** Tom Michael and Beckie Menzie perform 'Hey, Look Me Over: The Music of Cy Coleman' @ Maxim's: The Nancy Goldberg International Center, 24 E. Goethe St, (877) 244-2246 Sept. 10.
Tom Michael is a friendly and familiar face on the Chicago cabaret circuit. His two well-received CDs Sail On and Written In The Stars have helped to increase his visibility, as have his performances with fellow cabaret performer Beckie Menzie. The duo's successful Cy Coleman tribute Hey, Look Me Over is being revived as part of the Play On Chicago music series. I recently had the chance to speak with Tom and here is what he had to say.
Gregg Shapiro: How long have you been living in Chicago?
Tom Michael: I came here in 1985. I'm originally from Houston and I came up here because of American Airlines. They based me up here. I was going to stay eight months, and I'm still here (laughs).
GS: Were you singing and performing in Houston, as well?
TM: No, I never intended on being a performer. It was something I fell into. I actually started on a dare. It was my last year of college and I got a phone call from my mom one day and she said, 'This group, Up With People … ,' don't laugh …
GS: I'm not laughing.
TM: (laughs) '…is going to be here and I want you to come down and interview with them.' I said, I don't sing, I don't dance. I don't do any of that stuff. I just want to be an airline pilot. She said that she thought it would be a great opportunity for me to travel for a year. So, I gave it a try and they liked my voice and they gave me different solos. It was a great performing experience and when I was done with my year there, I had that performing bug and I didn't know what to do with it because it took me by surprise. I knew I wanted to work for the airline. I took flying lessons for a while and hated it. The only part about it that I liked was driving the plane around on the ground. I thought, Well, I'm not destined to be an airline pilot (laughs). Instead, I interviewed (and was hired) as a flight attendant and they sent me up to Chicago. I really missed singing and heard about this club called Boombala on Lincoln Avenue. They had an open mic and I decided to go there and sing a couple of tunes and see what happens. The owner of the club liked what I did and he hired me to host the open mic the next week. I earned my first $20 singing and I still have it.
GS: Sure, it's very meaningful.
TM: That was in 1987. That's also when I met Beckie Menzie. I call her my musical wife and she calls me her musical husband. We're a team. I love working with her.
GS: Where do you see your place now in the current Chicago cabaret scene?
TM: So many performers have a vision of what they want and where they see themselves. I really don't. I feel like as long as I can keep singing and keep working, that's all I care about. This whole career wasn't expected. It's not where I thought my life would end up. Everything I do is a surprise to me and I'm so grateful for everything that I get.
GS: But you are distinguished in the Chicago cabaret community in that you have released two CDs.
TM: I'm definitely committed to singing my craft. I take two or three voice lessons a week. I love studying voice. I try to get out and sing every opportunity I get, whether it's a gig or an open mic or a benefit. I took a master class with Julie Wilson, the grand dame of cabaret divas, at the cabaret symposium, and she told us to get out and sing whatever chance we got, no matter what it is. It may not be the best circumstances—there may be people throwing up at your feet in a bar—just get out and sing.
GS: It's interesting that you should mention singing when you get the chance, because I noticed during the annual Chicago Gay Men's Chorus Pride concert that you are a member. Are there other people from the cabaret scene who are also members or are you the only one?
TM: There are other people in the chorus who are actors and dancers. There is one other guy who used to do cabaret, but he's not doing it much anymore.
GS: How do you like singing in that realm?
TM: Oh, I love singing with the chorus. There's something so exciting to me about standing right in the middle of 150 other people singing around you and singing with that one gigantic voice. I used to sing with Windy City Gay Chorus and I missed that. My friends in the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus encouraged me to join them. I'm having a ball with them.
GS: There is a Cy Coleman song ('There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This') on your second CD Written In The Stars. Had you been performing songs by and been interested in Coleman before that?
TM: Beckie and I try to do one brand new show a year at Davenport's. I had done a Richard Rodgers show (summer of 2002) with Cory Jamison and Joan Curto, directed by Dan Stetzel. The fact that it was Richard Rodgers —so many people came, we ran for three weeks. The composer shows really sell well and when I was talking to Beckie about our next show, we both mentioned Cy Coleman. His music is the perfect mix of theater and jazz, two areas that we love so much. We dove into his music head first. It was such a fun show. His music really lends itself to that —it's light, it's jazzy, a lot of it is upbeat. We just want to keep it going. That's why when Maxim's asked us to do it, we were thrilled.
