Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro Come to Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse will present Alan Cumming (“Cabaret,” “The Good Wife”) and Ari Shapiro (NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Pink Martini”) with tunes and tall tales in “Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret,” on Friday, November 22, at 7 p.m. The event is sold out.

The show’s main title “Och & Oy!” plays on Cumming’s Scottish and Shapiro’s Jewish backgrounds. The subtitle, “A Considered Cabaret,” nods to Shapiro being known for “All Things Considered” and Cumming for the musical “Cabaret.” Their show combines the best bits of public radio with the best bits of a musical, where they have deep, thought-provoking conversations and also entertaining, perhaps slightly bawdy, musical numbers. What comes together is an old-fashioned cabaret that offers a mix of songs, Q&A, and personal storytelling – which both men have been doing in various ways for decades.

Cumming said, “I’ve got to know Ari over the last few years, both socially and when he interviewed me for a couple of events. The last time was an evening in D.C., and by the end of it I realized our chemistry and the unusual combo of us, as well as the fact that Ari has an amazing voice, would make for a really great cabaret show.  And kapow!  We’re doing it!  What I love most is it’s fresh and ever-changing.”

Shapiro added, “When Alan first suggested that we create a show together, I didn’t quite believe him.  Then as we started to dig in to this collaboration, I realized how much our professional lives actually complement each other.  We’re both storytellers who try to help audiences better understand themselves and the world around them. This show lets us explore those shared ideals on stage together, through stories and songs.”

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