In a dark piano bar, Nadine Roden sings the jazz song "Peel Me a Grape" to a packed house on a Sunday night.
Normally, theater-goers pay the price of a ticket to see Roden perform in the ensemble and as an understudy for the roles of Tanya and Rosie in "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay. But she performed for free, along with about a dozen of her peers, at an informal local artist showcase known as Broadway West Cabaret.
Sept. 10 marked the one-year anniversary of the Broadway West Cabaret, which takes place every second Sunday of the month at Suede, a restaurant and lounge at 4640 Paradise Road.
Each month, artists from shows on the Strip get together to put on informal performances, ranging from jazz, pop, show tunes and even self-composed songs. The cabaret performance begins at roughly 11 p.m. to accommodate the performers' show schedules.
"It's a nice way to showcase new music that you want to add to your repertoire," Roden said.
Roden said she loves jazz, and chose "Peel Me a Grape" to perform at her singing debut at the cabaret.
"You're getting a little bit of everything. And, it's free," she added. "You get professional-caliber musicians and singers from around the valley."
The atmosphere is great for the musicians, as well as the audience, because the singers can perform something different, she said.
"It's nice to spread your wings again and know you can do something out of the box," she said.
The concept began with Tim Tucker, who performs in "Mamma Mia!" as Father Alexandrios. Tucker said he stumbled into Suede in July 2001 and found it to be a "chic restaurant" that reminded him of the cabarets he frequented in New York City. In the Big Apple, it is common to find Broadway performers singing informally in local clubs, he said.
"It seemed like the perfect place to do it (start a cabaret)," he said.
Tucker said he hoped to create an environment in which actors could walk in and reminisce about the cabarets of New York.
"I want to fill in the blanks for things I think are missing for people in Las Vegas," he said.
Tucker said Broadway West Cabaret at first attracted mainly those in "Mamma Mia!" but is starting to draw performers from the other Strip shows.
"It's open to all theater people in the community," Tucker said. "It's what theater people do in their off time."
Tucker said Broadway West Cabaret has drawn in all age groups and produced a loyal following of performers and nonperformers. Every table was filled at the Sept. 10 performance.
When his friends come to town, Tucker said he tells them to bring sheet music to perform. Many of the performers will choose songs from roles they wouldn't be cast for because of age or even sex, Tucker said.
"It's very low key and low pressure," he said.
"Mamma Mia!" cast member Jennifer Cantorna performed "Broadway Babies" while dancing and holding the words to the song.
"Don't judge!" she said jokingly before her performance.
Ryan Appleby, a member of the ensemble and an understudy for Pepper and Eddie in "Mamma Mia!" searched for months to track down the song he performed, "Anytime (I Am There)" by William Finn. Appleby said he is familiar with the cabaret scene in New York City and would like to do more cabaret-style performances in Las Vegas.
The difference between performing in a cabaret versus a theater is atmosphere, he said.
"It's so much more intimate," Appleby said. "You can really convey what the song is supposed to be."
Appleby said the audience in a cabaret setting is more likely to want to be there, as opposed to an auditorium with hundreds of people.
"It feels more like family when you're singing," he said.
Writer Dana Allen was present at the Sept. 10 performance to see songs from his new musical "Hayes Hotel" performed.
Allen first attended the August performance of the Composers Showcase, Broadway West Cabaret's sister event, which takes place every third Sunday of the month at Suede. The Composers Showcase features the work of Las Vegas composers.
Allen worked on "Hayes Hotel," along with Jim and Stephen "Moose" McMains and Jeff Day.
Allen said the Composers Showcase and Broadway West Cabaret have allowed him to make connections with local performers to help get "Hayes Hotel" off the ground.
"I noticed the camaraderie and the energy in the room," he said. "Everyone has jumped on board."
The excerpts from "Hayes Hotel" were sung by Tina Walsh, the former "Mamma" in "Mamma Mia!" Dan O'Brien, the lead singer in "Folies Bergere" at the Tropicana, and Brandon Albright, who recently appeared in the musical "The Last 5 Years" with Stage Door.
Most of all, Roden said she is impressed with the talent of the performers.
"Everyone here in Las Vegas is so freakin' talented," she said. "It really is the entertainment capital of the world."
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