In Formation — More profiles to come!
This exchange (both the conference and the festival) continues the essential conversation on the art of cabaret among performers, teachers and coaches, writers and historians, and fans.
Cette échange poursuit l’essentiel de la conversation sur l’art du cabaret entre interprètes, enseignants et entraîneurs, écrivains et historiens, et fans.
Workshop teachers, round table leaders, and principal performers
Susan Arjmand is a family medicine physician with academic appointments at Rush Medical College and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She has specialty training in the medical problems of musicians and dancers. She has published and lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of primary care and performing ats medicine and on vocal health for singers. In addition to her medical career, Susan is a professional classical singer, having performed with various music organizations including Light Opera Works, Bowen Park Opera Company, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, L’Opera Piccola, Chamber Opera Chicago, and several professional choral groups. She organizes a monthly salon series in Chicago, Opera Inter Alia, in which local professional opera singers offer performances of opera and musical theater.
Michèle began as actress and singer (Comédie Française, Festival d’Avignon, etc) but left everything for the circus in Sweden, Germany and her own company in France. She was discovered in Sweden by the legendary Josephine Baker who engaged her as personal secretary from 1969-1971. After thirty years, Michèle returned to theater, released three song albums, published novels, historical essays, theater and poems, and produced her one-woman-shows evoking the circus world and more recently her upbringing in Algeria. She has created events, often televised, such as the Gala de la Presse and Kréatika, the Festival of Authors-Composers-Performers. She was vice-president of the Alliance Francophone, taking her to many countries, most notably Japan. www.michele-barbier.com
Michèle, a commencé sa carrière comme actrice, chanteuse et auteur (Comédie Française, Festival d’Avignon, etc). Mais elle a tout quitté pour vivre dans le monde du cirque pendant trente ans, voyageant en Scandinavie, en Allemagne, puis dirigeant sa propre compagnie en France. En Suède, elle est découverte par la légendaire Joséphine Baker qui l’engage comme secrétaire personnelle de 1968 à 1971. Revenant au théâtre, à l’écriture et à la chanson, elle a sorti quatre albums, publié douze livres (romans, essais historiques, pièces de théâtre et poèmes) et produit et joué dans cinq pièces de théâtre, dont un one-woman-show inspiré du monde du cirque. Son dernier livre, Josephine Baker, les dernières années – La renaissance d’une étoile est paru aux Editions Riveneuve au début de l’année 2022. Originaire d’Algérie, elle a publié plusieurs ouvrages sur son pays natal . N’ayant jamais oublié la Guerre d’Algérie, elle présente en mars 2022 une nouvelle pièce de théâtre et publie un nouveau livre, consacrés à cette période qui l’a beaucoup marquée.
Elle a produit des événements télévisés, tels que le Gala de la Presse et Kréatika, le Festival des auteurs-compositeurs-interprètes. Elle est vice-présidente de l’Alliance Francophone pour laquelle elle s’est produite et a voyagé dans de nombreux pays, dont le Japon. www.michele-barbier.com
A fervent francophile and music lover, Dr. Susan Boldrey is honored to serve as translator/interpreter for the 2025 Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion in Paris. Susan lived in France three years. She teaches French and Spanish as well as English to immigrant and refugee women. Susan teaches a creative way to learn French in “Chansons Francophones” via Zoom. Her PhD in French from Northwestern University involved interviews with 30+ singers, composers and poets of Québec and analysis of Québécois songs as a cultural reflection of Québec from the 1960s to the 1980s. She has been a translator/interpreter with the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion since 2018.
In addition to these roles, Susan is a French and Spanish tour guide. She loves to present photo travelogues to cultural groups. She has traveled to Israel, Japan, Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Canada, Europe and Mexico. Again, we thank you for sharing our celebration of Cabaret Music and Culture in the “City of Light.” Merci beaucoup!
Singer songwriter Anne Burnell performs at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals including the Sarasota Jazz festival, Taste Of Chicago, Plymouth Jazz Festival, and Food & Music Festival in Panama. She released three duo albums with her husband pianist/vocalist Mark Burnell, LITTLE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER, TWO FOR THE ROAD, and THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG (2024). Her solo albums are BLUES IN THE NIGHT, a Harold Arlen tribute, arranged by Count Basie Band veteran Bob Ojeda, and SUMMER DAYS & DREAMY NIGHTS, produced and arranged by renowned guitarist Henry Johnson, features many of her originals including San Juan (which earned her one of two Billboard Magazine Certificate of Achievement in Songwriting Awards). She served as President of Chicago Cabaret Professionals from 2019-2023 and received the 2024 Excellence in Cabaret Service Award. She is an Individual Artist Grant recipient from Chicago DCASE, and Anne & Mark Burnell were awarded the 2024 Gold Coast Award by Chicago Cabaret Professionals.
Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “silky smooth and highly polished”, Mark Burnell has worked with Dave Frishberg, Richie Cole, Louie Bellson, Connie Francis, Howie Mandel, Ward Swingle, Laurel Masse, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Marshall, Blair Underwood and Seth Meyers. Mark’s overseas tours have taken him to Paris, Amsterdam, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Freiburg, St. Croix and Panama. In 2009 and 2010, he was an instructor at the International Cabaret Conference at Yale. Mark taught jazz at Northwestern and Roosevelt Universities, and trained vocalists for 10 years at Carnegie Mellon University, where he received his MFA and BFA, and also directed the CMU Jazz Choir. One of Chicago’s most in demand pianists/music directors, he leads a jazz trio on Saturdays at the Tortoise Supper Club. In addition to the recordings BLUES IN THE NIGHT, SUMMER DAYS & DREAMY NIGHTS, TWO FOR THE ROAD and LITTLE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER with his wife Anne Burnell, Mark has four solo recordings: CHRISTMAS PIANO, a fresh instrumental jazz treatment of holiday music, GOSPEL PIANO from his 25 years at Gorham United Methodist Church, AQUACADENCE, and RIPPLE RHYTHM.www.burnellmusic.com
Jeanie reveled in the experience of participating in the St Louis Cabaret Conference twice and in the Chicago-Paris Cabaret Connexion four times, so far! She studied in Aix-en-Provence, France, worked for Club Méditerranée, and lived and worked in Paris for several years, singing at Jazz Clubs in Montparnasse and at The Hollywood Savoy. Jeanie hails from Sedona, Arizona, and now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has had a fabulous career collaborating in shows and gigs including the Sentimental Journey Big Band, Jazz and American Songbook combos, and was the director of Red Rockappella, a Sweet Adelines barbershop small chorus. She is also a K8 Music Educator and writes reviews for CabaretScenes.Org. Oh là là!
Angelique’s passion began with dance, evolved into singing, spread to the theater (classical repertory to one-woman shows), broke into musicals, tested itself on the street, exposed itself to the camera, then returned to classrooms to entertain kids.
Her ambition is to share a line, a note, an image, a laugh, an emotion.
“Passion drives my boat and the encounters that make it glide along.”
Ma passion a commencé avec la danse, s’est glissée dans le chant, s’est répandue au théâtre -du répertoire classique au one woman show-, a déferlé en spectacle musical, va se tester à la rue, s’expose à la caméra, ou revient sur les bancs de l’école pour amuser les plus petits…
Elle envahit et n’a de cesse et c’est riche de cet ensemble…
…que j’aimerais partager aujourd’hui avec vous…un vers, une note, une image, un rire, une émotion….
C’est la passion qui mène ma barque et les rencontres qui la font glisser sur l’eau…
Tél : 06 83 19 32 54
Mail : angelique.dessaint@gmail.com
Site : Site Angélique Dessaint
Face Book : Face Book Angélique Dessaint
Singer and actress Anne Fromm trained at the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg. She has performed in numerous musical theatre productions in Germany (Hair, Evita, The Rocky Horror Show…), as well as in the Canadian TV series Watatatow, playing the role of Kim Morisette.
Based in France since 1998, she performs on stage in projects spanning a wide variety of artistic styles and is a member of La Compagnie de la Boulangerie directed by Camille Germser, with whom she regularly takes part in the Cabarets du Theatrum Mundi.
She also explores other artistic paths such as polyphony, world music, sacred singing, dhrupad (classical singing of North India), as well as body practices like shiatsu.
As a vocal coach, she teaches interpretation at the ENM Conservatory in Villeurbanne, vocal technique, and the therapeutic approach to voice, and directs musical theatre productions.
Chanteuse et comédienne, Anne Fromm a été formée à la Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama de Hambourg. Elle a joué dans de nombreuses productions de comédies musicales en Allemagne (Hair, Evita, Rocky Horror Show…) ainsi que dans la série canadienne Watatatow, dans le rôle de Kim Morisette.
Installée en France depuis 1998, elle se produit sur scène dans des projets aux horizons esthétiques très variés et fait partie de la Compagnie de la Boulangerie de Camille Germser, avec laquelle elle participe aux Cabarets du Theatrum Mundi.
Elle parcours aussi d’autres sentiers comme la polyphonie, chants du monde, chant sacré, dhrupad (chant classique de l’Inde du Nord), ainsi que des pratiques corporelles comme le shiatsu.
Professeure de chant, elle enseigne l’interprétation au Conservatoire ENM de Villeurbanne, la technique vocale, ainsi que l’approche thérapeutique de la voix, et met en scène des spectacles musicaux.
Singer, author, songwriter, actress and tap-dancer, Isabelle Georges has created a world of
her own, at the crossroads of musical comedy, French chanson and the classical, jazz and
Yiddish repertoires. Ten albums testify to her abundant inspiration, the sensitivity and poetry
with which she infuses her shows, whether in duets or with a full orchestra. Whether at the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Philharmonie in Paris, the Musikverein in Vienna, the
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, or at the Festival Radio France, the Avignon Festival or the 54
Below in New York, Isabelle Georges makes each of her shows an hymn to life.
Her first major roles include Isabelle in Michel Legrand’s Le Passe-muraille and Kathy Selden
in Singin’in the Rain, both awarded the Molière for best musical, as well as Mrs Barnum in
Barnum, Madeline de Saint Maur in Nymph Errant, Kate Mc Gowan in Titanic the Musical and
La Perichole in Jérôme Savary’s version.
Isabelle puts her creativity to work in shows she imagines: Judy and Me, La French Touche,
Padam Padam, Broadway en chanté, Du Shtetl à New York, Amour Amor, Happy End,
Dorothée a Bikhele lider and Oh Là Là de Paris à Broadway! Her creations with symphony
orchestras include Broadway Symphonique, Yiddish Rhapsody, C’est si bon and Eve & Adam.
Endowed with an unconditional faith in others, Isabelle enhances her encounters with Jean
Salamero, who helps her find her voice, Frederik Steenbrink, singer and musical director of
her shows, composer Maury Yeston, jazz man René Urtreger, the Sirba Octet, concert pianists
Jeff Cohen and Bruno Fontaine, accordionist Roland Romanelli, the Trio Zadig.
Isabelle played Isadora Ducan in the musical Isadora, femme danseuse et libre,
Mademoiselle Hennebique in Daniel Colas’ l’ornithorynque and Mrs C in the world premiere
adaptation of Stefan Zweig’s short story 24 Hours in a Woman’s Life. She is Mrs Fabian for the
American series We Were the Lucky Ones, produced by 20th Century Fox Television.
Recordings: Une étoile et moi (2003), December Songs & Something to Live For (2006), Du
Shtetl à New York (2008), Yiddish Rhapsody (2009), Padam Padam (2011), Broadway en
chanté (2014), Vienne-Paris-Hollywood (2017), Oh là là (2019), Hâte-toi lentement &
Dorothée, a bikhele lider (2021), Isabelle Georges chante Bécaud (2022), Bûchere et l’arbre
magique (2024) and 24 heures de la vie d’une femme, to be released in 2025.
Chanteuse professionnelle, Anne-Sophie Guerrier a commencé en tant que Musicien du métro à Paris et en tant qu’artiste de rue à Montmartre. Elle a ensuite créé les visites de Montmartre en chansons qu’elle assure pendant la belle saison. Les visites sont suspendues en hiver à cause des basses températures. Pendant cette période hivernale, un nouveau format a donc été adapté au théâtre, avec de nouvelles anecdotes et de nouvelles chansons.
Les équipes de France Télévisions et Ah Production ont choisi Anne-Sophie Guerrier et sa troupe montmartroise pour représenter la région Île-de-France lors du Grand Concours de Régions spécial Chants Folkloriques, diffusé en Prime-Time sur France 3 début janvier.
À l’occasion de la Fête de la musique et de la Fête des Vendanges, Anne-Sophie Guerrier se produit chaque année d’une fenêtre aux Abbesses. Ces concerts insolites réunissent à chaque fois plusieurs centaplusieurs centaines de personnes et parfois des millions de vues sur les réseaux sociaux !
A professional singer, Anne-Sophie Guerrier began her career as a Paris metro musician and a street performer in Montmartre. She then created the singing tours of Montmartre, which she performs during the summer months. The tours are suspended in winter due to the low temperatures. During this winter period, a new format was adapted for theater, featuring new anecdotes and new songs.
The teams at France Télévisions and Ah Production chose Anne-Sophie Guerrier and her Montmartre troupe to represent the Île-de-France region at the Grand Concours de Régions (Great Regional Competition for Folk Songs), broadcast in prime time on France 3 in early January.
On the occasion of the Fête de la Musique and the Fête des Grape Harvest, Anne-Sophie Guerrier performs every year from a window in Les Abbesses. These unusual concerts attract several hundred people each time and sometimes garner millions of views on social media!
Born in Paris, raised in Detroit, and seasoned in New York City, Claudia moved to Chicago to “do the work”. Actor-singer, teacher, cabaret promoter, her recordings and concerts of Paris/Paree, Paris in the Jazz Age, Romance Language: French Songs for Lovers, and the two Jazz Fauré Project albums are a reflection of her Paris-centric repertoire. www.cabaret-paree.com
In 1997 she initiated Chicago Cabaret Professionals. She has been on faculty for the Community Music Division of DePaul University School of Music since 2003, teaching SongShop, a workshop in song interpretation. Executive director of Working In Concert, Claudia supports the work of its classroom, opera and cabaret initiatives, directs the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion and produces SongShop workshops and concerts.
Elisabeth is the author of “SING!” The Vocal Power Method, “BORN TO SING!” DVD, The Vocal Power Method and “The ABC’s of VOCAL HARMONY,” EAR TRAINING and SIGHT SINGING for SINGERS. She is recognized by National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as a pioneer in the field of teaching Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) and featured featured in the NATS publication, So You Want to Sing Contemporary Commercial Music, as well as Training Contemporary Commercial Singers, published by Compton.
Elisabeth is a graduate of the Juilliard School with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in voice and founder of the Vocal Power Academy in Los Angeles. She has presented Vocal Power Method Workshops for National Voice Teachers Conferences in eleven countries and has certified Vocal Power Trainers throughout the US, France, Italy and Brazil.
Clients include Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle in the film, Beauty and the Beast, Lionel Richie, The Police, Priscilla Presley and was the warm-up coach for Sting at the Grammys in 2007. She has had clients on Broadway, National tours, American Idol, Star Search and was a vocal coach on America’s Got Talent. Her Cabaret act, Op’ra to Pop’ra was performed in New York and Los Angeles clubs and was touted by Los Angeles Music Connection Magazine as “a talent to be reckoned with.” Elisabeth has performed leads in 25 musicals and operas. She won the national title, “Ms Senior America, 2012.” www.vocalpoweracademy.com
Stefan is a versatile performer and vocalist as a solo artist or with a band. He hails from Detroit. He has a diverse repertoire including Jazz, Pop, blues, R&B to Motown, and Classical, not to mention Funk, ethnic music (Ladino, Latino salsa and folkloric, Arabic, Jewish, French, Albanian, Igbo, Yiddish, Polish, Black Gospel) straight improvisation, New Age & songwriting. He has toured as a pianist and Musical Director for different national acts.
He plays acoustic piano, Hammond B3 style, synthesizers, guitar, percussion, harmonica, and drum kit as needed. He has created custom sound design and programming for the Detroit Symphony. Back in the late 70s he accompanied Temptations singer David Ruffin on the road for a year. His jingles have been performed on TV and radio, and he has produced children’s music with clients such as Sesame Street and The Learning Channel.
As a bandleader, Stefan instinctively knows how to work the crowd and keep the party going! “Let’s Build International Goodwill and Inclusion through Music.”
Ava is an award-winning singer-actor from Washington, D.C. Dr. Logan is a veterinarian by day and a jazz singer at night. She is a classically-trained jazz recording artist and has performed jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues nationally and internationally, in jazz clubs, festivals, hotels and more with duos to 18-piece big bands. She has portrayed her idols Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson in professional theater performances in Chicago. Her first major CD, So Many Stars, produced by guitarist Henry Johnson, was met with critical acclaim. www.avalogan.com
Actor, singer, dancer, Lexa Maxa started her career in solo shows, cabaret, and as a show opener singer-songwriter. In New York, she has performed at the Metropolitan Room, Triad Theatre, The Bitter End, and the Schimmel Center opening for JoJo and Jesse McCartney. In the Midwest, Lexa has been part of the Broadway World Regional Award-winning production of Disenchanted! (Nicely Theatre); on stage as Selene in the moving drama Night Blooming at Detroit Repertory Theatre, and Elvira in the award-winning Blithe Spirit at Act Two Theatre in St. Peters, MO.
In addition to choreography, film acting, commercials and print campaigns, she enjoys playing the piano, songwriting, and traveling. Her first love will always be entertaining and performing—be it plays, musicals, solo music shows, dance, or film—aiming always to communicate and inspire through creative expression what words alone cannot express. www.lexamaxa.com
TÁSSIA MINUZZO studied piano in her teens at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2008, she began projects with Cena Gaúcha, focusing on French music, and soon after won first place in the II Festival da Canção Francesa, promoted by the Alliance Française de Porto Alegre. With her soft and expressive voice, she has performed several shows in cities and beaches throughout Southeast
Brazil, including “Vida” which features Brazilian Popular Music,
Jazz, Bossa Nova and French Song. In 2019, she formed the “Tássia Minuzzo Quartet” to perform these genres, Manouche, and her own compositions. Over the
last five years, Tássia has carried out projects with the participation of Gelson Oliveira, Nelson Coelho de Castro and Toneco da Costa; Piaf e L’amour, a tribute to French singer Édith Piaf, with pianist Rafael Vernet; the musical
stage show Le Grand Café (songs from Cabaret) and the show Mar Azul with pianist Michel Dorfman.
Pianist Jean-Claude is an organizer of the Cabaret Connexion and serves as pianist in master classes and concerts. He has participated in many international events and piano concerts. Jean-Claude comes from a family of musicians. For many years he has played regularly in Paris at venues such as Le George V, le Plaza-Athénée et le Bristol. He appears frequently at the oldest Parisian artistic cabaret, Au Lapin Agile. He accompanied Claudia Hommel’s master class at the École Professionnel de Comédie Musicale in 2016 and joined Elizabeth Doyle as pianist for Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion in Paris (2017) and Chicago (2018). He returned to Chicago to perform with Christine Steyer, taking their concert Sweet Spot between Our Worlds to Montréal (2019). He performs as a solo pianist, as part of small jazz groups and also leads Parisian Big Band “BB15”. He has composed and performed for film.
www.jean-claudeorfali.com
HOWARD PFEIFER
From Hamilton to the Chipmunks, and Budweiser to Karen Carpenter HOWARD PFEIFER has worked extensively as a pianist, composer, arranger, vocalist and musical director for more 40 years in the fields of musical theatre, television series, commercials, feature films, and cabaret in Chicago and Los Angeles.
howard@pfeifermusic.com
www. pfeifermusic.com
Born in Houston, Texas to a Spanish mother and a Cajun father, Angelina is a woman of multiple talents: opera singer, chanteuse, singing-actress, director, producer, dramatist, scenographer, costumer and pedagogue. She commands a repertoire from Strauss to Sondheim and has performed in major venues in the U.S. and Europe.
Best known for works of Kurt Weill and Leonard Bernstein, Angelina began her career in New York as the Beggar Woman in the first national tour of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury. She was soon engaged by dozens of prominent venues from Houston Grand Opera to Vienna Staatsoper, Glimmerglass Opera to the New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops and Boston Symphony, BBC Symphony, to Caramoor, Ravinia, and Innsbruck Festivals. Leonard Bernstein hand-picked Angelina to sing the role of Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème, and its Grammy-nominated recording by Deutsche Grammophon. She has performed his Jeremiah Symphony around the world, brought a Bernstein Liederabend to the New York Historical Society, premiered five of his posthumous songs, created There Is a Garden: A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein for the Chicago Opera Theatre, Bernstein Tonight! in Italy and at the Chautauqua Institute, and recorded songs for Bernstein: A Jewish Legacy.
While at Northwestern University, Angelina performed Kurt Weill’s Berlin to Broadway. Her one-woman Kurt Weill show, Stranger Here Myself, directed by Christopher Alden for the New York Shakespeare Festival, continues to be performed throughout the U.S. She made her début at the New York Philharmonic singing Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, performed Weill’s Marie Galante and Johnny Johnson, also for BBC television. She has brought her Weill cabaret Dancing on a Volcano: Ein Berliner Kabarett to regional theatres, concert halls, clubs and cabarets throughout the U.S. At the Santa Fe Opera she starred as the False Angele in Weill’s Der Tsar lässt sich Fotografieren. She played Jenny Diver in The Threepenny Opera at The Skylight Theatre, and Polly Peachum at the Chautauqua Institute. She has directed and designed productions in Tuscany (Italy), Santa Barbara and Sacramento. She has also served as judicator for the prestigious Lenya Competition on several occasions and her recording of Weill’s Street Scene as Rose Maurrant can be heard on the Decca/London label. Angelina was featured in Side by Side by Sondheim at North Coast Rep, and has appeared with some of America’s finest repertory theatres from Yale to Santa Barbara; and in concert and cabaret at Café Sabarsky, the Algonquin, the American Express Concert Series, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall and many more. Angelina lives in San Diego, California with her husband, baritone Michael Sokol and their dog and cats.
Lou Ella Rose is the lead singer and founder of Filipino folk-fusion band, SamaSama Project.
A musical theater actress for Repertory Philippines and Tanghalang Pilipino in Manila and Theaterworks in Singapore, she dabbled in Philippine Television acting in soap operas, the Knowledge Channel, and ABS-CBN’s Wansapantaym. If you lived in Manila in the early 2000s, you’ll recognize her from the popular Selecta Sundae “Jolex” and Lucky Me Spicy Hot Mami TV commercials.
Lou is a newscaster for Chicago Philippine Reports on Cable TV throughout Chicago and writes for Via Times News Magazine on happenings, celebrity features, Filipino culture, food, and travel. By day, she is an established IT Manager for Data Analytics at BCBS-IL
As an active community leader, Lou is an alumni and President Elect of Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO). She is passionate about sharing Filipino culture in the modern world and supports all outstanding Filipinos around the globe.
A native Texan and Baylor graduate of vocal performance, Shelley taught private voice lessons in several colleges in Ft Worth, Houston and Austin. Ms. Schneider has also music directed and conducted several musicals. In 2010, Ms. Schneider studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Her performing career is diverse and includes Shakespeare plays, musicals, operas and cabaret shows. She has performed across Texas with Houston Grand Opera’s educational outreach program. While in the Houston Grand Opera chorus, she performed with opera giants Jaime Barton, Renee Fleming, and Joyce DiDonato. Some favorite performances include Amy in Company, and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti. Recently she performed with a chorus accompanying Andrea Bocelli at Bridgestone Arena. She is on the board and performs with Franklin Light Opera. Ms. Schneider is a professor in the voice department at Lipscomb University.
Barb is the winner of the 2018 Skokie Idol Contest. She has sung in shows at Davenport’s, Epiphany, Drew’s on Halsted, Rosa’s Lounge, Chief O’Neill’s, Borelli’s and the Cliff Dwellers Club. She sings jazz, blues, folk musicand cabaret. Barb started her career as a folk singer: playing guitar and singing at coffee houses and in hootenannies. She is an active volunteer organizer of the Cabaret Connexion and serves as Vice President of Working In Concert.
Bio coming soon
Avant d’être professeur, Éric Tavelli est d’abord chanteur. Il étudie notamment au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et à l’École de l’Opéra de Paris. Il rencontre Luciano Pavarotti et a la chance d’être son élève pendant sept ans. Ce maître de la voix lui enseigne sa technique, lui confiant les secrets des grands chanteurs du passé (Caruso, Gigli, Björling) : comment chanter sans forcer et sortir toute la plénitude de sa voix. Son deuxième maître, Franco Corelli, l’une des plus grandes voix du XXème siècle, lui apprend l’ouverture de la gorge et l’appui diaphragmatique pour sortir ses très grands aigus à pleine voix.
Après une prestigieuse carrière en tant que ténor, il s’oriente de plus en plus vers le coaching des artistes. Il devient alors professeur pour plusieurs télé-crochets français (Graines de Star, Star Academy…) et dirige des festivals, des spectacles musicaux et des émissions musicales à la télévision et à la radio. Il dirige également de nombreux talents lors de sessions d’enregistrement en studio, collaborant régulièrement avec Warner ou Universal.
Il a notamment travaillé avec les artistes suivants : Anastasia, Line Renaud, Céline Dion, R. Kelly, Nicoletta, Youssou N Dour, Papa Wamba, Zazie, Lââm, Nâdiya, Amel Bent, Biso Nabisso, les chanteurs de Manu Dibango, Daft Punk, BB Brunes…
Éric est un amoureux des voix. Il consacre sa vie à la technique vocale, à la musique et à l’interprétation en s’adaptant à la psychologie de chaque chanteur. Il s’est occupé de très nombreux artistes d’horizons parfois très différents. Il va chercher l’identité vocale de ses artistes à travers leur personnalité et leur donne tous les outils techniques pour trouver leur style, leur vraie voix. Aujourd’hui, Éric continue de coacher vocalement les artistes qui le touchent. Son expérience lui confère un savoir-faire unique.
Before becoming a teacher, Éric Tavelli was first and foremost a singer. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and the École de l’Opéra de Paris. He was the pupil of Luciano Pavarotti for seven years. This master of the voice taught him his technique, entrusting him with the secrets of the great singers of the past (Caruso, Gigli, Björling): how to sing without straining and bring out the fullness of his voice. His second master, Franco Corelli, one of the greatest voices of the twentieth century, taught him how to open the throat and support the diaphragm, so as to bring out his very high notes in full voice.
After a prestigious career as a tenor, he turned increasingly to coaching artists. He then became a teacher for several French TV talent shows (Graines de Star, Star Academy…) and directed festivals, musical shows and music programs on TV and radio. He also directs numerous talents during studio recording sessions, regularly collaborating with Warner and Universal.
Éric is a lover of voices. He devotes his life to vocal technique, music and interpretation, adapting to the psychology of each singer, and gives them all the technical tools they need to find their style, their true voice. https://www.erictavelli.com
Graduated in Paris in classical and jazz accordion, Wilfried Touati participates in all types of projects across musical borders, from solo to symphony orchestra, as musician, arranger and composer. In 2018, he formed the Wilfried Touati Quartet to play his compositions in a jazz aesthetic. Its first album Voyage was released in November 2021 by the label Jazz Family. This experience led him to create duets with oboist Guillaume Retail and Christelle Raquillet on flute and vocals.
More conference participants!
The Chicago-Paris Cabaret Connexion is the perfect organization for Sue. A Chicago native who has lived in Montreal and Las Vegas before relocating to metro Detroit in 1999, her consistent passions are music and all things French. As a child, she learned the complete scores of Broadway musicals by singing to the cast recordings, and feels a special connection to comedic “story” songs. A regular participant in karaoke venues in Detroit and Open Mics when in Chicago or Paris, Sue has also entertained at assisted living venues with show tunes, country, pop/contemporary, and French language songs. A natural performer, she loves to connect with her audience. Sue is a life-long “shower singer,” and credits Claudia Hommel’s SongShop for getting her on to the stage. In 2015, Sue joined the Singers Jazz Workshop in Paris, and has attended all of the Cabaret Connexion conferences thus far.
Tirzah Joy is an accomplished and passionate singer with a lifelong interest in music. She studied classical music. This led to a love for art songs and opera. She plays guitar and ukulele, and has written countless songs, releasing her first recording, Anyway, in 2021. She began exploring the realm of jazz in 2017. She arranges and sings with”The Swingin’ Sisters.”
Carolyn Broquet spent many dedicated years working in television. She started singing, as a hobby, in 2000 at Old Town School of Folk Music of Chicago. There she took classes, sang in shows and piano bars and was in two bands. Currently she sings with the trio The Swingin’ Sisters. She recently joined the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, which opened a whole new world of singing.
Vanessa is an aspiring artist venturing into the world of voice performance and cabaret. She sings in three languages: Haitian Creole, French, and English. She enjoys combining her interests and background in movement and dance in her performances. She studied West African Dance as part of her undergraduate college experience, having traveled and learned from artists in South America, the Caribbean, and West African regions of the world.
Valerie Chestnut is an artist/singer/craftsman and served as the volunteer Graphic Designer and a Soloist for the Chicago Cultural Center’s “Renaissance Chorus”. She worked for Chicago Public Schools for many years as a Muralist, Summer School Art Teacher and as a graphic designer. Valerie performs as a wedding singer as well. Her passion for music brought her first to “Old Town School of Folk Music (Chicago, Il.) and then to “Working in Concert” where she thrives at her love for R&B, Jazz, and Pop.
Pam has enjoyed music her entire life, but only recently, upon her move to Paris from the USA, has she started singing again via Open Mic nights and Karaoke opportunities. Pam started singing very young, and performed in high school stage productions. But then her corporate career and extensive travel schedule kept her from committing to lessons or practicing. Now, however, she is making up for lost time and is ready to dive deep into singing again – simply for the pure joy of it.
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SUSAN DENNIS has been singing Musical Theatre, jazz and classical songs for 20 years professionally. Her repertoire includes Kurt Weill, Sondheim, Bernstein, Mozart, Strauss, Gilbert & Sullivan, Villa -Lobos. She most recently played the role of Heidi Schiller in the Harper College production of Follies. Susan holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University. By day she teaches Vocal Techniques at Elmhurst College, Harper College, is choir director at Lord of Life Lutheran church, and Artistic Director of Bravissimo Vocal Ensemble.
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A linguist, a world language teacher and a singer, Deborah has enjoyed singing in French and Spanish while traveling the world—including performances in Spain, Chile, Mexico, and France. Locally she has performed at Davenports Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Theater, DePaul Recital Hall, the Lake House, and the Lake Theater. Enjoying all types of music including classical repertoire, Deborah has performed Handel’s Messiah as a choir member at Carnegie Hall. A lover of the cabaret style of singing, this is Deborah’s sixth season participating in the Cabaret Connexion
Known as the “Southern Belle-ter” because of her powerful belting voice, was raised in North Carolina and lives in Los Angeles. With a B.A. in Theatre and Communications from Wake Forest University, she has graced the stage as Guenevere, Adelaide, Hodel, Rosie, and Iolanthe. She also performs with bands at The Whiskey, The Roxy, and Catalina Jazz Club. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, she coaches contemporary music clients, using the Vocal Power Method created by Elisabeth Howard. Suzanna also studied with the Broadway legend, Betty Buckley. Suzanna is also a member of SAG/AFTRA and ASCAP. Suzanna is the creator, producer, and headliner for special events benefiting Healing Arts Reaching Kids (HARK), to provide music and art therapy classes to critically ill children.
Kathryn Hahn is a versatile musician and vocalist with a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University. She performs throughout the Greater Chicago area as both a flutist and singer, and is a member of World Enough & Time, a poetry and music performance group. Her recordings include featured vocals on Desire by the Michael Thorne Group and performances with the South Suburban College Jazz Band.
In addition to her musical career, Kathryn is the founder of Kelley Girl Services, providing booking and event planning, and has served as a music minister in various churches. She is also a founding member of Rhythm of Hope International Initiative Inc., a nonprofit organization.
Kathryn currently serves as Executive Assistant to the president of Family Craft Builders, Inc. She resides in Homer Glen, IL, with her husband and enjoys spending time with their children and granddaughter.
Brianna Marie Johnson recently earned her BFA in Musical Theater performance at Columbia College Chicago where she starred as Dionne in HAIR and Philoclea in Head Over Heels. This summer Brianna lived her dream of playing Cinderella in Into the Woods with the International Lyric Opera in Vicenza, Italy. Professional credits include HAIR, Spring Awakening and Rent with Vanguard Theater Company. She competed at the Region 3 KCACTF placing as a finalist for the Irene Ryan acting and MTI Dance program; she was awarded the MTI Voice National Alternate. Brianna has aspirations of having her own Cabaret series, journalism, and voiceover work. Some of her hobbies include collaging, playing guitar, poetry, and makeup artistry. She is thrilled for her first time in Paris to study the glorious art of cabaret!
Lauren grew up performing and producing musicals at home with her older brother and singing in the University of Northern Iowa choir. She has a deep passion for singing and loves to offer a helping hand wherever needed. Recently moved from Georgia, she is pursuing a future in music.
Lealiza is a singer-songwriter with NYC roots and Detroit branches who creates vocally driven folk-fusion in several languages. Re-imagining covers and traditional songs as well, she has performed intimate house concerts, at festivals, and at Carnegie Hall. Lealiza’s album, Thorns and Petals, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, is out on all platforms. Lealiza explores the world from country to flamenco, with more originals coming in 2025.
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Norma J McAdams is a new member to the CCP group and a first time Cabaret Connexion attendee. Norma revived her singing career on February 8, 2023 at a Buddy Guy’s Legends jam night. She sang and performed in high school musicals; however, choose to leave it all behind for a career working for Fortune 500 companies, later marriage and raising two children. She is a mature diva who represents all that a woman wants to be “sexy, dangerous, in control, knows what she wants and knows how to get it.” She is known throughout Chicago as: “I’m M$ B’Havin” and has performed at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Fuller’s Irish Pub, the Marriott Naperville and The Tonk. I’m M$ B’Havin says: “There is a little I’m M$ B’Havin in all of us!”
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With a warm, engaging stage presence, Patricia delivers soulful interpretations and passionate performances showcasing her unique blend of Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Pop, and Cabaret influences.
Her love for music began when she started singing at the age of 9 in her church choir, where she was exposed to traditional church hymns as well as spirituals and gospel. This exposure led her to become a member of several choirs, Choral Thunder, an a capella community choir, and The Lakeside Singers, a professional choir, both performing in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
She was exposed to jazz music, listening to the big band recordings of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaugn, Nancy Wilson and Dinah Washington to pursue a singing career . She was a member of The Bradley Williams and the 21st Century Review Orchestra, performing at venues throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. The band also performed internationally, at the Jerusalem Jazz Festival in March 1999 , and was chosen to perform for the rebranding of Anderson Consulting to Accenture in Mumbai and New Delhi India in April, 2001.
She was also a member of The Standing Room Only Orchestra, a premiere Chicago wedding band, performing for weddings and private events throughout the city, surrounding suburbs, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. In October 2006, she had the opportunity to again sing
Patricia brings to the stage a deep love for interpreting and performing beautiful arrangements, and does so with a smile that lights up a room!
internationally, at the Dubai Hilton The Walk in the United Arab Emirates. There she was able to perform from several music genres and with musicians from around the world.
Sonia Oyola, born in Santa Marta, Colombia and raised in the US, has been singing since the age of one. She started taking lessons at the Old Town
School of Folk Music in 2010. Her first solo show, Sonia and Bob Sing For You with Bob Solone as accompanist and collaborator, débuted in 2021 at Le Piano, followed by sold out shows of Songs We Love; Fear Not: Songs We Love #2 and Love Songs 3.0 in 2022 and 2024 at Davenport’s Cabaret. During the pandemic, her work as a family medicine physician led to many hours of reflection culminating in writing poetry and her first songs: “Finding My Way” and “Te Siento” with Bob Solone and “Rain” with Sami Scot. She is currently in two bands Libélulas and Para Mujeres which explore the worlds of Latin Jazz and traditional boleros. Sonia’s life mission is to relieve suffering through mindfulness, kindness, joy, the promotion of compassion, and music.
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LYDIA STUX’s background is primarily in musical theater. Favorite roles include Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret, Grandma Tzeitl in Fiddler on the Roof, Mr. Twimble/Wally Womper in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Dot, a Goose, in Honk! and Yertle the Turtle in Seussical.
She was a student of the late Gwen Pippin at the Old Town School
of Folk Music and enjoys singing folk music, Tin Pan Alley songs, American standards and show tunes. Lydia has participated in the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion for several years and now plays a major volunteer role managing design and communication tasks for Working In Concert.
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Suzie Telep is a dynamic French vocalist, songwriter, and composer of Cameroonian origin, now captivating audiences in Chicago. Her multicultural upbringing has profoundly shaped her music—a vibrant fusion of jazz, soul/R&B, and gospel, enriched with African and Caribbean rhythms. With a powerful, warm, and groovy voice, Suzie’s energetic stage presence creates an immersive sonic experience, celebrating multiculturalism, joy, and self-affirmation. Inspired by legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Angelique Kidjo, and Miriam Makeba, she enchants audiences with her storytelling and unique sound.
Growing up amidst Paris’s rich tapestry of cultures, Suzie’s passion for music was ignited by West Side Story, leading her to classical voice lessons. Later, she studied vocal jazz, arranging, and composition at the Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris, working with Sarah Lazarus and Joe Makholm. In Chicago, she refines her vocal style with Alyssa Allgood and performs at local venues such as the Des Plaines Theater with Joe Valentino’s band. Her career took a pivotal turn in 2017 with a performance at Café Universel in Paris, marking her entry into the jazz scene. She has since performed at renowned Parisian jazz clubs such as 38 Riv’, Péniche Marcounet, Péniche Anako, and Relais de la Huchette. In 2019, she portrayed Aretha Franklin in a TV documentary on France’s national channel, France 2, showcasing her versatility and talent.
Suzie’s live performances blend musical and linguistic exploration, inspiring joy and reflection on societal issues while celebrating diverse identities. She explores the music and poetry of various languages—English, French, Basaa, Pidgin, Creole, and more—enriching her voice with unexpected sounds. A standout performance at the Saint-Barthélemy Jazz & Book festival highlighted her connection with the audience. Featured in Saint-Barth Weekly as “an outstanding multidimensional artist,” Suzie’s EP project, Afropean Travel, blends jazz, soul, gospel, and Afro-Caribbean music, reclaiming her ancestors’ narratives and exploring her identity as a Black French-Cameroonian woman. You can watch videos of her past performances on her YouTube channel: (62) Suzie Telep – YouTube
Thomas is a Renaissance Man living his best life. He is, authentically, an awesome musician and tech founder. Thomas is delighted to have actually performed at Carnegie.
He’s worked with the best world-class professional musicians: George Duke; Ramsey Lewis; the late Oscar Brown Jr.; Ralph Carmichael; Richard Smallwood; Dr. C. Charles Clency; Donald Lawrence; Dino Kartsonakis; the Chicago Sinfonietta; the Great Lakes U.S. Navy Band; and, assorted others.
Thomas is proven to be among the best tech professionals: CEO, CIO; COO; Principal Consultant; GM; CCNA & CCAI Network Engineer. And, these aren’t all his outstanding life/tech accomplishments.
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Robin Watson’s (Jazzlady Robin) has blazed some of Chicago’s premier hotspots including Navy Pier, United Center, Peninsula Hotel, Como Inn, Showboat, Empress and Majestic Star Casinos. As a vocal performance major at Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, she merited solo performances at the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter and the United Nations and toured Brazil, SA. She was featured in Madhi Theater Company’s, “Chicago Bronzeville: the Musical” and “Testimony,” appeared in the Kilkenny, Ireland Gospel Fest, Cabaret Professionals’ 2024 & 2025 Cabaret Week, and heads the Robin Watson Combo.
