- This workshop has passed.
Sing Your Story in Venice! – SOLD OUT
Lennie Watts
October 11, 2025 - October 18, 2025
$2950Unfortunately, this workshop is currently full. Click on the “Sign Up Now” button below to add your name to the waiting list.
But if you want to study with Lennie, please consider our upcoming workshop in New Zealand, in fall 2026:
Sing Your Heart Out with Lennie Watts and Tracy Stark.
Wait, what? A 1-week cabaret workshop in Venice!!
Join Singnasium Artistic Director and Master Teacher, Lennie Watts for this special cabaret workshop!! A week of making music and new friends while sharing marvelous food and wine – all in the fascinating, mysterious, inspiring city of Venice!
During our time together, participants will work on a mini 2-song set with patter. Arrangements will be created by Watts and our accompanist, Award Winning Musical Director, Tracy Stark. This workshop will focus on:
- song selection,
- storytelling, and
- personalization of your material.
The week will culminate on the last evening with an informal presentation of our work in the studio. We’ll perform for ourselves and a few friends from the area.
During this week of music in Italy, the singer (and the person) become revitalized. Italy does that to you. Discover a new freedom in your singing and a new awareness of what really matters – in your music and in your life.
We will be staying in an ex-convent in the Dorsoduro sector of Venice within walking distance of all the sights. This is the city where Vivaldi composed his glorious music and where the canals still ring with the songs of the gondoliers.
So, imagine yourself waking up every day in a city without cars, exquisite architecture all around, and music in the air. And all you have to do is sing!
The extra bonus of spending time in Italy with Il Chiostro is that Linda Mironti and Michael Mele share their knowledge of, experience in, and love of Italy with us. To be given that personal view is priceless.
Accommodations:
If you would prefer to find your own accommodations in a nearby hotel or Airbnb, no problem. Venice has many options in all price ranges. Just click that option on the registration page.
Price: $2,950 p/p
Non-singing partners/friends are always welcome for a reduced fee of $2,650
Options:
- Single room supplement, add $485 (limited number available)
- Find your own accommodations, and reduce the fee by $800. (Click the “Accommodations” tab above for some of our nearby suggestions.)
Includes:
- 7 nights at refurbished convent – double or single (with supplement) room with ensuite bathroom and shower (Note: departure is after breakfast on the final Saturday. The last class activity will be Friday evening.)
- Daily continental breakfast at the nearby tea house and 5 meals (4 dinners and 1 lunch) at local restaurants or trattorie, including wine
- Workshop tuition, daily classes with Lennie and Tracy
- Guided walking tour of Venice with local art historian
- Selected excursions with class
Circular Venice, photo by Andy Holtzman
Price does not include:
- Airfare
- Lunch
- Independent meals and sight-seeing
- Workshop materials
- Local transportation: vaporettos, water taxis
To Register: just click on the Sign Up Now button. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop. Payment can be made online with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email before the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list, and an electronic invoice for the balance. The final Balance is due by August 15th. Any time before your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Cancellation policy:
$500 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:
- 60 days prior to the workshop, a full refund is due less the non-refundable deposit.
- 30-60 days prior to the workshop, a 50% refund of the balance paid is allowed, less the non-refundable deposit.
Less than 30 days prior to the workshop, no refund due.
Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.
Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.
For our week in Venice, we will be staying at the renovated monastery of Don Orione Artigianelli directly on the Giudecca Canal. The complex, which now functions as a retreat center, is built around a series of quiet cloisters where the only sound is of the bells ringing on the hour.
A modest breakfast is served each morning in the dining room on the main floor. We will use one of their conference rooms as our studio.
[Please note that temperatures can sometimes get chilly in October. By civic ordinance to conserve energy, this venue - and any hotel in Venice - is not allowed to turn on the heat until mid-to-late October. So be prepared and bring some warm pajamas, just in case!]
Room Layouts: Rooms are single or double, simply furnished, but each with its own private, modern bathroom.
Monastery Alternatives:
An ex-monastery is not for everyone, but don't let that get in the way of participating in this workshop. If you would prefer to find your accommodations in Venice, that is not a problem. Just select Program only-no Accommodations when registering, and the room fee will be deducted from your workshop fee. There are many options for hotels or AirBnB apartments that you can research. Here are some of our hotel suggestions with websites and the number of stars. They are all in the Dorsoduro section on the same side of the Accademia Bridge as the convent. Contact them directly through their websites:
NOTE: Our studios for classes will be located in the retreat center, so you might want to stay nearby.
Very Near Artigianelli
- La Calcina, Pensione ***: lacalcina.com
- Hotel agli Alboretti ***: aglialboretti.com
- Hotel Belle Arti ***: hotelbelleartivenice.com
- Ca’Pisani Hotel ****: capisanihotel.it/en
On the Zattere
- Il Palazzo Experimental ****s-grand overlooking Giudecca Canal: palazzoexperimental.com
- Palazzo Veneziano ****s - grand overlooking Giudecca Canal: palazzoveneziano.com
On Side Canals
- Accademia Pensione ***: charming, small hotel tucked away near the Accademia museum, suggestive of Venice style: pensioneaccademia.it
- Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace ****: very old-world Venetian in style, hotelnanimocenigo.com
- Hotel American-Dinesen ****: hotelamerican.it
Near La Salute:
- Sina Centurion Palace *****L; on Grand Canal: near the Peggy Guggenheim museum, sinahotels.com/en/h/sina- centurion-palace-venice
- Salute Palace Hotel ****: salutepalace.com
Inexpensive alternative (save money - less expensive than Artigianelli):
- Casa Accademia, ex-convent beside Hotel American (not to be confused with Pensione Accademia above), inexpensive yet comfortable and convenient: casaccademia.it
To arrive either you can either fly directly into Venice or into Milan and then take the train to Venice. Specific arrival instructions will follow, but from the train station, you can take the vaporetto #1 and get off at the Ca'Rezonico stop, or from the airport, you can take the Alilaguna ferry (Orange Line) and get off at the Ca'Rezonico stop. We'll send you easy walking directions from there. Remember that Venice is a walking city, so pack light because you will have to pull your luggage down the alleys and over the bridges - there's just no getting around that.
Our first activity will be an orientation at 6 pm on the first day, followed by dinner with the group.
Departure is after breakfast on the final day. If you are flying out that day, you might try to arrange your flights for 11 am or later to avoid getting up at the crack of dawn.
If you have time, you might want to explore the Lake District or enchanting towns like Bergamo or Verona, the site of Romeo and Juliet, before you arrive in Venice. This will give you plenty of time to recover from jet lag before you settle in at the convent and start your workshop. Besides, Italy is not something that should be experienced in a hurry. Its charms need to seep into your skin while you linger at a café or amble through a piazza.
Travel Agents & Insurance: Over the last few years, the way we travel has undergone significant changes. For that reason, we now encourage everyone to use a professional travel agent when arranging their trips. Travel agents save you time and stress by handling all the details and tailoring your itinerary to your needs. One of the most important services they offer today is helping you choose and enroll in the right travel insurance program. With COVID and the continued possibility of schedule changes or postponements, travel insurance has become essential, and selecting the right plan on your own can be overwhelming.
If you encounter any issues during your travels, your agent can provide quick support and solutions, taking the pressure off your shoulders. While booking through online sites like Expedia or Hotels.com may seem more convenient or less expensive, they offer little help if you need to modify your plans. A travel professional, on the other hand, is there to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and worry-free travel experience.
If you choose to Go It Alone, we highly recommend taking out travel insurance for the trip in the event of any unforeseen obstacles to your travel. We recommend Travelex (800) 504-7883 or Travel Guard International (877) 901-7599.
Venice, a city, an empire, a wonder of the world, is one of the most visually stimulating places on Earth. Stripes of canals, Byzantine mosaics glittering in the sun, window cases of blown glass, leather-bound books, plumed masks, woodcut puppets. Each step through the crooked passages is a delight. Spend a week (or two) probing unknown corners. Stay long enough to lounge at a café. Get to know the old woman at the vegetable stall. Return to that tiny mask shop again and again. Photograph it. Artists and writers have been interpreting Venice since it was born in the lagoon centuries ago, from the Grand Canal to the tiny sculptures above the doorframes. Get lost in the sensuality.
Because Venice is such a visual feast that is a collection of its past, our program offers weeklong workshops in painting or photography. Participants coming from the different disciplines will capture and be stimulated by the passion of Venice. Throughout the week, the groups inspire one another to see in new ways and to experiment with their work in a city that has awed writers, painters, colonels, and kings.
Lennie Watts is a 22-time MAC, 5-time Backstage Bistro, 3-time Nightlife, and a 2014 Broadway World Award Winner. He has been active in the New York cabaret scene for over 30 years. He has taught cabaret and performance workshops all over the country and in Italy. He has performed at Town Hall in several concerts, including "Broadway Unplugged" and "Broadway By The Year, 1949," and can be heard on the cast recordings of both shows. He has toured nationally and internationally with productions of "The Music Man" (Marcellus) and "The Wizard of Oz" (Lion). His regional credits include productions of "The Santaland Diaries" (Crumpet), "The Drowsy Chaperone (Man In Chair), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Herod), and "Guys and Dolls (Nicely). Lennie was recently named one of the 50 Most Influential People in Cabaret. "The Village Voice" calls him "A one-man cabaret army!" He served as the President of MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets) for 15 years and now sits on the advisory board. He is the creator and Artistic Director of Singnasium, a nonprofit singing school in NYC. Singnasium.org
Tracy Stark, Pianist/ Arranger/ Conductor/Singer-Songwriter, is a 13-time MAC Award winner, in the categories of Music Director, Piano Bar Entertainer, and Song of the Year. She is also a Bistro Award winner for Musical Direction, the winner of the Dottie Burman Songwriter of the Year Award, and the winner of the Broadway World Award for Musical Direction. She has conducted, played, and sung at all the finest and sleaziest venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
SINGNASIUM MISSION STATEMENT
Keeping the arts ALIVE by helping vocal artists THRIVE in New York City. The mission of non-profit Singnasium is to provide a safe, non-judgmental place for artists and singers, of all levels, to fully explore their creative selves. It is designed to provide support, embrace diversity, and offer eye-opening new ways for those who love to sing to become a more well-rounded musician. With classes and workshops spanning all aspects of vocal performance, Singnasium will utilize the best possible teaching artists and support personnel that the New York arts community has to offer, as well as provide outreach to the next generation of music and voice artists.
Website: singnasium.org
