Category: Cabaret Review

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Greg Peterson’s SONGS IN THE KEY OF ME

A stage cast and songbook of significant talent

By Narelle Wood

Songs in the Key of Me does not just have an awesome title: it also has a selection of songs with music and lyrics by a very talented Greg Peterson. In just over one hour we were given a taste of a variety of musical genres from Peterson’s repertoire, including heart-break ballads, Broadway tunes and even a little bit of self-proclaimed lame country and western that demonstrates just how ridiculous country and western lyrics can be.

Songs in the Key of Me

Providing the vocals for this show are Adam Bianco and Samantha Du Rennes. Bianco starts the show with the title song, “Songs in the Key of Me”: a brilliantly-orchestrated Broadway number that explores the glitz and glamour of the stage and how easy it is for a performer to become lost in the moment. Bianco is a clear embodiment of this sentiment throughout the show, giving his all to every song no matter what the genre or performance style is required.

Du Rennes has an amazing vocal range, and the power with which she sings the James Bond-esque espionage song, “A Secret to Die For”, would make Shirley Bassey proud. Whilst Du Rennes has a strong voice, she sometimes lacks the charisma of Bianco and their relationship seems a little more brother-and-sisterly than the intimate relationship required by the stronger love ballads. Du Rennes’ strongest performance by far is “The Things I Left Behind”, which clearly has personal meaning for her.

Danny Forward provides accompaniment on the keyboard and deals deftly with some of the very complicated, fast-paced and intricate orchestrations required by Peterson’s songs. At times the intricacy of the orchestrations do seem to be competing with the vocal performances, although this may be due to the acoustics of the room and the gusto with which Bianco, Du Rennes and Forward perform. It is great to see Bianco and Du Rennes playfully interacting with Forward throughout the show. This provides some cohesiveness to a cabaret that does sometimes feel a little disjointed with Bianco and Du Rennes coming on and off the stage.

I would have liked the show to have finished with a full encore of “Songs in the Key of Me” as this was by far my favourite number of the night along with Peterson’s ‘coming out song’; both these pieces have clear similarities to some of the great Broadway musical numbers of the past which is especially evident in Peterson’s clever use of word play. Songs in the Key of Me hits just the right note and is well worth a look.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, CBD

Times: Until 16th Feb, Wednesday and Sunday 8pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9pm

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com/shows

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances

REVIEW: Sophie Miller in TIT ON A PLATE

Award-winning cabaret show isn’t for everyone

By Jessica Cornish

Last night I ventured through the ridiculous heat down to my beloved Butterfly Club, to see people’s choice award winner of the 2012 Short & Sweet Cabaret Festival, Sophie Miller. Miss Miller starred in the one-woman 40-minute cabaret, accompanied only by her keyboard and two glasses of wine.

Sophie Miller Photo Credit: Michelle Dunn

I always admire people who put in the extraordinary effort to create their own cabaret shows- and have the guts and drive to perform the piece to the public. And as much as I admire that, I hate to say it but Tit On A Plate just didn’t do it for me. I mean I can have a laugh at the misfortunes of others just as well as the next person- but some material just made me a bit too uncomfortable to enjoy. For instance, comparing Channing Tatum to someone who reminds you of a person with Down Syndrome, and other remarks about ‘handicapped’ members of our society, was frankly too much for me.

Apart from feeling awkward for most of the show, I’m happy to say I did get to enjoy a couple of comic and creative snippets: I certainly laughed at some of the twitter statuses she compiled into the #fml song when accompanying herself on a i-pad version of a keyboard. There was also a fun guided meditation that asked its audience to float off into their imagination at some beautiful seaside- just as long as it wasn’t St Kilda beach, which was pretty amusing for the locals.

Sophie had a strong and appealing speaking voice, and engaged her audience well through her short monologues, but this same presence was lost in her songs. Her singing voice seemed quite weak and lacked strength and control. The overall show also seemed like a random scrapbook of different ideas that had been cut and pasted together. I feel that I didn’t really come away with any understanding of her life as a person, or her experiences. Nor was there a any type of storyline or theme woven through the songs or mildly linking everything together. Even the title of the show Tit On A Plate had absolutely no relevance to the performance as Miller admitted herself in the opening couple of minutes.

However, there were a couple of girls sitting across the aisle from me, and were in stitches the entire show. In fact they were enjoying it so much, I sometimes found it hard not to watch them instead of Sophie. So clearly it just wasn’t a show for me – but for some, as her people’s choice award would also attest, Tit on a Plate was clearly beyond hilarious.

Ticket Price:
$20 Full
$18 Concession
$18 Group (8 or more)
Dates: Tues 4th to Sunday 9th Feb
Time: Thurs, Fri, Sat at 9pm, Tues,Weds,Sun at 8pm
Venue: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Music, Performances

REVIEW: Ginger and Tonic are 50 SHADES OF GAY

Just bought their CD…

By Narelle Wood

The a cappella group Ginger and Tonic’s 50 Shades of Gay is more than just good singing of songs by gay composers, iconic gay songs and a song from Marvin Gaye: it provides a whole lot of sass and a whole lot of laughs through the group’s comedic styling and homosexual humour.

Emma, Jane, Carena and Sheona have amazing voices and not only an incredible ability to harmonize but to construct musical arrangements that segue seamlessly from one song to another: 4-non-blondes and Sophie B Hawkins, a Ricky Martin tribute, and a medley from the big six Divas of our time, among some of the best.

50 Shades of Gay

Emma, Jane, Carena and Sheona have amazing voices and not only an incredible ability to harmonize but to construct musical arrangements that segue seamlessly from one song to another: 4-non-blondes and Sophie B Hawkins, a Ricky Martin tribute, and a medley from the big six Divas of our time, among some of the best.

For most groups an ability to sing would probably enough to sustain an hour’s worth of good entertainment, but on this musical trip through every colour of the rainbow, the girls also test the knowledge of the audience in some Spicks-and-Specks style gaymes: musical trivia with a gay twist.

On the lighter side of the 50 shades are songs such as “The Love Shack”, a Lesley Gore tribute, and a Minogue sister battle, that showcases the humour with which this performance had been put together. This is mostly accomplished through the part-clichéd, part-sassy, part-sexual dance moves, some wild gesticulations and animated facial expressions.

But it isn’t all fun and games. Ginger and Tonic through their performance of Rufus Wainwright’s “Natasha” demonstrate that they can sing with the stillness of the most seasoned performers and this highlights just how good their voices are.

The night, for me, ended far too soon as I would have been happy to continue counting down (or counting up in this case) well past the 50 songs and well in to the hundreds. It’s okay though because I’ve since found their CD on I-tunes.

I would like to describe Ginger and Tonic as Pitch Perfect meets the Spice Girls, but the comparison just isn’t fair. Ginger and Tonic are definitely in a league of their own.

50 Shades of Gay was performed for the 2014 Midsumma Festival at The Butterfly Club. For more information, visit http://www.gingerandtonic.com.au/

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Drew Downing is REBEL

Gay icons, Hollywood heroes and rock-star charm

By Myron My

Drew Downing returns to The Butterfly Club as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival with his new cabaret show Rebel. Our eponymous rock star recounts his life growing up homosexual in the 60s, the era of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

Despite being the preview performance, Downing was very relaxed, confident and charming on stage. His quips and interaction with the audience, although not a common occurrence, are used effectively in creating an intimate environment for him to share his stories. He remains committed to his character and is highly convincing as Rebel.

Rebel

I was also very impressed by Downing’s voice and the original songs he performed. Supported by his three-man band (and at one point, jumping on a piano himself), his songs show an intimacy and poignant emotional level that is not often seen or heard. It is evident a lot of time went into perfecting the lyrics, especially with the ballads. Downing does not overplay this emotion but rather, remains very true to it.

However, I feel the narrative in Rebel gets lost at times, with one too many sub-plots preventing us really getting into the nuts and bolts of the story. The show sells itself as an expose of the character’s love affairs with classic screen stars Rock Hudson and James Dean, yet he does little more than gossip about his one-night stands and then moves on to other stories, giving the impression that interactions with these momentous gay icons have had no actual effect on him.

That said, the subsequent contrast of his stories revolving around his relationship with his closeted Uncle Randy and family back home work well in subtly exploring the ignorance and intolerance of that era when it came to homosexuality.

Downing’s acting, stage presence and most importantly, rock-star voice make Rebel well worth seeing, and I will be keen to see what he comes up with next.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 256 Collins St (entry via Carson Place), CBD

Season: Until 26 January 9:00pm, Sun 8:00pm.

Tickets: $28 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Michael Griffiths is IN VOGUE

Strike a pose

By Ross Larkin

A young man singing and playing Madonna songs on the piano, and assuming her as a ‘character’, relaying snippets of life anecdotes between tunes?

In Vogue

You’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes at the very notion.

However, I’m willing to risk offending many a die-hard Madonna nut, by going so far as to say, that Michael Griffiths, a WAAPA graduate of Jersey Boys fame, has more talent in his little pinkie than the material girl could fantasise about. Yet, Griffiths’ extraordinary talent is undermined by the show’s non-musical content.

Madonna is widely both loved and laughed at. Her unprecedented success and fame go hand-in-hand with immense failures, criticism and controversy: selling bucket-loads of records one minute, and being scorned for acting attempts and outlandish behaviour the next.

Griffith’s portrayal and director Dean Bryant’s vision for this year’s Midsumma Festival show no shame in showcasing Madonna in her weaker light, highlighting her often shallow lyrics and narcissistic ways to the point of mockery, even bordering on disrespect. Yet: cue the singing and playing and we’re suddenly enchanted by gorgeous and moving renditions of ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Material Girl’ and other well-known pop classics, basking in the typically ambient lighting of fortyfivedownstairs and sounding more glorious than ever.

Sure, the aim of the dialogue is to be lighthearted and fun. Yet, unlike the duo’s other popular cabaret celebrating and portraying the career and personal life of Annie Lennox (Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox, playing in conjunction with this show for Midsumma), In Vogue lacks elegant cohesion and purpose, and therefore struggles to flow as engagingly as it should. Whereas Sweet Dreams beautifully combined the heartbreaking (and often humorous) tales of Lennox’s love affair with Dave Stewart, intertwined with brilliant reinterpretations of her songs, In Vogue generally succeeds only where the latter is concerned.

However, Griffiths is such a musical talent that the show is justified by his renditions alone. In fact, I’m always left wanting more and more of his playing. It’s just that, in this case, I could take or leave the script.

In Vogue is playing now until January 26 – Wednesday to Sundays at 9pm at fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Bookings at www.midsumma.org.au

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Ruth Wilkin’s TRUE STORY

Truth is stranger than cabaret

By Myron My

Living up to its name, True Story begins with just that. Projected on the wall in the performance space are numerous headlines of strange events that have actually happened. Some are pop-culture references, some seem a little weird, and some are just plain bizarre, such as the man who jumped in a puddle and died (I really need to google this to find out how exactly)…

Cabaret performer and songwriter Ruth Wilkin is highly personable on stage and possesses a natural presence that garners your attention. She does very well with the different vocal demands of each song and really pushes the various emotions required from them, from sadness to joy and all the ones in between. However, I feel the lyrics to some songs are a letdown at times and seem a little awkward, including her piece about Tokyo Disneyland support for marriage equality.

True Story

Accompanying Wilkin on piano is Barney Reiter (Short + Sweet Cabaret 2012 and Suitcases, Baggage and Other Synonyms) and yet again, he does not disappoint. The blending in of some better-known tunes into the original music is seamless and the ease with which Reiter plays is always impressive to watch.

Wilkin does well to keep the pace interesting and fun throughout True Story. Between songs, she shares some anecdotes from her life or other interesting true stories, some of which are a little spooky. Wilkin also includes a few hilarious real customer review segments on random household items, such as a banana slicer that changes lives and a male hair-removal cream that should not be used on just any part of the body…

Yet, I would have liked to see some more linking within the show as a whole. The tales did not seem to flow from one to the other with some stories mentioned and then immediately forgotten abou,t and in other cases, a song being performed with the story behind it not being very clear.

I really like the concept of Wilkin’s show and she has a strong appealing voice and the skill and charisma to create entertaining shows. Despite its small flaws, True Story is an enjoyable hour of lighthearted cabaret fun.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 256 Collins St (entry via Carson Place), Melbourne
Season: Until 27 October | Sat 7:00pm, Sun 6:00pm
Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Conc
Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Les Femmes at THE BUTTERFLY CLUB

Formidable!

By Christine Moffat

Les Femmes features five musically talented women (Les Femmes of the title) plus all original songs by Chris Wallace.  The show begins slow and small, with just Wallace onstage with pianist (and musical director) Robyn Womersley and Kat Ades on double bass.

Wallace sings a simple little ditty about his admiration for women, and gives a brief introduction to the show.  What follows is an hour of original songs belted out by the amazing vocal talents of Sarah-Louise Younger, Georgina Ward and Hollie James.  Boy, can these three ladies sing!

Les Femmes

The show follows a an old-fashioned revue format, with song following song in quick succession.  Each singer takes on a persona that matches the mood of the song. Younger is almost a show-stopping talent, performing songs ranging from comedy to sultry to soul with gusto.  Her voice is almost too big for the venue: when she belts, she belts! 

Ward is particularly cute in a country number about an unlucky-in-love faded beauty.  James is ready for the stage at the Princess Theatre, in one number singing and tap dancing with style, in another bringing herself and some of the audience to tears.  Wallace casts himself in the role of comic relief, performing a couple of cute songs and keeping the ball rolling.

There is not much to fault with this show: it is an hour’s real entertainment.  A couple of the lyrics were lost in the faster numbers (for example, ‘The Chocolate Song’) – perhaps this is due to The Butterfly Club not requiring microphones.  Bringing the action to the front of the stage for group songs could solve this.  If any change were to be made, this reviewer suggests finishing with  ‘The Chocolate Song’ (maybe even as a sing-along) as it has great energy and was simply good fun – the epitome of the show overall.

Oct 16 – 20

8pm (9pm Thu-Sat)

The Butterfly Club

Carson Place (just off Little Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD)

www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Opera, Whats On

REVIEW: Jamie Way is THE GREAT PIZZAROTTI

Operatic tragedy was never so funny!

By Jessica Cornish

Opera and music theatre performer Jamie Way stars as the larger-than-life character The Great Pizzarotti in this 70 minute comical cabaret woven around famous operatic numbers such as “Nessun Dorma”, “The Toreador Song” and “La Donna Mobile” anddirected by Peter Cox.

The Great Pizzarotti

To open the show, the great man sang condensed versions of a couple of arias – not being a devoted opera follower, I didn’t know all the songs and initially felt a little lost on the content matter – but Way certainly has an amazingly rich and beautiful voice. So if nothing else, I thought to myself at the time I may not have a clue about what is going on if the performance continues to be sung in Italian- but it felt like a privilege simply listening to this man sing at one of my favourite venues in town!

After the first few minutes however, the witty banter began and it became clear that the audience were in for a night of hilarity, as Way joked about everything opera, classical composers, wines, and even the odd Beethoven classic spun in to a Elvis-style tune. Plus his constant fascination and flirtation with the ladies of the room was pretty damn amusing.

The woman next to me got presented with a rose, in slow-motion while Pizzarotti simultaneourly belted out a tune of huge and romantic proportions in to her face – ah, if only it had been me…

A highlight moment was the epic one-man re-enactment of The Magic Flute, the famous opera composed by Mozart who according to popular art (and Pizzarotti) is merely a head sitting on a pair of shoulders.

Watching Way playing multiple characters including the leading man, lady and wicked father, and (as morbid as it sounds) performing the tragic attempted death scene with the damsel stabbing at herself continuously under a veil of red light was simply brilliant and ridiculously funny.

It’s satisfying to say The Great Pizzarotti was indeed as great as its title proclaimed. I feel certain that both opera lovers and newbies like me will love the show because it’s hilarious, well-crafted, and Jamie Way is an extremely talented vocalist and performer.

You can catch his final cabaret performance at The Butterfly Club at Carson place in the CBD, tonight at 8pm. For tickets go to www.thebutterflyclub,com.

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Rosie Rodiadis is UNCLOAKED

Looking under the hood – cabaret-style

By Ross Larkin

Anyone who’s ever worked in a customer service role can attest to the array of fascinating, if at times downright frustrating characters one encounters, and is often obliged to deal with.

As part of the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Rosie Rodiadis is exorcising, observing and celebrating her own range of experiences had as that of a theatre cloakroom attendant, in her self-penned, one-woman cabaret show Uncloaked.

Uncloaked

The confinement and mystique of an old theatre cloakroom, complete with outfits and accessories galore from patrons of every ilk, make for a delightfully indulgent and clever premise where any persona can be explored and brought to life.

Rodiadis showcases her versatility as she frocks up and assumes myriad of characters including an angry Italian diva, a bright seven-year-old girl, a wise old alcoholic and a Yugoslavian whore, amongst many others.

Uncloaked is peppered with relevant and familiar songs, all sung by Rodiadis, several of which she has added her own lyrics and meaning to, and, in turn, provide the more humorous moments of the piece.

Vocally, however, opera is clearly her strength, and thus, the show could benefit from the inclusion of more – a style in which Rodiadis seems most confident.

As she tells the story of her cloakroom-attending days, there is no shying away from bold statements, sexuality and political points of view. Rodiadis tends to succeed particularly when embodying the more brazen, larger-than-life, characters, although ultimately the show is about loneliness and the guises we hide behind, as this isolated performer gradually reveals (and uncloaks) her personal truths.

Uncloaked is playing at the Portland Hotel, 127 Russell St, Melbourne from September 27-29 and October 1 and 4-6 at 8.45pm. Tickets at http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/uncloaked/

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Melissa Langton in A SINGER MUST DIE… AND OTHER BEDTIME STORIES

Winningly witty and deliciously dark

By Bradley Storer

Award-winning cabaret performer Melissa Langton arrives at Chapel off Chapel with her latest offering, A Singer Must Die… And Other Bedtime Stories for Melbourne Fringe Festival. The subject of the evening is the idea of the ‘apocalypse’, both on the global and personal scale. Langton opens the show with the title song, a grim reflection on the artistic process and creative crisis, following with a rip-roaring gospel-inflected tune anticipating the destructive ecstasy of the coming cataclysm, setting up many of the ideas explored throughout the piece.

A Singer Must Die

Langton cleverly weaves tales of personal calamity and turmoil in a wide-ranging series of scenarios, the only set being three platforms which she cleverly moves between to punctuate her narratives. Topics reach from the forgotten little sister of Jesus forever living in her brother’s shadow, deception in online dating, a short-lived romance between carnival freaks to the return of the Devil to Earth. Some of the brighter numbers seem a little simplistic and underwritten in comparison to the darker songs, and at the beginning of the evening there seems to be an overload of more melancholy material which threatens to make it a little repetitive, but by the halfway mark Langton manages to find a balance between the light and shade which works wonderfully.

Langton herself is a charming performer, her wide-ranging vocals wielded to maximum effect and her belt physically shaking the room with its enormous strength! At times Langton seemed a little reserved and tentative, but this can surely be chalked up to opening night jitters – by the end of the evening she had blossomed with hilarious comedic energy in her more upbeat numbers and a simple but touching gravitas in more serious moments.

There are some utter gems amongst these partially spoken, partially sung tales. A hilarious saga of heartbreak and automotive spree-killing, a gently heart-breaking look into the life of a recently widowed woman.  The story of a woman breaking into the home of her ex-lover hums with the simultaneous agony and joy of being hopelessly in love, an extraordinary act of empathy which touched the audience in the deepest recesses of our hearts. The penultimate song, which explores the continuous unity of the human spirit and the possibilities of reincarnation, brilliantly ties together all the threads seen in the show into a multi-faceted reflection of the divide fundamental to the human condition. An evening of both entertainment and enlightenment!

VENUE: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran.

DATE: 24 – 29th  September

TIME: 7:30 (6:30 Sunday)

PRICES: Full $28, Concession $25, Group 10+ $20

TICKETS: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au, Ph: (03) 8290 7000, at the door.