Acts Of Kindness Cabaret - An Introduction
How We Help Others
Local Nonprofits
We help other Chicago-area non-profits raise funds and cultivate donors by providing professional, entertaining cabaret events almost entirely free of charge.
In addition to the performance itself, we provide sound and lighting equipment, technical staff, set-up crew, ushers, and printed programs. We work with each benefiting organization to find a suitable venue and to promote their event, primarily to their supporters. The benefiting organizations sell tickets and, less reimbursing us our nominal expenses, keep all the proceeds. At the same time, we introduce new audiences to the art of modern cabaret.
We fulfill the artistic portion of our mission by fulfilling the philanthropic one, and vice versa. It is simple kindness from us to the non-profit community and those it serves.
Underserved High Schools
Our Educational Outreach Program addresses the problems of both lack of funding for the arts in schools and the need for more social and emotional learning. This program provides both financial assistance to the schools’ existing performing arts programs, which are so vital to overall student success, as well as a unique arts education experience for students.
Students will be invited to participate in a series of Master Classes with acclaimed cabaret artist, Hilary Ann Feldman, who will introduce them to modern cabaret and lead them through the fine art of storytelling through song in a safe and nurturing environment.
The final act will be a thrilling performance of storytelling and musical exploration by the artists of Acts Of Kindness Cabaret, with select students performing alongside these consummate professionals. All proceeds from this performance will go to supporting the school’s performing arts programs.
What is Cabaret?
While cabaret has its roots in the chansons of Paris and the political satire of Berlin in the early 1900's, cabaret today is a much more family-friendly experience.
Modern cabaret is an intensely personal evening of songs and stories, delivered by singers in a simple, honest way. It’s an all-encompassing performance genre that can include singing styles from Broadway to jazz to folk to pop and everything in between.
Unlike a concert performance, a cabaret show has a definite sense of beginning, middle, and end. Storytelling is paramount but, unlike traditional musical theatre, cabaret performers address the audience directly. There’s no decorated set, high-lifted stage, or elaborate costumes; but this simplified approach to performance art removes the barrier between the audience and the performers. Audiences aren't required to suspend any disbelief. Anyone can connect to the stories, songs, and performers on a personal level; listening, laughing, or even shedding a tear as the music moves them.
While bringing audience and performer together, cabaret preserves the great songs of the past, rescues hidden gems from obscurity, and is one of the few outlets for the new music of today’s lyricists and composers outside the pop/rock world. As such, it is one of the few places an 80-year-old and an 18-year-old can sit together enjoying the same musical experience.
Learn more about why cabaret makes a great fundraising event
