Max Loignon of the Right Offs sat on a stool in Sara Scranton’s kitchen, strumming out a song that was already recognizable before Daniel Eugene started singing.
It was one of the musical numbers set to appear in the second production of the State House Cabaret — playing this weekend at the State House on State Street on Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18. The music swelled and filled the room as the cast assembled there joined in, giving the classic “Crimson and Clover” their own sense of yearning and beauty.
At the end, Scranton ran over and gave Eugene a hug.
Brian Slattery Photos
Then, as finishing touches were put on a couple props, Loignon had a comment.
“There’s something we have to figure out,” he said, “how we know when we’re done.” Eugene mentioned that he — performing as drag queen Sorcia Warhol — planned to walk offstage and melt into the crowd. Scranton had a solution: Let host Dot Mitzvah give the signal.
“Dot’s really good at giving you the look,” she said.
In the final days before the run, they were down to the last details — which made sense, given that Scranton began planning for this weekend’s cabaret almost immediately after the last cabaret’s run at the State House in February.
“I wanted it to have a whole different feel” from the previous show, Scranton said, and quickly arrived at an idea of something aquatic, under the sea — but with a twist, a “retro, John Waters feel,” she said. “It just seemed right.”
Scranton also knew who she wanted to work with. “Max was the first person I talked to,” she said. “He’s 50 percent of everything.” Loignon, smiling, offered a small correction. “Maybe 30 percent,” he said.
The show tells the story of a relationship between Loignon and a go-go dancer (Kitty Katastrophe) that echoes the myth of the siren. “It goes from the beginning to the end of the romance,” Scranton said. That story fell into place as Scranton assembled her performers, who range from aerialists from Air Temple Arts to belly dancers, go-go and burlesque dancers, from a poetry reader to singers to the aforementioned drag queen. It will also feature a video shot by Gil Morrison of Falconeer; the Right Offs will perform as the house band.
“I find people that have enough time and drive for it,” Scranton said. That turned out not to be difficult. For Stefanie Clark Harris of Roses Wild, already a fan of the State House Cabaret after seeing the group’s performance in February, it was an easy sell. “The first time I went I was super-excited — it sparked a lot of joy,” she said. She got involved fast.
Eugene likewise was enthused to be appearing as his drag alter ego Sorcia Warhol. “It’s really important to me to working in a production dominated by women, celebrating female sexuality and empowerment,” he said. Likewise, he liked that Scranton was asking him to sing new material, some of which required him to reach past pop vocals and into baroque singing that he had past experience in. “It’s really nice to be incorporating that,” he said. “It’s like a spell casting.”
The crew got together every two weeks for months to develop the idea, doubling up to one rehearsal a week as the date drew near. This past weekend they had a chance to put it all together at the State House. “Literally, the last rehearsal, I cried like a proud mom,” Scranton said.
The Aug. 17 show, with doors at 8 p.m. and the show at 9 p.m., is billed as being for adults only due to the burlesque element of the show. The Sunday show, with doors at 3 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m., will tone down those elements enough to be suitable for all ages. “There are so many things that are beautiful in this cabaret that children should see,” Scranton said.
Eugene’s number was slated to close the first half of the show. In the kitchen, the assembled cast ran through the show’s final number, sung by Harris. “In the finale, everything comes to life at once,” Scranton said — the aerialists, the belly dancers, the go-go dancers, everyone.
“We’ll come in shimmying, jazzing, feeling,” Eugene said.
In the next room, Scranton’s mother was putting the finishing touches on a skirt, dubbed the Blue Miracle, for Eugene to wear as Sorcia Warhol. “She’s talented, my daughter,” she said as she finished sewing. She felt she could only take a little credit. “I never let her color between the lines,” she said. “We didn’t have any coloring books.”
The skirt fitting itself seemed to go well. Meanwhile, in the garage, Scranton’s partner Travis Smith was making stage props — shapes of undersea plant life destined to serve the practical purpose of dressing up some of the sound equipment while also transforming the stage.
Scranton saw the work Smith had done so far and expressed her delight at his progress. She wanted two more, just like the first two. Those would be added to set pieces Smith had already built, Scranton said, including a screen that would appear behind Eugene for his number. Dancers would appear behind the screen, their shadows projected onto it.
Scranton has been producing cabaret shows in New Haven as Lipgloss Crisis for a decade now. When she’s not developing shows, she can be found tending bar at Three Sheets on Elm Street and helping plan events and art shows there. She also mentioned that she has another interest — this one water-related.
“After this week, we’re going to go fishing,” she said to Smith.
“At least twice,” Smith replied.
The State House Cabaret runs at the State House, 310 State Street, on Aug. 17 and 18. The Aug. 17 show has doors at 8 p.m. and show at 9 p.m. and is intended for adults only. The Aug. 18 show has doors at 3 p.m. and show at 4 p.m. and is intended for all ages. Visit the State House’s website for tickets and more information.
