Cabaret Concert Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Cabaret Concert Theatre was a small cellar café/cabaret, located in the Silverlake
section of West Los Angeles
, California, that operated between 1950 and 1961. Created by dancer Miriam Schiller with the help of a group of young actors and dancers who wanted a place to showcase their talent, the 100 seat theatre became a popular nightspot among television and film producers, talent scouts, agents and celebrities, who came to eat, drink and enjoy a wide variety of sophisticated revues, plays and concerts. The long-running Billy Barnes Revue
ran for two years before transferring to the larger Las Palmas Theatre and, subsequently, Broadway. Among the many talents whose careers benefited from being seen at the Cabaret Concert Theatre are Ann B. Davis
(who was cast as "Schultzie" in the long-running Robert Cummings
series, Love That Bob), Jackie Joseph
("Audrey" in the 1960 version of The Little Shop of Horrors
), Ann Morgan Guilbert
("Millie Helper" on The Dick Van Dyke Show
), Joyce Jameson (The Steve Allen Show
), Bert Convy (the Broadway productions of Fiddler on the Roof
and Cabaret
) and Ken Berry (F Troop
).
The performers, who received little or no pay for their work, supplemented their income by waiting on tables, taking tickets and other essential activities.
Located at 4212 Sunset Blvd. at the intersection of Sunset and Myra, the building was built around 1900 and was used for many years as a studio by D.W. Griffith and his epic film, Birth of a Nation screened there in 1915. In 1961, the building was converted into an authentic replica of a 16th Century Spanish tavern and renamed El Cid. Still operating today, El Cid continues to present a variety of entertainers, from flamenco dancers and Spanish guitarists to rockabilly singers, burlesque performers and comedians.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
section of West Los Angeles
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
West Los Angeles is a district in Los Angeles, California, within a larger region known as the "Westside."-Geography and transportation:...
, California, that operated between 1950 and 1961. Created by dancer Miriam Schiller with the help of a group of young actors and dancers who wanted a place to showcase their talent, the 100 seat theatre became a popular nightspot among television and film producers, talent scouts, agents and celebrities, who came to eat, drink and enjoy a wide variety of sophisticated revues, plays and concerts. The long-running Billy Barnes Revue
The Billy Barnes Revue
The Billy Barnes Revue is a 1959 musical comedy revue with music and lyrics by Billy Barnes and sketches by Bob Rodgers. The revue premiered in Los Angeles in 1959 and went on to be produced both on Broadway and Off Broadway....
ran for two years before transferring to the larger Las Palmas Theatre and, subsequently, Broadway. Among the many talents whose careers benefited from being seen at the Cabaret Concert Theatre are Ann B. Davis
Ann B. Davis
Ann Bradford Davis is an American television actress.Davis achieved prominence for her role in The Bob Cummings Show for which she twice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series...
(who was cast as "Schultzie" in the long-running Robert Cummings
Robert Cummings
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings , mostly known professionally as Robert Cummings but sometimes as Bob Cummings, was an American film and television actor....
series, Love That Bob), Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph is an American character actress, voice artist, and writer known for portraying the film characters of: Audrey Fulquard in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, Sheila Futterman in both Gremlins films, and the voice of Melody in the animated television series Josie and the...
("Audrey" in the 1960 version of The Little Shop of Horrors
The Little Shop of Horrors
The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about an inadequate young florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human flesh and blood. The film's concept is thought to be based on a 1932...
), Ann Morgan Guilbert
Ann Morgan Guilbert
Ann Morgan Guilbert , sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, is an American actress, who played the neighbor Millie Helper in 61 episodes of the early 1960s’ sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, and later Yetta Rosenberg, Fran Fine’s doddering grandmother, in 56 episodes of the 1990s’ sitcom The Nanny...
("Millie Helper" on The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
), Joyce Jameson (The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
), Bert Convy (the Broadway productions of Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
and Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
) and Ken Berry (F Troop
F Troop
F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom that originally aired for two seasons on ABC-TV. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965 and concluded its run on April 6, 1967 with a total of 65 episodes. The first season of 34 episodes was filmed in black-and-white, but the show...
).
The performers, who received little or no pay for their work, supplemented their income by waiting on tables, taking tickets and other essential activities.
Located at 4212 Sunset Blvd. at the intersection of Sunset and Myra, the building was built around 1900 and was used for many years as a studio by D.W. Griffith and his epic film, Birth of a Nation screened there in 1915. In 1961, the building was converted into an authentic replica of a 16th Century Spanish tavern and renamed El Cid. Still operating today, El Cid continues to present a variety of entertainers, from flamenco dancers and Spanish guitarists to rockabilly singers, burlesque performers and comedians.