Cabaret show wows local crowds

On Oct. 28, the Byers Studio of the Middlebury Town Hall Theater was transformed into a true cabaret setting: small, candlelit tables faced the front of the room where several instruments and three musicians awaited the arrival of Deb Brisson. The intimate atmosphere differed greatly from the festive mood of the familiar rock ‘n roll concerts for Brisson. Currently a member of the local band The Horsetraders, a group that performs lively, upbeat music, Brisson has been playing music in the area for 20 years.
“I tend to gravitate more towards singer-songwriter and rock and roll music,” said Brisson, who grew up in Weybridge, Vt. “I like to dance and move, and the crowd tends to be more lively.”
That didn’t stop Doug Anderson, executive director at the Middlebury Town Hall Theater (THT), from pushing Brisson to step outside of her comfort zone. After working successfully with Brisson last year on a show for the THT entitled “Middlebury Does Woodstock,” Anderson encouraged her to try something new and suggested she perform slower jazz songs.
“I wanted her to expand her options,” said Anderson.
So, Brisson began working with Chuck Miller, a local musician who played the keyboard during the performance. Miller, who worked with Brisson on “Middlebury Does Woodstock” as well, asked her to select several of her favorite songs. Anderson and Miller then gave Brisson feedback on the list of 20 songs she had compiled, and choose 13 of them, a mix of fast and slow beats. Miller and Brisson rehearsed at Brisson’s house, but eventually moved to the music room at Mary Hogan Elementary School, where Miller is a music teacher. Guitarist Kevin Boyea and Glendon Ingalls, who played the trumpet for the show, joined rehearsals before the performances.
“For as little as we worked at it, it went well,” said Brisson, who hopes to bring the show to other venues such as 51 Main and the The Grille.
Many in the audience were extremely pleased with Brisson’s performance, which included songs by Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones and Chuck Miller himself.
“I thought I’d come and take in her attempt at branching out,” said Larry Sims, an administrator at Rutland Town Elementary School, who once taught Brisson.
Sims, along with many others in the audience comprised mainly of Brisson’s friends and family, was delighted.
“I am really blown away,” said Perry Lessing, a neighbor and friend.
Members of The Horsetraders attended the 9:00 show and helped create a laid-back, playful atmosphere as they joked with Brisson throughout the performance.
“I was overwhelmed by the support,” said Brisson. “I can look out on the audience and know so many people and they’re all smiling.”
Brisson acknowledged that she was slightly more comfortable during the later performance, as she had already sung the pieces for the 7:00 show and felt more confident due to the relaxed atmosphere.
“I can see the nerves wearing off,” said Anderson, who said that the THT is one of the only theaters in the country that sells out of the earlier show before the later one. He joked that 9:00 “is generally too late for Middlebury people.”
All those who came, however, enjoyed equally powerful performances. Brisson was pleased with the outcome as well, though she admitted that learning the jazz songs was a challenge.
“The timing is a bit off and it’s harder to understand,” she said.
Whereas the cues are more consistent and predictable with rock ‘n roll, “it [jazz] tends to go all over the place.”
Still, Brisson said that jazz allowed her to connect with the music and the audience deeply. She was happy she took an artistic risk, and even said she had gained a greater appreciation for the new type of music.
This type of exposure was precisely what Anderson had in mind.
“This is exactly what my vision of the Town Hall Theater cabaret should be,” said Anderson, who hopes the theater, which opened just two and a half years ago, will continue to be a “celebration of local talent.”