Cabaret in Bodega Bay!

We saw a great show here in Bodega Bay last night! The Cabaret: 2010 A Beach ODDessy was produced and directed by local residents Michael and Diana Bundy and featured local talent lip-syncing to classic hit tunes. Held at the Bodega Bay Grange Hall, the Cabaret benefitted local charities.



We attended the 8:00 p.m. performance, which was sold out. The room was packed with tables of four, each decorated nicely with tablecloths and candles. Refreshments for offered for sale, served by community volunteers including Sophie Powers, owner of The Boat House restaurant. She's so sweet, always has a bright smile on her face.



The show was a huge hit! We took a lot of photos but without a flash, they turned out pretty soft. Steve Hecht, Coldwell Banker realtor and husband of performer Tammi Salas, took terrific, sharp photos during dress rehearsal the night before and was generous enough to share some for this post.


The Master of Ceremonies was the bawdy "Mae West," played by Cathy Wild, a realtor with Prudential in Sebastopol. She gave a lively performance, cracking up the audience all night with her double entendres.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
The first lip-sync act was by Craig Veramay as Elvis. He gave an energetic, gyrating rendition of Heartbreak Hotel.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Tammi Salas had everyone roaring with laughter during her performance of Stand By Your Man, which she sang to "Tiger Woods." Tammi is a prominent community leader here on the coast. She's Chairman of the Bodega Bay Fireworks committee, the former owner of Gourmet Au Bay, wife of the aforementioned Steve Hecht, PTA President of Tomales Elementary School, and an entertaining performer to boot!


These beautiful ladies performed My Boyfriend's Back. I loved their choreography and costumes. All three are local businesswomen, Patty Fata is an investment advisor; Katy Karrenbrock owns TLC Tutoring; and Kathleen Erba owns Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties with her husband Dennis.


This was an amazing puppet performance of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz by Sue Tichava. Sue lives in nearby Occidental and I heard she's a doll-maker and made this puppet herself!


Molly Schar gave a cool performance of Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walking and I'm so sorry we couldn't get a better photo. They came out so blurry. If anyone has a sharper one, I'd gladly substitute! Molly, who is the editor of BodegaBayCa.org, looked really cute!!!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Wow, this rendition of Proud Mary was one of the most energetic performances of the evening. Kudos to Bob Brabon and his wife Diane Senia as Ike & Tina Turner. Diane teaches yoga at the Yacht Club, no wonder she's got such great energy. Their back-up dancers were Judi Taubman of Berkeley and Bodega Bay, and Diana Bundy, one of the producers of the show. The wild "Tina" had great moves and the back-up dancers were in perfect sync too. This was one of our favorite acts of the evening!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Michael Bundy, co-producer of the Cabaret, and Bob Blanchard, co-owner of Gourmet Au Bay, performed Soul Man. We loved it and my daughters were impressed that Michael appeared to know all the moves from the original Blues Brothers movie.

Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Sissy Blanchard, co-owner of Gourmet Au Bay, brought the house down with her performance of She's Got You. Dressed in a cowgirl outfit with a puffy blouse, she proceeded to pull one hysterical prop after another out of the top, corresponding with the lyrics of the song. For example, she pulled out a photo of Brad Pitt (I've got your picture), a number of CDs (I've got the records that we used to share), a feather boa, handcuffs and even a rubber chicken. Truly one of the best acts of the night!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Diana Bundy gave a sultry performance of Fever, accompanied by her husband Michael Bundy. Together, Diana and Michael founded, produced and directed the entire show. Michael is a local general contractor, and Diana is a local artist and real estate broker/owner of Salmon Creek Real Estate, founder of the Salmon Creek ArtWalk and a prominent community event organizer.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Stan and Judi Taubman of Bodega Bay and Berkeley, were hilarious as Sonny & Cher doing I Got You Babe. They also used props, "And when I'm sad, you're a clown" Sonny dons a clown nose, "I've got flowers in the spring" he hands her a bouquet, etc.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Pam Locke and Abby Killey had everyone in stiches, especially the females, when they sang Middle-Aged Woman. I'd never heard the song before and thought it was a riot. Pam owns Ocean Waves Salon in Bodega Bay and also did hair for the show, and Abby is a member of the Bodega Bay Grange and an active conservationist.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht

What a blast! The Cabaret's proceeds will go to Bodega Bay Grange, Bodega Bay Fireworks, Bodega Bay School Art Program, and Bodega Bay Community Center. I think they're planning to do this again next year and we want to know when auditions begin!

Click here to view Steve Hecht's complete Cabaret Photo Gallery, Flyer, YouTube video and more!

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