Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director Please do not take the Cabaret Book. You may download a complete copy at: www.floridastudiotheatre.org Ben Mackel, Hunter Brown, Eric Scott Anthony, John Bronston. Photo by Matthew Holler. Holler. Matthew by Photo Bronston. John Anthony, Eric Scott Brown, Hunter Ben Mackel, Table of Contents What is Cabaret?, page 3 A brief history of the artform. The British Invasion, pages 4-5 Learn about how the artists of the era took the music industry by storm. Timeline of Events, pages 6-7 Learn about the major events that occured throughout the 1960s and 1970s that influenced the music culture. Artists of the Era, pages 8-11 Some of the top recording solo artists and groups during the 60s and 70s. What’s Behind The Songs?, page 12 Every song has a story behind it. Find out some fun facts on how the songs of this era were written. Hunter Brown. Photo by Matthew Holler. 2 What is Cabaret? It began in Paris on November 18, 1881, the year in which the first and most famous cabaret of all, the Chat Noir (Black Cat), was established. Paris, during what the French like to call the Belle Epoque, was the cultural capital of Europe; the mecca of the arts to which admirers and young hopefuls flocked from one end of Europe to the other, and indeed from still farther away. If something caught on in Paris, the immense reputation of the city as the source of fashion and innovation ensured its rapid diffusion across the continent and beyond. Besides giving rise to many cabarets in Paris itself, in its own time and after it became history, the Chat Noir also inspired the introduction of cabaret in major cities throughout Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the beginning, cabaret arose as an informal grouping of artists - painters, poets, musicians, and theatre people - who felt the need to come together. It was intended as something essentially private. From 1881 to 1917, audiences were made up predominantly of artists, their friends, and a variety of cultural fellow-travellers. In post-World War I Europe, the cabaret ceased to be a novelty and by and large fulfilled its function as a locus of an emerging avant-garde. Cabarets became places of entertainment; their facilities were expanded and enhanced, their doors thrown open to the public. When developing FST’s Cabaret we took the diverse and rich history of the form to create the atmosphere you see today. Set in a turn-of-the-century Parisian Cafe and offering fresh baked food, the Cabaret is an intimate space for an intimate form of entertainment. Turn-Of-The-Century Cabaret by Harold B. Segel Artwork by Théophile Steinlen Théophile by Artwork 3 In The British Invasion Rock ‘n’ roll was born in America. It had its roots in predominately African-American genres: blues, boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Artists like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly dominated the popular music scene during the 1950s. They were breaking boundaries, blurring the lines of “white” and “black” music. The youth of that time was beginning to challenge the norm and this spirit led them into the 1960s. In 1964, The Beatles changed the rock ‘n’ roll music scene forever when they arrived in the The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. U.S. and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. They brought a style known as “beat music”, a fusion of American rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues. It was catchy, easy to dance to, and had lyrics about young love. A sensation known as “Beatlemania” spread across the U.S. and the four lads from Liverpool, England (Paul, John, George, and Ringo) found themselves playing concerts in front of thousands of screaming fans (especially young women). As their popularity grew and grew, more British rock bands began to gain traction on the American charts. This was the beginning of a new movement in American Beatlemania spread across the nation. popular music known as The British Invasion. 4 The British Invasion Alongside The Beatles, there were The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, and Herman’s Hermits, among others, at the height of popularity. The British Invasion was not defined simply by the arrival of British bands in America – it was a melding of musical styles. The bands from England were inspired by American styles and in return came to influence American artists who came after them. British rock and American rock began to fuse. This new music was harder, more psychedelic, and more topical. The music was no longer just about young love; it was about protesting war, opposing racism, fighting for equality, and celebrating peace. “Britannia ruled the airwaves in 1964” - Rolling Stone Magazine The Rolling Stones in the recording studio. 5 TIMELINE OF EVENTS 1960 • Alfred Hitchcock’s 1964 Psycho Released • Beatles Become Popular in U.S. • Lasers Invented prompting the British Invasion • The Birth Control Pill Is 1962 • Civil Rights Act Passes in U.S. Approved by the FDA • Andy Warhol Exhibits His • Nelson Mandela Sentenced to life Campbell’s Soup Can in prison • Cuban Missile Crisis • First Person Killed Trying to Cross the Berlin Wall 1963 • JFK Assassinated • March on Washington • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Makes His “I Have a 1961 Dream” Speech • Berlin Wall Built • Peace Corps Founded 1965 • Soviets Launch First Man in Space • Los Angeles Riots • Miniskirt First Appears • U.S. Sends Troops to Vietnam The Million Man March 6 TIMELINE OF EVENTS 1967 • First Heart Transplant • First Super Bowl 1969 • Thurgood Marshall Becomes • Neil Armstrong Becomes the First African-American the First Man on the Moon U.S. Supreme Court Justice • Woodstock • Sesame Street First Airs 1970 1968 • Beatles Break Up • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated • Computer Floppy • Robert F. Kennedy assassinated Disks Introduced • Tet Offensive launched 1966 • Palestinian Group • Mao Zedong Launches the Hijacks Five Planes Cultural Revolution • Mass Draft Protests in U.S. • National Organization for Women (NOW) Founded The Million Man March Fans at Woodstock 7 ARTISTS OF THE ERA The Beatles Also known as “The Fab Four,” Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr formed one of the most influential bands of all time and were at the forefront of the British Invasion. They landed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1964, sparking the beginning of Beatlemania in America. Soon after, The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and their music swept the nation. They found themselves playing concerts at incredibly large venues, such as Shea Stadium where over 55,000 screaming fans saw them play. Their music evolved from their early beat- based rock ‘n’ roll to pop ballads to psychedelic rock from 1960 until 1970 when the band broke up. To this day, The Beatles are recognized as the best-selling music artist in America. The Beatles 8 ARTISTS OF THE ERA The Rolling Stones Highly influenced by American artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Fats Domino, The Rolling Stones were seen as the “bad boys” of the British Invasion, fusing British Rock with American rhythm and blues. Their attitude, sex symbol status, and irreverence were integral to the formation of the image of rock ‘n’ roll. The Rolling Stones continue making music and touring today, with a number of their world tours being some of the highest grossing concert tours of all time. The Rolling Stones The Who The band was highly influential and they were famous for Pete Townshend’s guitar showmanship, including the windmill style strumming and the smashing of guitars. The Who were the only British Invasion band to play at the historic Woodstock festival, a monumental 3-day music and art festival. Some of their most popular albums are My Generation, The Who Sell Out, the rock opera Tommy (made into a film in 1975 and a Broadway musical in 1993), Who’s Next, and Quadrophenia. The Who 9 ARTISTS OF THE ERA Cat Stevens The British Invasion of the sixties opened the door for other artists from across the pond to gain popularity in America. Singer-songwriter Cat Stevens already had a large following in the U.K. before topping the charts in the U.S. His album Catch Bull at Four hit number one on the U.S. charts in 1972, establishing Cat Stevens as a major force of the folk-rock scene in America. Cat Stevens Herman’s Hermits Rivaling even The Beatles on the American charts 8 during the mid-sixties, Herman’s Hermits was a young band featuring boys with a clean-cut, harmless image. They had a string of hits from 1965 to 1968 including: “I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “Can’t You Hear My Heart Beat,” and “Henry VIII, I Am.” Herman’s Hermits 10 ARTISTS OF THE ERA The Hollies Known for their signature three-part harmonies, The Hollies were a pop/rock group that gained popularity in America with the hit song “Bus Stop” in 1966, making them one of the later arrivals in the British Invasion. They are one of the few British bands from the sixties that never officially broke up and continue to play together today. The Hollies The Kinks Brothers Dave Davies and Ray Davies formed The Kinks in 1963 with their music being influenced by a wide variety of musical genres. The Kinks were notorious for being troublemakers. Turmoil among members of the band led to on-stage altercations including an infamous incident at Cardiff’s Capital Theatre where an alcohol fueled fight broke out among the band members resulting in injury and arrests.