Seattle Cabaret Festival (SCF) is in its 17th year, celebrating the versatile art of musical cabaret! Over the years, SCF artists have drawn on a universe of music—from the American Songbook to rock, blues, opera, a cappella, political satire, folk, French chansons, and their own original singer-songwriter material.
Seattle Cabaret Festival is produced by the Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association (PNWCA), whose mission is to create a vibrant cabaret audience and a supportive community of artists. It began in 2008 as a one-night showcase featuring eight performers in a small club on Capitol Hill. Today, the festival features 27 acts, with two shows every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in May at Egan’s in Ballard, plus a special one-night showcase at The Triple Door.
This year’s showcase will be hosted by Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse and will feature performances by The Love Markets, The Sirens of Swing, Bodacious Ladyhood, Art Anderson, Faye B. Summers, and Julie Cascioppo, to name a few. It offers a sneak peek of what the full festival will bring throughout May at Egan’s.
I had a chance to chat with Arnaldo.
Seattle Cabaret Festival Month is in May. Why the change from March?
We started the festival in 2008 as “March is Cabaret Month,” produced by the not-for-profit Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association, which I founded in 2006. We originally wanted to align with other cabaret organizations across the country. But then COVID happened—and just like the rest of the world, we adapted.
We decided to move to May so we could keep venue doors and windows open for better air circulation and ventilation. May also has milder weather. We realized it would be too confusing to have “March is Cabaret Month” in May, so we renamed it the Seattle Cabaret Festival (SCF)—giving us more flexibility around scheduling.
What are the highlights of the Festival this year?
The concept of the festival is to give both upcoming and veteran cabaret artists a chance to create their own 30-minute solo shows—and to partner with another solo artist to cross-pollinate their audiences.
The highlight for me is the participation of six new artists this year! Of course, the veteran performers are already gems, and their continued involvement is a testament to how the festival nurtures creative space for artists. Check out our website at www.seattlecabaretfestival.com to learn more about this year’s lineup.
What does Arnaldo! have planned for her act?
I always try to challenge myself creatively while giving the audience something they love. This year, I’m learning a fun Japanese song—which is a big challenge since I’m Filipino and don’t speak Japanese! I asked two Japanese friends to coach me. I won’t reveal the title, but let’s just say it’s also a popular American song… so get ready for the surprise!
Of course, my “Patsy” act will return as well—it’s a festival staple that I perform annually at the opening night at The Triple Door.
What has been the best part of producing this festival each year?
PNWCA’s mission is to create a vibrant cabaret audience and community of artists through the Seattle Cabaret Festival. When we started in 2008, we had 8 acts. Now we have 27—and we continue to attract incredibly talented, award-winning performers.
What’s really exciting is seeing that mission come to life. We keep ticket prices affordable, give 90% of ticket sales to the artists, and help them by managing much of the marketing and onstage production. Artists connect, share best practices, and even collaborate on material. I love the community spirit—it’s what keeps us going. Yes, there are egos (everywhere has them!), but when things get tricky, I remind everyone of our shared goal: building a creative community through this festival.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! There are two words in “show business”—and very few people know what goes into the “business” part. Most only see the “show.” As I mentioned, we’re a not-for-profit and rely entirely on donors and grants. Producing this takes a lot—and as a producer yourself, you know what that means!
We give 90% of ticket sales directly to the artists. PNWCA also handles the bulk of production and marketing, which requires months of work from our SCF Creative Team. We start planning in late September, the festival runs through May, and we have a post-festival wrap-up in June.
Since 2017, Shunpike has been our fiscal sponsor, so donor contributions are tax-deductible. If you’d like to support us, please visit our donate page at www.seattlecabaretfestival.com.
We’re also expanding! Thanks to a grant from 4Culture, we’ve begun offering workshops and masterclasses. So far, we’ve held two masterclasses and a 2.5-day workshop. Coming up: a new masterclass on Monday, May 26, featuring NY’s own Craig Pomranz and myself. If you’re interested, please email us at email@seattlecabfest.com for more details.
