Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Whats On

Review: Opening Night Gala for MELBOURNE CABARET FESTIVAL

A glorious beginning to this year’s star-studded and spangled festival

By Kate Boston Smith

Opening Night Gala

A festival first born in the garden of delights that was The Butterfly Club’s original address has blossomed out of its next gothic home in the South Melbourne Town Hall to now stretch its sequin canopy over the length and breadth of our music-loving city.

It was a fantastic and bold move by directors Neville Sice and David Read to open this year’s heavenly event at the auspicious and grand old dame of live performance art, The Palais Theatre on St Kilda’s Esplanade.   Lush red curtains and a smattering of sparkling stars pulled cabaret performers close to the practically sold-out audience for an intimate taste of this beloved art form.

Fem Belling, jazz vocalist and leading lady (performing her own show Blossom Dearie at Chapel off Chapel) hosted the Gala with all the flair, playful wit and costume changes one could hope for.  Clearly a night of stand-out acts from the festival, Trevor Ashley and Rhonda Burchmore took parody and adult-only panto to gin-soaked, pun-tastic new heights, with Burchmore proving she has still most definitely ‘got it’.

Divine Gala moments included Yana Alana’s scantily-clad excerpts from her anticipated return in Blue Show (being performed at 45 Downstairs). Gripping all with her lasso quips and razor-sharp lyrics Yana Alana brings a certain cheek to the stage others could only dream of.  New York cabaret icon Joey Arias took us from the cheeky to the sensual with his beautiful channeling of Billie Holiday. His velveteen tones should not be missed in Arias on Holiday at Chapel Off Chapel.

Absolute crowd favorite was the impeccable Mary Wilson, original chanteuse of The Supremes.  Draped in a red gown, diamonds and white mink stole, Ms Wilson was every bit the dream diva.  Performing excerpts from Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Project, she captivated the entire room with her grace and beauty.

This Gala Opening Night was the perfect initiation into the superb world of cabaret.  All the acts were tremendously chosen, with performers such as Tara Minton, David Pomeranz and Adam Guettel who tantalized all not only with their voices, but literally with the sharing of secrets from their personal lives and work practices.

It is this transformative journey from cabaret room into the mind, body and artist imagination that fuels the fire of cabaret-loving audiences.  This is an ideal time of year to make your way into an intimate performance space to have your soul sparked by some of the best in the business.

The Opening Night Gala took place on Wednesday June 26, 2013. There are over 150 performers and performances running NOW for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2013 until 7 July. Check www.melbournecabaret.com for full listings.

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

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Comedy, Events, Review

REVIEW: Sarah-Louise Young is JULIE, MADLY, DEEPLY

Practically perfect

By Bradley Storer

Let’s get one thing straight first off: Julie Andrews does not appear in this show.

Julie Madly Deeply

This is the point that both British cabaret starlet Sarah-Louise Young and her accompanist make in the first five minutes of Julie, Madly, Deeply, a loving tribute to the musical/movie star who has touched the lives of so many.

After Andrews’ recent visit to Australia this show could not come at a more appropriate time. Over the course of an hour the audience is taken on a guided tour of Andrews’ life and career leading up to the present day, summoned up through a series of characters (and a grab-bag of comically mismatched accents) who all influenced the British legend in one way or another.

Young as a performer channels her own version of Andrews’ delightful open-heartedness, combined with a goofy comic physique, spritely choreography and a sunny soprano voice. Describing herself as Andrews’ number-one fan, dressed in an awkward pseudo-Maria von Trapp outfit and bobbed brown wig, Young’s adoration for her subject and love for sharing her with an audience creates an atmosphere of intense community.

A downside is that the charmed life of Dame Julie lacks the conflict and drama necessary to make it a truly compelling narrative, which subsequently means the show does not travel along a hugely satisfying dramatic arc. However Young does manage to find some darkness in the sugary sweetness – a manic medley of Andrews’ most famous songs is intercut with the heart-breaking inference that her busy schedule left Andrews no time to deal with the collapse of her first marriage.

Julie, Madly, Deeply is infused with a warmth and glow similar to the great lady herself, coupled with the songs that awaken the child inside any adult with a heart, making this a performance impossible not to enjoy.

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

DATES: Friday 21 June – Saturday 22 June (plus post-performance Q&A with Sarah-Louise Young Sat 22nd at 3pm Matinee)

TIMES: 7:00pm Fri & Sat, 3:00pm

TICKETS: At the door, Phone: 03 8290 7000, Email: chapel@stonnington.vic.gov.au, Online at www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

PRICE: $40 Full, $35 Concession

Circus, Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Cranked Up at CIRCUS OZ

Everything it’s cranked up to be

By Jessica Cornish

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday Circus Oz,
Happy 35th birthday to you!

35 years on and Circus Oz is still in full swing, and just launched their 2013 reconstructed season of Cranked Up. The quirky production (founded on their previous show From the Ground Up) is loosely focused on the idea of the ‘construction, building and fabrication’ of Australia, and entertained its audience with its wild and witty antics in pantomime style.

Cranked Up

The multi-talented cast were very versatile, and personal highlights included drummer Bec Mathews in her pendulum-like structure flying across the space as acrobats weaved in and around the swinging object, the table skilfully juggled on the soles of Hazel Bock’s feet, and commentary by Indigenous clown/actor Mark Sheppard. The finale of act 1 was also mesmerising, with a trampoline scaff (scaffolding) tower acting as the centre piece for manic acrobats flinging themselves off this structure in a visual frenzy of back flips, jumps and dives.

The show was highly enjoyable and lots of fun. However, opening night jitters got the better of some performers with a few dropped balls, missed flips and slightly less-than-flawless scene changes. Likewise some of the banter from the MCs was slightly hard to follow at times, and I got a little lost in the dialogue. However, I am certain given a week these issues will iron themselves out, and the show will just keep evolving and getting better and better!

Circus Oz is an amazing company that consistently promotes social inclusion and equity for all Australians, and newly-arrived members of our community. Facilitating numerous workshops and performances in some of our most remote Indigenous communities and detention centres, and donating thousands of tickets to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre on a regular basis, they are a company that values both human diversity and ‘ having a good time’. And Cranked Up is a great show that allows all people to come together and enjoy themselves in the crazy and incredible antics that are Circus Oz. What are you waiting for?!

Where: Under the (HEATED) big top at Birrarung Marr

When: 19 June- 14 July

Cost: From $24

Bookings: Phone 136 100, or at Ticketmaster Outlets or via www.ticketmaster.com.au

Circus, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: NICA’s ONE FALSE MOVE

A glimpse of the dazzling future of Australian circus

By Myron My

One False Move is a showcase circus performance featuring NICA’s second-year artists in some impressive and intense acts. The show is inspired by film noir and there are a lot of shady characters, deadly women and clever use of various iconic props that help support this genre.

One False Move

The lighting design by Eduard Ingles, the costumes by Emily Barrie and the live music throughout the show (by the performers themselves) all add to that film-noir feel: edgy, dangerous and exciting. What One False Move then does very well is infuse touches of comedy throughout. A perfect example is the use of black screens sliding across the stage, dropping off and picking up performers in their travels where we witness murders and sexual escapades aplenty but with the comic timing adding a strong dose of humour.

As with any circus show there is a risk of failure: an off-the-mark landing, a prop getting a mind of its own or a loss balance. Part of the skill of being a good performer is how you recover from this, and with occasional hiccups occurring all the students remained highly professional and ensured the show kept on going. This embracing of and then triumphing over problems ultimately gets the audience on side, and made the consequent accomplishments even more worthy of cheers.

Another important focus required for circus shows is to retain engagement with the audience. What these guys are doing is not easy but they need to be able to make it look easy and be relaxed with their audience. Chelsea Angell and Ashleigh Tomasini‘s cheeky and flirtatious audience interaction whilst doing their Russian wheel routine was a wonderful example.

I was also very impressed with the pole act by Isabel Rose and Patrick Denison – despite the physical demands of such an performance, they both remained beautifully in the realm of film noir and worked together to create an act that had great sexual tension between the femme fatale and the brooding man. Other notable performers included Morgan Wilson, Angelique Ross, Dylan Rodriguez and Jon Bonaventura who all provided some highly entertaining moments.

NICA’s One False Move has some tremendously talented performers in it and I feel confident the future of the circus industry is more than safe in the powerful hands of these charismatic young people.

Venue: NICA National Circus Centre, 39-59 Green Street, Prahran.

Season: Until 29 June | Wed-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 1:30pm, Thurs 1:00pm

Tickets: $27 Full | $22 Conc

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

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: La Mama Presents DITTO, A STORY

Unusual look at the theatre in theatre

By Myron My

Ditto, A Story is a love tale between three actor friends trying to get all they can out of life. Not only are they looking for the one but they are also in search of their one big break.

The most intriguing part of Ditto…A Story is when the three friends attend their ‘audition’. It’s an audition performed live that is taken by a different director each night.

Ditto

On opening night, Deborah Leiser Moore, a director who creates a lot of physical and immersive performance-based works takes the actors through her own audition process. It’s very much art imitating life and you can’t help but feel nervous and anxious for the actors and that you are intruding on a very personal moment where they are genuinely vulnerable.

Unfortunately the three characters of Freya, Que and Moqui upon whom this story turns (Malina Maria Mackiewicz, Mischa Grunenberg and Reece Vella) lacked believability, and I felt more exploration was needed regarding their desires and wants. There were times I felt reminded that I was watching actors on stage rather than the actual characters.

The set consists of a number of sheets as curtains hanging on a line from one side of the stage to the other that the actors slide open and closed to go “backstage”. The busker (Annie Schofield) sits at the end of the stage and sets the “chapter” of each scene by playing drums and at times naming locations such as ‘bar’ or ‘taxi’. I quite enjoyed this process as it allows the visual to be created as you see it.

Lech Mackiewicz’s script has moments of sharp and witty dialogue, however there are times where things occur out of nowhere that seem implausible or there is no development on these revelations. In the final scene for example, there is a change in the relationship between Que and Moqui and Freya that seems out of place but is left up in the air.

Ditto, A Story takes a very innovative approach to theatre with its audition element and breaks the barrier of observer and participant in interesting ways, but it falls short in allowing its characters to establish an enduring connection with the audience.

Guest directors:


Deborah Leiser Moore (June 19)

Melanie Beddie (June 20)

Suzanne Chaundy (June 21)

Cheyney Caddy (June 22)

Daniel Schlusser (June 23)

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 16 June | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

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

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Attic Erratic Presents DOMINO

Witnessing the fall of man

By Myron My

On its first preview night, Domino – the latest production by Attic Erratic – takes us to a post-apocalyptic world where we meet the last five people left alive.

They engage in a dangerous roleplay game where the lines of illusion and reality quickly becoming blurred, and soon lead to something more sinister…

Domino

The lighting design by Laura Harris is, put simply, amazing. Her ability to capture the mood and emotions needed for this production and the shadow play she creates reinforces the overall theme of impending doom for this group of five men. The detailed set design and use of multimedia to support parts of the story all bring the technical aspects of this production to a high level.

However, Giuliano Ferla’s script, whilst able to draw you in to the lives of these five men, is a little confusing and you would not be blamed if you walked out feeling somewhat unfulfilled by the story. Some clarity or slowing down the pace to provide more explanation would have made a huge difference.

What the script – and direction by Danny Delahunty – does extremely well though, is developing the five characters played by Alex Duncan, Joseph Green, Kane Felsinger, Matt Hickey and Spencer Scholz . In the beginning, the men are edgy, jumping around and quite physical with each other, and the set and the “simplified” language being used indicate that humanity has regressed to primal, Neanderthal ways.

As the story continues, the men then degenerate further into the most base level of man with an intensely dramatic final scene. Being preview night it’s understandable that some nerves would be apparent, but for this performance it was Scholz and Felsinger in particular who were most convincing with their characters.

Overall, the fine acting and the superb technical design guarantee to make Domino a unique and engaging night of theatre.

Venue: Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford

Season: Until 29 June | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sunday 7:00pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $18 Conc

Bookings: www.atticerratic.com

Events, Opportunities, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Live on Stage in Melbourne – KING KONG

You’ve never seen anything like this…

By Kim Edwards

Bold, breath-taking – and BIG.

King Kong

King Kong Live on Stage is a wildly ambitious and theatrically daring production that crashes through musical conventions and scales special-effects heights, but has not yet escaped being a rather lumbering and cumbersome beast of a show. However, this production is still in its infancy and therefore evolving, and meanwhile the world premiere now showing at the Regent already has theatre-goers thrilling, puzzling, and debating its merits furiously.

The famous (and admittedly thin storyline) has been reimagined for the stage in an extraordinary and contrary way. The songs are the collected efforts of contemporary artists such as Sarah McLachlan and 3D from Massive Attack: at its most successful, the music forms an exciting and unusual soundtrack that is a distinct relief after the formulaic and expositional offerings of some other musicals. At other times however, songs are jarring and uneven with their musical anachronisms and bland lyrics. The set and backdrop are primarily a dynamic blur of lighting and video effects: at its best in the scenes emulating grainy film footage, the impact is utterly spectacular, from the dance of the Skull Island locals and the moonrise lullaby, to the final battle atop the Empire State building. At its worse however, the lingering impression is of Atari video games, and b-grade music videos.

Esther Hannaford as heroine Ann Darrow is an impressively feisty and funny leading lady, and visually and vocally beautiful. The film director and plot catalyst Denham (Adam Lyon) is full of pizzazz, but has not quite settled into character or singing style securely yet. Chris Ryan is pleasant as love-interest Jack Driscoll, while Queenie Van de Zandt sings the hell out of the incomprehensible role of Cassandra.

But then there is Harley Durst, Danny Miller and Jacob Williams, and Lincoln Barros, James Brown, Adam David, Josh Feldschuh, Brett Franzi, Nathan Jones, Nathan Kell, Pussell Leonard, Brent Osborne, Troy Phillips, Mike Snow, Maxwell Trengrove and Tayo Wilson. Their collaborative emoting, movement and acting was inexpressibly moving and mesmerising – from their first moment on stage, the audience involuntarily drew breath, and they commanded our rapt attention and unstinting admiration until the very end. No – they are not the (excellent) ensemble in this production. These gentleman are the puppeteers that give life to Kong, and they and he are the unequivocal stars of the show.

King Kong Live on Stage provides just that: the sense of real awe and amazement at  what we see when it comes to the breathing, bellowing believability of Kong himself is worth every cent of the ticket price. He and his creators are a united marvel, and it is simply a bonus that the blockbuster musical is also being unleashed from its primal predictable bonds here, and let loose afresh (albeit still chaotically) into the theatre world.

Go for this – King Kong is wonder-full.

http://kingkongliveonstage.com/show-information/

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

REVIEW: The Seven Ages of Joyce for BLOOMSDAY

Piecing together the broken life of a brilliant man

By Ross Larkin

It is, at first, anyone’s guess as to what one can expect from The Seven Ages of Joyce, a theatrical exploration of the life of Irish novelist and poet, James Joyce for this year’s  Bloomsday in Melbourne Festival.

Best known for his 1922 novel Ulysses, many (with the exception of Joyce aficionados), may not be aware of the controversy his work attracted, largely due to his use of obscenities and interest in the abject.

bloomsday-in-melbourne

This fact alone, however, suggests a (potentially) very dry two hours of biographical examination indeed, and it was fair to wonder if much padding might be required to sustain such an engagement.

Yet, perhaps surprising to us all is the extent of Joyce’s irreverent and quirky personality, and moreover, the bloodline of torment and mental dysfunction from which he came.

Undoubtedly, director Wayne Pearn faces a challenge in staging a fragmented re-telling of Ulysses along with Joyce’s writing process and life throughout. Incidental characters are rife, as is Joyce’s famous stream-of-consciousness in a dialogue-heavy and, at times, erratic production.

Fortunately, Pearn’s casting alone saves The Seven Ages of Joyce from a potentially immediate death, for this character driven-play with music and singing relies on extraordinarily versatile actors, who must decipher and showcase some heartily challenging text and structure.

Much of his cast of nine require the skill and commitment to interchange between as many as ten characters, consistently manipulating vocal tone, accent, physicality and objective – an assignment for only the brave and experienced performer.

Kevin Dee, as the novelist in question, faces the arduous task of writing out loud and recalling passages at great length, yet does so with ease, while Corrine Davies and Stephanie Lillis, who play a variety of the major female roles, excel at moving between comic charisma and gut-wrenching tragedy.

The supporting cast, however, not only compliment and genuinely support the leads, they provide a much-needed injection of pace and spice, with outstanding performances throughout.

With a simple backdrop, ambient lighting, and intermittent live music and song, the players and creators of The Seven Ages of Joyce manage to bring to life eccentric individuals, manic colour and heartbreaking drama.

The Seven Ages of Joyce opens tonight at 7.30pm, and thereafter on Saturday June 15 at 6pm and Sunday June 16 at 1pm and 6pm.
45 Downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Bookings: fortyfivedownstairs.com or 03 9662 9966.

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review

REVIEW: Melbourne Jazz Festival and CASSANDRA WILSON

Innovative, iconoclastic and exquisite

By Anastasia and Peter Slipper

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival certainly brought out the star power for their closing night last night with a standing ovation for singer Cassandra Wilson at Hamer Hall.

Cassandra Wilson

Wilson’s voice – honey-smooth, seductive and powerful – had the entire audience under her spell for two deceptively long sets, so that it almost seemed that she had the power to control time itself. Infused with the swampy blues sound of her native Mississippi, her performance showcased songs ranging from her early career to her latest album, Another Country, released last year. Wilson’s performances of covers were as heartfelt and individual as that of her own material, and the encore of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time was a masterpiece.

She is known as a performer who transcends genre, and this performance was no exception, although the blues were never far away. The backing ensemble of bass, percussion, guitar, violin and harmonica wove elements of latin, country and folk around jazz- and blues-based grooves in a perfect synergy. Arrangements were often sparse, providing plenty of opportunities for the five musicians to show off their improvisatory prowess – exciting and very much in-the-moment.

Swiss harmonica player Gregoire Maret was an absolute stand-out, kicking off the gig with his version of Stevie Wonder’s The Secret Life of Plants. Often compared with Wonder, Maret created supple tendrils of sound from his chromatic harmonica, building into virtuosic extended solos.

The diversity of Wilson’s performance reflected the nature of jazz in the twenty-first century – it doesn’t fit into neat little boxes of genre, or exist in isolation, but is one of many musical styles constantly evolving and adapting with new influences and innovation.  Under the stewardship of Michael Tortoni the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is to be commended for reflecting this diversity in the programming for 2013 – and these reviewers are certainly looking forward to what delights next year’s festival may bring.

Cassandra Wilson performed at Hamer Hall on June 9 2013 for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.