Details and FAQ for Artists 

 

What is Verse Intro Cabaret?

 

Verse Intro Cabaret is a monthly series featuring 2 musical theatre writing teams, produced by Theatre Now New York in association with Andi Lee Carter and Briana Harris in the basement of SoHo Playhouse. We started in March of 2023, and we’re going to keep it up as long as we’re welcome. We’re opening this space for you to test new material in a fun, low-pressure, extra supportive environment because we think this kind of space should exist.The idea is that we keep the series affordable so that artists can afford to go. Each team will be guaranteed a stipend of $75 rather than being reliant on the box office. That amount may increase as we build the program and grow a larger audience. 

 

 The General Details 

 

You have a 30-minute slot to present any musical material you want. The show also includes a fun short interview with the artists at the beginning of their set, which is just 5 quick get-to-know-you questions! The ideal schedule:

 

5:30 PM: Short Sound check for both teams. (Sometimes SoHo Playhouse may have another show going on in our space, in which case they will notify us the week before.)

6 PM: the bar opens

6:30 PM: doors for our show open

7- 7:15 PM: Welcome, Musical Theatre Trivia game with audience participation!

7:15- 7:50: Artist 1's Set

7:50- 7:55: Mini Intermission

7:55- 8:30 PM: Artist 2's Set

 

This schedule may be subject to change depending on if there is another show going on at SoHo Playhouse. Sometimes they ask us to move our show back to 7:30 pm. Our space is also their bar, which must be open one hour before the upstairs performance.​
 

 Upcoming Scheduled dates:

 

Sunday, September 13, 2026

Sunday, October 4, 2026

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Sunday, Dec 6, 2026

Sunday, January 10, 2027

Sunday, February 7, 2027

Sunday, March 7, 2027

Sunday, April 4, 2027

Sunday, May 2, 2027

 

Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7pm.

 

We ask that all featured artists stay for both sets to support each other. If you want to bring additional performers and instruments, that's 100% up to you. Just keep in mind that our stage is very small! 

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 Payments and Costs:

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Please invite your friends and colleagues. Our tickets are priced at $10 to keep it affordable, and there is no food/drink minimum! The majority of our attendees are friends and family of the artists along with some regulars, but please do encourage your friends to drink! The venue takes the bar revenue and requires us to hit a minimum which we cover in the event of a shortfall. Their bartender comes up with creatively-themed cocktails and mocktails to encourage sales, which we promote at the beginning of the show. Each team will be guaranteed a stipend of $75 rather than being reliant on the box office. That amount may increase as we build the program and grow a larger audience. It is up to you whether you pay your performers. We encourage artists to pay everyone but understand that’s just not always possible, or you might have a bestie on Broadway who wants to do you a solid. Please keep that in mind when you consider your set list and how many outside performers you want to have.

 

 Video 

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We have an amateur in-house videographer (one Seth Harris), and we will put together a basic cut of each set for you. We will give you the video footage a couple of weeks after the show to use and post wherever you want, as long as your performers are okay with that.

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 Tech Space ​

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We bring our own weighted 88-key keyboard for your use, or we can play your tracks. The soundboard has 4 inputs. For this reason, we ask that you limit your cast to four performers max (this includes any instrumentalists). Fewer is fine and encouraged! The venue provides 3 mics and 5 music stands. The venue's max capacity is 50-ish seats, including the bar stools. There is a very small green room with a bathroom if you need to change/ get ready/ store personal items.

 

The venue unfortunately is not wheelchair accessible and does not offer assistive listening devices or live captioning.

 

 Promo 

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We will design and provide image assets so that you can share these via whatever media you wish. If you are posting on Instagram, please tag us @theatrenowny and @verseintrocabaret on Instagram so that we can repost there.

 

Typically we share information about our shows through our website, our regular e-blasts, on the NYU GMTW listserv and social media. We also share to the BMI Workshop social media accounts if we have BMI members in the lineup.

 

FAQs

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1. Q: Is there rehearsal space available?

A: Artists are responsible for their own rehearsals and space, but we are able to offer you access to discounted rehearsal space at Spaces@520 at 520 8th Avenue, 3rd floor. To arrange space, please contact us for booking details at theatrenow@tnny.org. We encourage you to do what is realistic for you! Additionally, free rehearsal space for any artist is available (if you can find a booking time) at the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Membership is not required. https://dgf.org/rehearsal-spaces/

 

1. Q: Do I have to play material from just one show? Are there any rules about what we can play?

A: It’s up to you what material you play! Some artists choose to present a 25-minute excerpt of one show or a “summary” version of their show, and some choose to present songs from lots of different shows. As long as you wrote it, you can play it! We want you to play whatever material will be most useful for you to hear in front of an audience at this point in your process. You do not have to give us a set list, but we do require a list of performers for the program one week prior to your show.

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