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Singer and actress Libby Whittemore
closes her venue, Libby’s: A Cabaret, on New Year’s Eve after six years of singular programming.
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Libby’s: A Cabaret
Dec. 29, 30 (Dec. 31 sold out)
3401 Northside Parkway NW
404-869-4748
www.libbyscabaret.com |
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HOME > COMMUNITY > THEATRE
By: JIM FARMER
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When Libby Whittemore closes the door on her acclaimed cabaret next week, she does so with bittersweet memories. The cabaret was never a huge success financially, but it was one of a kind and gay-inclusive in its programming and its audience — a reminder of the kind of acts that are rarely celebrated anymore.
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Whittemore, long an icon to gay fans, started Libby’s Cabaret six years ago.
“I knew there was an audience out there for what we did,” she says. “We played to the lost demographic, over 40. It was a place to go for good music: standards, Gershwin, Broadway revues. We also gave local singers a place to perform. What we created was very special.”
Unfortunately, the overhead proved too much, and this summer Whittemore announced plans to close with her New Year’s Weekend performances.
“What I am most proud about is the feeling in the room. Our customers were very possessive of the space,” Whittemore says. “There are lots of moments I will always remember, such as having people from New York tell me that there wasn’t a space like that even up there.”
The cabaret owner, who also sang regularly at the venue, has no regrets.
“I am not sorry I did it,” she says. “We achieved a real following. It was not successful in a financial sense, but it was successful in that we accomplished what we set out to do.”
The Atlanta-born Whittemore has performed all over the city. She started at the Showcase Cabaret in Ansley Mall and later became part of “Della’s Dinner,” where she adopted her alter ego, Connie Sue Day.
For most of the ‘80s, Whittemore spent her time at Upstairs At Gene’s & Gabe’s, doing one-woman shows, before performing at Rosalind’s in Ansley Square.
Whittemore also starred in the Actor’s Express version of “Gypsy” a few years back. She calls the run of the show her most memorable theatrical experience.
A lot of the folks who were cabaret regulars came to Actor’s Express to see the show — and vice versa.
“I think that ‘Gypsy’ definitely helped my business,” Whittemore says. “I think it also proved there is an audience for that kind of musical.”
Next year, she and her “Gypsy” co-star Wendy Melkonian plan to re-team for the “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” at Actor’s Express. After that, she has no definitive plans. She would love to return to her cabaret roots — only this time not as an owner.
Cabaret is, unfortunately, a dying art, Whittemore laments, especially in the days of spaces such as Philips Arena.
“There is nothing like it at all,” she says. “Cabaret is based out of a small room, piano based, intimate. Not everyone can do this kind of thing. It takes more than having a good voice. You can be a great singer but have no personal connection with the audience. It’s about having a relationship with them.”
When Whittemore announced that she was closing, many of her remaining performances sold out quickly. Her New Year’s Eve show is already sold out with 47 people on the waiting list. Limited space is available for the Dec. 29-30 shows.
Christmas events won’t change with the impending closing.
“I don’t want to cheat people who want to see the traditional Christmas show,” she says. “We will probably do something more special with the New Year’s one, though.”
Whittemore says she has always been inclusive of gay performers during the cabaret’s run, and that she was open and always receptive to benefits and charities.
“I do have a huge gay following, and I am very grateful for that,” she says. “I would like to thank everyone for all the support over the years.”
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