On the grand occasion of the Saturday night edition of St. Joan of Arc’s 10th anniversary Cabaret, I thought perhaps this year’s theme of “Just Like Starting Over” would be another trip to a nostalgic era. When I saw some of the bohemian-attired folks wandering about in the hallways before the show, I presumed I was correct. But then I walked into the gym, saw the valentine-like table décor, picked up a program and found the theme really had to do with…love songs!

So here I was, a gal who is an “un-surrendered single”, refuses to celebrate that “holiday” that falls on February 14th, claiming it personally irrelevant, about to try to capture an evening of love songs. I had no doubt I was in for a great night of music…nonetheless, it presented a challenge as to how I was going to adequately cover the atmosphere without having much “first hand experience” these days to relate to. Well, I thought back to one friend’s reaction to my “in-yer-face, I don’t do V-day” stance. She practically screamed at me, declaring, “there’s all kinds of love!” Thus, I decided to seek out just how much of a variety of love themes, aside from the usual romanticism, there were during the course of the evening. Indeed, I found a wide range of kinds of love expressed in the song choices. And, the show certainly didn’t lack for moments and things I loved.

Wondering Love:

• Dan Chouinard and Julie Madden as a long married couple in bed with Dan posing the musical question “but do you LOVE me?”

• Dennis Spears(right) performing “Let’s Get It On”
• Boyd Lee and Joe Cruz (with some great guitar work!) doing “Love the One You’re With”.

• The amazing Robert Robinson taking the old Jackie Wilson hit “Higher and Higher” and giving it the gospel workout like no one else.

• “Mr. and Mrs. St. Joan of Arc”, Fred and Anna Mae Vagle on the Turtles hit “Happy Together”
• Bruce Kernow with a hot harmonica version of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"

Fan Love:

• Debbie Duncan declaring her passion for Johnny Mathis, singing his “Twelfth of Never.”

• The audience was invited to dance to first time Cabaret performer Bobby Schnitzer’s tasty guitar work.

• Ann Reed with one of her very popular compositions “If You Were Mine”.

• Peter Mayer with what he described as “sort of a love song”, called “Magical World”.

First Time Love:

• Carin Vagle(right) doing a lovely job on “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
• Jerry Rau joined by Deb Harley on a song from the movie “Lilli” about a young girl whose first love is a puppeteer.

• Still newlywed Kathy Perkins Speltz in her wedding gown singing a great version of “Time After Time” along with a photo montage of herself and hubby Shane from childhood to today.

• Mark Stillman with an enthusiastic Albanian love song on the accordion.
• Sima Shumilovsky and the musicians whipped themselves and the audience into a frenzy with a gypsy love song.

Outrageous Love:

• We wait for this every year: what is Rachel Kroog(right) going to pull off this time? This year she and Lee Vague transformed themselves from geek to glamorous to the tune of “Ring Them Bells.”

• A dedication to the memory of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, lost to us two years ago on Cabaret week.
• An emotional tribute to Bob Hanson via video from past Cabaret performances and a touching mime piece by Michael Hennessey called “The Kite”. As Anna Mae Vagle described in her introduction, “it is in the letting go that we are able to keep the memory in our hearts.”

Long Time Love:

• Deb Harley singing Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”
• Diane Jarvi with “My Foolish Heart”
• Nancy Stockhaus doing “A Bushel and A Peck” with Fred Vagle(right) playing the part of Nancy’s husband—her real one went to the lake on Saturday
• Larry Long playing a lovely flute piece with narrative and vocal, which was inspired by his wife.

Prudence Johnson told the story of going to her first rock concert to see Herman’s Hermits and meeting the first boy to call her (but her mom nipped it in the bud before they could talk!), before doing the Hermits hit “I’m Into Something Good.”
Love Over the Ages:

• Steve Kremer showing us love through the life stages with “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”.
• Peter Ostroushko(right) doing a heartfelt vocal rendition of the traditional “When You and I Were Young, Maggie.”

Savvy Love:

• Gary Rue dug up an old chestnut from the British Invasion, the Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames Hit “Ya Ya”.

Heroic Love:

• T. Mychael Rambo shared the story of Diane Mosely, his elementary/junior high love who helped him rescue his violin from the top of the school after bullies had tossed it, then dedicated “For Once In My Life” to her.

Things I love every year about the Cabaret:

• The production opener (this year “Just Like Starting Over”) and the finale (“What the World Needs Now/Put A Little Love In Your Heart”).
• The always incredible solid support of the band—Dick Hedlund, Shane Speltz, Dan and Joe Chouinard, Lee Vague, Jim TenBensel
• The spirit of fun and community when it’s raffle time and cheering on the finalists for the big prize in the “Heads or Tails” game.
• And, oh yes…the food!

This year, I also loved volunteering at the CD tables. One of my greatest loves is encouraging and supporting the artists in a personal way. It doesn’t get much better than getting a phone call and being asked to help out someone like Ann Reed in a pinch.

Writer, speaker, consultant, administrative professional, Wendy Vickers, has been an active supporter and encourager of local musicians in the Twin Cities music community for several years. Her online newsletter on local coffeehouse performers and other music-related activities can be found on her website at www.wendyv.com .

The 10th anniversary Cabaret certainly showed us there are all kinds of love. That friend of mine was right after 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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