Bright business: Bus tours and matinee shows at the Cabaret at Studio B help drive business in downtown Albion
By MALLORY DIEFENBACH
[email protected]
PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2019 AT 1:38 AM
UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2019 AT 2:33 PM
[email protected]
PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2019 AT 1:38 AM
UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2019 AT 2:33 PM
ALBION — A series of changes The Cabaret of Studio B isn’t just helping the studio.
It’s also helping drive business downtown.
Bus tours started July 24 for matinee shows with a group from Rochester coming in. Ami Sidari, owner of The Cabaret at Studio B, said the bus tours worked just like she hoped; the visitors used the local restaurants — in particular 31 Problems — and because the day was so beautiful, they explored the downtown before going to the show, which went off without a hitch.
The next day the leader of the group called Sidari and said she heard rave reviews of the day — everybody was happy and there was no complaints at all, which is rare — before booking another show with Sidari immediately.
“My goal for that is for the whole community to reap benefits of having new customers on our sidewalks,” she said. “My star performer is Mr. Gary Simboli, and he is a born and raised here in the community, so everybody knows him. He’s more than just community — he teaches in our music department here in Albion.”
Sidari said Simboli already gives a lot to the community, but to have his own show is neat.
There will be six matinee shows, which Sidari said is really cool because it is bringing people in.
“I really, truly feel like revival is our midst here. Our downtown is having a lot more great stores which are opening up,” she said, adding everyone has a small part to play into the big picture. “We are networking, trying to make sure everyone is aware when new faces are going to be in town so we can show our best.”
The idea for bus tours came about from the knowledge a friend of hers, Marcy Downey, performs for bus tours up at the Village Inn very successfully. With the struggling Albion downtown, Sidari said she felt the village could benefit from something similar in the village.
“I’m not going to do the same volume of people the Village Inn can accommodate, and my hats go off to The Village Inn because they do an amazing job with the music and everything,” she said. “We are just doing our show. We’re not doing any meals here or anything.”
Not only will The Cabaret at Studio B be doing bus tours, but Sidari is working to add in a new studio called “Studio C.” This new studio can host dance classes when the season begins in the fall, allowing for the cabaret to still be set up. Her goal is to have the room up and running by the end of fall.
It’s also helping drive business downtown.
Bus tours started July 24 for matinee shows with a group from Rochester coming in. Ami Sidari, owner of The Cabaret at Studio B, said the bus tours worked just like she hoped; the visitors used the local restaurants — in particular 31 Problems — and because the day was so beautiful, they explored the downtown before going to the show, which went off without a hitch.
The next day the leader of the group called Sidari and said she heard rave reviews of the day — everybody was happy and there was no complaints at all, which is rare — before booking another show with Sidari immediately.
“My goal for that is for the whole community to reap benefits of having new customers on our sidewalks,” she said. “My star performer is Mr. Gary Simboli, and he is a born and raised here in the community, so everybody knows him. He’s more than just community — he teaches in our music department here in Albion.”
Sidari said Simboli already gives a lot to the community, but to have his own show is neat.
There will be six matinee shows, which Sidari said is really cool because it is bringing people in.
“I really, truly feel like revival is our midst here. Our downtown is having a lot more great stores which are opening up,” she said, adding everyone has a small part to play into the big picture. “We are networking, trying to make sure everyone is aware when new faces are going to be in town so we can show our best.”
The idea for bus tours came about from the knowledge a friend of hers, Marcy Downey, performs for bus tours up at the Village Inn very successfully. With the struggling Albion downtown, Sidari said she felt the village could benefit from something similar in the village.
“I’m not going to do the same volume of people the Village Inn can accommodate, and my hats go off to The Village Inn because they do an amazing job with the music and everything,” she said. “We are just doing our show. We’re not doing any meals here or anything.”
Not only will The Cabaret at Studio B be doing bus tours, but Sidari is working to add in a new studio called “Studio C.” This new studio can host dance classes when the season begins in the fall, allowing for the cabaret to still be set up. Her goal is to have the room up and running by the end of fall.
Albion alumni perform in concert at Cabaret to benefit Music Boosters
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 August 2019 at 9:28 am
ALBION – Matthew Mooney sings “Anthem” from the musical, Chess, on Saturday evening at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion. Mooney a 1993 Albion graduate, was one of about 20 alumni to perform in a benefit for the Albion Music Boosters.
Mooney is active in the Buffalo theater scene and also works as a CNA for Catholic Health. He is studying to become a registered nurse.
Mooney also sang “I Can See It” from the musical, The Fantasticks.
There were two performances by alumni on Saturday of “Celebrating Home: Where Greatness Began.” It is a first-time fundraiser.
The Music Boosters support the music program at the elementary, middle and high schools. The Boosters fund scholarships for the honors choirs/bands, pay for year-end celebrations, and other efforts to help the music program.
Mooney is active in the Buffalo theater scene and also works as a CNA for Catholic Health. He is studying to become a registered nurse.
Mooney also sang “I Can See It” from the musical, The Fantasticks.
There were two performances by alumni on Saturday of “Celebrating Home: Where Greatness Began.” It is a first-time fundraiser.
The Music Boosters support the music program at the elementary, middle and high schools. The Boosters fund scholarships for the honors choirs/bands, pay for year-end celebrations, and other efforts to help the music program.
Angela Tarricone, Class of 2017, sings “Gimmie Gimmie” from the musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Tarricone is an Education and Theater major at Brockport State College.
A saxophone quintet performed selections from “Carmen.” The group includes, from left: Charlyne Olick, Class of 2015; Riley Seielstad, Class of 2018; Nick Ettinger, Class of 2015; Nate Grammatico, Class of 2019; and Mike Grammatico, Nate’s grandfather and a retired Albion music teacher.
Erin Moody, Class of 1995, sings “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. Erin owns Moody’s Automotive in Albion.
Miranda Allen, left, and Cheya-Rain Eagle, both from the Class of 2016, sing, “Get Happy/Happy Days are Here Again.” Allen is majoring in mathematics in college and Eagle is studying to be a music therapist.
Riley Seielstad, Class of 2018, performs to a sold-out crowd at the Cabaret at Studio B. Riley is singing, “Summertime.”
Justin Barleben, Class of 2009, sings “Smile” from Charlie Chaplin. He is a teacher in the Buffalo area.
Kathleen (Adduci) Barleben, Class of 2009, performs “The Secret of Happiness” from the musical, Daddy Long Legs. She also is a teacher in Buffalo. She and her husband Justin sing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus.
The Billies, a barbershop quartet with members from the Class of 2019, sings, “Beyond the Sea.” They include Jacob Ettinger, Nate Grammatico, Enoch Martin and Evan VanAmeron.
Other performers at the concert included Alec Sherman, Class of 1968; Gwendolen Martillotta Ferchen, Class of 1991; Mike Thaine, Class of 1986; and Gary Simboli, Class of 1981.
Other performers at the concert included Alec Sherman, Class of 1968; Gwendolen Martillotta Ferchen, Class of 1991; Mike Thaine, Class of 1986; and Gary Simboli, Class of 1981.
Cabaret has 21 shows lined up this season, including 6 bus tours for Gary Simboli
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 July 2019 at 8:42 am
ALBION – An Albion teacher who has directed nearly 70 musicals at the high school the past 35 years will be the headline performer in six shows this summer at the Cabaret at Studio B. Gary Simboli will be performing a show featuring music from many of the musicals, as well as some funny anecdotes from leading the shows. Six bus tours have already signed up for the matinee shows that are scheduled for July 24, Aug. 6, Aug. 7, Aug. 13, Aug. 27 and Aug. 29, with a 1:15 start time for the first five, and the time to be determined for the last show. Simboli has accompanied many of his students and other musicians in the community. This time he will be the main attraction through his show, “Musicals and Mischief.” “There will be stories and songs from specific shows,” Simboli said. “I hope they will find it funny.” Amy Sidari, owner of the Cabaret at Studio B, said Simboli is a gifted performer in his own right. He has performed with Marcy Downey, who has a longstanding relationship with bus tour companies. She urged Simboli to develop his own show and vouched for him with the bus tour companies. The first six groups will be coming from the Rochester area. There will be seats at the Cabaret for community members, too. “Not only will these people love Gary, they will love Albion, too,” Sidari said. “I really see Albion on an upswing.” She expects the people on the bus tours to visit the downtown, which has seen several new businesses open in the past two years. Sidari opened the Cabaret at Studio B in her dance studio six years ago, with Marcy Downey the first performer on July 28, 2013. Sidari routinely sells out shows with a capacity of 80 seats. She features local musicians, some top high school performers and increasingly out-of-town professionals such as jazz singer Erin Boheme (returning on Aug. 24-25) and Dakota Horvath, a jazz singer from Chicago (performing Oct. 19 in Albion). |
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Albion native Kailey Winans kicked off the summer season at the Cabaret last Friday with her show, “Dare to Dare … Happily Ever After.”
Winans, 28, performs in New York City at the Don’t Tell Momma cabaret. Her full-time job is as a nursery school teacher at Rockefeller University.
She graduated from Albion in 2008 and credited Simboli for developing her passion for music.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything I have about being a performer from him,” she said. “He would do everything he could for his kids. He is very selfless.”
Simboli accompanied Winans during her show last week and sang a duet with her, “It’s Now or Never.”
Winans, 28, performs in New York City at the Don’t Tell Momma cabaret. Her full-time job is as a nursery school teacher at Rockefeller University.
She graduated from Albion in 2008 and credited Simboli for developing her passion for music.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything I have about being a performer from him,” she said. “He would do everything he could for his kids. He is very selfless.”
Simboli accompanied Winans during her show last week and sang a duet with her, “It’s Now or Never.”
Sidari is working to upgrade a third studio room at 28 West Bank St., where she has had her dance studio for 22 years. That new room will be multipurpose for dance, a “green room” for the performers to get ready, and also can be space for pop-up shops.
Her grand plan is to renovate the top floor of her building for the cabaret, which would expand the seating from the current 80 to at least 125.
Simboli is planning to retire as a teacher in the three years. He would like to perform at the expanded cabaret and cook for people as part of the event space. The new cabaret would lend itself to bus tours, and would be a draw to downtown Albion.
The next show at the Cabaret is this evening and features Crandall, Wood and Main. The show calendar then includes Enoch Martin, a 2019 Albion graduate, on July 19. Kerri Lynn Slominski, a Kendall graduate, will do an operatic show on July 27.
Click here to for more information on the shows.
Her grand plan is to renovate the top floor of her building for the cabaret, which would expand the seating from the current 80 to at least 125.
Simboli is planning to retire as a teacher in the three years. He would like to perform at the expanded cabaret and cook for people as part of the event space. The new cabaret would lend itself to bus tours, and would be a draw to downtown Albion.
The next show at the Cabaret is this evening and features Crandall, Wood and Main. The show calendar then includes Enoch Martin, a 2019 Albion graduate, on July 19. Kerri Lynn Slominski, a Kendall graduate, will do an operatic show on July 27.
Click here to for more information on the shows.
Gotta Dance owner has big plans to expand Cabaret in Albion
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2018 at 2:01 pm
ALBION – Five years ago Amy Sidari turned part of her dance studio into a cabaret, where she welcomes musicians, comedians, dancers and theatrical groups for performances. She upgraded the space with professional sound and lighting. Each show she brings out tables and chairs with seats for up to 80 people. The Cabaret at Studio B has been a success, Sidari said, with the performances regularly selling out. That success, and a growing list of talent, has her working to take the next step, a major renovation of the second floor for the cabaret. If the cabaret went to the top floor of her building at 28 West Bank St., Sidari said the seating could increase to at least 125. She could also keep the room permanently set up for shows. Right now she has to bring out tables and chairs for every cabaret performance because the space is also used for her dance studio, Gotta Dance by Miss Amy. This Saturday one of the cabaret performers, Dave Mancini of Rochester, is doing a show to benefit the project – the future new cabaret. That show starts at 7 p.m. Click here for more information. This is the first fundraiser in what Sidari said will likely be a multi-year effort. Mancini is a well-known jazz musician from Rochester who appeared at the Cabaret last August. The Cabaret also welcomed nationally acclaimed jazz singer Erin Boheme, who sang at President Trump’s inauguration. Sidari gave a tour of the top floor last week. The space is currently used as storage. But Sidari said she envisions it as an elegant performance venue. “It will have an open, airy environment,” she said. She is working with an engineer to draw up designs and estimate costs. It will be a big effort with new windows, air-conditioning, heating, lights, sprinklers and flooring all needed, as well as an elevator. Sidari is undaunted in the effort to create the new cabaret. She opened Gotta Dance in the building 21 years ago and worked with family and friends to create the first space for dancers. A second room for dancers was added, as well as a store with dancing supplies, a café area, and a small studio for piano lessons. “It has the potential,” Sidari said. “To me it’s just the next step. I can smell it – the excitement.” Gary Simboli, an Albion music teacher, has been a regular performer at the Cabaret the past five years. He wants to stay active as a musician when he retires from teaching in four years. Sidari said teaming with Simboli would make the space a big draw in Albion and beyond. “Gary is a superstar, a hometown man who gives more than anyone in the community,” Sidari said. In addition to performing at the Cabaret, Simboli said he would like to cook for people as part of the expanded space. The new cabaret would lend itself to bus tours, and would be a draw to downtown Albion, Simboli said. “We are an arts community,” Simboli said. “We support many things. This would be a place to call our own.” |
Photos by Tom Rivers: Amy Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, is pictured on the second floor at 28 West Bank St., which she wants to renovate and turn into an expanded space for the Cabaret at Studio B. Gary Simboli, in back, would like to be a regular performer at the site after he retires as a teacher at Albion in about four years. Kelly Kovaleski, also in back, in pursuing grants to help with the project.
Sidari opened her studio 21 years ago at 28 West Bank St., and has steadily been upgrading the first floor and the building, including a new roof in 2012. She would like to next tackle a major renovation of the second floor.
The Cabaret at Studio B opened in July 28, 2013 with Marcy Downey as the first performer. Sidari routinely sells out shows with a capacity of 80 seats.
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After serious car accident in December 2016, NY's "Queen of Country Music" is back on stage
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2018 at 8:24 am
Josie Waverly has long been a popular performer ALBION – Josie Waverly of Hilton was on her way to Albion to sing in a benefit concert on Dec. 3, 2016 when she was rear-ended at a stop light at Redman and Ridge Road in Clarkson. Waverly would suffer herniated disks in her neck and back. The injuries have made it hard for her to take in the deep breaths for singing her country music. Waverly has had to cut back on her performances. She used to hit the stage 200 times a year. Now she is performing about 50 times a year, including an upcoming concert on June 30 in Albion at the Cabaret at Studio B. It will be her first time performing in Albion since the accident. “It’s hard to take in a lot of air to sustain the notes and hit the high notes,” Waverly said during an interview last week at the Cabaret. “I still have my voice but (the injury) affects how I use my voice.” Waverly has been diligent in physical therapy and exercises which has allowed her return to singing. This is her 30th year singing as a professional. She is dubbed as “New York State’s Queen of Country Music.” She has performed in the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and opened for major country music stars, before crowds of 20,000 people. She has opened for Tim McGraw, Charlie Daniels, Loretta Lynn, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban and many others. Waverly said she gives every performance her all, whether it’s for the 20,000 at a major concert venue or much-smaller venues. The Cabaret at Studio B seats about 100 and Waverly said she likes the intimate setting, where she can chat with some of the concert goers. “The people are so good to me here,” Waverly said about the Cabaret. “It is a pleasant, homey place.” Waverly performs with her country music band, and also has developed other shows including “My Gal Patsy” which is her tribute to Patsy Cline. (She performed “My Gal Patsy” to a sold-out crowd of 600 on Friday at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda.) With her “Queens of Pure Country” show, Waverly sings songs from nine famous entertainers, such as Dolly Parton, Kitty Wells, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Dottie West and Reba McEntire. “I’m just using the gift the Lord gave me to bring joy to other people,” she said. “That’s the big thing.” Waverly, an active grandmother to five grandkids, said staying away from the stage wasn’t an option. “I have to stay singing and doing what I love to do,” she said. Amy Sidari, owner of the Cabaret, has become a close friend for Waverly, and is working as Waverly’s publicist and promotions agent. Sidari is working on bringing about 20 shows to the Cabaret this year, which is in its sixth season. Sidari has a long-term goal of opening a bigger performance venue in the second floor at 28 West Bank St. When people call for tickets for some of the shows at the Cabaret, they often ask how Waverly is doing since her accident. Sidari is pleased Waverly will be back in Albion on June 30 and then again on Dec. 15 for a holiday concert in her Patsy Cline character. “It’s a treat for the Albion community to have someone of Josie’s caliber,” Sidari said. |
Photos by Tom Rivers: Josie Waverly, center, leans on Gina Sidari, the daughter of Amy Sidari, left. Waverly will be performing on June 30 at the Cabaret at Studio B, which Sidari runs on West Bank Street in Albion. Waverly of Hilton has performed there several times. She has performed all over the country as a headliner as well as an opening act for many of Nashville’s leading entertainers such as Tim McGraw, Charlie Daniels, Loretta Lynn, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban.
Josie Waverly portrayed Patsy Cline during a concert at Medina High School on July 20, 2013. About 150 people attended the event, which was a fundraiser for the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
Josie Waverly performed as Dolly Parton during a benefit on Oct. 15, 2016 that was a roast of local contractor Jim Babcock. Waverly performed a spoof of the Parton song, “9 to 5,” in describing a kitchen repair gone wrong.
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