Cabaret producer Ralph Lampkin is celebrating 30 years as a Midwesterner. More specifically, he's celebrating the rebirth of his career.
In 1981 he stepped off the train in Chicago with the promise of a singing job and perhaps a fresh start. The native New Yorker had had his share of success in the Big Apple—there were multiple club dates; chance meetings with idols ranging from Sammy Davis, Jr., to Debbie Allen; and attempts at recording during the era when disco reigned. But by 1981 Lampkin, whose singing voice was often described as highly imitative of Johnny Mathis', was in a career slump and looking for greener singing pastures.
The singing didn't pan out but slowly Lampkin found his way to a new and even more satisfying career that has taken him behind the scenes, working with a host of vocalists and theatrical artists on presentation and material selection, production, benefits, CDs and a variety of other entertainment components. I met him 20 years ago and we have worked on a number of projects together. In 2002 I did an extensive profile on his fascinating early history for the Chicago Reader called "For a Song" (at www.chicagoreader.com ).
Recently, in anticipation of his 30-year anniversary, Lampkin and I talked again in an exclusive interview for Windy City Times. Typically, the conversation lasted much, much longer than our allotted interview time (and naturally, included plenty of dish about one of our joint enthusiasms—Barbra Streisand).
The bulk of our conversation focused on Lampkin's self-produced anniversary celebration, a series of four evenings jointly titled "What He Did For Love: A Chicago Musical Menu," (April 3-6) at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. Community favorites Alexandra Billings, debuting the Chicago stage premiere of her hilarious improv sensation "Katie's Corner" (seen on YouTube), Honey West, Spider Saloff and a host of other Lampkin-related artists will perform on subsequent nights.
Lampkin describes the anniversary series as "My way of giving back—Chicago has given me so much in terms of my personal and professional life. I am so blessed and I wanted to present some of the amazing talents I've have the privilege to work with in the city I've come to love so much."
Windy City Times: Tell me about your connection to some of the performers in the line up for these anniversary concerts.
Ralph Lampkin: Shellen Lubin was my musical director in New York. She's the only woman who played for me there and is still alive to tell the tales. [Laughs uproariously] She was the one who played for my Debbie Allen audition in 1979 when her husband told me, "Fabulous, but there's already one Johnny Mathis." I sang "It's Going to Be Just Fine," one of Shellen's songs which she'll be performing on April 4 along with Carlo Chapelle and Justin Williams, who is making his Chicago debut that night.
WCT: You've also had a long history with jazz singer Spider Saloff, who is playing earlier that night.
RL: Yes—15 years. We started out working together on a Gershwin show back in 1996. Joyce Sloane, who just passed away, was one of my original co-producers (along with Lynn Orman Weiss and Cheryl Sloane) and the entire series is dedicated to her. She was a terrific help in my career. I think it's because of her that I have a producing career.
WCT: That that covers pop and jazz. Let's talk about some of the other highlights of this four-evening series.
RL: Ben Lerman is a brilliant comedian who plays the ukelele; [he] is on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. I produced his nightclub act debut in 2008 at Don't Tell Mamas; Robin Kay, the fabulous vocalist is at 8:30 that same night. It's our 10th anniversary of producing and releasing her dance hit "I Didn't Go To My Prom."
WCT: Then on April 6 you're featuring vocalist Ester Hana along with Carlo Chapelle and I know you've done many, many projects with Ester.
RL: Yes, and I'm thrilled because you might recall that I wrote several songs with Ester that I never share with anyone. Ester recorded one of them, "Feeling So Blue" which we wrote in '84, and she's going to perform another newly arranged and orchestrated version of the song and another of ours titled "Before the Snow Falls."
WCT: That's a lovely title.
RL: It's about eight years old. The singer on that one is Carlo Charpelle, who is performing with her that night.
WCT: Then later that night you have saxophonist Danny Lerman along with Tim Gant but I want to get to the debut event on Sunday, April 3, which features Jeremy Rill in his concert debut at 8:30 and the Chicago premiere of Alexandra Billings' hilarious "Katie's Corner."
RL: It's an all-improv show that may or may not be based on Katharine Hepburn. [Laughs] I knew we had to open the show with Alex. Originally we were going to do a new concert but it just wasn't ready and she had already directed and produced the show in L.A. and she said, "Ralph, why don't we just do it in Chicago?" It's Alex and Honey West and Mary Beidler Gearen, who is an actress, director and my producing partner for the last 10 years for everything that is Alex. Sean Abley is the director and he's onstage and he's part of the improv. The lights go up and Sean says, "Oh my God, we're in…" and they take off from there.
WCT: All of these people have been instrumental in helping your career, but what made you decide on doing a 30th anniversary?
RL: I'm into numerology so it's the 30th year of my being here from New York since I stepped off my train for a singing career that I decided to give up to help other people in 1985. I'm 54 years old April 29 so that's 5 and 4 is 9—that's three 9s. I had just been asked to co-produce Alice Ripley and Jimmy Webb in South Bend. So it's three shows in the first 30 days of the 30th day I'm working.
WCT: For numerologists, I guess that just about explains it. [Laughs]
RL: Another big reason for the shows is to announce that I'm producer in charge at this new cabaret room opening on Oct. 1 at Stage 773, where the shows are being held.
WCT: So Chicago will have another cabaret space.
RL: Yes—of which there can never be enough! [Laughs hard] I also wanted to give back to the city. I picked Groceryland USA (Vital Bridges), which is overseen by Lori Cannon, and we're dear old friends and David Zak and his charity, Pride Films and Plays; [Zak] is another old friend. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be producing theatre legitimately, and Treehouse I have always been passionate about. I have also worked with Richard Dayhoff and Rusty Hernandez for years, who are helping to produce, and we have all learned and shared with one another.
WCT: This series combines established performers and those just coming up—was that a conscious decision on your part?
RL: Absolutely. I am stunned when I find younger people who say to me, "How do I learn to be a jazz singer? How do I learn about Broadway? How do I learn about cabaret?" Study your elders! Go to YouTube, come to these shows—learn from these legends. I remain passionate about the art form and this is a way for me to share my passion which I know is shared by audiences of all ages.
Tickets for "What He Did For Love: A Chicago Musical Menu" are available at www.stage773.com or 773-929-7369.
