The Junkyard Theater Straight-Up Cabaret Project

The Backstory

Who is Junkyard Theater?  Junkyard Theater is the brainchild of performance artist Justin Leaf, a Juilliard graduate with a 10-year-plus career as a performance artist, choreographer, and dance teacher based in Minneapolis.  Justin created Junkyard Theater as a platform to create entertaining and inspiring performance work that brings his diverse dance experience into play with his passion for music and theater.

In 2006, Justin introduced the character of Mistress Ginger to the world in the satiric cabaret spectacle "Broadway Bound...and Gagged," which garnered a 2007 SAGE Award for Best Performance.  Since then, Justin's collection of pink-haired dance-music-theater works has grown to include "The Mistress Ginger Junkyard Spectacular," "Bedroom Eyes," and "GEEK IN THE PINK."  A montage of rambunctious clips from these shows can be seen here:  Mistress Ginger and Friends

The gestalt of Junkyard Theater is the fantasy world created and the stage space without a fourth wall, where that fantasy can become reality for the audience and where audacious antics are laced with moments of piercing humanity.  What appears to be your everyday snazzle frazzle cabaret starring a pink-haired diva takes a wild turn leading to series of revelations, and Ginger, the perpetually flawed protagonist with a heart of gold, serves as our effervescent archetype.

Over the last six years, as Ginger has endured these many transformational revelations, she has evolved, revealing other dimensions to herself including her birth name, Mary Morningstar.  Along this trajectory, in August of 2011, Junkyard Theater premiered "Spell No. 2," the first in a series of seven shows each focused on a different metaphysical chakra -- by way of Mary Morningstar, music, and movement.

The Project

As Junkyard Theater expands its horizons to explore new content and processes, we undertake this cabaret project to develop the musical facet of the work we do.  Diving into the pure cabaret form, we pare the performance down to the essentials:  Mary Morningstar, her pianist, a book of songs, and an audience.  The songs chosen will largely consist of classic standards from the Great American Songbook as well as a few selections from the musical theater repertoire and at least one contemporary pop tune.

The goals of the Junkyard Theater Straight-Up Cabaret Project are threefold:

1.  THE SHOW.  Junkyard Theater presents "Don't Rain on My Panda Bear!" - a "straight up" cabaret show to be presented at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis in the fall of 2012.  The show will feature songs that speak to the the power of human will, the desire to find joy, the fierce determination that compels us to rise above that which keeps us down.  Exact dates to be confirmed. 

2.  THE ACQUISITION OF A MUSICIAN.  Junkyard Theater will hire a versatile musician with performance savvy and the capacity to play piano - both jazz improv and sight read - as well as musically direct, arrange, and compose.  All of these skills may be utilized in future productions, but for now the focus is the "straight up cabaret" where the onstage and offstage rapport is established and the potential for a sustainable creative partnership is formed.

3.  FOCUS ON VOCAL PERFORMANCE.  This project is an opportunity to focus on the interpretation of songs with live accompaniment, to develop all aspects of vocal performance alongside the improvisatory character work.  To this end, Justin will continue to study locally with vocal coach Rachel Holder and will be attending the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University, July 27 - August 5, 2012.  At this nine day vocal performance intensive, Justin will have the opportunity receive the coaching of master teachers on the very songs that will feed into this upcoming Junkyard Theater production. 

While the show is the ultimate goal of this project, the other goals are considered vital components to its success.  Each of these activities requires funding, and the amount we would like to raise for this project is a significant portion of the total sum required.  Please consider making a contribution today; a pledge of any amount will help!

Junkyard Theater appreciates your support, and we hope that the Junkyard-esque rewards offered will make it fun for you to contribute, that you will have the experience of the fantasy-come-reality that is Junkyard Theater.

To learn more about Justin Leaf or Junkyard Theater, or to see more video clips of the Junkyard in action, follow these links:

Justin Leaf website

JunkyardTheater.com

Kickstarter Video Extended Version

Mary Morningstar reveals the Junkyard Rewards!

Mary Morningstar announces the title of the new show.

Mary Morningstar sings "Stars and the Moon"

Mary Morningstar sings "Gee Baby Aint I Good to You"

Mary Morningstar sings "Body and Soul"

The Mistress Ginger Facebook Page