The Erka Cabaret's Production, "Let's Go back to the old days" – took place for the second time on January 12

Kabaret Erka – Let’s go back to the old days – for the second time

On January 12, on stage at the Polish-Slavic Center at 177 Kent St. The Erka cabaret, founded and managed by Andrzej Jakubiec, performed again with its program “Let’s go back to the old days”.

Just like in the original cabaret “Qui Pro Quo”, i.e. “One instead of another”, actors appeared on stage and outdid each other in witty skits and funny songs. There was a truly wonderful “Quid Pro Quo” or “Something for Something” and no one left empty-handed. The audience received something cheerful, funny and tasty, while the actors received something they expected – bursts of laughter and thunderous applause. The order of events is, of course, random.

It couldn’t be otherwise when we know that the program was planned and directed by Anna Kucay, who already has extensive cabaret experience from the times of the “April Fool’s Day” cabaret, of which she was a co-founder.

As the title of the show suggests, the actors, accompanied by the wonderful accompaniment of Alicja Kenig, took us back to the 1920s and 1930s, to the world of famous cabarets in Lviv, Warsaw and the more modern “Cabaret of Old Gentlemen” and “Meluzyna”. The program also included two Jewish skits, “Różyczka” and “Beniek”.

It all started, of course, with “At the table”, where Andzia (Ola Watras) was waiting for her beloved Marcel (Andrzej Kuszewski), who, unfortunately, fled after a short conversation in English, leaving the lonely girl behind. She nostalgically forgave her would-be lover by singing Hanka Ordonówna’s hit “Love will forgive you everything.” However, Miss Andzia decided not to give up in her search for love, which was noticed by the entire yard (Ola Watras, A.Kucay, A.Jakubiec, A.Wilczek, B.Konopka, A.Kuszewski) singing “Miss Andzia has a day off”. Unfortunately, she found a bachelor who sang to her “I’m such a cold bastard” (A. Jakubiec).

The whole gang then moved to the party, where a beautiful blonde stranger (Edyta Sitarz) appeared and treated us to her solo performance with a sway in her step that clearly indicated that “This little girl has been drinking today.” On stage she felt like a fish out of water, sorry, and she had to be almost forcefully pulled away from the microphone, but what can you not do for art?

The next segment shows that a woman is changeable and not the weaker sex, which was clearly sung with charm by Anna Kucay in the song “In Your Arms I’m So Small” and recited in the poem “Aunts” by Maria-Pawlikowska Jasnorzewska. Ola Watras summed up with the song “Ada that’s not appropriate” that we women always do what we want and no conventions will stop us.

Of course, after such lovely experiences, we go to a restaurant where “Polish Brain” with onion and egg is a must. Here, Andrzej Jakubiec showed off his cooking skills, but also his singing skills, with whom the audience sang the cult cabaret song of the 1990s.

As is often the case in restaurants, there is always a loner (Andrzej Kuszewski) sitting at the table next to him, abandoned by his lady because “someone else came, richer and better” than him and, together with his beloved, stole his happiness. So she stayed, “This last Sunday”, where his “dreams, the happiness he longed for, ended.” When women are alone, they have a different problem, which Edyta Sitarz sings about solo in the song “I’m afraid to sleep alone.”

Complicated male-female relationships, as well as life itself, lead our quartet of gentlemen Andrzej Jakubiec, Andrzej Kuszewski, Bogdan Konopka and Antoni Wilczek to one correct conclusion: “Loving is not worth it, liking it is not worth it, (…) Walking is not worth it and lying down is not worth it.” , but only “One thing is worth getting drunk.” A different conclusion is reached by the romantic duo, A. Kucay and A. Kuszewski, who believe that “love itself creeps into the hearts” and “Not to love on such a night is a sin”, so let’s not waste time, let’s catch a fleeting moment of elation and “let’s love while there is time.” Ania further develops the topic of love by performing 3 songs “No one but you”, the poem “Miłość” and “You told me yourself” and Andrzej Jakubiec “He made an appointment with her at 9”

In this atmosphere of love, disappointment and elation, the entire cabaret group takes us to the streets of Lviv, where Lviv’s baciars in batiarovka play guitar, sell balloons and sing Szczepek and Tońcio’s hit “Only in Lviv” together with the entire room, and a flower girl sells white and red chabazies. , which he hands out to the entire audience at the end. Suddenly we all found ourselves “beyond the seventh sea, far from here” and found the “magic land” and “suddenly some good spirit awakened love in the hearts of two.” The hearts of the audience and all the performers united in singing and swaying to the rhythm of the melody “Let’s go back like old times”.

It was certainly an evening full of emotions, but above all, laughter and good fun. CPS President Marian Żak and CPS Executive Director thanked the entire team for such a great performance. The main sponsor of the cabaret, Marek Wójcicki from “Markowa Apteka”, also appeared on the stage. Ania Kucay thanked all the sponsors, and especially the wonderful choristers from the “Krakus” choir, Halina Jaworska, Marianna Prusaczyk, Janina Radziejewska, who baked delicious cakes, and the ladies from the “Krakus” Senior Center, who prepared tea.

Thank you and we are waiting for the new program of the Erka cabaret…

Author: Kasia Drucker

Photos: Zosia Zeleska-Bobrowski

Anna Kucay

Ola Watras