THE 2010 ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL
THE FIRST REPORT
Reported by Frank Ford
In 2010 The Adelaide Cabaret Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. David Campbell in his second year as artistic director has lined up a fantastic program.The formula of celebrating all forms of cabaret in a festival context is a wining one, creating the largest cabaret festival in the world.
The success of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival has stimulated Australasia's interest in cabaret. Other cities have established cabaret festivals namely: Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Christchurch. The annual Adelaide Fringe Festival featured over 35 cabaret acts and this year's Adelaide Cabaret Fringe has over 40 productions running at the same time as the Cabaret festival.
For the first time Australia's national performing arts awards, The Helpmann Awards, have introduced cabaret as a new award category, "In recognition of the vibrancy and excellence of cabaret performance in Australia. The number, variety and quality of cabaret performances have grown significantly over the past decade."
This years' Festival includes over 124 performances of some 46 different shows across sixteen nights. More than 40 performances have sold out and this year the Festival reached 95% of box office target before opening night.
The 2010 program features 41 artists from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan and France and the best from Australia with 220 Australian artists, 117 of those South Australian performers. There will be 12 international shows, 12 Adelaide premieres, including 9 Australian premieres and 7 world premieres.
In anticipation of another sensational festival, the Opening Night Gala was sold out months ago. David Campbell has followed the festival's tradition of including all types of cabaret and the Variety Gala brilliantly showcased glimpses of what's on offer. The excitement was palpable as the audience tasted samples of the smorgasbord of delights.
The consummate entertainer, Todd McKenney was emcee. He quipped and whipped the show along like a good ringmaster. Exploding on stage, Trevor Ashley in a glamorous, glittering red gown channeled Liza Minnelli. It was a dazzlingly, in your face show opener.
This was swiftly followed by Ennio Marchetto, an amazing and hilarious living cartoon, who flips through his cardboard costumes transforming his caricatures, and animating them with side splitting clowning. In stark contrast Earl Okin,"Musical Genius and Sex Symbol" and master of suave innuendo wooed the audience to their delight. Co-winners of the Sydney" Annual Cabaret Showcase, Elizabeth Cousemacker and Tom Sharah, displayed their potential star qualities. Flaming redhead, Marika Aubrey gave us a taste of her show "Redhead" with Stephen Schwartz's beautiful "Meadowlark".
Piano master Mark Nadler on his third visit to the Festival grabbed us with his super energy entertainment. Broadway legend Donna McKechnie convinced us with the song that "I've Got a Lot of Living to Do". The "Unusualist" Raymond Crowe lived up to his title with his magical comedy. The stunning Caroline O'Connor shone on stage like a star burst of artistic exuberance. The exotic and mysterious iOTA personified his acclaimed show "Smoke and Mirrors". Headliner, Natalie Cole topped off the Gala with her father's famous "L-O-V-E" to the delight of an adoring audience. To finish off a wonderful evening Todd McKenney backed by a chorus line of senior citizen tapers brought the house down with "Everything Old Is New Again". Thus ended the sensational Opening Night Gala of the 10th Adelaide Cabaret Festival!
The first weekend June 11 - 14 had so many shows on offer it was impossible to see them all, so these are the shows I managed to see.
The Festival's headliner Natalie Cole lived up to the high expectations of the audience of the sold out 2,000 seat Festival Theatre. Appearing in a stunning, orange evening dress and backed by the excellent 29-piece Adelaide Art Orchestra, augmented by 5 of her musicians, two backing singers and musical director, Natalie delivered a big thrilling, glamorous world class show.
Her presentation was polished to perfection, elegant and classy, yet totally relaxed. Her retelling of her life, like growing up with Uncle Frank (Sinatra) in the background along with many other stars was fascinating. Her warmth and relaxed manner seemed to let her connect effortlessly with the audience. She sang several of the famous songs associated with her father, Nat King Cole. She treated us to "Walking My Baby Back Home", which she recently recorded in a same manner as the famous posthumous duet with her father of "Unforgettable". Among her own songs she sang the delightful "Mr Melody". Each song was delivered with consummate technical skill showing an impressive stylistic vocal range coloured by a distinctive interpretation.
At the end the audience demanded more and she generously responded with two encores, "Let There Be Love" and as suggested by an enthusiastic audience member, "Mona Lisa". The feeling coming from the audience was that this was a night to remember - truly Unforgettable.
In striking contrast, which shows the richness and diversity of the Festival, Robyn Archer presented "Berlin Between The Wars". Last year Robyn treated us to a history of French Cabaret, this year it was the milieu of the Weimar Cabaret, particularly 1920 -1933. Her research reveals the feelings of the times and the rumblings that would lead to World War II. By drawing on chroniclers of the time and poems, followed by well chosen songs, Archer evoked the angst that pervaded the era. Satirical political songs like "Speculation" had resonance and relevance for our times and impacted on the audience, gripping their attention. Musical Director, Michael Morley and his 4 musicians brilliantly underscored and pointed the meaning and feelings within the songs. Robyn's international reputation as an interpreter of the songs of this period gave us her all, bringing the songs of Brecht/Weill, Eisler, Tucholsky and Hollaender back to life. The capacity audience was rapt in appreciation of this rare experience.
Earl Okin self proclaimed "Musical genius and sex symbol" is a master of innuendo. His mellifluous voice, smooth and slinky, is very seductive in a sly humorous way. Innuendos, visually and vocally, suggest other meanings. His dry, understated English wit spiced his songs and musical interludes on the piano and guitar, beguiling his audience. His stunning vocal trumpet solo cracked us up when he chirped "I'm feeling a little horny tonight". He did some serious tributes to the likes of Ray Charles and others. His fine musicianship and droll sense of humour made for an easy, very enjoyable evening. His unique style added to the wonderful variety of acts in the Festival.
Mischievously weaving the songs of "Noel, Kurt and Cole" with tantalizing tidbits about the composers, Elizabeth Cousemacker offered us a spicy taste of their wit, failings and genius. Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" highlights his dalliance with Jackie Onassis's father. Coward's "Mad about the Boy" is cross referenced to Porter's penchant for rough trade, and its cost, with "Love for Sale". Elizabeth, joint winner of the 2009 Sydney Cabaret Showcase, has the voice to bridge the various styles, beautifully delivering contrasting songs from suave sophistication to music hall with equal aplomb. Only 22 and her first cabaret show, this is a talent to watch. Her Showcase co-winner Tom Sharah in his show "Que Sera Sharah" makes a running joke out of the musical connection with the title of his, refusing to sing the obvious. Like Elizabeth the talent is oozing out of him. Tall, handsome, and a cheeky charm comes out of his standup comic skills. He spins a good story and also entices us into questioning, feeling and reflecting through the expressive storytelling in his well chosen songs. He talks and sings of the joys and tribulations of relationships, yet is only 22.
Ennio Marchetto brought the spirit and fun from his home town to Adelaide, introducing us to the topsy-turvy world of Venetian Carnivale. In his origami style, folded paper costumes this self-described "living paper cartoon", transforms into dozens of celebrity icons: Madonna with her amour plated piercing breasts; a pontificating Pope; a very Britannic Queen Elizabeth; the tiny dirty waif Edith Piaf singing in the streets of Paris. The transformations are lightning fast. Not all icons are recognisable to everyone but it doesn't matter. It's great fun, the audience shrieking with laughter and often clapping along to the backing music for each icon. Ennio is a mind boggling phenomenon who with a collection of satirical cut out costumes, a wiggle here and there, an extravagant gesture, a dance step or two, magically takes us on an hilarious ride.
In the Piano Bar every night of the Festival another phenomenon, piano man Mark Nadler dazzles the late nighters with his outrageous antics and entertainment. With a musical repertoire of over 5,000 songs he has something for everyone. And everyone gets involved in some way, from the Festival artists to members of the audience. Nadler is packing them in and it's free!
So these are the shows I saw yet there were many I wished I could have seen. The First Weekend has been a huge success and broken all box office records. David Campbell has already topped the big success of his first festival, last year.
Frank Ford
Frank Ford
Full details of the program on http://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com/
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