Clifford Bell
1957-2024

We at Cabaret Scenes and the American Songbook Association mourn the sudden passing of Clifford Bell. Over the years, Clifford had contributed articles to the magazine, including those on the documentary Studio One Forever, features on Katrina Aquilar, Lois Bourgon, Artie Butler, Kiki Ebsen, and Tim Moore, obits on Les Michaels and Ben Lanzarone, as well as numerous cabaret reviews.

CLIFFORD BELL, known affectionately as “Lawrence of Cabarabia,” is one of the leading directors and producers in the fields of cabaret, concerts, and one-person shows.

As a forty-year veteran of show business, Clifford had worked in venues large and small. He had written and directed variety performances featuring icons like Walter Cronkite, Colin Powell, and Michael Eisner at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, and toured with television icon Katey Sagal and her band. With his frequent collaborator Lara Teeter (Tony Nominee, On Your Toes), Clifford also co-created the successful touring show Direct From Broadway, starring Tony Award winners Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) and Michael Maguire (Les Miserables).

As one of the most prominent figures in the West Coast cabaret community, Clifford hosted “Cabarabia The Podcast,” which focused on “Live Entertainment In Intimate Settings.”

Clifford’s productions ran the gamut from personal evenings such as Lois Bourgon‘s You Are My Lucky Star: My Years Working With Debbie Reynolds, Katrina Aguilar‘s Part Of Your World, and Carol Whitener‘s The Story Goes On” to tribute shows such as Todd Murray’s celebrated Croon, Joanne Tatham’s paean to the music from the movies made in Manhattan, Soundtrack New York, and Bonnie Gilgallon‘s The Look Of Love: The Music Of Dusty Springfield.

Clifford was particularly well known for his variety evenings and showcase presentations, often for charitable causes. One of Clifford’s most anticipated efforts was Our Name Is Barbra, the annual celebration of Barbra Streisand’s birthday, which raised funds and awareness for Clifford’s beloved charity Project Angel Food for the past 24 years and counting!

In addition to live performances, Clifford had also produced several CDs such as Lauren White’s Meant to Be and Lauren White & The Quinn Johnson Trio’s Experiment: Inspired By The Recordings of Irene Kral, Chase Masterson‘s Rendezvous, Lee Lessack‘s eponymous debut, Tiba‘s Jukebox Baby, and Bobbie Norman‘s Here and Now and Always Faithful, Bobbie. Clifford also produced popular cabaret CDs including Betsyann Faiella‘s Can I Be Frank?, Eileen Barnett‘s Live at The Cinegrill, and the recording of the live charity event Revolution: A Benefit for the Pop Culture Hero Coalition.

Formerly the Senior Vice President of Artists & Repertoire for the prestigious Broadway-oriented label Fynsworth Alley, Clifford was proud of discovering the seventeen-year-old San Francisco sensation Judy Butterfield and producing her debut CD Judy Sings Judy: Live from The Empire Plush Room, as well as her first studio album How Long Has This Been Going On?

Aside from the cabaret and concert scene, Clifford had directed several one-person shows in theatrical settings to great acclaim. The High Priestess of “UnCabaret,” Beth Lapides, explained the mysteries of the Universe in 100% Happy 88% of the Time. TV and Film actress Joan Hotchkis examined aging and sexuality in the long running Elements of Flesh: Or Screwing Saved My Ass. Juliette Marshall explored life after divorce in her hilarious and touching Shift Happens: A (Piece Of) Work-In-Progress, Deborah Pearl brought to life an array of interconnected female vocalists in the smash hit Chick Singers. Comedian, phone psychic, and 976-sex worker Paul Jacek shared intimate memories in the crowd-pleasing Secrets of a Beverly Hills Shampoo Boy.

Born into a musical family, Clifford’s father was a symphony conductor and his mother was a concert cellist. His brother Bryan is an accomplished techno-wizard with over thirty years of working with the most respected names in the music business. Hanging out in Bryan’s shadow had allowed Clifford to look over the shoulders of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, David Foster, Wynton Marsalis, Carlos Santana, and Neil Young, to name a few.

As a writer, Clifford was a frequent contributor to the sophisticated glossy magazine Cabaret Scenes.

Most recently, Clifford joined forces with Shannon Penrod and Dana Meller to establish Broadway For Autism, an organization dedicated to creating access and inclusivity in arts education for individuals on the autism spectrum, spanning the arts-related professions.

In 2023, Clifford was featured (alongside Chita Rivera, Bruce Vilanch, and Sam Harris) in Marc Saltarelli‘s documentary Studio One Forever.