Category: Cabaret

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Ashleigh Kreveld is FRANKLY WINEHOUSE

Resurrecting a remarkable artist

By Jessica Cornish

So I never had the chance to see the real Amy Winehouse perform in a world away from television or youtube, but Ashleigh Kreveld certainly gave it a great crack in recreating the experience for me. Fitted out with a cheeky British accent, gold hoops, painted eyeliner and of course the signature beehive and red lips, she lived delightfully up to the illusion of an intimate encounter with Ms. Winehouse.

Frankly Winehouse

Ashleigh’s portrayals of her iconic songs were distinctly impressive: she gave a solid performance throughout, and particularly shone vocally in the higher to mid-range numbers, such as the tricky variations on the jazz standard “Round Midnight”. With such competent vocal skill, I would have even been happy to see more numbers added to the mix. Moreover, Ashleigh’s acting and conviction particularly shone during her songs. The standout for the evening was her powerful rendition of “I Heard Love is Blind”, recounting a one nightstand Winehouse had whilst her troubled husband was in jail.

Ashleigh likewise captured the audience retelling tales of her character’s volatile and destructive relationship with hubby Blake, and how he introduced her to the world of A class drugs after their marriage. I think my favourite moments were when these real-life stories played out in the cabaret: when hearing these bits and pieces of her life, you can’t help but want save this girl from darker times to come…

That said, the dialogue became a little bit uncomfortable and didn’t always make clear sense at times: lines such as “(I dressed) more like a black Jewish man” may even have been authentic quotes, but were lost without context upon me and my friend. No doubt it comes with being an adoring over-protective fan of hers, however I couldn’t help feeling that overall the late Amy’s character was being slightly cheated. No-one could deny that she suffered from a myriad of disorders and issues, but of course there was more to this woman and performer than just addiction after addiction. It would have been nice to see more of her character development and history explored, and more light and shade found in the complexity of the famous Winehouse persona, rather than just focusing on her constant vices and woes.

However for me, this is one of the best Fringe shows currently going around: Frankly Winehouse was an entertaining hour well spent, and reminded me poignantly of how amazing Amy Winehouse was . Along with the impressive title performer, the space was used intelligently, the blocking was really effective, and the lighting design worked admirably for the intimate cabaret setting. And of course, it couldn’t have been an Amy Winehouse tribute night without those solid renditions of her more commercial hits such as “Rehab”, her well-known Zutton’s cover of “Valerie”, and the infamous “Fuck Me Pumps”. If you’re also an Amy fan, there’s still a couple nights to catch Frankly Winehouse in action at The Butterfly Club for the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Dates: Until Sun 27 Sept, 10pm

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, off Little Collins St (between Swanston & Elizabeth) in the Melbourne CBD.

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe

Cabaret, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Becky Lou’s SEEN & HEARD

Candid confessionals from amazing artists

By Myron My

Earlier this year, Becky Lou dazzled audiences with her debut solo show Shake, in which she recalled moments of her life that in some way, shape or form led her to a career in burlesque. It was a unique opportunity to hear her speak, as well as entertain us with a number of memorable burlesque acts. Presented as part of the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Lou’s Seen & Heard brings together a number of her favourite performers on stage to share with the audience some highly personal moments from their lives.

Seen And Heard

There is a rotation of six guest artists from a variety of performance backgrounds for Seen & Heard’s run and tonight’s line-up consists of drag queen Karen from Finance, burlesque performer Honey B. Goode and vaudevillian Clara Cupcakes. Tonight’s guests put on quite a show, including Karen from Finance’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You”, which had me in stitches and Hunter’s humourous depiction of what a stripper is actually thinking about when giving a lap dance.

However, it is when they begin sharing their intimate anecdotes that Seen & Heard really comes to life. While not all talks are polished and there’s a feeling of nervousness with some, the guests are sharing some highly personal moments with a roomful of strangers potentially for the first time, so this raw uncertainty is something that can be overlooked. Lou and her guests have always been seen and not heard, and to be more specific, not heard as themselves but as their character or persona. As Clara states, she’s rarely spoken in her real voice when dressed up in her make-up and costumes.

With a performer on the stage, there is always an admiration of such artists but embedded in the idea of us and them: the audience and the star. Becky Lou’s Seen & Heard reminds us that these people are just like us: in fact, they too wet themselves, they too flatulate and they too can have the most incredibly random sexual mishaps… It’s a way of connecting the performers candidly with their audiences, and it’s an entertaining and unique experience for both.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Season: Until 27 September | 10pm

Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Alice Tovey in MALICE

Singing it how it is

By Myron My

Alice Tovey has a lot to say about many things. Mainly it’s about things that frustrate her and anger her. Things like racism, anti-vaccine supporters and organised religion. In her 2015 Melbourne Fringe cabaret show Malice, Tovey sings her way through these contentious issues with wit, charm, and no care if she is going to offend you or not.

Alice Tovey in MALICE

While she performs a number of brilliant songs, the highlight of the evening would have to be her loving tribute to “Today” show host Karl Stefanovic, in which Tovey shares her suffering from Stefano-sickness. “Disciple of Satan” is also a great song that is infused with Tovey’s sharp wit and humour.

Accompanying Tovey on piano is composer Ned Dixon, who plays with great energy and is a solid musical support to Tovey’s voice. The two have co-written these original songs, and between them there is a huge amount of talent.

Between their songs, Tovey shares some anecdotal stories with us while also making pointed remarks about the society in which we live, such as her commentary upon being told by a man that the feminist goal of equality is like the RSPCA only caring about sheep… The stories are well-constructed and adroitly told, and along with Tovey’s easy humour, I could easily have sat there and listened to her recall these experiences for far longer.

However, it’s not all jokes and jibes in this 60-minute show, as shown when Tovey dedicates a song to a friend’s recent diagnosis with an eating disorder. It’s a touching moment that is sung from the heart and a reminder that we all need to be kinder to ourselves.

Great songs, clever lyrics and humourous and heart-felt stories are in abundance with Malice. Tovey’s naturally charming stage presence is a crowd-pleaser and rightfully so. Despite the seriousness or dryness of the topics Tovey takes on, you are guaranteed to walk out of Malice with a smile on your face.

Venue: Fringe Hub, The Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 3 October | Tues-Sat 10.15pm, Sun 9.15pm

Tickets:$23 Full | $18 Conc | Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Anya Anastasia in TORTE E MORT

Treat yourself

By Bradley Storer

Bedecked in a gorgeous 18th-century aristocratic French court gown topped by an appropriately extravagant wig, cabaret performer Anya Anastasia swanned elegantly through the audience at the Melba Spiegeltent, her entourage (comprised of one drummer and one back up singer) strewing her path with rose petals while she blew kisses and flirted with the crowd.

Torte e Mort

From this decadent entrance, Anastasia took the audience on a wild ride loosely inspired by the cautionary life of Marie Antoinette – under the direction of Sarah Ward (AKA cabaret provocateur Yana Alana) the journey spins delightfully towards the grave and beyond, bouncing with dark glee from musical tales of Antoinette’s extravagance to doom-riddled warnings from a certain ‘post-apocalyptic auctioneer’ who sells off the French queen’s post-mortem possessions.

Anastasia exudes an ecstatic sense of anarchy, whether it’s contorting her body to ridiculous lengths all the while still plucking out a melody on the piano, or executing a striptease that shifts compellingly between burlesque and a contemporary movement piece. The titular songs of cake and death, with drummer Bec Matthews expertly accompanying, run the gamut from manic and adrenaline-crazed elegies to the parties of the French aristocracy, black-hearted and jaunty tunes that recall Tom Waits at his most bleak, all the way to a simple and chilling ukulele tune about inevitable mortality. However, a section which pays visit to the devil and an ode to the advantages of self loathing, while entertaining, spins so far from the central topic of the show for reasons that are unclear that it almost seems unnecessary.

Overall Torte e Mort is a wildly inventive show that bursts with ferocious creative energy, drawing laughs one moment before chilling the blood the next – a delicious and bloody treat for lovers of cabaret!

Dates: Wednesday 16th September – Sunday 20th September
Venue: Melba Spiegeltent, 35 Johnston St, Collingwood
Time: 8:30pm (Wednesday 7:45pm)
Price: Full $25, Preview $15
Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au, 03 9660 9666, at the door.

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Cougar Morrison’s RAWWR!

Stunning vocals in which to lose yourself

By Myron My

New Orleans native Cougar Morrison debuts his cabaret show RAWWR! at this year’s Melbourne Fringe, in which he recounts stories of beauty, love, gender and modernity with some re-imagined classic songs.

Rawwr!

There is a huge variety to the songs and the styles in which Morrison performs them. While “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” has become a staple of the cabaret scene and generally not that exciting to watch or hear, Morrison’s rendition is perfectly suited to him and he manages to make it something quite personal and ultimately, his own.

However, the highlight of the evening is the mash-up of “Dream A Little Dream”, and “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. It was an experience I’ve rarely had with cabaret where I was just enveloped by the performance and everything around me disappeared. The musical arrangement of this piece is expertly delivered and works perfectly with Morrison’s voice.

Between songs, Morrison shares some personal moments about his life in New Orleans, from his dead-beat boyfriend and the sense of loneliness once a relationship ends, to his developing self-acceptance.  Unfortunately, this is where I struggled to remain connected to the show. I found the humour in these anecdotes didn’t always quite hit the mark and their delivery was not always effective in creating the right mood for the song to follow. More time given to developing the comic style and pace of these narratives would put this aspect of the show on par with the extremely impressive voice talent Morrison possesses.

Morrison is supported on stage by two muscled back-up dancers whose costumes are just as revealing and androgynous as his. They subtly enhance Morrison’s own self-confessed “unusual appearance” and add a level of vulnerability and fragility to him.  The costume changes, including some brilliant hats, are fun, sexy and imaginative. While some of the choreography was not as smooth and fluid as it could be at this performance, the duo play the part of the sexy eye candy well.

Cougar Morrison’s RAWWR! is bound to warrant your attention with the artist’s strong stage presence and amazing voice that can take on any song. Ultimately RAWWR! Is an enjoyable Fringe 2015 show that deals with sexuality and contemporary life with a classic-songs twist.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Season: Until 20 September | 10pm

Tickets: $20 Full

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Butterfly Club Presents THE LAST FIVE QUEERS

Robert Brown re-imagining is all about the music

By Myron My

More and more you hear people saying, “It’s a small world”. Thanks to modern living, our lives are becoming intertwined in ever-more varied and surprising ways. In The Last Five Queers, book by Adam Noviello & Madi Lee and music by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, we meet five individuals who are all connected with each other in some way. In this song-cycle cabaret, their relationships are all pushed to the forefront as they tackle the high and lows of being in love with someone and trusting another enough to give yourself over to them.

The Last Five Queers

There were some incredibly strong musical performances in the show. Keagan Vaskess as the woman in love with her best friend was exceptional with her songs. What is even more impressive is the confidence and emotion on display, considering she was only brought in five days ago after the original performer became unwell. The scenes between gay couple, Henry Brett and Jack O’Riley were just as accomplished however. The belting out of memorable numbers ensured their duets and solos were by far the highlights of the show. Rounding out the cast were Tim Carney and Lee who, despite their strong effort, were unable to affect me as much as Vaskess, Brett and O’Riley did. Their projection was not as successful, and for me their vocal range didn’t reach the breadth of the other three

Playing his own arrangements of Brown’s music was musical director Barnaby Reiter. I’ve seen Reiter perform in a number of cabaret shows over the years and it’s always a pleasant surprise when he appears on stage. He really is one of Melbourne’s great musical talents, playing with finesse and skill and really creating moments on stage for not only the audience to experience, but also for the performers to occupy.

While the cast shone in their singing, the acting is where some cracks surfaced. There were several awkward vignettes between songs, due to dialogue that sounded trite and acting that felt unnatural. There was not much authenticity in the portrayals and it felt everyone was just going through the motions: there was the lack of intensity from a spontaneous kiss, the lack of chemistry between loving couples and the lack of familiarity between siblings and friends.

I could have happily enjoyed Vaskess, Brett and O’Riley singing all night, and listened to Reiter play the piano. However, I was there to see The Last Five Queers, and as a whole, the show required some fine-tuning. The writing needed to be more genuine and organic and the acting side of this cabaret needed stronger direction. It’s still an enjoyable show but I will remember The Last Five Queers as more of a quick fling than a long-lasting relationship.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Season: Until 9 August | Tue-Sat 8:30pm, Sunday 8:00pm

Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: The Butterfly Club

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Laura Johnston is HITCHCOCK’S BIRDS

Clever and appealing cabaret of tantalising tales

By Myron My

Alfred Hitchcock was a genius when it came to creating cinematic experiences. Very few directors, if any, have been able to recreate the tension and anxiety that Hitchcock managed to conjure up in such great scenes as Janet Leigh‘s shower death in Psycho or the attack on Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder. However, behind the scenes, things weren’t always so “great” for his leading ladies. In her cabaret show Hitchcock’s Birds, Laura Johnston explores what it really meant to be a woman in one of Hitchcock’s movies.

Hitchcock's Birds

Johnston portray a number of these Hollywood legends, including Leigh, Kelly, Doris Day and Tippi Hedren, and while many of the stories are not exactly new to anyone who has an interest in the man behind the camera or the women in front of it, the way Johnston tells these stories is what draws you in. Johnston uses verbatim interviews and speeches from these stars, which builds on the drama and authenticity of Hitchcock’s Birds. This is also supported by her portrayals of the eight actors where, with some simple but highly effective mannerisms and expressions, she strongly captures the elegance of Kelly, the liveliness of Day, the frustrations of Hedren and so on and so on.

It is Hedren’s story that Johnston spends most of her show exploring, speaking of Hitchcock’s obsession with her and his refusal to let her break free from her contract. Infamously, Hedren did the one thing that no one was ever allowed to do: she mentioned his weight. Needless to say, their relationship was extremely strained during the filming of Marnie: they communicated via a third party during the remainder of its filming. Even though Johnston doesn’t specifically mention this event, you can feel the history coming through in the performance.

While Johnston had a great voice for this intimate cabaret show, a number of songs seemed out of place and didn’t tie in with the events she was relaying. Her impressive rendition of “Que Sera” however, was the musical highlight of the evening.

Johnston brings these famous Hitchcock leading ladies together as if they were attending the same dinner party. It starts out with excitement and laughs they had at the honour of performing in one of his films, but slowly moves to sadness and resentment due to the controlling and dominating nature of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock’s Birds is an intriguing and thoughtful debut by Johnston with strong potential for growth.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Season: Until 26 July | Fri-Sat 7:00pm, Sunday 6:00pm

Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: The Butterfly Club

Cabaret

REVIEW: Declan Greene’s I AM A MIRACLE

Grim tales woven together with heavenly music and powerful imagery

By Margaret Wieringa

Chairs are strewn across a bare stage, and a few other items, hard to distinguish, lie in piles. Three actors in the orange jumpsuits recognisable as those worn by people incarcerated in US prisons are in place around the stage. As the lights come down, one begins to address a prisoner on death row who has only a few minutes to live, while the others whisper, possibly prayers. Thus begins the intense journey of I Am A Miracle.

I Am A Miracle

The title comes from the last words of Marvin Lee Wilson, a man with an extremely low IQ who was executed in 2012. Such a low IQ should have prevented his death, but did not. Declan Greene wrote this play for Marvin, to document various miscarriages of justice. There is the story of a young Dutch solider in Africa in the eighteenth century, sent on a mission through the jungle to quell a slave uprising, and that of a man in Melbourne entrapped by his carer.

This is a hard production to watch; the Malthouse publicity has the message that this is “not for the timid”. The story of the Dutch soldier has images that are hard to forget, and while the boy is seventeen, Melita Jurisic brings an innocence and purity to the character that makes him seem so much younger, so much easier to be broken. Later, she plays the carer (and possibly partner?) of Bert LaBonté‘s character, and while this woman seems to have the emotional control, he is clearly physically able to overpower her. It is the music, notably the beautiful singing of Hana Lee Crisp, that ultimately brings the pieces of the play together. Crisp drifts through the performance, or stands aside, like some kind of angel.

At times, the combination of the soundscape and music and lighting are overwhelming, as though director Matthew Lutton is deliberately creating a religious experience. Indeed, the powerful climax is the world being reborn, blinding the audience with light and deafening with sound. While I must admit that I did not understand everything that happened, it was a theatrical event that I am very glad I experienced.

Where: Malthouse Theatre, Sturt St Southbank
When: July 18 – Aug 9.
Tickets: $30-$60
Box Office: www.malthousetheatre.com.au
WARNING: Contains dynamic sound, strobe lighting and some adult language.

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

REVIEW: Natasha York in THESE THINGS TAKE WINE

Raise your glasses to wild and witty cabaret

By Narelle Wood

Natasha York takes us to the slightly grittier, grungier side of cabaret in her one-woman show, These Things Take Wine.

These Things Take Wine

Performing a selection of songs from Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Michael Jackson and many other familiar tunes, York takes us on a journey through her love affair with wine and all antics wine-related. York debunks the stereotype that cabaret is glamorous by embracing the look and behaviour of ‘drunk Tash’. In fact York’s intoxicated performance is so believable that the only thing indicating that York might be sober is her unfaltering vocal performance.

York’s drunken anecdotes cash in on the ‘it’s funny because it’s true’ motif. These familiar stories makes it hard not to smile and laugh throughout the cleverly selected and witty rewritten songs, not to mention the repartee between York and her accompanist and musical director Daniele Buatti. Buatti adds some deprecating humour to the performance, calling out some of the more obvious puns for what they are – not particularly ‘punny’.

These Things Take Wine unfortunately had only a short run at the 2015 Melbourne Cabaret Festival, but hopefully this is not the last we hear from York or this show. This show is cabaret, comedy and drinking rolled into one, making it a perfect accompaniment to a good night out.

Venue: Alex Theatre, Level 1, 135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda

Tickets: $35 Full | $32 Conc

Bookings: www.natashayork.com

Image by Ange Legas

Cabaret, Events, Review

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala 2015

Glorious beginnings for another promising festival

By Bradley Storer

This year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala, keeping with the festival theme of ‘Keeping it Fresh’, took place at St Kilda’s new Alex Theatre, with excerpts from fresh new festival acts from all over Australia.

Melbourne Cabaret Festival

Dolly Diamond provided a lovely opening to the show, passing through the audience offering roses while singing a charming medley of tunes from ‘Oliver!’, accompanied by Cameron Thomas, and introduced our host for the evening – musical theatre performer and former Australian Idol finalist Rob Mills. Mills, admitting it to be his first gig as an MC, was a charming and competent host throughout the evening, even having to strike the stage and bring out props with enthusiasm and energy.

Annie Lee shed her usual garb as the eldest of the acclaimed Kransky Sisters to deliver both a touch of glamour and gawky physical comedy to the little-known poetry of the Weimar era in excerpts from her show ‘Lighthouse Berlin’. The Strange Bedfellows, Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen, stormed the stage to deliver contemporary Weimar-style cabaret with jaw-dropping vocal power and charisma, traversing such territory as a German-language version of ‘Tainted Love’, a new number based around the misdeeds of Rolf Harris all the way to Amanda Palmer’s gutsy anthem for humanity ‘Sing’.

Winner of the Your Theatrics International Cabaret Competition, Noni McCallum, took to the stage next and proved beyond doubt the reason for her win – a ballsy belt with a dry, self-deprecating wit, McCullum narrated the humours of dating past age 30 before ending with the simultaneously hilariously and surprisingly touching ‘Ikea Song’. A capella groups Ginger and Tonic and Suade showcased their trademark exquisite harmonies combined with witty and risqué songwriting, providing viewpoints on the modern dating scene from both feminine and masculine perspectives. Closing the night were the Queens of the City, a drag group whose members entertained the audience with sassy banter, Cher-impersonation and stunning contemporary pop vocals.

The wide variety on show at the Gala aptly displays the variety and breadth of talent, both local and international, that Melbourne Cabaret Festival draws year after year and which bodes well for the festival’s future in years to come.

Date: June 18th, 2015
Venue: The Alex Theatre, 1/135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda