Archbold, Bachman Awarded First Denovan Residencies For Cabaret

Madame's Soiree (Drew Fornarola and Tyler Spicer, co-artistic directors), and The Duplex Cabaret Theater (Thomas Honeck, General Manager) are proud announce Mary Theresa Archbold and Trevor Bachman as the first recipients of Madame's Soiree's Denovan Residencies. The residency and accompanying grants aim to give winners the most comprehensive development opportunity in cabaret. Mary will use the residency to develop her one-woman show, Anybodys Everybody: One Girl's West Side Story and Trevor will develop his new musical This Be Magic: A Guide for Young Queers.

Mary's residency runs January through June, culminating in the production of her show on June 21 at The Duplex. Trevor's will follow, from July through December, ending with the premiere of his show on December 20. The artists will each receive a $2,000 grant to encourage their efforts. Artists will also receive weekly rehearsal space, the opportunity to present pieces of their work in progress at three consecutive Madame's Soirees in front of one of NYC's smartest and most supportive audiences, and access to the artistic and producing resources of The Duplex and the Soiree team.

Funding for the Denovan Residencies comes from longtime Soiree supporter David R. Murray. "Many of the most emotional experiences of my life have come through the performing arts, either as a singer or an audience member," Murray said. "It's a privilege to support emerging artists finding new ways to reflect the culture around us." The Residency is named in memory of Murray's mother, Nancy Denovan Murray, a lifelong singer and visual artist. More about the artists and their projects below:

Mary Theresa Archbold most recently had the privilege of understudying "Cost of Living" at Manhattan Theater Club. Off Broadway, she has been in premieres of new work by Samuel D Hunter, Neil LaBute and David Henry Hwang. She has performed improv for The Second City, iO Chicago, The PIT and Magnet Theaters, told stories for NPR's This American Life, The Moth, and Risk!, as well as her own podcast, Funny Parents and has danced and sang all across this country in shows like West Side Story, The Music Man, and Annie Get Your Gun. Her 2 person semi-autobiographical sketch show, Jazz Hand: Tales of a One Armed Woman debuted at Fringe NYC (Outstanding Actor Award) toured the country and wound up with an invited performance at The Kennedy Center. Her short film, Jazz Hand, won her the Best Actor Award at the NBC Shortcuts Film Festival. Most recently, she have created a solo dance comedy show called Dance Dance De-Evolution that premiered at Solocom 2016 and then at Women in Comedy in Boston.

Her Denovan project is Anybodys Everybody: One Girls West Side Story. Jets. Sharks. Tony. Maria. What Really happened in Hell's Kitchen? One girl saw it all. From the Shadows. Now she is stepping into the light to tell what really happened that fateful night. The girl they call Anybodys becomes Everybody.

TREVOR BACHMAN is a composer, vocalist, and writer of socially conscious musicals. His work is described by the New York Times as "musically and vocally rich" and was noted for his "shimmering harmony" (Ben Brantley, NYT, 2016). Bachman has created several social and political pieces designed for unique companies of actor/musicians, including Chasing Fear, a new musical in English and Turkish about a family seeking refuge post WWII. His newest piece, FARMED: A Live Podcast Album, is an interview-based concert series that promotes conversation and connection through music in communities around the country. It will tour theaters and community centers nationally in 2018, and soon be available on podcast stations worldwide.

His Denovan Project, a new musical called This Be Magic: A Guide for Young Queers, is a joyful celebration based on Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale". Threading forms of new music, beat poetry, and musicalized dance genres, This Be Magic imagines a new vision of masculinity and its role in shaping children and young adults. Currently, Trevor can be seen singing alongside Jomama Jones in Black Light at The Public Theatre. For more, www.trevorbachman.com

Madame's Soiree is an avant garde variety show at The Duplex hosted by Drew Fornarola and directed by Tyler Spicer. Described by critic Gerry Geddes as "an Ed Sullivan Show for a new generation", each eclectic evening features a group of rising stars in stand-up, poetry, dance, songwriting, and performance art performing alongside Broadway guests. The show is about to begin its third year, and has already featured over 150 individual artists and 30 Broadway guests.