Unusual Cabaret lives up to its name

No two plates are alike. No two tables are alike. None of the wait people wear the same outfit and all of the staff members are performers. No wonder Gina Kaufmann and Christopher Mitchell decided to call their new Bar Harbor dinner theater the Unusual Cabaret. It sounds pretty unusual, but it also sounds innovative, exciting, and just plain fun.

On May 24, Kaufman, Mitchell, and their cast of 10 will perform a promotional show and offer a menu sampling for local merchants and community. The official opening night for the summer season is May 25.

Both Kaufmann and Mitchell are veterans of the Bar Harbor summer restaurant scene, and began thinking about opening a cabaret there last fall. Anna Anda, owner of the former Starlight Cafe, agreed to rent the unoccupied space on Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor. Since then, Kaufmann and Mitchell have been busily piecing together their new enterprise.

Kaufmann, a graduate from the University of Iowa, opened a similar cabaret in Iowa City, Iowa, and recently directed a show in New York. As artistic director of cabaret, she expects to offer the community quality live entertainment for a reasonable price.

“We’ve hired actors who sing rather than singers who can act,” said Kaufmann of the 10 performers who come from various areas, including New York, Kansas, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine.

A typical evening at the Unusual Cabaret will begin with popular musical and jazz solos and duets with piano accompaniment throughout dinner. The players will then perform an hour-long theatrical presentation at 10 p.m. Patrons may stay for one or both of the shows.

Mitchell, a Rockport native, will manage the culinary side of the business. In keeping with the theme of the restaurant, the menu will offer a variety of fares including soups and salads, and local seafood, poultry and meat dishes.

Most of the dishes, however, will be what Mitchell calls “innovative Italian cuisine,” an American regional approach to preparing food in the Italian tradition. Patrons may choose from four different types of pasta including a basil tomato pasta, a spinach pasta, a black pepper pasta, and egg pasta.

The prices for the food will range from $2.50 to $13.

“We’re offering different things than other live entertainment businesses in the area,” said Kaufmann, whose management philosophy relies upon collaboration between director, players, writers, musicians and kitchen staff.

“We have a varied approach to theater,” she said. “Sometimes you want to entertain and make people laugh and forget their troubles. Other times you want to confront people with issues. What we always want to do is entertain.”

The Unusual Cabaret is located at 14A Mount Desert St. just across from the city park in Bar Harbor. For information, call 288-3306.