Getting Involved

Students are encouraged to get involved with preparations and production of the program. See School Notes for a printable copy of these ideas.

Here are some ways:

Publicity and Public Relations Crew

  • Design posters and flyers for distribution to the school population. Some of the posters can be used during the show to dress the playing area. If this is to be a large concert, one might design tickets and take reservations.
  • Write up a press release to send to the school paper.
  • Your school appreciates good attention, so you can probably get the cooperation of the school administration's public relations department to help your publicity committee reach local media outlets. Don't forget public service announcements for local radio spots if the performance is open to the public.
  • After the show, send out the "thank you" notes to everyone who helped.

The Set-Up Crew (for in-school performances)

  • Set up piano, lighting, microphones and amplifiers. See Technical requirements for more details.
  • Run sound check.
  • Design and print a playbill (based on Claudia's playlist) for distribution at the show.
  • Create the cabaret ambiance with bright tablecloths (plastic red-and-white checkered cloths are available by the roll), hand-drawn posters, computer-generated flyers, souvenir posters or simulated war-time posters, table settings (Eiffel Towers, bud vases, votive candles), French flags, ribbons, non-alcoholic bubbling "wine", French bread, pastries, etc...
  • Set the curtains and stage; and, if Claudia is driving to your school, set up her Parisian lamppost.
  • If there's time, Claudia meets with the stage crew class before the show to discuss production tasks and designs.
  • For the long show, a female student can set up a dressing room and be Claudia's "dresser" during the entr'acte.
  • Student emcees may introduce the show and players (en français, aussi)
  • Students can serve as ushers (and waitstaff, if refreshments are to be served).
  • When arranged with the performers ahead of time, video teams and photographers can get to work documenting the event.

The Journalists

The music and theatre critics can sample recordings and films to learn about the type of music and theatre they're going to review. For example, recordings of Edith Piaf, Juliette Gréco, Yves Montand, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, or others singing French songs from the 1920s to the 1950s. Films like Paris Blues; April in Paris; Blue Angel; Can-Can; Paris Blues; Victor, Victoria; Édith et Marcel; Zou Zou and Cabaret give a taste for different kinds of cabaret scenes. The Study Guide can get you started.

The features writers should review Claudia's promotional materials. They can interview her à la People magazine for a "celebrity interview" or a critical discussion of the program that could appear in Down Beat or Rolling Stone. The goal is to be personal without invading the diva's privacy

The news reporters will be covering the performance as a newsworthy event or a human-interest story for a school or community newspaper. News analysis is important. Investigate the background of the artists and the audience, and provide a context for the content of the show. What responses did people have to the event? Was the money well spent? Was the show a scandal? What impact might this have for the future? Is interest in French and cabaret a growing trend?

The Fundraisers

Help your school bring Claudia to your classroom! Visit our Funding page

for ideas.

Sitting-In

Take advantage of the opportunity to perform with professionals. We love to add student (and faculty) musicians and dancers into the mix, to populate our on-stage cabaret, to sit in on a tune or two or three. We welcome singers, dancers, bassist, drummer, guitarist, trumpet and sax players, and more.

Sitting in requires being prepared. At least one week prior to the show, we send our guest performers charts, sheet music, program notes. We require at least an hour of rehearsal before the show (ending well before the doors open to the public).

Dressed to the Nines

Everyone—audience included—can get dressed for the occasion. What would you wear for a cabaret evening? And if the years were 1925-1939 or 1946-1953? We've had the pleasure of walking into a school where a large number of faculty, staff and students were wearing gowns, top hats, furs, spats, feathers. What fun!