Q&A With Tom Andersen, Tim Di Pasqua and Scott Coulter

Tom Andersen, Scott Coulter, and Tim Di Pasqua earned Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Cabaret Revue/Group/Variety Performance for their show Southern Comfort: A Down-Home Country Music Jamboree.  

Tell me about your show, and how you developed it. After all, "Country" and "Cabaret" don't usually go together!

TA: Well, the show is 100% country music that spans the last 60 yrs or so of country music. We covered the early stuff ("Roll Along Prairie Moon") to current hits (Alan Jackson's "Remember When") and everything in-between (including the really cool tunes from the 50's and 60's- "Behind Closed Doors" and "Make the World Go Away". We were backed by a four-piece band that was incredible (three of the musicians are from the blue-grass band "Astrograss"). They are the "real deal" as far as country music is concerned-- no faking here!!! It's funny how it came together- I had been wanting to put a country music show together for a long time, and Tim [DiPasqua] and I had written a few country songs together and have talked about our love of the genre for years. Same with Scott-- I found out country music is in "his bones"-- he is from Nashville after all! Anyway, as fate would have it, Phil [Geoffrey] Bond from the Laurie Beechman Theatre approached the three of us about combing forces for his theatre and, of course, country music is the one theme we all agreed on. 

TDP: I am a singer/songwriter who writes pop songs and theater music that is flavored, at times with a good "country" sound, and just happens to be performed within local cabaret houses. Even though I suppose that I am a little on the fringe of what most people consider cabaret. Phil Bond had asked the three of us to put a show together and present it for the opening of the new Laurie Beechman Theater. So when we got together to throw out a few ideas, Tom suggested that we might put together a country show and the three of us came up with some great song choices and put the show together.

SC: I'm from Nashville, Tennessee so I grew up with country music and have always included it in my solo shows. Some of the best songs being written today are country songs because country artists still value melody and story-telling. For that reason alone they are a perfect fit for cabaret
shows. Tom and Tim have also always included a bit of country in their shows and the music they both right has that sensibility to it. We'd been thinking of doing something together for years so this seemed like a good fit.

With such a lengthy resume, how do you keep your shows fresh, original, and interesting for your fans?

TA: As far as I'm concerned, I'm constantly trying to find new music and really try to dig deep into the music and lyrics so it keeps being interesting to me. I think (and hope) that my desire to be "in the moment" resonates as "truth" to the audience. People want truth- you just can't fake that!

TDP: Well, I am always writing new music and am always eager to put it in front of an audience. Plus, I feel that I always learning about my craft and becoming more confident in what I do, and how I do it. So each time I perform, I feel like it's the very first time I do it. I learn and grow from each experience so that I bring everything that I've learned with me to the next one, and hopefully it will be good and new for each audience.

SC: I work an awful lot with other singers on duo/trio shows. I like to mix things up. My solo show this year was only my second solo effort in the past six years. I think that helps keep things fresh for the audience.

What do you feel the Nightlife Awards mean to the Cabaret community, as opposed to other awards?

TA: The nightlife awards are cool because it's an all-performance award show. So, for an audience member, you get a big bang for your buck— no boring speeches-- just pure entertainment!

TDP: I am not sure about that, but I will guess that because some of the other awards shows are going through major changes and those changes are felt by the community at large, the Nightlife Awards are a welcomed signed of stability and forward movement bringing a fractured community together.

SC: I love the fact that the awards are voted on by the press, who see an awful lot of shows in any given year. Some of the other awards tend to become popularity contests because there is no way all the voting members see all the shows nominated. The Nightlife Awards don't have that problem.

What does the award mean to you, personally?

TA: Since I don't believe that art can be judged as the "best" (it's all so subjective), the nightlife awards simply give you a nice pat on the back saying "Hey, you did something kind of cool."

TDP: I am so honored by this for many reasons. One, it's wonderful to know that your work is affecting people on all levels, and two because you were singled out by an esteemed panel of critics, judges, and columnists who see a lot of work throughout the year, and they appreciate what you have to offer.

SC: Personally, this award is very meaningful. I've been a finalist several times before but never won till this year. Some of the critics voting on these awards were among my very first supporters here in NY and as a result have been more critical than most people -- always pushing me to do better, stretch more -- so to finally receive this award from them is a nice honor.

What's the next step for you?

TA: What's next? Well, we're talking about doing the show again here in New York as well as maybe touring with it. You know the life of a performer-- always looking for the next gig.

TDP: I am working on a new CD of all new original songs; I am putting together a compilation review of my music for my new theater company, Third Eye Theatre; and hopefully we will be remounting Southern Comfort sometime soon.

SC: I'm off to Memphis, TN on Thursday for a couple of concerts there. The next few months are pretty booked travel/concert-wise. (In May I'm doing a concert in Riga, Latvia with Stephen Schwartz and Debbie Gravitte which I'm really looking forward to.) Plus, I recently started a booking company with Lee Lessack and Rob O'Neill (both LA boys) called Spot-On Entertainment and that is keeping us all pretty busy. Check out our new site: www.spot-onentertainment.com.