Q&A with Nightlife Award Winner Lorinda Lisitza

Lorinda Lisitza won her Nightlife Award for her concert "Triumphant Baby," featuring the songs of Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock, two recent graduates of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Musical Theatre program. Before she could present the second night of her concert, she had already earned her Award.

You won your award based on a single performance. That's probably a record. How does it feel to have your show recognized so immediately and whole-heartedly?

I was very excited! I was also very fortunate to have invited all the press I invited, many of them who turned out to be judges, and also fortunate that they were able to see the show. It was a Sunday evening, later in the night, and I think that helped. I really believed in the show and at the same time it was scary, because with totally new material, you also have to hope that your audience will have the same taste as you and embrace a certain kind of material. It has been described as a darkly humorous show and also the songwriters are "minstrels of the misbegotten"

What inspired you to do a concert of songs by two unknowns— and very young unknowns at that? What was it about their music that gave you that kind of confidence?

I met and worked with Robert Maddock on his 20 minute musical while he was in his first year at NYU and I loved his work, it was strange and quirky and really funny. A year later, he, Joe and Reza Jacobs were working on a full length show called Plastic! and they brought me back for this unbelievably fun and meaty role... Of all the new musicals I've worked on in New York for the last 10 years, it was my favorite. It spoke to me, and I just believe in it and the guys. It's like a bolt of lightning from the blue; I just know they will be incredibly successful in their writing careers. They aren't household names yet, but they will be. In fact, when I approached them about doing a show with me, one of the reasons I presented (besides wanting to work together again) was that the more the universe hears their music, the quicker the world will embrace them and people will know about their fantastic, genius catalogue of songs. They have already been winning awards left and right and I think they are known in the world of musical theatre writers. I just want everyone everywhere to hear and love their songs!

What do you feel the Nightlife Awards mean to the Cabaret community, as opposed to other awards?

I think it is a classy evening, held in a prestigious venue for 1500 people. It legitimizes the art form as many winners in both the cabaret category and the jazz and comedy categories are successful in the worlds of theatre, and television. That brings the potential of a new audience to cross over and hear other artists. It has multiple judges, so it isn't any one person's opinion and it is a weighted ballot system I believe, so it is fair. That being said, there are so many wonderful, talented people in shows in this city, whose work is of award winning caliber, who maybe didn't get enough judges in to see their shows, or for whatever reason are doing supremely quality work and were overlooked. Or they could be new to the business and still building a reputation. I recognize that and so even though hard work is a huge part, so is luck and fate. That is the nature of this business, and it sometimes swings in ones favor, but often doesn't. I've been on both sides!

What does the award mean to you, personally?

Personally, I am very proud and happy, for myself, but also for my songwriting team. I couldn't have done it without them, and I think it validates my belief in their skills and all our work on the show paid off. Also, I got some great direction from Brad Oscar, who is still acting (he's in Vegas doing The Producers now), but branching into directing as well and it speaks highly of his skill. I am thrilled for my whole team I worked with and since we get to perform at the awards show, I'm happy to have Liz and Tanya (my back up singers) up singing with me. I also got tremendous support from the Metropolitan Room, where I work and from my technicians, J.P. Perreaux on sound and Michael Barbieri on lights. They created a whole atmosphere. It is fabulous to be recognized for a show you loved doing and that you get to work with all your friends on.

What's the next step?

I think everything helps and singing in front of a large audience is a great way to reach people who might come to future shows. I rarely do cabaret shows, this is only my second one, I work my survival job in the clubs and I think I learn a lot about what I like and what I don't. When I decided to do this show, I really wanted to work on something I believed in and loved because it is a cost prohibitive art form; I had to have something I wanted to say. That's also why I don't do shows all the time; I have to have something I really feel strongly about.

I really think cabaret is an art form and a lot of people have preconceived notions about it, or denigrate it. When done well, there is nothing more intimate or fascinating. I learn something about acting every time I step on stage in a club. I am however, actively pursuing a theatre career in New York and I audition all the time. I seem to end up doing a lot of developmental work on new musicals and have three weeks of work at The York Theatre in Feb. followed by a showcase at Theater Ten Ten this spring, of Brecht/Weill's Happy End. It upsets me when critics come and call me a "cabaret singer" in a theatre review, or in a blurb, and I get the impression that they think that lessens me somehow. I have had board members of theatres approach me with surprise after a show opens and say "We weren't going to cast you because you are a cabaret singer, but you surprised us." Cabaret is a great art form with amazing acting combined with singing. I hope that people's perceptions about it can be changed. The ones who love it know, but there are a lot of people out there who are missing out. Come to the Nightlife Awards and see what you've been missing!

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