By Kalene McCort, The Daily Camera
October 25th, 2019
PUBLISHED: October 25, 2019 at 10:00 am | UPDATED: October 25, 2019 at 1:30 pm
When most couples dive into therapy, they leave with a lighter bank account and hopefully new constructive ways to tackle issues that arise with cohabitation. Musicians Stephanie Dodd and Justin Michael Badger — also known as Americana blues duo The Fremonts — left marriage counseling with fodder for a show. The couple, who recently relocated from Boulder to The Berkshires, will return to the Front Range to perform their snarky and honest production, “The Failure Cabaret,” at the cafe at eTown Hall on Nov. 1-2.
“We didn’t set out to make such a vulnerable show,” said Dodd. “The idea for this piece was born at Jill’s, at the St. Julien, over a few rounds of drinks with our producer Chuck Porter. We were telling him some of our funny old theater stories and he was really curious about why we ever quit acting. After we told him the whole tale, he said that he thought it would make a good show.”
What initially started as a production documenting the couple’s time in New York City working as Broadway actors quickly evolved into a much more personal show — one that presents their impromptu move to Boulder and their unrelenting will to maintain their sanity while juggling the many components that come along with committing to “till death to us part.”
In April, Dodd and Badger performed a string of sold-out shows at Longmont’s Still Cellars to audiences eager to witness the sincere serenades and sassy exchanges.
“Honestly, being this vulnerable has been a recent development for me,” Badger said. “I have pretty much stuck to the surface when it comes to what I create and how I perform. But, being diagnosed with a mood disorder changed that for me. The cabaret and the visual art that goes along with it became a way for me to rip off my clothes and say, ‘Look, scars!’ I mean, not really, but you get my gist. It’s been cool to have folks see the show and say, ‘Ooo, scars? Check out mine.’”
Humorous and at times hard-sitting, “The Failure Cabaret” — also a full-length album by the same title — touches on a heap of emotions, while still managing to entertain. Among the impassioned guitar strums, accordion’s distinct sound and chill-inducing harmonies, lies thoughtful dialogue and staggering authenticity.
While The Fremonts will take the stage at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on Nov. 8-9, they are looking forward to first making the plane ride back to Colorado for a two-night run within a venue they know and love.
“eTown is a pretty special place for sure,” Badger said. “We had a chance to share the main stage with Foxfeather and Paul Kimbiris a couple of years back and it was pretty magical. We’re taking over the downstairs cafe this time around for a more intimate setting. It’ll be really interesting to see how the downtown Boulder crowd responds to openness of the show.”
With the comedic timing of a stand-up special and the energy of an after-hours barroom gig, the duo offers a one-of-a-kind production with a setlist that includes a variety of stellar tunes.
Dodd explores the thoughtful decision to not reproduce in a sultry and comical number titled “Songs About Babies.” The overall score of “The Failure Cabaret” has a nostalgic — almost at times vaudevillian — feel, yet it delivers fresh and relatable subject matter.
“We’re especially stoked to spend time with our Colorado pals, a lot of our friends who saw the show in Longmont are coming back to see it in Boulder,” Dodd said.
In addition to subjecting their instruments to TSA inspection, The Fremonts will travel to Denver International Airport with a fragile fake wedding cake, stacked with a topper that reads “We Still Do.”
“This run in Boulder is the first test of how well the show travels,” Badger said.
It’s The Fremonts’ hope that this production, one that offers a real glimpse into their own personal trials and tribulations, will eventually find a place at other notable venues throughout the country.
“We have a long history of performing original cabaret pieces in NYC, and we’re definitely hoping that this show will make its way there,” Dodd said. “The integration of confessional storytelling, comedy and music feels like a pretty natural fit for us. There are great cabaret festivals all over the world and it would be a real dream to tour this show for a while.”
Always looking to take their live productions to the next level, Badger and Dodd haven’t ruled out crafting more cabarets and have their eyes on a few Big Apple performance spaces.
“We actually made a four-person cabaret version of ‘Hamlet’ that used music from Irving Berlin to Gnarls Barkley back in 2008,” Badger said. “So, we have a few NYC venues in mind where we would love to perform ‘The Failure Cabaret’ in the winter of 2020.”
Flaws, fights and frustrations surface in this production that is every bit as witty as it is musically catchy. A testament to the vow of forever, Badger and Dodd have crafted a whiskey-tinged love story for the modern age — that just happens to be their own.
“I hope that this show sparks conversation about the things couples hide inside of a long marriage,” Dodd said. “We want to pull back the curtain on those secrets and just show that every couple is a little screwed up, and that’s OK. We shouldn’t have to put on a brave face for our neighbors or co-workers and pretend that everything is fine all of the time.”
