it should be more formal. Maybe that's just the point," he says. "It's whatever you make it."

FEINSTEIN'S AT THE REGENCY will present Brandon Cutrell on Monday, June 5 at 8:30 PM. The show has a $25.00 cover and a two drink minimum. Jackets are suggested but not required. FEINSTEIN'S AT THE REGENCY is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City. For ticket reservations and club information, please call (212) 339-4095.

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