Category: Performances

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: The Production Company Presents GYPSY

Everything’s coming up up roses

By Bradley Storer

The Production Company brings together a star-studded cast in this presentation of what can be described as the greatest musical in the American tradition. Like a musical version of King Lear, Gypsy presents the tale of Mama Rose as she fights, batters and tramples all the obstacles in the way of propelling her two daughters to stardom, even as they resist and try to escape her iron grip.

Caroline OConnor

Christina Tan as the young girl who grows up to be the eponymous Gypsy Rose Lee, is perfect as both the boyish, plain Louise at the beginning of the show, looking adorably innocent in her baggy oversized clothes, as well as the glamorous and seductive burlesque star that she becomes over the course of the narrative. However, in the strip tease sequence in Act Two (which illustrates Gypsy’s rise to her full potential as well as to stardom) Tan does not fully embody the burgeoning self-confidence and realisation that would bridge the gap between the two sides of the character.

Gemma-Ashley Kaplan as Baby June, Rose’s favoured child, brings both perkiness, a bright piercing belt and an underlying exhaustion to the role – her younger counterpart is equally amazing, possibly more so in some of her dances! Nathan Pinnell as the dancer who runs away with her steals the show with just one song and a brilliant choreographed dream ballet (choreography by Andrew Hallsworth).

The brilliant Caroline O’Connor is a phenomenon as Mama Rose, bringing layer upon layer to this larger-than-life character. This is a woman so consumed by her dreams and fantasy of stardom (vicariously lived out through her daughters) that she is hopelessly disconnected from everyone around her, most of all her family. In every one of Baby June’s dances we see Mama Rose flitting in and out of the background and off to the side of the stage repeating the choreography; whenever she by chance enters the spotlight her face breaks out in with unadulterated pleasure that is simultaneously comic and pathetic. O’Connor’s characterization brings to mind those other great tragic characters of American literature, Willy Loman and Blanche DuBois, both sustained and eventually destroyed by their dreams.

Matt Hetherington as Herbie, her lover/business partner is quite subdued, but the pair have a sweetness that makes the disintegration of their relationship as a result of Rose’s ambition all the more poignant – here Hetherington shines with a quiet dignity.

Gale Edwards brings an expansive directorial vision to this great American musical, emphasising how all these characters, whether or not they are onstage, are performers – acting out their own internal fantasies or forced to live inside a role that has been thrust on them by someone.

Venue: The State Theatre, The Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd

Dates: Sat July 6th/Wed 10th/Thur 11th/Fri 12th/Sat 13th at 7:30pm; Sat July 6th/Sat 13th at 2pm; Sun July 7th/Sun 14th at 3pm

Prices: From $23 (C Reserve U18) to (A Reserve) $115

Bookings: http://www.theproductioncompany.com.au/

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival’s CLOSING GALA

Olympians, Oprah and marriage equality in fabulous festival finale

By Bradley Storer

The stars of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival joined together at Ormond Hall on the festival’s closing night to raise funds for and support the cause for Marriage Equality.

Tara Minton, a British-based Australian harpist and singer, played selections from her festival show about the songs of Joni Mitchell, enchanting with her ethereal arrangements of ‘Woodstock’ and ‘Smitten’ and a voice that combined delicacy with a surprising power. Karin ‘Danger’ Muiznieks showed off the breadth of her range (as well as a dead on Piaf impression) in a tune that summarised the highs and lows of the Festival accompanied by Cameron Thomas.

Jon Jackson astonished the audience with his incredible range in an Etta James classic and a heartfelt song about the joys of marriage and children (made all the poignant by Jackson’s remarks about the inability to marry his partner of fifteen years). Cabaret diva Tina del Twist (the drag alter-ego of Wes Snelling) took to the stage with an imaginary back up band, crooning snatches of songs in a voice of spine-tingling power, in between bouts of wandering the stage in an absent-minded haze that felt like a three-act play in itself!

After intermission international drag cabaret star Spanky re-opened proceedings with some rock’n’roll sexiness as she sauntered through the crowd, accompanied by guitarist Robert Tripolino, before stunning with the Madonna tune ‘Revolver’ from his 2012 Green Room award-winning show Candice McQueen. Jazz chanteuse Jade Leonard took to the stage with her self-penned gay anthem ‘Equal Love’ before announcing her engagement to drag performer Art Simone (also present on the night) and inviting the audience to their nuptials at the next Equal Love Rally.

Matthew Mitcham as MC for the evening charmed with a ukulele mash-up of Kylie tunes for his opening, and guided the rest of the event with awkwardly adorable enthusiasm. This being a fundraiser for marriage equality Mitcham played to certain elements of the crowd, performing an impromptu striptease to ‘Barbie Girl’ (accompanied on the harp by Minton) which I’m sure left half the audience with spontaneous pregnancy. Later he showed off more of his… ahem… ‘assets’… during the auction which raised prices significantly!

Closing Gala

The night closed with a special guest performance by Oprah (played by Rachel Dunham), fresh from her Melbourne Cabaret season in Oprahfication, who regaled us with tales of starting out as a young black woman in television and bringing the house down with a voice that shook the rafters.

An incredible end to one of Australia’s fastest growing festivals, displaying the phenomenal talent on offer every year.

 Venue: Ormond Hall, 557 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Date: 7th July 2013

Time: 7:45pm

Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Charles Ross is ONE MAN LORD OF THE RINGS

Speedily, spectacularly, and side-splittingly funny!

By Kim Edwards

I’ve sat here with a blank screen for some time now when poised to write this review. I have one significant problem.

How to even begin to express how ridiculously and riotously fun this show is!

One Man Lord of the Rings

Forget stretching The Hobbit into three epic movies: actor-comedian Charles Ross has compacted the entire Lord of the Rings movie trilogy into 70 minutes for your unmitigated viewing pleasure. That’s right, one actor to play them all – all the significant characters (so obviously not Arwen), that unforgettable score (with some hilarious new lyrics), every clashing sword and roaring troll sound effect, and Tolkien’s sprawling oliphauntine plot – jam-packed into just over an hour of the best belly-laughs I’ve had in a long time.

The show, directed by TJ Dawe,  is unashamedly for the fans. You won’t believe the phenomenal pace and energy with which Ross tears through these famous films, and the uninitiated would be completely lost in moments as he springs and flings himself from character to character and twists and turns in and out of scenes.

I’ve had a few modest viewings of the trilogy myself, but was delighted at how vividly the films came back to me as a man in black coveralls with no set or props conjured up Middle Earth and its inhabitants with some impeccable impersonations and inspired physical comedy (I’ve mentioned this is all done by one man, right?)

My particular favourites include Ross’ Hugo Weaving and Christopher Lee, (although then there were the Gollum and Frodo portrayals…) while the fight with the Balrog, the fly-bys of the Nazgul, and the death of Denethor were outrageously funny and clever (and then there was the fall of Boromir, the march of Ents, the reveal of Eowyn…) Not only did we enjoy the clever characterisations and witty scene segues, but Ross integrates plenty of in-jokes and comic critique to round out his reinterpretation of the classic films.

One Man Lord of the Rings is a tour de force like no other (save perhaps the previous show One Man Star Wars whereupon the pun is intended) – the energy, ingenuity and mimicry is as masterful as a born-again wizard, as hilarious as a drunken hobbit, and as brilliant as the glowing elvish engraved on a ring of power. It’s all done by one man you know, and there are only two more performances in Melbourne: tomorrow night (Friday July 5) and Saturday night (July 6), 7:30pm at the Arts Centre Playhouse.

Have I managed at all to convey the amount of fun I had watching this? No? Then you’d better don your mithril vest, grab your elven sword and go see for yourself…

Bookings: Artscentremelbourne.com.au, Ticketmaster outlets or Ph: 1300182183

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Maude Davey in MY LIFE IN THE NUDE

Bearing all for her art

By Myron My

Before you even walk through the door of the La Mama Theatre, you are greeted by a woman wearing high heels, a shawl and sparkling jewellery. And that’s it. For 29 years, Maude Davey has been taking off her clothes in public and My Life In The Nude is a celebration of Davey’s work throughout those years.

Davey regales us with stories such as her entry into the Miss Wicked Competition in 1991 to teaching burlesque for deaf and disabled women. Some stories are so outlandish that they are bordering on absurd that they are almost hard to believe, but all of Davey’s stories captivate and engage us.

Maude Davey

The costume changes are eye-catching and varied to say the least. At one point Davey wears a gorilla suit whilst dancing to ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera, a sparkly number that almost blinds us with its shimmer to a costume once owned by Jeanne Little (enough said on that one).

Davey has certainly led an intriguing life but she has put a lot of thought into this show and has taken a creative and humorous but sincere look at body issues, nudity and sexuality through a performer’s perspective and what it means to be naked on stage to them. Davey talks about her breast reduction at 17 and the threshold of judgement we have from each other and upon ourselves.

There is a strong message in Davey’s show and that is, as she clearly puts it at one point: “I am beautiful and I am worthy of your regard”. In today’s age with so many body issue images pressuring us, it’s a great reminder that we all have beauty and that it is there waiting for us to appreciate it.

Davey’s finale is powerful and the room was utterly enthralled by her. The image of her full of anxiety and fear and then her cover of Anthony and the Johnsons’ ‘Am I ever Going to see Your Face Again’ was a beautiful moment of live performance we seldom see on stage.

My Life In The Nude ran for almost half an hour over its advertised time but I would gladly have sat there another hour and be dazzled by Maude Davey’s tales. A great show not to be missed.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 21 July | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Wed, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6142

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Belinda Raisin in CONFESSIONS OF A CONTROL FREAK

Cabaret efficiency at maximum

By Vikki Doig

Confessions of a Control Freak is a cleverly-crafted, highly energetic tale all too familiar to the modern woman – the seemingly never-ending pursuit for perfection, control and balance in an unforgiving and sleepless society.

Confessions of a Control Freak

Channelling her alter-ego, the ultra-efficient Frances, Belinda Raisin invites the audience into her descent into disarray, one confession at a time. From the moment she pitter-pattered onto the stage on full ballet-pointe, we could tell that this was a woman on a mission. Her dance, though precise, determined and controlled to begin with soon became manic and chaotic.

Frances crooned about her lust for lists, got side-tracked and served wine to the audience whilst on roller blades, tore her clothes off in an ode to bikram yoga (it’s getting hot in here) and delivered an evangelical advocacy for procrastination which made me want to holler “Hallelujah sister!”

Raisin’s command of the stage was excellent and her energy unflappable. But just as I thought it was all getting too much, we were reined back in with a confession which was delivered with such sincerity and poignancy it made all of the confusion of the previous 50 minutes make sense. I had goosebumps as Raisin belted out a gorgeous rendition of Jessie J’s “Who You Are”, giving us a moment of stillness to reflect and give ourselves permission to be imperfect.

Frances may have been a caricature, but Raisin created a depth and honesty to her character which made the show a real joy to be a part of. And as we left The Butterfly Club, my partner said to me “there were parts of that show where she could have been talking about you.” I guess there’s a bit of Frances in all of us.

I would also like to make special mention of Raisin’s sensational accompanist, Jamie Teh, who, although completely blind, never missed a beat through Raisin’s well-chosen (and highly choreographed) playlist of rewritten pop gems.

Confessions of a Control Freak appears at The Butterfly Club for a very concise 3-show run for this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival, with its final performance tomorrow night (July 4) at 7pm. Procrastination not recommended – get your tickets now!

Tickets:
$25 Full,
$23 Conc
, $20 Group (8+)

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances

REVIEW: Rachel Dunham in OPRAHFICATION

Talk-show queen becomes cabaret goddess

By Kate Boston Smith

Rachel Dunham is a power-house of the Melbourne musical theatre scene and her show Oprahfication, written and composed with the incredible Shanon Whitelock and directed by Dirk Hoult, showcases the extent of her unbridled talent.

Oprahfication

From the moment she takes the stage, accompanied by Whitelock on keys and a full band, Dunham has the audience in the palm of her hand.  The atmosphere was electric and charged by Dunham’s impeccable transformation into America’s leading lady of the small screen, Oprah Winfrey.  Dunham has Oprah’s mannerisms, quips and throwaway lines down pat and utilizes all possible impro moments with the audience without missing a beat.

The story plays out like biography, so even the few who do not know much about America’s first black billionaire will leave with a firm understanding of how and why people adore this remarkable talk-show host.  Touching on her relationship with her best friend Gale, her love for life partner Stedman and of course her ever-expanding and contracting waistline, Whitelock and Dunham have created a show with monumental LOLs and genuine heart-felt moments.

Having not had the pleasure of being in a recording studio audience with the tv queen herself, Oprahfication is the perfect artificial simulation. Complete with faceless producer bringing us in and out of ad breaks we see change from on-camera Oprah to off-camera Oprah, and we are shown the vulnerability beneath her all-conquering façade.

The show is all original music that evokes the drama, passion and hype one would associate with Oprah herself.  Dunham heads fearlessly into the aisles clapping and singing, with her adoring audience joining in when ever possible.  A truly spectacular moment was during the huge closing number where, in a music break, the audience took over the show chanting in full voice “Oprah! Oprah! Oprah!”.  It took several moments before Dunham could take back the stage and close the show with one of the greatest numbers you could hope to hear in a cabaret show like this.

Oprahfication is amazing: it left this reviewer literally weak at the knees. Get to this show as soon as you can.

This season of Oprahfication took place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June
 at 7pm for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2013

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Musical Theatre, Opportunities, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival Presents ADAM GUETTEL IN CONCERT

You won’t want to miss this

By Kim Edwards

A music theatre icon quietly strolled into Melbourne this week for a few modest and intimate performances at this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival. With a simple entourage of an accompanist and a vocalist, the two-time Tony winner joked gently about his failure to bring sequins or spectacle for the festival, but for his fans a piano, a guitar, a stool, microphones and the man himself were all we wanted. Grandson of the legendary Richard Rogers, performer, environmentalist, and lauded composer-lyricist in his own right for some of the most daring and dazzling musicals you’ll ever hear – and nowhere near enough people know his name.

Adam Guettel

Adam Guettel is the musician’s music-theatre maker: his rich, complex songs and lush, romantic arrangements won his 2005 musical The Light in the Piazza the Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestration, and the chance to hear him personally debut new material and perform old favourites is an irresistible one for all musical lovers.

My prolonged love affair with Guettel’s work began with a chance encounter with the ethereal and enthralling song cycle Myths and Hymns, and then an abiding fascination with his extraordinary musical Floyd Collins. Emotion drives all his music: there is no sense that he thinks up a melody and tries to fold it into plot or character. First there is a sweeping, encompassing feeling, and then his songs strive to capture that illusive, complicated human experience in music and lyrics. There is the contrary simplicity and sophistication of poetry to his work, and a wonderful playfulness and experimentation with how the voice might express ‘impossible’ experiences, from the joyous opening number of Floyd Collins where the protagonist sings with his own echo to create the immensity of an underground cave he is exploring to Light in the Piazza‘s ‘Say it Somehow’ duet as the young lovers try to describe an embrace with their vocalisations.

Guettel’s love for giving voice to characters who struggle to express themselves is glorious, from the immobilised Floyd trapped in a tiny cave to the emotionally-stunted heroine Clara, and he has continued to explore this with new works based on the novel The Invisible Man, the movie Days of Wine and Roses and Danny Boyle’s enchanting Millions. And hearing a composer perform his own songs is always illuminating: ‘Dividing Day’ for example has new poignance, and ‘Saturn Returns’ and ‘How Glory Goes’ soared to new emotional heights.

With extraordinary Broadway MD Kim Grigsby on the piano and the stunning accompanying vocals of his fiancee Haley Bond, Guettel offers an evening of disarming banter, personal charm, and enriching, thrilling, passionate music. Tonight (Sunday June 30) is your last chance to hear him perform in Melbourne – 7:30pm at Chapel Off Chapel… Seize it!

Bookings: http://melbournecabaret.com/index.php/shows/adam-guettel-in-concert

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Alex Ellis is DROWNING IN VERONICA LAKE

Secret life of a silver screen star

By Myron My

On the 40th anniversary of her death, Drowning in Veronica Lake is a moving look into the life of 1940s Hollywood film star Veronica Lake.

We enter the theatre and see a buxom blonde with red lipstick, dressed in a white gown that literally covers the whole stage. She is frozen in place, and perhaps in time too.  With the trademark peek-a-boo golden locks covering one eye, Alex Ellis is the mirror-image of the dazzling and tragic celebrity that was Veronica Lake.

Drowning in Veronica Lake

It’s a flawless performance by Ellis as she encapsulates all the dreams and insecurities of Lake, from the beginning of her story of fame with her bright eyes and aspirations of being a big Hollywood starlet to her first loves. Slowly though, the anxieties slip in as Lake’s glamorous life descends into a series of box-office flops, failed marriages, tax fraud, alcoholism and her ultimate death at 50 from renal failure.

Throughout the play, Ellis also impersonates a few of the people who had an influence in Lake’s life, including her mother and a myriad of ex-lovers but the mobility issue of the dress she is wearing hinders these people from being truly individual. However, this limitation does then suggest that these people have “helped” make Lake what she is now so they are in fact a part of her.

From a technical point of view, Drowning in Veronica Lake is also impressive. With its unwavering spotlight on Ellis, the lighting design is very effective in conveying the idea that this was Lake’s life: constantly in media focus and without a moment of privacy. The music is quite poignant and provides a strong nostalgic backdrop in recreating the era.

Phil Ormsby’s confronting script doesn’t simply paint Lake as a victim of society or ‘the system’ nor yet as a mere perpetrator of her own destructive choices but allows the audience to question this conflict long after they’ve left the theatre. Drowning in Veronica Lake is a powerful one-woman show that needs to be seen – let us hope for a return season soon.

This production was performed at GasWorks Arts Park on June 28 and 29th 2013.

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances

REVIEW: Joey Arias in ARIAS ON HOLIDAY

International star lights up our cabaret festival

By Myron My

Joey Arias’ Arias on Holidays was the perfect introduction to not only the 2013 Melbourne Cabaret Festival but also to Arias himself. Appearing in a haze of smoke and armed with nothing more than a piano (and a flashlight), Arias was captivating and from the second I heard his voice, I was hypnotized.

Joey Arias

Arias’ jazz and blues tunes are quite breathtaking and he manages to fit in a few other unexpected songs that keeps us guessing as to what is coming up next with a cheeky rendition of a “Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles proving to be a crowd favourite.

Arias’ repertoire for the night also includes songs from her time with Cirque De Soleil and her 2008 production Arias with a Twist – which sounds like a show that must be seen to be believed.

My favourite song of the evening was “Why Don’t You Do Right?” – most famously sung by Peggy Lee, but Arias owns it. Arias’ finale “Be My Baby” not only continued to showcase his massive talent but also some surprisingly great singing voices from the audience.

There’s no doubt that Arias is channeling Billie Holiday in his music choices and style, but amusing there is an occasional touch of Carol Channing in Arias’ voice too!

Arias is joined on stage by jazz piano virtuoso Jeremy Brenna and the rapport between them is quite frankly, hilarious. Their banter could have been a show on its own and it’s hard to believe they’ve only been working together a short time.

There were a few comically cringe-worthy moments in the show which included Arias shoving a microphone down an unsuspecting “volunteer’s’ trousers and singing into it but somehow Arias makes these all seem – er – ‘above board’…

New York cabaret icon Joey Arias’ Arias on Holiday was an evening of a lot of class and a little bit of crass, but either way, it was an enjoyable venture out for this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

Joey Arias performed on June 27 and 28th at Chapel Off Chapel as part of the 2013 Melbourne Cabaret  Festival.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Angus Cameron’s CHIASMUS

Taking theatre to the streets

By Myron My

Written and directed by Angus Cameron, Chiasmus is an original production presented this month by Four Letter Word Theatre in the unexpected ‘theatre space’ of an underground parking lot.

Chiasmus begins in a quite structured manner with the actors confined to performing in a large outlined white square, but by the start of the second act things are going outside the square – metaphorically and literally. The actors are suddenly very self-aware: they begin talking to the audience and using the whole carpark for their scenes, and the foundations of the play itself become unpredictable.

Chiasmus

James Gand-Hunt (Otto) and Eva Tokkola (Hannah) are both confident in their roles and appeared the most comfortable with their characters on this preview night. Sean Paisley Collins, although obviously talented as evident in previous productions I have seen, is however miscast as The Man. On this night, he just couldn’t quite seem to deliver the evil and sinister side required for the role.

Cameron’s direction was strong and used the space effectively to create a dark hostile environment. There were however quite a few moments where the actors are away from the audience and shouting over each other, and this made key dialogue incredibly hard to hear due to the echoing acoustics in this performance space.

There were sensitive topics brought up in the narrative such as abortion and child abuse but I don’t feel they were developed enough. With such a lot going on already in this play, if such issues are to be tackled they need to be explored and brought into focus rather than introduced flippantly.

Chiasmus does a great job at keeping us interested in what is happening and the hard work that Four Letter Word Theatre has put in to this unusual theatre experience is evident. Cameron stated he’d like to make his work an “even more polished, fully produced show” and I will be very interested to see this play reincarnated in a more measured and developed form.

Venue: Collingwood Underground Carpark, 44 Harmsworth St. Collingwood.

Season: Until 30 June | 7:30pm, Sun 6:00pm

Tickets: $15 Full

Bookings: email fourletterwordtheatre@gmail.com