Feature: Eight Days Of Jewish Artists In Cabaret And Concert - Day Seven

Celia Berk is a captain of creativity. In her time working the cabaret and concert circuit, Celia has released three albums and four singles, appeared in countless cabaret shows and concerts (both her own, and group shows featuring her colleagues), and taken home numerous awards for her artistry. She has made a place for herself in the community, and it is a place that garners respect. That is because Celia Berk does the work. She is continually looking to create and looking to grow.

Celia hasn't actually been in the business for very long, less than a decade, in fact. The Manhattan native made her cabaret debut in 2015, taking some of her awards home for the impressive first bow, and people, immediately, took notice of her distinctive singing style and an onstage presence replete with elegance and dignity. Those qualities have informed her every move, ever since, along with her work ethic and determination. During the pandemic-informed lockdown of 2020, Celia took it upon herself to inspire and uplift by going into the recording studio to record two singles, one titled A SIMPLE PRAYER (the inspiring) and one titled HOLIDAY BELLS MEDLEY (the uplifting). She didn't have to do that - she could have stayed home, watched Netflix, and baked sourdough, like a lot of other people. But Celia wants to use her talent to reach others, which is exactly what she does. Only this year, Celia went way out on a limb with a brand-new show that pushed her artistic boundaries beyond the limits, and to great success. Working with director Mark Nadler (who has an artistic style quite easily described as both "out there" and "take no prisoners"), Celia created ON MY WAY TO YOU: IMPROBABLE STORIES THAT INSPIRED AN UNLIKELY PATH, a piece of theater that honored famous actors who succeeded against insurmountable odds. For this club act, Celia took chances, showing a vulnerability that is not the light into which she is usually cast, making use of props and costumes that, effectively, stripped her of more regular dignity and made her into a clown (what better way to honor the likes of Nancy Walker). The result was one of the best shows of 2022, one that took Celia Berk, her artistry, and her reputation to a new level. Celia Berk does the work.

Celia Berk is also a darn nice lady, one that makes the effort to be a friend, to get to know people, to put in the time to build friendships and relationships. This reporter remembers, well, being new on the job and accepting an invitation to tea with Celia and someone else who was a new friend to her, Anita Gillette, just to commune as human beings. In a world, in a city, in an industry where people can be self-involved and aloof, Celia Berk wants to know people, and she wants people to know her. She wants to share the warmth of a friend and the comfort of an outstretched hand of goodwill. It doesn't matter if she is walking the hallways of her career or standing in the rooms of her personal life, Celia isn't content to be complacent. Strong, intelligent, funny, opinionated, industrious, artistic, a little bit shy, a little bit bold, a little bit of a dreamer, and always ready to do the work: that's Celia Berk.

Our Judaism-themed question with Celia Berk:

Ste: Celia, when you were growing up and doing your training and studying, were you aware of the vast number of Jewish artists in the industry, or is that an interest that came to you as an adult, when a lot of our social convictions seem to amp up and become more vitally important than during our formative years?

Celia: My earliest musical recollections are of Al Jolson. Born Asa Yoselson, and the son of a Cantor, his songs were my introduction to the Great American Songbook. And of course, I was always fascinated by the fact that some of the greatest writers of Christmas music were Jewish. But it's impossible to overstate the impact that Barbra Streisand had on this young Jewish girl who dreamed of performing. This was something very different. So ethnic! So proudly Jewish! So full of chutzpah! YaknowwhatImean??

Read the Broadway World Cabaret review of a Celia Berk album HERE.

Celia's online presence is as follows:

Website: Click HERE.

Instagram: Click HERE.

Facebook: Click HERE.

Twitter: Click HERE.

YouTube: Click HERE.

Celia's pronouns are She/Her/Hers.

Celia's future projects include:

Celia has just released her third album, NOW THAT I HAVE EVERYTHING. Liner Notes, Song Notes and Credits can be seen HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher; Visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.

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