Tag: Chapel Off Chapel

Dance, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Grayboy Entertainment’s GOOD BYE MISS MONROE

Hollywood starlets – and the man who moved them

By Narelle Wood

Good-Bye Miss Monroe is a short but exquisite look into the little-known life of dance director and choreographer Jack Cole, and the glory days of dance on film.

Goodbye Miss Monroe

The play, written and directed by Liam De Burca, is unusual in its construction; set in the days after Monroe’s passing, Jack Cole (played by Matt Young) recounts his experiences working with his ‘Baby Doll’ Marilyn, and includes recollections of and conversations with some of Hollywood’s greatest starlets. The story provides some fascinating insight into the creation of these iconic Hollywood actresses, including Martha Graham, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and of course Monroe. Cole’s character explains the difficulties of teaching these actresses to move in the ways they eventually became famous for as he laments the loss of Marilyn’s life and explains the development of the sex-bomb character that she became so famous for.

In the précis of the show, De Burca explains that Cole’s work is relatively unknown as most of it is uncredited. As a result it is hard to know whether Young’s portrayal of Cole is accurate, but what he presents is a believable, quintessentially old-fashioned choreographer who believes in the power of dance and the importance of accurately representing dance on film. Anna Burgess plays all of the female characters and her transformation between the different characters is indescribable: from the look, to the dance moves, to the voice, to each of the actress’s idiosyncratic mannerisms, Burgess portrays each of them with astounding accuracy.

The narration’s time-frame does cut backwards and forwards and Cole’s focus on what he’s discussing chops and changes regularly, making it initially a little hard to follow. This may be a reflection of Cole’s disorientation after hearing of Marilyn’s death or an attempt to explore as much of Cole’s littl- known character as possible: either way the format does do the story justice.

While the title might suggest a sole focus on Monroe, Good-Bye Miss Monroe explores so much more this and offers a unique perspective of what it meant to work in film during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. If you love this era of film, Monroe or dancing in general Good-Bye Miss Monroe is moving, funny and simply brilliant.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 2nd to 4th May, 8pm, Matinee Saturday and Sunday 3pm
Tickets: Full $30 | Conc $22
Bookings: http://chapeloffchapel.com.au

Cabaret

REVIEW: Danielle Matthews in WHERE DO I BEGIN? – The Voice of Shirley Bassey

Divas are forever

By Margaret Wieringa

The Las Vegas showroom was dark. The band was ready. Then Shirley Bassey walked onstage, greeted the crowd like old friends, and a night of musical magic commenced. In truth, it wasn’t actually Vegas, and it wasn’t actually Shirley Bassey, but it sure felt like it was.

Where Do I Begin

Our Shirley for the night was Danielle Matthews, a diva in a magnificently sparkly red dress. Her wit and banter was perfectly timed, but it was when she sang that she took my breath away. What a voice!

In Where Do I Begin?, writer Matthew Robinson matched stories of Bassey’s life with many of her classic songs. Telling of the loss of her daughter led into the tragic “If You Go Away”, a rendition that had both Matthews and the audience in tears. And whilst the songs were amazing, I felt there could have been even more of the story of her life.

The musicians for the evening were the Footscray-Yarraville City Band, led by band musical director Phillipa Edwards and musical director Adam Przewlocki. The band were tight throughout, but it was like a fire was lit when “History Repeating” started. Bam! When I could draw my eyes away from Ms. Matthews, I saw a group of musicians who could match the power of the singer without overwhelming her. There were also lots of lovely little moments where band members had solos. It was a shame that their big moment was overshadowed by the powerful front lady, but the layers created only added to the overall fabulousness of the performance.

Waiting in anticipation for an encore, the band played and the lights flashed. A quick note about this – lights onto the audience can be awful. Especially in a small venue with quite bright, blinding lights… Luckily Bassey/Matthews returned, resplendent in another, magnificent red dress with a fabulous boa and stunning jewelry. By this stage, I was getting terribly concerned that, somehow, “Goldfinger” was going to be missed. Thank goodness, no.

If there is any chance you can get to this show, do. And keep the name Danielle Matthews in mind; surely, she has greatness ahead of her.

Manilla Street Productions presents Where Do I Begin? – The Voice of Shirley Bassey

Venue: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran

Dates: 23-24, 30-31 March, 8pm

Price:  $45 /$40 Conc

Tickets: (03) 8290 7000(03) 8290 7000(03) 8290 7000(03) 8290 7000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Manilla Street Productions Presents BLOOD BROTHERS

Tragic tale impeccably told

By Bradley Storer

Blood Brothers, the award-winning West End musical about a tale of twin brothers separated at birth, has come to Chapel off Chapel in a strong new production by Manilla Street Productions. This modern tragedy, directed by Chris Parker, explores the classic ‘nature versus nurture’ debate and the great divide between the English upper and middle class.

Blood Brothers

Chelsea Plumley in the crucial role of Mrs Johnstone is the emotional touchstone of the entire piece, producing a portrait of a flawed, poverty-stricken woman of fierce maternal love and indomitable spirit, slowly bowed down under the tragic consequences of an impulsive decision. Her expressive and earthy singing voice perfectly captures the essence of the character, and she is to be applauded especially for flawlessly maintaining the extremely challenging Liverpool accent for the entire show. Glenda Linscott as Mrs Lyons, the rich housewife whose adoption scheme sets the plot in motion, turns in a compelling and complex performance that travels the gamut from heart-warming to bone-chilling as the character’s initial sweetness and good nature crumbles frighteningly under the pressures of anxiety and guilt.

The central triangle of the piece, the two brothers Mickey (Gareth Keegan) and Eddie (Matthew Bradford), and Linda (Lisa-Marie Parker), the woman who comes between them, are a powerhouse trio – their chemistry is palpable, and they perfectly embody each stage of their character’s respective journey from child to adulthood (kudos to them for avoiding cringe-inducing caricature while playing children). The second act, where the harsh realities of life begin to take their toll on the three and their relationships, is wrenching to watch after the honest simplicity of the actors has won our love. They are ably supported by a small but talented ensemble who swap between multiple roles. Simon Wilton as the Narrator does his best with a role that is essentially one-note and continuously repetitive, but the fault lies with the character rather than the actor in this case.

This dark, tragic tale is engrossing theatre, and the catastrophic finale which ties together all the themes of class division and destiny proves the overall success of the production, leaving the audience with a gut-wrenching sense of loss that won’t fail to bring tears to the eyes of anyone who sees it.

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

Dates: 20 March – 6 April (Preview 19 March)

Times: Tues-Sat 8pm, Sat (5 April) 3pm, Sat (29 March) 3pm,  Sun (30 March) 3pm, Sun (6 April) 2pm

Price: $49 Full, $45 Concession, $40 Group 10+, $40 Preview (19 March), $40 Tuesday Performances, $60 Opening Night (20 March)

Tickets: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au, Phone: 03 8290 700003 8290 700003 8290 700003 8290 7000, Email: chapel@stonnington.vic.gov.au, at the venue.

Events, Music, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Nick Hedger’s PLAYGROUND

An eclectic collection from an exciting young composer

By Narelle Wood

Playground is a collection of songs by the very talented Nick Hedger. Whilst some of the songs, such as those from Hedger’s much talked-about one-man cabaret show Crap I Found in My Room, have obviously been worked through a number of times, this musical collection also showcased some of his newer work including songs from HomeSick and Conditions.

Playground

Playground’s ‘players’ consisted of an experienced and talented cast including Kerrie Anne Greenland, Brent Hill, Andrew Hondromatidis, Erin Kennedy, Emily Langridge, Ben Nicholson and Nick Hedger himself. Given the experience of the cast it was honestly hard sometimes to work out whether the occasional off note, which was mostly noticeable during the harmonies, was first-night nerves or a result of Hedger’s sometimes unusual, but workable, musical arrangements.

The musical numbers showcased Hedger’s ability to write everything from comedy, to ballads, to creepy tunes about the Pied Piper taking his revenge. While there were some clear themes to songs from the same musical works, without reading the explanation in the program many of the songs lacked context making it difficult to ascertain what was going on. This was especially the case where the songs made overt references to storylines and characters from particular shows, and was further compounded by the show jumping from musical to musical. That been said, the show did have an overall balance between the musical genres it presented.

The standout moments of the night were provided by those pieces that were written or performed with comedic intent: “Golden Rule”, “Playa” and “Is That What Makes a Relationship?” On the creepier side of the comedy was the performance of Hondromatidis, Nicholson and Hill as three witches back from the dead in “Back in Salem”; this was disturbingly entertaining in the only way watching three grown men menacingly sing “we’re coming for your children” can be.

It has to be said that Hedger’s ability to tickle the ivories stole the show, especially during the piano solo from “Bit of a Feelin’”. Whilst some of the ballads were a little over-sentimental, I would be very eager to see more of Hedger’s work: this is a musical mastermind in the making.

Venue:Chapel off Chapel, Prahran

Season:Saturday 1st March 8pm, Sunday 2nd March, 6.30pm

Tickets:$30 Full | $25 Concession

Bookings: chapeloffchapel.com.au/ticket-sales/

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Neil LaBute’s FAT PIG

Large laughs from excellent leads

By Myron My

Everyone tells you it’s what on the inside that counts and what they are looking for in a partner is someone with a great personality. But is that what we really want?

Fat Pig

Lab Kelpie’s production of Neil LaBute’s play Fat Pig explores this question through character Tom (Lyall Brooks) who falls for Helen (Lulu McClatchy), a fantastic woman – who just happens to be fat.

Brooks and McClatchy are a delight to watch. They spark off one another well and their scenes together bring a lot of laughs. I feel Brooks’ portrayal of the fumbling Tom and his struggle between doing what he wants and dealing with the pressure of what is expected of him highly believable. McClatchy is infectious on stage and it’s a shame that the majority of her character’s scenes are self-deprecating and we don’t have the chance to see Helen really stand up for herself. Patrick Harvey‘s incredibly annoying Carter is played to perfection but I found the character of Jeannie (Cassandra Magrath) was rather too exaggerated.

LaBute’s script has some sharp dialogue and there are hilarious moments created with the line between humour and crass toed well. However, I feel it could have gone further in exploring our obsession with weight (and appearance in general). There’s a scene where Carter suggests “maybe you should turn on the TV someday” but this observation is not developed at all. Perhaps it’s because Fat Pig was originally written almost ten years ago and now feels dated in regards to attitudes or ideas on this topic. Furthermore, the events leading up to the conclusion do not justify or warrant the ending and even negate the earlier actions of the characters.

I was confused by the images on the projector between scenes changes and was not sure what they represented. I’m also not a fan of blackouts: I always find them distracting and on this evening’s performance, with each blackout the audience used it as an opportunity to talk amongst themselves, which I found incredibly frustrating.

Nonetheless, Fat Pig is an enjoyable play with a funny script and some strong performances, but I feel the story itself gets compromised through the very message it is trying to convey.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Season: Until 20 October | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 6:00pm, Sat 4:00pm

Tickets: $37.50 Full | $30 Conc

Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or 8290 7000

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

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

Winningly witty and deliciously dark

By Bradley Storer

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

A Singer Must Die

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

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

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

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

DATE: 24 – 29th  September

TIME: 7:30 (6:30 Sunday)

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

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

Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Stewart D’Arrietta’s MY LEONARD COHEN

Public acclaim for this personal tribute

By Christine Moffat

Leonard Cohen is the master of sexy, dark revealing lyrics and music that sweeps you away. Stewart D’Arrietta has been swept away, but it hasn’t overpowered his unique performance of this selection of Cohen’s powerful works.

My Leonard Cohen

D’Arrietta nurtured a connection with the audience and took them on a very personal journey through the world via Cohen’s songs. Nothing makes a show duller than a show based merely on impersonation, but with his gravely voice and laconic humour, D’Arrietta’s performance was only reminiscent of Cohen.  What the audience was treated to instead was a collection of confident and original interpretations.

Sensitivity to the composer and actual musical skill are all very well and good, but the most important test a show like this must pass is “Was it a good time?”  The answer is a most definite “Yes!”  The ensemble played like a bunch of old-fashioned romantics, giving the music all of their energy and style.  Frontman D’Arrietta adapts his persona song after song, holding nothing back.  In the end he is the embodiment of a Cohen song: sexy, funny, sad – human.

The music was interspersed with bite-sized insights into Cohen’s life, titbits about the composition of various songs, and importantly, D’Arrietta’s personal connections to those songs.  It made for an entertaining one-and-a-half hours of live music, performed by accomplished musicians.

The exquisite leadlight window of Chapel Off Chapel‘s theatre was the perfect backdrop for a show bringing to life Cohen’s emotional lyrics of god and love, men and women.  When I left, a crescent moon was hanging low in a dark starless sky, seemingly imbued with a poetic connection to the moving performance that had just finished.

Dates: Sept 11 – Sept 15

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Times: Tue-Fri 8pm / Sat 7pm & 9pm / Sun 5pm & 7pm

Tickets: From $49.50

Bookings: 03 82907000 or online at chapeloffchapel.com.au

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, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: StageArt Presents HAIR

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! With these famous words I experienced the ‘new age’ movement of StageArt’s production of Hair at Chapel Off Chapel.

Hair

From the second you walk into the venue, you feel like you have transported back in time with hippies scattered throughout the space and mingling – in character – with the audience. These guys don’t just break the fourth wall: they smash right through it! There are many moments where the cast runs into the audience singing their songs, speaking directly to us and generally including us in the show. Costume designer Hazel Green has also perfectly encapsulated the essence of the era with her pieces for the cast.

The level of energy the cast had and maintained throughout Hair was quite phenomenal. During the rousing final number of Let The Sun Shine In, I could hear the breathlessness of some of the performers as they stood beside me having given the song all they had.

The other stand-out numbers would have to be the famous Aquarius, Hair as wonderfully performed by Ashley Rousetty and Sam Kitchen and What A Piece of Work Is Man sung brilliantly by Mitchell Sanfillipo and Gina Mets. However, and this is my main qualm with the show, the sound production was not up to scratch. There were moments throughout where it became difficult to hear what was being sung or spoken as the mics would drop in and out.

With eighteen performers and a brilliant five-piece band – led by musical director Cameron Thomas – on stage the whole time you would be right to assume that it is a large space. Upon inspecting the stage and seeing that it is in fact a very tight place I appreciated how much precision and care was needed for the choreography to work and the level of awareness the actors needed at all times.

Famously ending with that powerful final scene and its strong message regarding war which remains relevant in today’s society, you have two more weeks to “come to the orgy” that is Hair and revel in this wonderfully colourful, vibrant and trippy production.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Season: JAN 31st – FEB 17th, Wed – Sat 8pm,  Sat & Sun 2pm

Tickets: $46.50, $41.50 Conc

Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Albert Salt and Wintercoats

An exceptional double act wow the crowd

By Myron My

Performing as a double set at Chapel Off Chapel and presented by Fly-On-The-Wall Theatre were two extremely talented Melbourne musicians, Albert Salt and Wintercoats. Despite their two unique and different sounds, the evening still proved to be very successful, if the warm response from the audience is anything to go by.

Albert Salt

Taking the stage first was Albert Salt who entertained the audience with his combination of alternative rock, electronica and jazz music. Salt was supported by Noah Harris and Lachie Bubb, and the latter who was particularly great to watch on the drums. There was much ease and grace in the way he played, despite the obvious level of skill and concentration needed.

The set list played was a great example of the varying skill that Salt has as a singer and musician with the standout tracks being Fear & Loathing and Salt’s closing track This Is Her. The foot-tapping amongst the audience was evident and at times I wished that Salt were simply performing at a pub so that I could get up and dance! There is definitely a bright future for this Triple J Unearthed finalist from 2011.

The second half of the evening was quite a contrast to Salt, where we were treated to a great set by Wintercoats aka James Wallace. Wintercoats took to the stage with nothing but a violin and created a beautiful experience for the audience to take part in.

Wintercoats

Finding every conceivable way to produce sound from a violin, Wallace uses the bow, strums the instrument like a guitar, strikes it with his hands and even blows into it. Wintercoats created a complex experience of overlapping music and sound that had everyone on their own personal journey throughout it.

The backdrop for Wintercoats’ gig was a visual stream of nature imagery, including fires, water, skies and epic landscapes that were filmed in Ireland, Scotland and Iceland. This blended in magically with Wintercoats’ nostalgic and whimsical music.

As we approached his last song, Wintercoats admitted he had never played it before and it could end up sounding like cats meowing, but the risk paid off as we ended a great night on the highest note possible.

The evening was another reminder of the talent that resides throughout Australia and Fly-On-The-Wall Theatre provided these remarkable artists the opportunity to play for audiences who might not have necessarily headed down to a pub to see a local live music gig. Hopefully there’ll be more performances like this coming soon.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Season: Until 15 December | 8:00pm

Tickets: $15 Full

Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au