A little late-night music: Opening Night cabaret series returns to Syracuse Stage
Friday was the opening night for “Noises Off” at Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, but the final curtain close was far from the end of the evening’s entertainment.
For the second year in a row, Syracuse Stage has partnered with CNY Jazz Arts Foundation to present an Opening Night cabaret series, a collection of intimate post-show sets by a variety of local jazz performers.
Jill Anderson, the managing director of Syracuse Stage, said many of Syracuse Stage’s regular patrons are also supporters of CNY Jazz and vice versa. Audiences of last year’s cabaret series thought it was a “great fit” for the theater.
“If we can provide that exposure to a genre of music our patrons are already predisposed to enjoy, what a win,” she said.
The idea for the series was born last year when Syracuse Stage approached Larry Luttinger, the executive director of CNY Jazz, in the hopes of enlivening their post-show atmosphere.
“We are happy to be the icing on the cake for patrons,” Luttinger said.
A classical musician, Luttinger fell in love with jazz, listening to groups such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Since he founded CNY Jazz in 1998, the organization has grown to encompass a 17-piece big-band, as well as its own theater in downtown Syracuse. Luttinger said jazz is an incredibly powerful economic and social force in America and he founded CNY Jazz in an effort to leverage that power across the area.
Because of his widespread connections within the Syracuse jazz community, Luttinger takes charge of selecting artists for opening night shows. Anderson said this is a task that Syracuse Stage happily entrusts him with.
“He’s conscious of the tone of all our plays and I know he takes that into consideration,” Anderson said.
Alicia Bronzetti, a singer and music teacher at Nottingham High School, was the first to perform this year, taking the slot after “Noises Off.” Though Luttinger reaches out to a different pool of regional artists every year, he said Bronzetti always ranks high on his list of potential performers.
Bronzetti began collaborating with CNY Jazz several years ago, when she performed with her high school’s big band at a CNY Jazz-sponsored festival. Her passion for jazz began in eighth grade and has now reached “every nook and cranny” of her life. To prepare for the show, Bronzetti said she consulted a repertoire she has been building for over a decade, consisting of songs she has heard and fallen in love with.
“When I find a song I love, I dig right into it,” she said. “I stop everything I’m doing.”
For Bronzetti, being the post-show performer is about allowing the audience to wind down.
“Theatre has a magic of touching people in a really deep way,” she said. “When they come out it’s really nice to be able to welcome them into a more subtle art.”
The two-for-one show is also an opportunity for patrons to celebrate opening night alongside the actors they just saw perform. Anderson said the post-show events are frequently attended by the cast and other local artists, creating a whole new experience for ticket-holders, especially for the many who are already jazz fans.
Bronzetti agreed, and said jazz is built around timeless stories that will never grow old.
“There’s a jazz tune for everything you’ve ever felt,” she said. “I think that’s the beauty of jazz. It can be so incredibly personal.”
The cabaret series will continue on Oct. 19 with a performance by Scott Dennis after the premiere of “Possessing Harriet.” Events are open to ticket holders only.
