Category: Festivals

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Jazz Festival’s CHUCHO VALDES AND THE AFRO-CUBAN MESSENGERS

A glorious experience

By Christine Moffat

Chucho Valdés is truly a genius.  He is an innovative virtuoso who, after more than 50 years as a pianist and band leader, is still composing and playing with panache and energy.  He also has a long history of award-winning composition and performances, and is a teacher and practitioner of Afrocuban-Jazz.

Chucho Valdes

His band The Afro-Cuban Messengers (Gaston Joya on bass, Rodney Barreto on drums, Yaroldy Abreu Robles on congas and Dreiser Durruty Bambole on bata) are labelled on Valdés’ official website as “a group of Cuban phenoms” – this is an apt description, as they are the epitome of artistry and dynamism.

The composition ‘Blues Scherezada’, one of the few songs with minimal percussion, was a masterclass in jazz fusion, with amazing bowing work by bassist Joya.  The majority of the pieces performed involved driving rhythms of Barreto, Robles and Bambole in a truly Afrocuban way, intertwinging classic African call and response vocals with a Latin beat.

Last night’s performance was a testament to the effect jazz can have on the body and mind.  Valdés’ style of Aftocuban-Jazz is a heady combination of sophisticated piano and bass with those powerful drums.

The mixture of sound sparkled and bounced around Hamer Hall like light refracting off a polished gemstone.  The audience was transported by the music, and rose for a standing ovation for the final number, and for the encore that we were given in response.

If you have the opportunity to see this act live, do not miss it.  You will be rewarded with an evening of unparalleled jazz, from a fabulous ensemble led by a man well and truly in his musical prime. Amazing.

Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers performed at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall on 8 June 2013 pm as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. See www.melbournejazz.com for more details.

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Maria Schneider and Darcy James Argue with the JAZZGROOVE MOTHERSHIP ORCHESTRA

Jazz queen reigns with a wave of her hand

By Anastasia Slipper

Maria Schneider

The anticipation was palpable as one of the world’s foremost jazz musicians walked onto the stage. Yet she didn’t hold an instrument or approach a microphone. In fact she didn’t make any sound at all. She merely held up a hand, and with a few gestures created exciting, complex and subtle music.

This mysteriously silent musician whom everyone had come to see was arguably the premiere big band composer and arranger of the last three decades – Maria Schneider. And her instrument? An eighteen-piece jazz orchestra, that she played like a puppet master, pulling all the strings to elicit finely-tuned dynamics and expressive solos.

From boisterous grooves such as ‘Gumba Blue’ to the haunting hymn-like lyricism of ‘Sky Blue’ the Sydney-based Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra effortlessly rose to the task of interpreting Schneider’s sumptuous works under the watchful eye (and hand) of the composer herself.

Members of the band were given plenty of soloistic freedom and space, resulting in some exciting improvisation, especially from sax players Roger Manins and Richard Maegraith. The blend of finely-crafted structure and precision together with sections of improvisatory exploration was exquisite, and a real feature of Schneider’s work.

Earlier in the evening, the band opened with a set of tunes by young Canadian composer Darcy James Argue, who also conducted his works. While not in the same league as Schneider, Argue’s style was innovative and energetic, using colour and effects extremely well. An early trumpet solo from Ken Allars featured half-valve techniques set against a backdrop of muted trombones, and set the tone for an enjoyable first set.

These two internationally-acclaimed composers, along with a fabulous Australian band, are proof that the big band era lives on – and has a great future ahead of it.

Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue and the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra  performed on June 6, 2013 as part of the Melbourne Intermational Jazz Festival.

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review

REVIEW: Melbourne Jazz Festival Presents SNARKY PUPPY

Top dogs won new fans

By Anastasia and Peter Slipper

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival audience was treated to a genre-hopping jazz-fusion spectacle by young US band Snarky Puppy at the Forum last night. Perhaps serendipitously, numbers were boosted for this still relatively obscure ensemble by jilted ticket-holders who missed out on seeing legendary New Orleans band Rebirth Brass Band after they had to suddenly pull out of the festival. However disappointed the punters may have been to miss the Rebirth second-line parade earlier in the day, they were certainly not disappointed by the end of the night!

snarkypuppy

Vocalist Alison Wedding (who was first responsible for alerting festival Artistic Director Michael Tortoni to the existence of the band) warmed up the room with a short set of her own material. “Too Tight” was a stand-out, reggae-inspired declaration against unhealthy body image.

After a short break, the band again took the stage, this time sans vocalist, lead by bass player extraordinaire Michael League. His whole body became part of the instrument, as he impressed the audience with extended virtuosic solos, and laid down some seriously funky grooves.

Each member of the band had plenty of chances to shine as they worked their way through a labyrinth of constantly changing styles and moods. Every solo was thoughtfully constructed and carefully built towards an exciting climax, and even in their supporting roles, all band members were responsive, showing how tightly knit they are after years of touring. Crowd-favourite “Quarter Master” was a highlight of the night, switching from New Orleans second line-eque grooves to gospel harmonies.

Throughout the gig, time changes and horn stabs were super-tight, but the band never drifted into vulgar displays of virtuosity. A special mention must go to Justin Stanton, who consistently excelled, whether on trumpet, moog synth or Hammond organ. An epic drum and percussion solo from Nate Werth and Robert Searight was musically and dramatically exciting, while never migrating into self-indulgence.

If you like funky grooves, a few 80s-synth effects, and exciting twists and turns Snarky Puppy are one to keep an eye out for!

Snarky Puppy performed at The Forum Theatre on Saturday 1 June for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival which ends June 9.

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Daniel Schlusser Ensemble’s MENAGERIE

A daring exploration of the essence of a life

By Christine Moffat

Menagerie is a composite of many ideas, combining the real and imagined life and companions of playwright Tennessee Williams. This is experimental theatre, bordering on performance art, something that the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble has become known for. A circus of characters in and around a small, seedy shack create a cacophony of noise and movement. It’s a risky combination: when it worked, it created sublime theatrical experiences. When it didn’t, the result was prettily arranged tableaux better suited to photography.

Menagerie

There is no arc or emotional journey within this show. This type of experimental work is aiming for more than a good story: it is seeking the essence of an event, or in this case, a life. Through a controlled mayhem, director Daniel Schlusser weaves six incredibly capable actors into a tragically beautiful tapestry. Throughout the piece, the cast became a dysfunctional family. Each performance seemed to exploit the personal strengths of each actor. Josh Price (Williams) and Zahra Newman (Ozzie) both delivered powerful, potentially dominating performances. Price was particularly interesting as the many dishevelled versions of Williams. These larger roles were tempered and complimented by the subtle work of Kevin Hofbauer (Frank) and Edwina Wren (Rose). Jane Badler (Edwina) and Karen Sibbing were erratic, tragic and hilarious, and owned the audience more than once.

The set, designed by Dale Ferguson, was almost a character in itself. It consisted of the claustrophobic hut, surrounded by an assortment of rough amenities that suggested both squalor, and the enmeshed, suffocating family that plagued the real Williams. Although not emotionally affecting in the way a traditional theatre piece would be, Menagerie achieves a sense of truth about Williams’ internal world that you instinctively believe. The ensemble appear to have taken what is known about Williams the artist and worked backwards to present a valid hypothesis of how that complex man was created. This achievement indicates the method in their mayhem.

Menagerie (part of NEON Festival of Independent Theatre)
Venue: MTC Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
Dates: 18 to 26 May 2013
Show times: Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm (duration 90mins + interval)
Tickets: $25
Bookings: 03 8688 0800 or www.mtc.com/neon

Cabaret, Festivals, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Suitcases, Baggage & Other Synonyms for MICF

Emotional luggage unpacked with wit and musical charm

By Myron My

Debuting at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after a previous Fringe appearance, Suitcases, Baggage & Other Synonyms starts with a bang (literally). This is a musical comedy show about five friends living together who are trying to determine where to go on a holiday.

Suitcases Baggage and Other Synonyms

Along the way to reaching an agreement, they and we are faced with many distractions and songs.

There is snappy and witty dialogue throughout Suitcases, Baggage & Other Synonyms and the show is littered with fun pop-culture references and expressions. The self-referential humour is done well and the laughs are extremely strong during the inane conversations that the housemates have over such important topics as how long should you leave yoghurt out of the fridge for…

There are strong performances present and the characters have been embraced by all the cast (the 2011 Melbourne Short+Sweet Cabaret Gala finalists Hannah Daniel, Sarah Jackson, Casey Dolcetta, Melissa Kahraman and Barnaby Reiter). The acting is excellent with special mentions going to Dolcetta for her ability to subtly command the audience’s attention and Jackson for her hilarious portrayal of an OCD-suffering comedian-in-the-making. The musical composition by Reiter is very impressive and he plays with great dexterity and skill.

During the songs, the five voices sparkle and nicely complement each other, in particular the New York medley song. Unfortunately, there are a few numbers don’t feel as lyrically tight as the rest of the songs or of a calibre with the acting.  My other disappointment with the songs was the constant changing of speaking and singing throughout the song, making it difficult to fully appreciate melodies and musical nuances.

Suitcases, Baggage & Other Synonyms is ultimately a highly enjoyable performance put on by some very creative and talented people.Anyone who has ever lived in a share house will ultimately be able to relate to at least one of these five people either because they remind you of someone you’ve lived with – or of yourself.
 
Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda

Season: Until 20 March | 8:00pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: 9534 3388 or www.theatreworks.org.au

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

Review: THOMAS GREEN’s Sign of the Times

Openness, intimacy, and comic ease

By Myron My

You’d be forgiven if you thought all comedy during the last few weeks was part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, but you would also be wrong. When Thomas Green – fresh from his Adelaide Fringe Show – slinked into Melbourne to perform a few intimate gigs of his show Sign of the Times at The Owl and the Pussycat I decided to take a punt and I was not disappointed.

The thing I enjoyed most about Green’s show was the engaging use of the everyday normalities of life to create his stories and insights, including his job as a casual relief teacher, his marriage and an unfortunate encounter involving his parents – although perhaps this one isn’t an everyday occurrence for most people! It all comes to a hilarious end with Green confessing to us his biggest phobia in life and how he overcame it.

Thomas Green

I never usually take into consideration the number of audience members in a show – it is about quality and not quantity – but with only five people present this particular evening, I was interested to see how Green would handle this. Green asked us for our names and had a chat with us and really created the vibe of us all just being a group of friends catching up for beers and pizza.

At times during Green’s conversations with us, it felt like we were diverting from his material, but he always successfully managed to use these moments not only to create humour, but to eventually bring the show back on track. It is a testament to Green’s confidence and easy ability to make us laugh when he opens himself up so freely to spontaneity and open dialogue with his audience.

Billed as a 50-minute show, we were in the theatre for almost an hour and a half. At times I wasn’t sure if we were watching Green’s original act or if we were chatting. Either way, Sign of the Times was 90 minutes of enjoyment and laughter. Green is definitely one to look out for at next year’s
festivals.

Venue: The Owl and the Pussycat, 34 Swan St, Richmond

Season: Until 20 April | 8:00pm

Tickets: $20

Bookings: http://www.owlandcat.com.au/adelaidefringereview.html or at the door

Events, Festivals, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

REVIEW: Jared Jekyll’s LOONEY BIN

Crazy in all the right ways

By Jennifer Coles

If you’re looking for a broader range of entertainment and excitement crammed into your comedy show, Jared Jekyll’s Looney Bin is definitely the way to go.

One of the most promising (and certainly the most energetic) comedians to come out of Sydney, Jared Jekyll has created an unstoppable hour of beatboxing, magic, comedy and showmanship.  Jekyll’s self-deprecating and honest style of comedy is refreshing, and throughout the show he maintains a fantastic presence and relationship with the audience.

Jared Jekyll

Jekyll divides the show into several sections (or “bits” as he calls them), which focus around a certain topic or section. An absolute delight was his beatboxing section utilising a loop pedal, where he explains the basic functions of the equipment he was using, and proceeded to record his own voice and quite often afterwards, argue with it. He interspersed this with discussions with a parrot, magic tricks, and of course, puns.  His sections occasionally discussed the show’s broader themes, and he occasionally touched on a plot designed to keep the show running through.

Despite the energy and professionalism Jekyll displayed during the show, he was let down slightly by the script. The divisions between the sections of the show required stronger links to each other, however entertaining the individual portions were.

It appeared to be a show that could have utilised either a story and plot for its entirety, or just the standard storytelling usual in stand-up comedy shows. Because Looney Bin covered several different types of performance, and several different stories, better links were needed to keep the flow going.

In spite of that, I laughed myself silly. Jekyll displays amazing promise and dedication to his craft, and he is quite clearly going to have a long career. Looney Bin is hilarious, witty, and filled with surprises.  A wonderful and manic night out.

Dates: 18 – 21 April at 9.30 pm

Venue: Word Warehouse, 14 Goldie Place, Melbourne

Prices: $10-$15

Bookings: MICF online

Circus, Dance, Events, Festivals, Review, Whats On

Review: THREE HIGH ACROBATICS’ Knock Off

When renovation becomes a real balancing act

By Myron My

Making their Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut, Three High Acrobatics’ Knock Off revolves around three men who walk onto a building site and attempt to construct a contemporary circus show in eleven easy steps, including ensuring there is a love story present and having dramatic pauses throughout the story.

Three High Acrobatics

When it came to the acrobatics, the guys (Sam Aldham, Taka Seki and Christ Carlos) were strong as both charismatic performers and impressive athletes. The broom-balancing segment was beautifully performed and the aerial work had the audience mesmerised. There were a few mishaps here and there, but any show that involves such high physical demand from its performers is occasionally going to falter and, if anything, amplifies the mood in the audience to support them and see them succeed on the next attempt. The strength and the skill these three possess is not to be undermined and this is particularly proven in the final few moments of the show.

There are quite a few musical numbers– with the parody version of 90s song “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks now changed to “Bloke” being one of my favourites. One of their ‘steps’ is to include a contemporary dance scene and the one they chose had me grooving in my seat as it is also the one choreographed dance sequence by a boy band I wish I could perform! The music played is used to support and alter the mood they are trying to convey during each segment: one particularly clever example of this was during the love story, which allowed the guys to ham things up when needed.

However, as a comedy show I felt the humour in Knock Off was lacking in most parts. The energy was certainly visible but the comic element was often being stretched and didn’t feel very natural. The characters were not all that endearing and I found the ‘apprentice’ to be more annoying than anything. Clearly these guys were more comfortable with the acrobatics than with the acting.

Knock Off loses a little of its charm when it comes to the comedy, but Three High Acrobatics provide an entertaining show that will engage you with their exciting circus skills.

Venue: Wonderland Spiegeltent, 120 Pear River Rd, Harbourtown Docklands

Season: Until 20 April | 7:00pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings:www.ticketmaster.com.au, www.wonderlandspiegeltent.com.au, 9602 1311 & at the door

Events, Festivals, Review, Stand-Up Comedy

REVIEW: Felicity Ward in THE HEDGEHOG DILEMMA

Smooth Response to Prickly Comedy

By Darcy Whitsed

“When I first heard it, I thought it was about how hedgehogs had sex”, was how the audience was greeted by the extremely enthusiastic and hilarious Felicity Ward in her one-night-only Melbourne International Comedy Festival show The Hedgehog Dilemma.

In a show that went against almost all expectations of a live stand-up comedy performance, Ward had the audience engrossed in her outrageous personal anecdotes centered on the Freudian theory of hedgehog-related human intimacy.

Felicity Ward

After appearing as her own pre-show entertainment in a pair of bright pink high heels, tight black singlet and bike shorts and introducing the special DVD filming of the show, the audience was treated Ward’s story that ranged from her watching television alone in sadly unused wedding attire to discovering her potential as a comedian.

This journey was charismatically told with the help of surprisingly ocker sexual innuendos, a cute photo montage (with the shocking punchline of male genitalia), incredible physicality and moments of characterisation. Ward utilized every aspect of her gangly comic arsenal to have the responsive audience in stitches at each twist and turn.

The real charm of the show came from Ward’s unashamed connection to the material. Born from her personal experiences and despite being sad, embarrassing or hilarious, it was all put on display for the audience’s entertainment. The great story-telling within the show gave it an excellent sense of progression and drew the audience into Felicity’s wacky and wonderful world.

The show briefly lulled as the material fell into the clichéd realm of self-deprecating, alcoholic comedian whose life was so dysfunctional it couldn’t possibly be used for anything besides comedy. But this was not enough to taint the performance overall and when the hope-filled and unexpectedly serious conclusion arrived, it actually helped create a great sense of contrast and again surprised the audience by going against their expectations.

The Hedgehog Dilemma came to a teary close for both Ward and audience alike as it was performed for the last time in Australia, which in my opinion is a huge shame. I highly recommend picking up the DVD of this show when it arrives on shelves to anyone that loves comedy, drama, amazing story-telling, hedgehogs or penis-jokes.

The Hedgehog Dilemma was performed at Athenaum Theatre, Monday 15th April 2013.

Festivals, Late Night Shows, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

Review: NELLIE WHITE’S ONE-HANDED SHOW – An Introduction to Pornography..

Gird your loins and come for the comedy

By Vikki Doig

Sex, vagina, penis, pubes, ball slappage – doesn’t it just feel better to say these things out loud? And that’s exactly what Nellie White’s One-Handed Show: An Introduction to Pornography for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival seeks to do.

Nellie White

I haven’t always enjoyed porn. As a young innocent I felt particularly uncomfortable at the sights and sounds of people’s carnal bliss. However, as I grew older and wiser in my sexual journey, it became comforting to see people try new things (sometimes things that seemed logistically impossible!) but, more importantly, sex became less scary – even funny! So how could I pass up the opportunity to see a fellow pornophile throw social niceties out the window and talk about sex, baby?

Nellie’s One-Handed Show is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There was a clear feeling of trepidation amongst the crowd upon entering the cosy performance space. The first thing I noticed was the distinct lack of people sitting in the front row – as if that’s a surefire way to avoid being called upon in a 24-seat venue. The fear of audience-participation becomes heightened when sexy-talk is involved…

Nellie had an unassuming innocence on stage which immediately endeared her to us and it was refreshing to be slapped in the face with her unexpected explicit punchlines, casual description of threesomes, sexual exploits (or sexploits, if you will) and graphic imagery.

There were times, though, when I felt more like I was listening to a friend talk about what they’d been up to on the weekend than watching a comedy show, and what the show lacked was a cohesive flow, a bit of direction and strong delivery to pull it all together. It was unclear whether it was a show designed to shock us, encourage us to discuss our own sexploits, make us feel uncomfortable, educate us (Nellie really does know a lot about the history of porn!) or all or none of the above.

The concept was bold, confronting and interesting and all the elements of a good show were groped, caressed and touched upon, but it didn’t quite come together on the night.

Venue: The Tuxedo Cat

Dates: April 11-21

Time: 9.45pm (Sunday 8.45pm)

Price: $12-18

Bookings: MICF online