Interview: Alex Rybeck, Ari Axelrod, Celia Berk, Kevin Dozier, Karen Oberlin of 4 FOR THE HOLIDAYS at The Beach Cafe
By: Stephen Mosher Dec. 11, 2019
It's a very Happy Holiday when five of cabaret's bright lights get together for a little whimsy and a little music... Or a lot of both, which is what patrons of The Beach Cafe can expect when 4 For The Holidays plays the Upper East Side Nightclub on December 19th and 20th. The eatery has a history of bringing sophisticated and elegant shows to the cabaret stage in an intimate setting where guests can really get to know the entertainers while enjoying their craft. The four in 4 For The Holidays are among the cabaret community's most in-demand performers; and with varying styles and artistic visions, one might wonder why these four are joining forces for the holiday show at The Beach Cafe. The reason becomes clear with two words: Alex Rybeck.
Mr. Rybeck is one of the great musical directors and arrangers and many people actively seek him out to work as their creative partner in their nightclub acts. With enviable skills that have garnered him much acclaim and many fans, Mr. Rybeck can be found behind a piano with some of the great names in the business. And for this show he chose Misses Berk and Oberlin and Misters Axelrod and Dozier.
As holiday shows are the order of the day right now, and as I have been covering a lot of them, I was wildly curious about this one, being quite familiar with the work of the five musicians who will be in the spotlight, and also being intrigued by the show description on The Beach Cafe website, so I reached out to each of the artists who were available to speak with me and asked them a few questions about their show, what's in store for their audiences, and what the month of December holds for each of them.
This interview has been edited for time and space.
Ari, you're a Jewish boy, and you're in this holiday show called 4 For The Holidays. Clearly, it's not Christmas-centric. Will you be singing any dreidel songs?
AA: You'll have to come see for yourself! I will say there really aren't many dreidel songs other than "I Had A Little Dreidel." However, I could always sing a song while spinning in a circle and then be a singing dreidel!
What does this time of year usually look like in your life?
AA: It might shock you, but Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I know, as a Jew who's never actually celebrated Christmas, I'm plagued with imposter syndrome. But I love the holiday spirit, I love the sense of community, and I love that there's a surge in the number of songs from The Great American Songbook that we hear on the radio and in stores. If you see me stopping abruptly, pearl clutching, and shedding a tear, it's because good music is back on the radio. This time of year also looks like Chinese food.
Is this your first time working with these other artists, or have you all known each other before this?
AA: Yes! I've only worked with Alex Rybeck before on my solo debut, "Taking the Wheel" directed by Faith Prince.
What's your favorite part of working with Alex Rybeck?
AA: Oy, this is impossible to answer. I love everything about working with Alex. His finesse on the piano, his unmatched understanding of lyrics, his punny sense of humor. How could I possibly pick a singular favorite thing?!
Celia, how are rehearsals going for this show?
CB: Slowly but surely the momentum is building. We're in little clusters working on our own material. Can't wait to see it all come together.
The Beach Cafe website says the show provides story and song and a dashing dollop of wit. Who's providing each element to the evening?
CB: Hopefully Ari and I will provide a big heaping tablespoon of humor in something we are preparing. And I hope all my songs tell a story. But I have no idea if someone is actually going to gather us around the cabaret hearth and tell us a holiday tale.
Do you find yourself hitting all the holiday parties and shows at this time of year or more family oriented time?
CB: I'm always shocked when December arrives. And Thanksgiving being so late this year just added to the sense that the holidays are suddenly here. I always find myself trying to strike a balance between enjoying the season and just surviving everything that has to get done before the world takes a collective pause.
What's an aspect of Alex Rybeck's personality that the audiences don't get to see while he's behind the piano?
CB: Mercifully, his puns. But all joking aside, you actually described it in a recent review. It's Alex's place at the heart of the cabaret world. He's part of a very small, very special group of people who are ensuring cabaret not only survives but thrives. And that it welcomes new talent. I've certainly been the beneficiary of his belief in what it can offer performers and audiences, his high standards, and his joyful creativity.
Kevin you are deep in the holidays aren't you? You've got a new cd out and a Christmas show at The Green Room 42 and 4 For The Holidays! How are you holding up?
KD: It's been a busy, wonderful time. I'm very excited to have this album out in the world and in people's hands.
Put a picture in my head of the experience of recording and releasing your own Christmas cd.
KD: Alex Rybeck, who created all of the arrangements, Paul Rolnick, who engineered and produced the cd, and I have been working on this album for over 2 years. It has been a dream of mine to create a full holiday CD. Nothing felt more joyous for me than to go into the studio and work with these amazingly creative people to see this album come to life. Sometimes the end result doesn't come out the way you envisioned it, but we captured exactly what I've been dreaming of on this project. We took our time to get it right. It has beautiful intimate moments and big lushly orchestrated moments. I wouldn't change anything about it.
Help me get the audiences of 4 For The Holidays excited by giving me a tidbit about the show.
KD: What a line-up of performers! Pinch me that I get to share a stage with Ari, Celia, and Karen. The Beach Cafe is a very intimate space, perfect for a holiday show. And could I be more excited to have broadway star, Karen Mason, and guitarist, Sean Harkness, as my guests for my Green Room 42 show? Another dream come true for me.
Why does everyone want to work with Alex Rybeck?
KD: One of my favorite parts of doing cabaret is the collaboration with a musical director in creating new and interesting arrangements. Alex has endless ideas and is so creative. He plays beautifully. I tell people all the time, "you can never have a more supportive musical director on stage with you." He breathes with you. What a gift.
Karen, the cabaret community is very closely knit - before this show had you had an opportunity to work with these other artists?
KO: Although I'd love more of a population of people to see all of the wonderful shows, I dearly love our closely-knit community. Alex is the connecting tissue here, as we've all worked with him and, of course, adore him. I've deeply admired the work of Celia and Kevin for quite some time (for Kevin, perhaps approaching 2 decades) but this is my first happy chance to collaborate with them. Ari is someone about whom I've heard so many great things, and now I'll clearly have my chance to hear him AND sing with him, lucky me.
What makes this grouping of singing storytellers an exciting one for audiences to see this holiday season?
KO: When I think of the five of us together, I think of warmth... in our collective voices, harmonies, song storytelling and spirit. But there will also be surprises on the 19th & 20th... We'll be like mulled cider spiked with some spiced rum on a cold winter's night.
Growing up, were you in a Christmas caroling group?
KO: Well, beyond a little caroling here and there, every year for four decades my very KO: musically-oriented family in Upstate New York has hosted a carol-singing party on... December 26th. We sing classic carols for the first half and then we sing excerpts from Handel's Messiah, and it's great fun. That's where we'll be this December 26th!
What is the secret to Alex Rybeck's longevity in the music business?
KO: He's brilliant, let's just get that said right away. But he's also GREAT to work with, in myriad ways. He's generous to the singer, kind, professional, thoughtful, hard-working, full of ideas, arranges thrilling charts, and he's also really, really fun and funny. AND... he writes amazing songs. If that's not a recipe for longevity, I don't know what is!
Alex, you are at the helm of a holiday show at The Beach Cafe called 4 For The Holidays. The Four Singers joining you on December 19th and 20th are extremely different artists. How did you come to select this wonderful cross section of performers for this show?
AR: Dave Goodside at The Beach Café was looking for a holiday show to complete his December calendar. Knowing that I work with a number of singers, he shot me a couple dates and asked if I knew anyone who might fill them? First I contacted Kevin Dozier. He and I just released a holiday CD called "Christmas Eve", so it made sense for us to promote it. But Kevin had already accepted a date at another venue the same week as The Beach dates. That was a conflict. Then I reached out to some of my other favorite singers who all have strong local followings: Celia Berk, Ari Axelrod and Karen Oberlin. Turns out they were all interested and available. I think it was a Celia who then suggested doing a group show. I reapproached Kevin, and we had our 4-person lineup. I liked that this group would provide instant variety: two men, two women; two Christians, two Jews! Best of all, four distinct (and distinctive) personalities and vocal types. Plus, we all like to laugh and have a good time, so I knew it would be fun. Finally, if you have four performers contributing roughly three songs each, you have close to an hour's worth of material, without any individual carrying the burden of coming up with an entire show.
Did you all gather together to map out the show or did you sit down with each of them and put together what they would, personally, like to showcase in the evening?
AR: We're still in the process of assembling it. Since I've been on the road a lot, we've been communicating by email and text, and sending PDFs. We're just starting to actually get together now physically, and run through music.
What's your favorite part of the holiday season?
AR: There are many wonderful aspects to this time of year. For me, three really stand out. First, the focus on the meaning of these holidays - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza - which highlight our higher nature: a desire for peace, a showing of appreciation, an opening our hearts to others. Second, the gathering together with our families and loved ones. Third - the great music that we all love to hear, because it's beautiful, or inspiring, or just plain fun.
What makes you most proud about 4 For The Holidays?
AR: Since the show only exists as a concept at this moment, I can't really answer the question "What am I most proud of" other than that these four wonderful singers all said "yes" right away and wanted to work with me and with each other. What could be better? You can't make a good meal without good ingredients. This cast is top drawer, so the result can't be anything but delicious! (Which reminds me of my fourth favorite thing about the holidays - lots of great food that someone else has cooked!)
4 For The Holidays plays The Beach Cafe December 19th and 20th at 9:30 pm. For information and tickets please visit The Beach Cafe Website
Find Ari Axelrod online at his Website
Find Celia Berk online at her Website
Find Kevin Dozier online at his Website
Find Karen Oberlin online at her Website
Look for Alex Rybeck's website in 2020!
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