Review Fix Exclusive: Cabaret Sauvignon Talks ‘The Mysterious A Cappella Murder Cabaret’

Review Fix chats with singers Elena Zazanis, Alex Pflaster, Amy Elise and Amanda Levie, who discusses their production at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, “The Mysterious A Cappella Murder Cabaret.” Breaking down the inspiration for the performance, as well as his goals for the future, the quartet lets us know exactly why we should check out the wildly unique production.

For more information on the production and the MITF, click here.

Review Fix: What inspired this production?

Cabaret Sauvignon: The Mysterious A Cappella Murder Cabaret was inspired by the desire to elevate what began as an a cappella “act” into a “real show!” We had talked about producing a variety show compiled of comedy, burlesque, music and sketch, but this concept morphed into a collaborative effort to actually write a musical comedy. We know it’s not Shakespeare, but we guarantee the audience a tantalizing journey, showcasing our tunes from the quirkiest to the campiest and unraveling the mystery of our manager’s murder.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Cabaret Sauvignon: As a quartet, we’ve been pitching ideas for songs to each other for over two years, so when it came to writing this plot, we adopted the same strategy. One of us would present an idea to take the story further, and then the rest of us would contribute or kill it! It works because we feel very safe with each other. We feel supported. So we take incredible risks and that has not yet failed to pay off.

Review Fix: What makes this production special?

Cabaret Sauvignon: This collaborative effort is the brainchild of our Cabaret Sauvignon family. We are so proud of our creation and will nurture it every step of the way forward.

Review Fix: How is your cast unique?

Cabaret Sauvignon: The four of us have been singing together twice a week for over two years. Our rapport and chemistry are reminiscent of a set of wild sisters, continuously on the verge of either killing each other or snuggling up under some blankets together. Each performer has her own trademark sound and stage presence, but when you put all our distinct personalities together we somehow form this crisp, unified act.

Review Fix: What have you learned through the process of this production?

Cabaret Sauvignon: We’ve definitely learned about the footwork of putting on a production. There’re so many components; things to see, people to meet, calls to be made etc.  However, the structure of the idea of the production came to us naturally.  It was amazing how easily dramatic our performances already were just from being an acapella group

Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of this festival?

Cabaret Sauvignon: It feels amazing. When you are in a specific niche performance, it’s always incredible when there’s an organization, festival, or event that you actually fit perfectly into.  How often does an a capella group murder mystery cabaret fit into a theater festival? We all feel so lucky and can’t wait  to showcase our one of a kind show.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?

Cabaret Sauvignon: The music in this show will appeal to a wide audience; we’ve included some classics from the Andrews Sisters era as well as top 40s that everyone has heard on the radio in the past few years, with a few obscure but beautifully harmonious tunes thrown in. Everyone enjoys a good poke at New Jersey, and while some of the jokes may be most appreciated by insiders, anyone who’s seen Jersey Shore will get a laugh out of the playful puns. The satirical storyline and theatrical banter will strike a chord with anyone who’s experienced the underbelly of the theater world.

Review Fix: What are your goals for the production?

Cabaret Sauvignon: We are testing “The Mysterious A Cappella Murder Cabaret” in MITF Variety for several applications, and we are so grateful for the opportunity. Like everyone else, we envision it as a great production for audiences of all ages in community theaters around the country, but we also see a fantastic potential in customizing it for corporate entertainment. With the success of the Pitch Perfect franchise, “Murder Cabaret” offers an affordable, trendy entertainment option to many different kinds of audiences.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Cabaret Sauvignon: “The Mysterious A Cappella Murder Cabaret” will be performed in Jersey City this fall, and Cabaret Sauvignon will continue to perform, tour and develop new projects, as well as to contribute performance time to a variety of non-profit organizations, hospitals and nursing homes in the greater New York area.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13821 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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