Cabaret 2001: ..."Have a Nice Day Cabaret" 
 Friday, November 2nd, 2001 

"I can still remember how that music made me smile"- Don McClean

From the minute you enter the SJA Gym, through curtains made of plastic beads, you think you've walked into a time warp. Screen slides of 1970's icon poster images like Farrah Fawcett, Shaft, and The Godfather flash over white high key backgrounds; "Flower-Power" patterned blankets adorn the gym walls; lava lamps and afro wigs are seen; and prominently displayed in the groovy center of it all, a glittering disco ball. Everything 70's is fabulously relived. Well, maybe not the streaking fad, but campy nostalgia put a huge smile on a sold-out crowd that attended Have a Nice Day Cabaret "It's Yesterday Once More." The Seventh Annual SJA Cabaret fundraiser opened Friday, 11-02-01 featuring performer's favorite 1970's pop tunes.

The 1970's was a turbulent, defiant era, ripe for a nation coming to terms with social issues: the Vietnam war; "Hanoi Jane;" Women's equal rights; Roe vs. Wade; Watergate; the SLA Patty Hearst kidnapping; and add to it the ever present rise in inflation. Hmmm, right now doesn't America feel like yesterday once more? This decade also produced a canon of both finely crafted songs and silly pop tunes; Songs that were socially relevant and songs that were ear candy. For every "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "American Pie," there was a "Joy To The World" and a "Disco Duck."

But these 70's songs have real relevance for most SJA parishioners because this period was a cornerstone for shaping the Church's present day mission of embracing social justice. And many of the folk songs sung at each SJA Sunday Mass come from this era. In keeping with the 70's theme, the Friday night Cabaret opened hilariously with a visit from two very familiar icons, Edith (Julie Madden) and Archie Bunker (Bob Hanson). The talented pair kept the audience in stitches as Madden "screeched" and Hanson "smaltzed" the infamous All in the Family theme song "Those Were the Days."

Three and a quarter hours of incredible performances down memory lane followed. Singing the title song of this cabaret "Yesterday Once More," Deb Harley's deep alto voice complimented Karen Carpenter's lovely familiar version nicely. Gwen Matthews had some fun with Three Dog Knight's "Joy To the World" and was joined by Mary Jane Alm and Boyd Lee with a sizzling rendition of the Pointer Sister's Bruce Springteen penned tune "Fire." But it was Gwen's velvet smooth vocals on Dionne Warwick's "Alfie" theme song that created true magic.

Making fun of his own singing ability ("If you will put up with"), Dan Chouinard(left) proved himself the Maestro as Billy Joel's "Piano Man" with, of course, brilliant playing and impressionable singing. He was beautifully accompanied by Peter Ostroushko on mandolin and Mark Stillman on accordion.

Dan Chouinard and Anna Vagle, the Cabaret's music producers are to be commended for their monumental efforts in coordinating this event. Anna contributed charm to a cover of Crystal Gayle's crossover hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" and husband Fred Vagle provided poignancy with his heart felt vocal and guitar playing on "Dance the First Dance With Me."

Sonny and Cher's "All I Ever Need Is You" got some campy treatment by a fur lined vest wearing Gary Rue and his own wife Prudence Johnson donning an "itchy" long black haired wig complete with a silver and lavender velvet jump suit. Gotta love it! Prudence got serious with a remarkable treatment of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with some fiery backup vocals from Harley, Matthews, and Mary Jane Alm. And Gary contributed some arousing solo guitar work on "Light of the World [Love is the Answer]." Guitar lovers were treated to Billy Mclaughlin's virtuoso musicianship as he sported Elton John sunglasses while playing and singing John's classic "Bennie and the Jets." [Check out that falsetto!] And he also provided amazing intricacy on an extended riff in the song "Hold On To Forever."

Usually a music educator, SJA Choir piano accompanist, and staff instructor, Nancy Stockhaus got to showoff her terrific vocal chops on Linda Ronstadt's Buddy Holly penned tune "When Will I Be Loved." Deb Harley nailed a dead-on cover of Joni Mitchell's complex standard "Raised On Robbery" with both tight vocal harmony and rich guitar playing; and Rachael Kroog(right) delivered the goods with her athletic high kicking and shakedown energy while singing Kiki Dee's 70's rocker "I've Got the Music In Me."

The SJA audience were heartily won over as they ecstatically sang along to Steve Kremer's able guitar and strong vocal working of John Denver's signature tune "Take Me Home Country Roads." Fabulous fiddle and mandolin playing are Peter Ostroushko's trademarks and he provided no less than eight minutes of playing with his "Medicine Bow," accompanied by Dirk Freymurth on guitar. Mary Jane Alm performed a haunting cover of Paul Simon's incredibly relevant "American Tune." With lyrics as telling as "Alright because we've lived so well so long, but I wonder what's gone wrong" and "We can't be forever blessed ... still I'm trying to get some rest," this 70's song still says it best about our country's present day predicament. Nashville's Tab Lavin provided nice guitar accompaniment. Mary than told a story about being too young and inexperienced back in the 70's to sing her next song, but "now that I've gotten my face dirty, I'm ready to handle" Bonnie Raitt's gritty blues number "Love Me Like a Man." And she handled it admirably, as did Chouinard on a scorching honky tonk piano solo.

Alm and her husband Pat Frederick on lead vocals provided heavenly harmony on The Eagles familiar song "The New Kid In Town;" and closing out the first half of the cabaret (a lengthy two hours), Frederick and Ostroushko brought the house down by playing some wicked dueling fiddles that built to a fever pitch climax on the Charlie Daniels Band showdown "The Devil Went Down To Georgia."

The length of this Cabaret is a staggering four hours with one 45 minute intermission (a raffle is also included). To appease weak bladders, one might ask for two breaks in the program. Madden, Chouinard, and Hanson delightfully chided "the six hours we are seeing" with their humorous lyrics to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme song.

The second half of this "no end in sight" program made way with Bassist Dick Hedlund's hypnotically funky, Hendryx-style treatment of "The Star Spangled Banner." Mime artist Michael Hennessey returned from former cabarets with fun and games from audience participation. Trombonist Jim tenBensel performed a gorgeous moving solo dedicated to a passing friend with Bread's classic "If". Accordion player Mark Stillman provided infectious joy with his upbeat solo "The Duke of Fifes," and in an exuberant duet joined another fine accordionist Dan Chouinard on "My Little Runaway" and "YMCA."

Russian folk singer Sima Shumilovsky applied her thick Russian accent to a quite unique cover of Anne Murray's "I Just Fall In Love Again" ballad coming off amusingly campy yet lovingly sweet. She was right at home with her gypsy-like robustly Russian version of "Those Were the Days My Friend" with terrific accordion accompanist Mark Stillman. Cyril Paul paid tribute to his Trinidad heritage with his spirited vocal "Pan in 'A' minor," accompanied by some mean steal drum playing by Kevin Fuhrman. Paul Peterson wore a shiny bright purple suit and a jet blue headband over a frizzy black wig while tearing the funk out of Sly Stone's "Thank You [For Lettin' Me Be Myself Again]" singing with a voice of soul and playing some red hot guitar licks. Lee Vague tenderly performed the 70's ballad "Bluer Than Blue" wearing a nostalgic blue jumpsuit; but it was the audience that might've felt bluer. For him not to play a James Taylor tune is an outright crime. Bob Hanson did a fine vocal on Elton John's "Your Song;" and hearing Dan Chouinard's magnificent piano accompaniment was like hearing Elton playing himself.

Anna Vagle had announced "the best for last" and with that statement Gospel singer Robert Robinson took the mike with his soaring Gospel version of James Taylor's classic "You've Got a Friend." Regarding singing a 70's pop tune, this brilliant voice of an angel announced "If some of my songs sound churchy, you'll get over it." And vowing that we'll never hear him sing this next number in public again he tore into his hilarious rousing version of Bob Seger's "I like That Ole Time Rock n' Roll" bringing the house to its feet like no other could.

Michael Reinbold is a professional photographer and banquet caterer with an extensive theatre background in acting, writing, and directing. He loves all aspects of the arts, staying fit, and helping and inspiring people. A passionate believer in St. Joan of Arc's mission of social justice, Michael is a continuing AIDS Ride participant, Grace House volunteer cook, mass reader, and Joan of Arc choir member. He looks forward to web reporting and photographing for the website.

In closing the evening, Deb Harley closed appropriately to the Carpenters signature classic "Close To You" accompanied by the entire lineup of entertainers including Paul Peterson leading The Jackson's "I'll Be There" and Mary Jane Alm doing the Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together." The cabaret ended with a single spotlight illuminating an enormous peace sign on stage. A wishful prayer to us all.

Rick Spaulding is a photographer specializing in digital photography for the theater and works for National Camera Exchange. He is also an antique dealer and eBay afficianado who enjoys collecting marbles but his true joys in life are his two boys and his beautiful wife, Tinia.

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