When Carole J. Bufford takes to the stage at Catalina Bar and Grill tonight, she won’t just be making her Los Angeles cabaret debut. She will be facing an eager audience wanting to hear if she really is, as Stephen Holden said in his 2013 New York Times review, an “earthier, more acerbic 21st century Barbra Streisand.”
I spoke with Bufford about that praise, her show The Fearless Females of the 1960s and the cabaret scene in Los Angeles.
Let’s start with Holden’s review. That’s high praise, but was that a blessing or a curse? Those are some big shoes to fill.
It is a high bar, but it is also such a compliment. It has been a blessing for me. When I read that I was at a concert and it was intermission. I read it in the ladies room on my phone and screamed a little bit. It was pretty damn exciting. And you’re right, it is a lot to live up to for sure, but it’s been a huge blessing.
Your other cabaret show, Roar, is about the 1920s. What prompted you to do a show based on the women on the 60s and how did you select who those women would be?
Frankly I started out with key females I knew I needed to sing: Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey. I chose songs that weren’t necessarily big hits, but something I could do different takes on the songs. I didn’t want it to be karaoke. For instance, I chose “Me and Bobby McGee” because I had a specific arrangement in mind. There were key stories and points from the decade I wanted to tell. I use “Turn Turn Turn” which The Byrds made famous, but Judy Collins performed that a lot in her concerts, and I use that to talk about John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the turning point politically and culturally for where the country was going.
Were there songs you wouldn’t or couldn’t do?
When I was doing Dusty Springfield, a lot of people said, ‘you have to do Son of a Preacher Man.’ I don’t know what else I can do with that song. I also feel that way about Liza Minnelli songs because she does them so perfectly. When the arrangement is so iconic and perfect, you can’t do anything new with the song.
What cabaret singers inspire you?
I’m hugely inspired by KT Sullivan. I think she’s incredible. We don’t sing with the same kind of voice, but what she can do with just her pinky will slay an audience. I also listen to a bunch of singers from a whole bunch of genres. One who is still alive, Catherine Russell is a great jazz singer.
What are your thoughts on the cabaret scene in Los Angeles?
Living in New York what I hear and read about in coverage about the cabaret scene is that LA is popping up more and more frequently. There’s a lot of people who do theatre out here who are starting to discover this art form and doing their own shows and succeeding with it. It’s a unique way of putting across your own point-of-view. A good friend of mine, Ariana Savalas, has been keeping me abreast of the LA cabaret scene. I’m excited. LA is an artistic center and I think cabaret is a perfect fit out here.
If you look forward 30 years from now and you were to put together a show about the fearless females of the early 21st century, who would be on that list?
Oooh, that’s an excellent question. Sara Bareillis for sure. She has such an incredible gift for songwriting and storytelling. Nellie McKay, there’s so many. We’re in an interesting age of songwriting. I just did my first album and I had several songs that were written this century on it.
When you do a show like The Fearless Females of the 1960s, it seems destined to be a crowd pleaser. How do you make sure it’s also something artistically fulfilling for you?
I’ve done a couple of one-off shows that truly appealed to me. I don’t think they are the most marketable. The show Heart of Gold: Portrait of the Oldest Profession was all songs about prostitution. It was dark and I loved doing it. Maybe it’s one of those things that if you get to a certain level you can do more of your passion projects and sneak things in. With the 60s show, 80% are songs the audience will want to hear and 20% are for me to add for my sugar bowl.
Photo Courtesy of 54 Below