Life really is a cabaret for Tony Alberti

“Comedy Tonight … Songs You Wish You Knew,” Sunday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m. (dinner seating at 5 p.m.) at Really Cooking Café & Supper Club (Route 309, Dallas). Tickets: $15. Info: 570.674.5888, www.reallycookingcafe.com

All the world’s a stage. Life is a cabaret. For Tony Alberti, both of these show biz sayings are right on the money. Alberti has been acting, singing and dancing on the Little Theatre stage for the past 20 years, and now he and a talented cast including Lori Parsons-Colacito, Hollie Major, Ashlee Danko and Kevin Holbert are taking a show on the road.

The traveling minstrels will perform a special, one-night-only cabaret show, “Comedy Tonight … Songs You Wish You Knew,” at the Really Cooking Caf� and Supper Club in Dallas. Featuring new tunes like “The Proposal,” “Way Ahead of My Time (The Caveman Song)” and “Taylor, the Latte Boy,” as well as other songs by some of Broadway’s most talented up-and-coming composers, the evening promises to be fresh and fun. Though Alberti is busy putting the finishing touches on the group’s performance, he took a few minutes to chat about his life on the stage.

Weekender: What first got you interested in theatre?

Alberti: I always had a vivid imagination, and this just helped it grow more and more ridiculous.

Weekender: What’s your theatre background?

Alberti: I have been in plays since fourth grade and am in my 20th year with Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre.

Weekender: Do you prefer drama or comedy? Musical or straight show? Why?

Alberti: Musicals, either dramatic or comedic, are what I seem to like the best. I prefer an ideal world where someone has something so impossible to express with just words that they have to break out in song.

Weekender: How did the Really Cooking show come about?

Alberti: Our marketing director, Lori, started talking about Little Theatre to everyone and anyone she could. Honestly, she has been amazing with her efforts. The owners of Really Cooking were excited about the prospect of us doing a cabaret show there, and we jumped at the chance to perform songs that people may never hear in this area. She mentioned it to Kevin, Hollie and I, and we just ran with it.

Weekender: What’s most rewarding about your current project?

Alberti: Taking someone who is used to singing one particular style of music and having them do something completely out of character. Poor Hollie, a classically trained singer, singing about sexual positions … it made me laugh, so we kept it!

Weekender: What’s most challenging?

Alberti: Taking someone who is a “singer” and making them into a “performer.” We don’t want them to just sing the song, we want them to really sell it.

Weekender: If someone’s not familiar with LTWB’s work, how would you describe this show?

Alberti: This is just a sample of some of the things that people who love to perform do with our organization. It is pretty much all volunteer, so the reward is the performance.

Weekender: What’s up next for you theatre-wise?

Alberti: I am hoping to direct again, and as always, be on stage soon.

Weekender: What’s your dream role/show that you’d kill to do?

Alberti: A small show called “[title of show]” is one that I keep coming back to in my head. Also, some lesser-known cabaret-type shows like “Edges: A Song Cycle.” They are more modern and pop-oriented. As far as a role, I would love to (do) something dramatic, like Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” or Jean Valjean in “Les Mis�rables.”

Weekender: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Alberti: First, a veterinarian. Then, I wanted to marry Miss Judy from “Hatchy Milatchy” and be a teacher. Once I started doing plays, there was nothing else I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Weekender: What do you do when you’re not at the theatre?

Alberti: I manage Louie’s Restaurant (former Portafino location in Wilkes-Barre Twp.) and try to hang out with my nieces and nephew, laughing as much as possible.

Weekender: Favorite role or show you’ve done?

Alberti: I played Wes in a small show called “Quilt: A Musical Celebration.” It is a collection of narratives about people who are living with/dying from AIDS. It was heartfelt and moving and made me realize that my problems are not so significant in the grand scheme of things.

Weekender: Theatre moment you’ll never forget?

Alberti: My first show at Little Theatre (“Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1990). Seeing my Mom afterwards, and she was crying because she was so proud.

Weekender: Most embarrassing theatre moment?

Alberti: Having to walk off the stage because I couldn’t control my laughter at one of the other people and having to deliver my lines from the side of the stage.

Weekender: Most important thing you’ve learned in theatre?

Alberti: Friends are the family that you make for yourself.

Weekender: Show you’re dying to see?

Alberti: “Next To Normal” looks insanely good.

Weekender: If you had three wishes, what would you ask for theatre-wise?

Alberti: More funding for the arts, someone to donate a house to us so we can store a lot of stuff, and for more people to realize where our building is and come to see a show.

Weekender: Any words of wisdom or words to live by, for theatre or life in general?

Alberti: Play pretend as often as possible. It makes the rest of your life less stressful.

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