Artist Spotlight: Meet David Saffert
As we count down the days until our cabaret-inspired fundraiser, Dirty, Stupid Music, we turn the spotlight toward some of the artists featured on the show. This week we chatted with collaborative pianist and professional Liberace impersonator, David Saffert, who has performed with Resonance Ensemble for nearly a decade.
R. Hadiashar
“I feel really happy to be doing “Dirty, Stupid Music” again. I was there since the beginning, so I love that I get to be part of this next installment—I feel like I’m part of a big, Dirty, Stupid family!”
What are some of your first memories of performing music?
Theme from Hill Street Blues
When I was in sixth grade we moved towns from Niellsville, Wisconsin to Spooner. When I got to Spooner, the kids found out I could play piano and said “Oh! Play something!” I had never played publicly before—so I began playing the theme to the TV show Hill Street Blues. It was at the time when a lot of TV themes had piano —like Cheers, St. Elsewhere—and Hill Street had this well known piano part. When I finished, they applauded, and I had never gotten applauded before!
“There is music for everything. Something is always there to carry you through the hard times.”
R. Hadiashar
What impact has music had on your life—not just professionally, but personally?
When I go through the day, I always have some sort of music playing in my brain—it’s just always there. If I’m in a certain mood, or something bad has happened, I will put on Shostakovich or some moody, dark stuff. When I’m having an awesome day, I might put on Freddie Mercury or Rufus Wainwright. I really appreciate the way music reflects how I’m feeling and I don’t have to push it away. I allow music to feed how I'm feeling.
What do you love about piano?
Piano music is a part of my upbringing. When I was really young, my grandparents had a really tiny spinet piano. For some people, pianos were just furniture, it was just normal for people to have them.
When my family would get together for the holidays, my parents would play tunes from things that were popular at the time. I had a pretty good ear, and I can remember my dad would play Simon and Garfunkel and the next day I would try to play it.
Once I got into high school, I was already pretty good at music theory and ear training. Then I got the opportunity to learn some Gershwin. I learned it note-for-note, but I also started riffing and playing around with it. I played around with it so much that I had my own relationship with it—almost more like a lead sheet or guide rather than a set piece of music.
I have to learn a lot of Liberace music for my Liberace and Liza shows. Liberace never wrote anything down—so I learn all of his music from videos. He does use quite a bit of Gershwin’s music, but he changes things—so I spent a lot of time learning how he does that, and his mashups are now one of my favorite things to play.
How did you come to be in Portland and why Liberace?
I had been living in the Midwest for 30 years and I needed a change. I was doing a lot of freelancing in Minneapolis—a lot of musical theatre and ballet and I was getting burned out. I had a friend who lived in Portland, and he encouraged me to move here. It seems crazy to think about now, but I just decided to move here sight-unseen; no job set up and no real plan.
I didn’t know what role piano was going to have when I moved, so I spent a few months working as a barista. After awhile, I started to feel a pull toward piano again, so I contacted Oregon Ballet Theater since I had so much ballet accompanying experience, and they took me on right away.
David Saffert and Jillian Snow Harris as Liberace and Liza (photo provided by Liberace and Liza)
It was around then that I began doing my own variety shows at Curious Comedy. Those were really fun shows that changed every year— half-theatre, half-music. I realize now that in Minneapolis I was mostly doing music only, and that’s why I got burned out. I needed both to be happy.
Around that time, I reached out to Jillian Snow Harris, who is an incredible singer and actor who does spot-on impersonations of iconic singers, including Liza Minnelli. I invited her to do one of these shows with me. I thought it would be fun to think up someone famous who I could perform as with her. One of my friends suggested Liberace. So I started watching his videos and was immediately amazed by his outfits and his music. I didn’t realize how funny he was, how thoroughly entertaining his shows were. I learned a few things for Jillian’s set (riffing on them like Liberace) and the audience loved it. In fact, Liberace’s music director actually lives in town, and he came and saw the show—he worked with Liberace for like 13 years—and he told us we should keep doing it.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Having worked with Jillian, she is such a perfect stage partner—I just couldn’t ask for anything more. We understand each other so completely, and have built something really special.
If there is one person that I idolize more than anyone, however—and even just meeting this person would make me faint—is Stevie Wonder. I have, ever since I was a kid, been obsessed with Stevie Wonder's music. I probably listen to his music more than anyone else.
I feel like he and Liberace actually have some interesting parallels to one another, too. The flashy outfits—Stevie wore some great stuff, oh my God—and I feel like both of them just exude joy, or maybe even something larger than that.
“There’s some good political stuff in Stevie Wonder’s music. You could sing a lot of his music at Dirty, Stupid and it would absolutely fit.”
Adam Eccleston (right) and Resonance Ensemble Co-Artistic Advisor Damien Geter (left).
What other artists in Portland do you admire?
I adore Adam Eccleston. He is a brilliant flutist who works with the Bravo program and focuses on creating equal access opportunities for kids. Adam is one of my favorite people.
I just had the opportunity to work with Kimo Camat. He voiced the plant in Stumptown Stages production of Little Shop of Horrors. He was singing and I thought, “WOW! This guy can sing! Like, how have I not seen you?” (See Kimo on December 18 at Cabaret White’s holiday show - click here for more deets)
Tyler Buswell, my husband. His drag persona is “Donatella Nobody.” He's one of the few drag queens in town that will sing. I honestly believe he is one of the best drag queens in Portland.
Finally, I think Erik Hundtoft is someone people should keep their eye on. He's singing on Dirty Stupid Music - and he is so talented. I think his dad is some kind of philosopher, so Erik is always thinking so deeply. He is fascinating. He has these very wry, witty thoughts and just kind of gets this smile—it’s so entertaining to watch.
David as Liberace on stage at Curious Comedy with performer Erik Hundtoft at Dirty, Stupid Music Vol. 2.
Do you have a favorite venue in Portland?
To be honest, I think Curious Comedy is one of the nicest venues in town (it’s funny, my now-husband actually built that stage right before the last Dirty, Stupid Music in 2017)! A lot of the clubs I love to play when I’m touring like the Feinstein clubs in San Francisco and 54 Below in New York—these 100-something seat places that have food and drinks and everyone gets a great view of the stage—and right now, Curious is the closest thing Portland has to that kind of venue. There just isn’t anything else like that here.
How did you get connected with Resonance?
The Dirty, Stupid Music Vol. 1 cast. Photo provided by Resonance Ensemble (2013)
I think the first thing I ever did was the first Dirty, Stupid Music in 2013. They had me as myself for the first half and I came out as Liberace for the second half.
So much of Resonance’s repertoire is very classical, but the Dirty, Stupid shows can be anything—it could be an American standard, a Kurt Weill, a classical piece, some rock and roll or blues. It’s a really fun program every time. I loved Kathy (Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon) singing Poulenc’s Hotel at the show.
The Dirty, Stupid Music Vol. 2 cast. Photo provided by Resonance Ensemble (2013)
I especially remember the second Dirty, Stupid at Curious because it was right after Trump had been elected—the political atmosphere was so intense—and the whole second half of the program paired songs with politicians they represented. I don’t think we’re doing anything quite so political this year, but that is cabaret – singing about the times!
I performed as Liberace for that show, and Marilyn Crilley was in the audience. I always choose someone from the audience to be “Mom,” (Liberace’s mom was always in the audience) and I picked her as Mom for that show. Of course, she has since passed away, and it was a great honor this summer to play for her Celebration of Life. I will always remember that show.
After doing the Dirty, Stupid Music series, I started playing a lot more for Resonance gigs. There have been a lot of really good, really powerful concerts. I remember especially the Under the Overpass video series, which was during the height of the pandemic. We filmed outside in these really cool locations—an awesome experience.
It’s been a privilege to perform with Resonance and I am very much looking forward to Dirty, Stupid Music on January 15, coming full circle back to the Curious Comedy Theater, where things really started for me here in Portland.
Single tickets for Dirty, Stupid Music—showing twice on January 15th at Curious Comedy—are on sale now. CLICK HERE to visit the event page for more information, or CLICK HERE to learn about the rest of our season.