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Marilyn Monroe and Milonga Del Angel
The Butterfly Club
16 and 17 July 2008

South Melbourne’s home of cabaret, The Butterfly Club, heats up this week with two brand new shows, Isobel Hertaeg is Marilyn Monroe and Lola the Vamp’s new touring show, Milonga Del Angel. With such different performers, performing in such different styles, the week is good for The Butterfly Club.

Isobel Hertaeg bounces onto the stage as Marilyn Monroe, star of stage and screen. Charting the star’s search for a ‘Melbourne Millionaire’ (‘That’s Melbourne, Florida, right?’) the show features some of Marilyn’s most iconic tunes, including I Wanna Be Loved By You, A Fine Romance and of course Happy Birthday To You.

With such a music-heavy show, it is important for it to be integrated well into the flow of the story. Generally, this was done well, but long pauses during musical introductions slowed the pace significantly, and interrupted Isobel’s vivacious energy, possibly contributing to the slightly uncomfortable ‘stand and deliver’ style.

Isobel has an impressive voice, that suits the style of music well once she relaxes and allows her talent as a performer to shine through. It was a shame that the breathy quality required for a portrayal of the character disallows the full use of the upper range, as hints of musical genius could be seen through the persona.

As as icon of the 20th Century, Marilyn Monroe is a difficult character for any performer, and Isobel presents her well. However, it would have been nice to see more of a human face to the stereotype, as there was little focus on the darker and sadder aspects of Monroe’s life, ultimately leading up to her death. A break in the light, comedic flow came with River of No Return, showing an unexpected and enjoyable depth of character.

Second on the bill is Lola the Vamp’s partnership with Buella Blue in a fusion of musical cabaret and traditional burlesque performance.

Plenty of music from Buella Blue throughout the show set the tone, with her rather unique voice pleasing, emotive and somehow disconcerting. Utilising her entire vocal range, Buella is totally unafraid to bend her vocal cords into new and oddly appealing configurations. Her self-penned music was fun and interesting to listen to, particularly my personal favourite, Stone House on a Hill.

Accompanied by music from the soundtrack of the movie Amelie, Lola’s performance is reasonably classic burlesque. Beginning with a stunning opening sequence of disembodied limbs appearing from behind a closed sedan chair, the show continues with relatively predictable striptease.

The lack of storyline or personal interaction by the performer made her rather emotionally unengaging, which was disappointing – she is obviously attractive, and her physicality is striking. In fact, this is possibly what made the show unsatisfying for me – she seems so preoccupied with the physical nature of her performance and with how she looks, that there is no room left for sexuality. I would have preferred to see a less physically demanding performance with more insight into what ‘makes her tick,’ either personally or sexually.

That said, her performance was beautiful to watch, particularly the piece incorporating a venetian mask and cape. With sensual glimpses of skin, flowing movement and an unearthly air, this section was beautiful and intoxicatingly sexy.

These new shows are each beautiful in their own way, exploring what it means to be feminine and sexy. Featuring three strong women with strong talents, the shows are fun and just a little exciting.

Enough
Platform Youth Theatre
fortyfive downstairs
11 July 2008

When set the challenge of writing a musical in three months, who are you going to call? Well, Wally Gunn and Wes Snelling, of course, according to Platform Youth Theatre. Their latest show, Enough, is an entirely new musical set around the idea of the third horeman of the apocalypse – Famine.

Set in and before an apocalyptic Melbourne, Enough charts the story of Atalanta, a young girl struggling for her life, and the young man who is given a chance by the horsemen to avert the catastrophe. With strong themes of social responsibility and fate, the show doesn’t pull its punches, with raw storytelling and damning discussion of the state of the world.

An innovative semi-thrust staging makes the show very engaging for the audience, with performers retreating to the seating banks to sit with the audience rather than hiding in wings or offstage. The staging allowed the audience to feel immersed in the performance, a nice touch for a show that is, at its heart, a call to action.

With an entirely youth cast, the show is both challenging and well-executed. Special mention must go to Camille Lopez, whose depiction of displaced child Atalanta was heart-wrenchingly powerful from her first unorthodox entrance, and to Jessica Edwards, who (as Haya, The Green Death Rider) was beautifully cold and detached.

Music for the show was well-used and presented, although lyrically rather blatant, with characters speaking their thoughts to the audience rather than expounding on them. The musical highlight of the show for me, however, was Jessica Edwards’ self-penned Darkness to the Light, which suited her and the mood of the show very well.

With a ten-year history of working with young people to produce theatre, Platform Youth Theatre has an impressive history of innovative and experimental theatre. Enough, as the first in a series of musical theatre pieces around the idea of the apocalypse, is a strong and exciting continuation of that trend.

Closer
taDaa Productions
BRIGHTSPACE, St Kilda
12 July 2008

Patrick Marber’s powerful statement on the nature of love in the modern age, Closer has been played continually since its 1997 debut at the Royal National Theatre in London. Since then, it has been seen in more than 100 cities around the world, including a season on London’s West end, and has spawned a movie of the same name. With so much history surrounding the work, it is difficult not to come at a new production of it without some expectation of a powerful and engaging portrayal of Marber’s words.

taDaa Production’s most recent production of the work, while strong, seems to falter somewhat in its portrayal. With an apparently younger cast, the aging relationships and long-term chemistry of the characters are somewhat lost.

With an unorthodox staging, in St Kilda art gallery BRIGHTSPACE, the production struggles occasionally with blocked sightlines and an extremely broad stage area. Mostly, this was dealt with well, with only a few moments when crucial action was blocked or difficult to see. The space was well used, with permanent fixtures in the gallery often becoming part of the set design.

All this said, the female cast members of the show were impressively engaging, with great chemistry and often subtle performances that fit well with the emotionally charged nature of the piece. Amanda Kingston’s portrayal of photographer Anna was wonderfully reserved, and she plays the ‘older woman’ with a beauty and grace that work well. Lily Hall is perfectly cast as stripper Anna, oozing sex appeal while still maintaining a youthful innocence.

While lacking slightly in production value, and struggling slightly with casting, taDaa Productions’ Closer is nonetheless a well-formed presentation of a classic piece of modern theatre. A fresh look and a talented cast make it enjoyable, if not exceptional, to watch.

On A Mission
The Butterfly Club
16th October 2008

Swingin’ Miss explore the wonders of small choral music this week in their new show, On A Mission, running for four nights only at South Melbourne’s The Butterfly Club. With a range of choral arrangements of well-known songs, the show follows their journey through the fictitious ‘Who Wants To Be Australia’s Next Top Choir’ competition — purely for the money, of course!

Healthy doses of comedic chemistry between the girls mixes with a fun and relatively polished musical performance to create a fun and enjoyable hour. Although songs were not particularly integrated into the story of the show, the idea is sound, allowing for some satire of the ‘reality music’ genre of television as well.

Although the music was generally enjoyable, with such classics as Straighten Up And Fly Right, Yesterday and Amazing Grace, the most dynamic and actively fun part of the show was the dynamic between the girls when they were not concentrating on their singing. Of particular note is the hilarious rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, in which the supporting parts amuse themselves while singing their repetitive and ultimately reasonably uninteresting lines.

A cappella music is particularly challenging for a group of any size, and was well-tackled by the group. Although there appeared to be some balance and pitch issues, these did not particularly detract from the music, which was generally orchestrated well for the four distinctive voices.

Good music, a fresh take, and a style of singing that is relatively rare in popular performance come together to make On A Mission a fun and slightly silly take on the music industry.

And, while you’re at The Butterfly Club, check out Morally Bankrupt, also on this week.

Following a media frenzy rivalled only by that of its subject material, Beaconsfield: The Musical opened (in no particular key) on Wednesday night at Melbourne’s home of cabaret and small-venue theatre, The Butterfly Club. A riotous hour of musical comedy, the show had audiences rolling with laughter for its clever and insightful take-off of Australian media – particularly ironic considering its controversial beginnings.

The musical follows the story of the Beaconsfield miners, two men trapped almost a kilometre below ground for 13 days in 2006. This is not a story about men trapped underground, or even the heroic men and women who worked tirelessly to get them out, however – the story’s main focus is on the Australian commercial media (particularly television) that exploited the event to try and win ratings.

With imitations of Mel and Kochie and Naomi Robson from Channel 7, Channel 9′s Eddie McGuire and the entire cohort of hosts of Channel 10′s Big Brother, the show is rather consistent in giving every commercial station a roast. Even the ABC and SBS aren’t safe, given a gentle ridiculing (not least by narrator Robbie McGregor, known by many as the ‘voice’ of SBS) while not condemned for their far more minor involvement.

The cast are highly talented and very comfortable with the show, with strong performances from writer Dan Ilic (as, among others, a hilariously narcissistic Channel 9 CEO Eddie McGuire), Toby Truslove, Kate McLellan and Amanda Buckley, all accompanied by accomplished pianist and the composer of the show, Nigel Ubrihien. Nigel’s music is brilliantly written and executed, with a distinctly Australian flavour that suits the tale well.

After a sold-out opening night to a vertitable Who’s Who of Melbourne media, the show continues as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival until the 12th of October. Clever, funny and with a frighteningly accurate satirical insight into commercial television media, Beaconsfield: The Musical is the indictment of Australian media that you can’t help but love.

Eclectica and Master of Disguise
The Butterfly Club in association with the Melbourne Fringe Festival
2 October 2008

Australia’s home of cabaret, South Melbourne’s The Butterfly Club, features up and coming Australian singer-songwriters this week, with two new shows from Melbourne-based Hamish McLeod and Brisbane boy Jacob Diefenbach. With each of the boys alone performing their own work, the night allows the audience a rare glimpse into the psyches of these two talented young Australians.

Hamish McLeod’s Eclectica is an intriguing opening to the evening. Telling stories from history and from his head, Hamish’s show is a rambling journey through classic literature, AUstralian and Southern US history and a few scenes that have never or could never happen.

His signature storytelling style and relaxed, almost detached demeanour are oddly attractive to his audience, complementing his smooth guitar and spoken word creations well. The often obscure topics are well treated by his strange and occasionally uncomfortably affecting style. He has perfected the style, carrying it off comfortably and effectively. Unfortunately, there is very little deviation from this genre, with the last piece, Follow the Fate of the Flow refreshingly different, merely for being sung instead of spoken.

Hamish’s musicality is not to be faulted, ‘though, with impressive mastery of his instrument evident through his often intricate and complex guitar riffs. Musical settings suit his text well in most cases, and he easily evokes various settings and times, including America’s south, the Jazz era and English aristocracy.

It would have been nice to see him venture out from behind his guitar and give more theatricality and interaction to his audience, as these were sorely lacking. That said, characters from the stories were well-presented, although understandably hampered by his instrument. In a style that could easily become aurally (if not musically) unstimulating, it was the strange and amusing character pieces (such as his animated conversation with an ant) that carried the show through and kept his audience interested.

Following this up was Jacob Diefenbach’s Master of Disguise. Following the theme of personal masks and pretences, the show is an emotionally exhausting hour of good music as enthralling as it is occasionally uncomfortable. Jacob’s music is based around a brutal honesty, sharing his intimate hopes, fears and dreams with his audience.

Jacob’s sexually charged imagery and aggressive piano style are tough to listen to, evoking images of a male Australian version of his former stagemate, Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls fame. Indeed, with crashing piano chords, frequent and effective use of vocal modulation and interestingly dense lyrical construction, Jacob’s music probably fits well into the punk cabaret genre made famous by them. Unfortunately, the audience interaction really required of cabaret performance was not quite as effective as it should have been, appearing somewhat tentative and forced – a concert with explanation rather than a journey of audience discovery.

In the end, however, Jacob’s sheer musical talent and candid lyricism make the show engaging and enjoyable. He is an impressive performer as a pianist, with an excellent voice that showcases his work perfectly. His vocal flexibility is put to the test in songs like Drive to Kill, a strange and violent song about the strange obsession some men have with their cars.

Jacob’s sexuality is a continual theme through his music, with references to love, coming out, fitting in and identity more generally making prominent appearances. Particularly of note was the oddly beautiful Golden Boy Caged, a personal and close-to-home denouncement of certain subsets of the gay male community. Savagely direct, the piece is disarming, uncomfortable and, ultimately, perfectly truthful.

Although their styles, chosen instruments and subject matter may be vastly different, these two young Australians have one important thing in common – their particular brand of new performance is on show this week only at The Butterfly Club. Along with the return of Joanne O’Callaghan’s classy French-styled show, Ca Va?, The Butterfly Club serves up yet another week of classy cabaret performance.

Happily Ever After: The Princess Fifi Way & Secret Life of a Sex Doll
The Butterfly Club
28 August 2008

Melbourne’s home of cabaret, The Butterfly Club, presents two brand new takes on love, loss and happy endings from two strong, classy and thoroughly talented women. From the Disney ending to the evils of sex, the many and varied facets of life, love and femininity are the subjects of musical exploration.

The night begins with Happily Ever After: The Princess Fifif Way, a collaboration between new voice in cabaret Fiona Elmore and seasoned cabaret producers James Simpson and Kim Edwards. Utilising plenty of Disney movie stereotypes, Princess Fifi urges each audience member to get out there and find their own ‘Happily Ever After.’

With plenty of lyrical adaptation of deeply familiar tunes, including The Little Mermaid’s Part of That World and Aladdin’s A Whole New World, the show is a lot of innocent fun, with just enough ‘cringe factor’ to get the audience involved.

Musically the show is more fun than accurate, but plenty of satirical and amusing musical moments make the ‘rough around the edges’ feel enjoyable. A sultry jazz version of The Jungle Book’s The Bare Necessities had the audience in stitches, quickly followed up by Beauty and The Beast’s Be Our Guest, a clever take-off of the ‘Disney song of interminable verses,’ of which it is a shining example.

Fiona’s natural comedic talent is used to great effect, charming her audience into plenty of interaction. A bubbly manner and infectious smile melt the hardest heart, evoking grins and giggles as her audience join with her in chanting the self-help mantras and singing the songs.

The evening continues with The Secret Life of a Sex Doll, a brand-new show by Melbourne musical master team Atlanta Coogan and Mark Fitzgibbon. Featuring Mark, one of Melbourne’s greatest jazz pianists, on the keys and Atlanta as the Sex Doll, the show explores the evils of womanising and misogyny. Following stories from the lives of women affected by violence, sexualisation and objectification, the show stands as a hard-hitting and powerful piece of theatre.

Essentially, the show follows the life of a sexy girl, and the mistreatment and difficulties that follow from her being seen as nothing more than her looks. Telling the story through song allows for a lot of emotional freedom, with various different emotions being imparted to the audience in an effective and powerful way. The repetition of the main refrain (“I’ve been assigned to set a few things straight”) brings closure to the various different stories, allowing the audience to prepare for each new emotion and feeling.

With discussion of topics including rape and sexual slavery, the show is particularly unsuitable for children, even evoking a strong sense of shame in me for the atrocities perpetrated by men on women. It was particularly effective for me in forcing an uncomfortable rethink of my attitudes, and is a stunning example of the idea that music and theatre should teach its audience as much as it is enjoyed.

Musically, the show is brilliant, with most of the songs being written by the performers. Of particular note was the hilarious Barbie, a bitingly bitter attack on the commoditisation of beauty that pervades modern culture. With a pervading sense of fun, the music is brilliantly executed, showing off the emotiveness of Atlanta’s voice perfectly.

With two completely different ways of approaching the struggle for a ‘Happily Ever After,’ The Butterfly Club presents an interesting, engaging and eventually thought-provoking night of fun, sadness and brilliant theatre.

Set List
The Butterfly Club
21 August 2008

Blending rampant punnery, great music and infectious comedy with plenty of improvisatory goodness, Set List is a brilliant new comedy show on this week only at South Melbourne’s home of cabaret comedy, The Butterfly Club.

Featuring the talents of cabaret performer Karen Muiznieks, comedy genius of self-professed ‘rock and roll nerd’ Ben McKenzie and musical stylings of muso Dan Walmsley, the show is an hour of interactive improvised music that leaves audiences in stitches.

Each of the performers (excepting their long-suffering musical accomplice, Emma) has a chance to strut their stuff on the stage, with most songs the product of a single fevered mind. While it was a concern that the songs would become tedious without the high-energy interaction on which the show depends, this approach produced such memorable moments as Karen’s ballad to a man with enviable nose hair, and an expose on the evils of the snow dome.

With so much interaction both between performers and with the audience, it was rather a shame that guitarist Emma was rather left out of proceedings, and not given a chance to show off as her stage-mates did. This did not detract from the show, though, carried as it was on the three vibrant personalities around her.

Becoming steadily filthier as both the audience and the band warmed up, this is not a show for the kids – but with the group taking on different genres including folk and jazz, it’s definitely a pleasure for the adults!

Tamara Kuldin’s Book of Hims
The Butterfly Club
14 August 2008

From the opening strains of a smooth jazz version of Blondie’s Call Me, Tamara Kuldin’s new show, Tamara Kuldin’s Book of Hims, is packed with great music, some hilarious anecdotes and an incisive wit to match. Laying bare some of her most personal and intimate moments, Tamara takes us on a musical journey through her favourite songs, her favourite men and her least favourite breakups with a wink and a smile.

In her first few numbers, Tamara plays the slightly desperate diva deliciously, with slipping straps and a sultry voice to match. Her control and vocal range serves as an impressive foundation for her bubbly theatricality. This natural showmanship is particularly evident during the biographical songs that she portrays so well. Supported by jazz panist Steve Paix and Kim May on the double bass, she warms into her audience quickly, with a comfortable, easy familiarity with the stage.

Glints and hints of stories to be told during the first section of the show made the highly structured ‘concert-esqe’ format somehow unsatisfying. It was a pleasure when, towards the middle, Tamara broke with this format and allowed herself to connect more with her audience and allow her talent for storytelling to shine through, a series of amusing and sobering tales of love, family, loss and romance. Particular mention must be made of a hilarious take on a certain member of her own family, that had me in stitches!

Tamara’s use of a wide range of music (starting at 1910 and working its way through to the modern day), and her willingness to put her own spin on well-known songs made the evening musically satisfying and a lot of fun. The beautiful rendition of the Divinyls classic I Touch Myself was fun and funny, and a fresh take on Britney Spears’ Toxic was both amusing and strangely moving. Possibly my favourite moment of the evening was a rendition of a piece from Mel Brooks current musical hit, Young Frankenstein, as Tamara suddenly morphed into an older, headstrong woman with near-pornographic microphone stand technique.

Some fantastic music, great stories and three quintessentially talented performers make Tamara Kuldin’s Book of Hims a fantastic night of insight into the world of love. And keep an eye out! Tamara may just have her eye on you…

Kiss Me Nate
The Butterfly Club
7th November 2008

Musical Theatre and Opera singer Nate Illes and his mildly irascible flatmate Julia Roper return to The Butterfly Club this week with a return season of their hit cabaret, Kiss Me Nate. Following Nate’s early life and career as a performer, the show blends music from various genres with a series of personal anecdotes to create an amusing and exciting hour of cabaret.

Trained in classical music and opera, the show has plenty of personal insight into the stories behind opera – an unexpected twist for a genre dominated by popular music and musical theatre. A stunning performance of Bizet’s Habanera (continued with a hilarious English ‘translation’) and the worldwide favourite wrk well to show off Nate’s powerful vocal talent. A sensitive and nuanced performance brings forth the humanity of the songs, so often inaccessibe to the general public.

The show does not remain in that genre, however, with the inevitable musical theatre references, often performed with more than a hint of self-derision. The performance of The Diva’s Lament (Spamalot) was highly amusing and very topical, while his performance of Jesus Christ Superstar’s Gethsemane, often considered one of the most difficult songs for a male performer in musical theatre, was strong and impressively delivered.

Interaction between the performers was wonderfully personal, with the obviously close relationship between Nate and Julia spilling out onto the stage, their witty banter bringing a new dimension to the show. Julia is not to be ignored here – she is a vital part of the performance, showing a humour and talent often missing in cabaret ‘accompanists’.

While the show was generally put together, the focus on music did mean that the stories were often relegated to second place, leaving the overall thrust of the show a little unclear. The introduction of a moral at the end seemed mildly forced, but was no less endearing for it.

Fun, exciting and pleasant to watch and listen to, Kiss Me Nate is a fantastic new production from veteran cabaret director Kim Edwards. It runs until Sunday.