NOW AVAILABLE FOR TOURING!

CRAVINGS
Songs of Hunger & Satisfaction

performed by Belle Linda Halpern
musical director/accompanist: Ron Roy
director/designer: Sabrina Hamilton

created by Belle Linda Halpern
in collaboration with Sabrina Hamilton and Ron Roy
a Ko Theater Works production

A surefire hit with audiences . . .

Commissioned to close the 2008 Ko festival of performance and its season on “FOOD: Appetites, Attitudes and Politics,” CRAVINGS: Songs of Hunger & Satisfaction has played to sold out houses and standing ovations. Whether familiar with Jewish culture or not, audiences of all ages will enjoy this vibrant showpiece. It also holds particular appeal for cabaret fans, parents, and of course all those who love food.

Designed to travel, the piece uses simple theatrical lighting and a piano (though in some cases it may be possible to substitute an electronic keyboard), two stools, a small table and travels with two collapsible kitchen carts. The traditional holiday dish of charoset which features chopped apples, cinnamon and Manischewitz is prepared onstage and served to the audience at the end of the performance.

A hit at the 2008 Ko Festival of Performance! Standing ovations there and at subsequent performances at The Firehouse Theater in Newburyport, MA, Emerson Umbrella in Concord, MA, and Scullers in Boston.
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What the press has said . . .

The Boston Globe has called Belle Linda Halpern’s work “stunning, both as music and theater” as she connects the music and lyrics of American and European cabaret songs with clarity, warmth and style. With her incredible dynamic range, she sensuously croons ballads, powerfully belts out the blues, and, with lightning speed and hilarity, whips out a patter song, while the Boston Herald hails her as, “Boston’s best singing actor.”

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A distinguished team of artists . . .

BELLE LINDA HALPERN

has performed as a cabaret singer and actor at clubs and theatres in New York, Boston, SanFrancisco, Paris, Munich, Jerusalem, and Bombay. Each summer she sings cabaret concerts in the villas and castles of Northern Italy. A graduate of Harvard/Radcliffe, she performs in French and Italian as well as Yiddish and Hebrew. Her theater roles include Esther in Elizabeth Swados’ rock opera Esther, Alice in her Alice in Concert, Josephine in Laura Harrington’s N (Bonaparte) and Sally in Cabaret. Belle’s other theatre credits include work with Robert Wilson and Andrew Serban at the American Repertory Theatre. She has taught singing and performance since 1986 at Harvard University and each summer in Italy through the Tuscany Project. She has co-created Moon Over Dark Street, a Brecht/Weill Cabaret with Pilgrim Theatre and Cutting Crosstown: From 2nd Avenue to Broadway with fellow performer Jeffrey Korn. Her interest in Weill and Yiddish music was inspired by the generous spirit of her teacher, Martha Schlamme. She has also co-authored Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate, and Inspire published by Penguin Putnam about the leadership development work she does with her company, The Ariel Group.

RON ROY

Pianist and Musical Director Ron Roy is currently a full tome faculty member in the Musical Theater department at the Boston Conservatory of Music. He has extensive credits in theater, cabaret and opera both here and abroad. Additionally, Ron is a faculty member of The Tuscany Project, a voice and performance workshop that takes place annually in Italy. He was the arranger and musical director for the Off-Broadway production Disappearing Act at the 47th Street Theatre. Other credits include Forbidden Hollywood at Steve McGraw’s. He was pianist and assistant conductor for the Gershwin musical Crazy For You (National Tour and Berlin, Germany), and pianist and musical director for Boston’s long running hits Forever Plaid and Forbidden Broadway. He appeared at the Ko Festival accompanying Belle Linda Halpern and Kermit Dunkelberg in selections for Moon Over Dark Street for the Ko Festival’s 15th anniversary celebration, The Ko Cabaret.

SABRINA HAMILTON

is the Artistic Director of the Ko Festival of Performance in Amherst, MA. For many years she worked with the acclaimed New York theatre company Mabou Mines. Other credits include work at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Goodman Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum and 6 years as Route Lighting Designer for New York’s Village Halloween Parade. International lighting credits include work in Bologna, Florence, Milan, London, Grenada, Geneva, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Tampere, Finland, as well as at the Bristol Old Vic, and at the International Theatre Festival in Havana, Cuba. Her directing work, primarily original pieces, has been seen in New York, Berlin and throughout New England. She has held numerous academic positions, most recently as the program Director for the M.F.A. Theatre Program at Towson University. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Network of Ensemble Theatres (N.E.T).

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Post-Show and Workshop Offerings:

Post-Show Discussions and Forums: We have found that he show engenders in the audience a sense of community,  hungry to share their thoughts and experiences. To build on this energy and excitement, we frequently do post-performance discussions after the show. These can be moderated by the artists or by a host from the presenting organization. In addition, we have experience in putting together teams of one or more local respondents whose special expertise relates to one of the themes of the show. They can come from fields related to food, Jewish Culture, anthropology, those thinking about growth and sustainable living, family and other areas that may be of particular interest to your community.

Belle Linda Halpern is available to teach workshops and master classes on song interpretation, cabaret, and Leadership Presence skills. For more information visit www.tuscanyproject.com and www.arielgroup.com

Sabrina Hamilton is available to teach workshops and master classes or lecture on creating original work, ensemble theatre, solo performance, creating work from historical and documentary sources, lighting design and the dramaturgy of light.

Ron Roy is available to teach workshops and master classes on styling a song and repetoire choice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

info@kofest.com

(413) 427-6147

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