BWW Interviews: Patricia O'Callaghan talks The Judgment of Paris

BWW's coverage of the 2013 Global Cabaret Festival continues today with an interview with Patricia O'Callaghan, producer and star of 'The Judgment of Paris'. This unique cabaret is set against the backdrop of the Great War and features music by the revolutionary Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, two artists who were largely credited as founders of the impressionist musical movement.

Billed as a mix of 'cabaret, history and story-telling' the show will feature tunes that you know and love as well as original songs by the performers. Patricia took some time to talk to BWW about what people can expect from her cabaret, why the Global Cabaret Festival is unique and important and what attracts her to the art of cabaret:

The Judgment of Paris features music by Debussy and Ravel in addition to original material. What kinds of songs from the composers can we expect to hear?

There are many snippets and some whole pieces of Ravel's and Debussy's as well as their contemporaries. We have pared it down for this cabaret festival in order for it all to fit in under an hour!

When composing the original works, how much inspiration did you draw from Debussy and Ravel's work and is it inspired at all by the 'impressionist' movement they're so closely associated with?

We mostly went with our own individual songwriting styles but there are at least a couple of tunes that have a distinct French flavour to them.

Will you be focusing at all on historical events that happened in France during the time these songs were composed? Will there be an educational component to it?

This was Tom Allen's brain child and he has written the whole story himself. It most definitely includes historical context and will be educational in a non-pedantic way...it certainly was for me!

For younger audiences who may have never heard of either Debussy or Ravel, what would you say to encourage them to come out and see the event? Do you think they will recognize at least some of the tunes?

There will be at least a couple if tunes that younger people will recognize, and there are plenty of original songs that are much more in a pop style that comment on the story.

What is it about the art of cabaret that inspires you?

I like the intimacy and the emphasis on mixing genres and artistic disciplines.

Finally, how important do you feel these cabaret festivals are in educating the people in our city on the art of cabaret? And which part of the festival are you most excited to experience?

I don't know if people need to be educated on the art of cabaret necessarily, but if they come, they will most certainly enjoy something very unique, performed by a top notch group of artists, all from Toronto, in an informal and accessible environment.

When and Where?

The Global Cabaret Festival

The Festival Runs this Thurs Oct 24th - Sun Oct 27th, 2013 at The Young Centre

It features over 150 artists creating over 15 cabarets in a range of styles.

Advance tickets are $22, day of are $25 and there are student tickets and passes available.

For more information please call 416-866-8666 or visit www.globalcabaret.ca