Moonshinin' - Perth Cabaret Collective (6 December 2018)

Take a few flights of stairs off Hay Street into the bowels of His Majesty’s Theatre, order a drink, take a seat, close your eyes, and listen. 

It’s not hard to imagine you’re in a nightclub in Berlin during the height of the Weimar Republic; or a club in New Orleans pretty much in any decade where jazz reigns supreme; perhaps even watching the Kelly Sisters perform in a dive in Chicago… before, you know, that unfortunate incident.

The music is timeless – the slide of the trombone; the slap of the bass; fingers tinkling the ivories; the wail of a trumpet; the caress of a saxophone; the crispness of a snare. Together, sublime. Music to make you smile, to tap your toes, to sway in time to the beat. Then you add the voices. Playful and sexy, crooning, snarrrrrrrrling, soaring. Music and vocals working in harmony. 

The Perth Cabaret Collective band and the talents of Jessie Gordon, Mark Turner, and Cougar Morrison.

An irresistible combination in the packed venue known simply as Downstairs at the Maj. Playing jazz standards and classic songs for almost two hours on an early summer’s night in the city. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Open your eyes and you are presented with a constellation of lights in the backdrop that will pulse and change colour throughout the evening. Illuminating the band, the performers, and the mood.

The sense of timelessness is aided and abetted almost immediately by Jessie Gordon appearing on stage like a movie starlet from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Gorgeous gown; winning smile; all confidence and sass. She works the audience with consummate ease before launching into Ain’t Misbehavin’ that sets the tone for what’s to come. Playful, sexy, and a little bit naughty.

Mark Turner is all suaveness and self-deprecation as he joins his childhood friend onstage. That friendship is immediately discernible in their banter and comfort in the other’s presence. They sing Dream A Little Dream to each other as if there was no one else in the room. An intimacy and authenticity that is compelling to experience. 

Then throw in the wildcard. The Queen of The Court, Cougar Morrison, who adds a sense of unpredictability and edginess. If it’s possible to upstage Gordon in the fashion stakes then Morrison does so with a battery of sequins, bold accessories, bolder make-up, and more costume changes than a Cher concert. But the lad can hold his own in the singing stakes while cutting a striking figure in a skin-tight gown. 

Morrison’s banter is far bawdier and he’s aware that his appearance may unsettle some of the punters. His mischievous “can you smell the fear?” as he prowls through the crowd at the beginning of the second set is priceless. But then so too is the acknowledgement of his parents in the audience and the support they have given him in his chosen career. It’s a touching moment, echoed later as Turner greets his own folks.

The nine-piece band under musical director Jess Herbert is in cracking form. They all get their moments to shine and together they are a rollicking sonic force. The exuberance of their playing is matched by the sheer talent involved. Of particular note is the trumpet playing of Matt Smith and Erin Royer on alto saxophone and clarinet. But they’re all damn good – Herbert on baritone saxophone, Luke Minness on tenor sax, Ricki Malet on 2nd trumpet, Tom Salleo on the trombone, the bass playing of Kate Pass, Tim Voutas adding ‘subtlety’ on piano, with Alex Reid on drums. 

The two set lists are littered with classics that are instantly recognisable. Some of the highlights – the classic St James Infirmary sung by Gordon that had me down in the New Orleans bayous; the slow build of Shake That Thing into a crescendo of vocals and musicianship – when the collective talent on stage is in mass attack mode as they were here then the table and chairs be a vibratin’!

Morrison delighting in rolling more R’s than a hundred Edith Piaf impersonators whilst singing C’est Si Bon. Turner crooning his way through I Get A Kick Out of You and The Way You Look Tonight; the chaos Morrison brought at various points, one of which was a duet with Turner on a retro-fitted Lady Is A Tramp. The trusty crowd-pleaser Mein Herr with Gordon at her cheeky best as she expertly builds to a thumping conclusion with that glorious voice. The instrumental jams such as Climax Rag.

All culminating in Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, the Moulin Rouge arrangement no less, that would have made Nicole Kidman blush as a now pneumatic Morrison breathed new life into Satine; with an encore of Gordon and Turner, best friends fittingly together, doing Kander and Ebb’s wistful Nowadays.

There are only two more shows of this incarnation, all no doubt sold out. But never fear, the Perth Cabaret Collective will be showcasing an hour-long version at next year’s Fringe in the magical Edith Spiegeltent. On the evidence of this performance it will be one of the hottest tickets in town.

*Images courtesy of Claire Alexander

Nailed It! - Mackenzie-Spencer & Strano (26 May 2016)

Downstairs at the Maj is a wonderfully intimate venue that is perfect for the sort of cabaret stylings performer Andrew Strano presents. Highly personable and engaging, his tales and songs (written with Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer) about relationships, Harry Potter, and the vagaries of air travel are like having a conversation in your lounge room with a good friend; the kind of friend who occasionally bursts into song. Oh, and wears a sparkly jacket that would make Liberace envious.

The relaxed, conversational air was given added weight by the presence of his Aunty seated in prime position near the stage. Her smile throughout the show was as warm as her nephew’s casual banter. In Mackenzie-Spencer’s absence Strano was accompanied by Rainer Pollard on piano. His playing was quite marvellous and the two were in impressive sync after only three rehearsals.

Strano has a fine voice and the songs were examinations of relationships and love, most with a quirky twist and an explanatory introduction. The subject matter is instantly relatable and presented in relaxed fashion with plenty of eye contact and casual interaction that draws you in and, well, makes you feel right at home.

The best of the songs was an exploration of what happens when you ignore that warning light on the dash of your car. This, of course, was a metaphor for the care and attention it takes to maintain a relationship, a fact that perhaps didn’t need to be overtly stated at the end. Babies, flowers and twin sisters also form the basis for songs with Kristen Stewart given pride of place in a plea about difficult breakups.

The hassle of air travel and waiting around in airports for delayed flights was a negative turned into a positive. Those shared experiences with a partner can strengthen a relationship even though they can be stressful at the time. Cleverly, the songs describe such universal situations that the name of, for example, any low budget airline can be changed to fit the country of performance. Laker Airlines became Tiger Air; Frankston became Northbridge for another song and, after audience suggestions, the Armadale railway line proved the perfect substitute in the love letter to Harry Potter and Hogwarts.

An unexpected amusing moment came after a riff about unemotional Germans. A stereotype that was refuted by, you guessed it, an audience member from Germany. It’s testament to the convivial atmosphere Strano created that no lasting offence was caused as he charmed his way out of potential trouble. 

Charming he was and this was a most pleasant hour to start the cabaret season at His Majesty’s. The final performance is on Saturday 28^th at 7.30pm Downstairs at the Maj.

These Things Take Wine - Fringe World 2016 (9 February 2016)

The humble bottle of wine. Always waiting for you at the bottle shop. Always there no matter what your mood. Always your friend. And sometimes your worst enemy. It gives you courage, it gives you pause. It gives you a wicked hangover. It even gives you the basis for an hour long cabaret show exploring all of the above!

What Natasha York gives you is a boisterous performance with a voice as big as her bedraggled hair. That voice is put through its paces with a diverse range of songs all of which focus on her love affair with wine. Jamie Burgess is an excellent accompanist on piano who also supplies smooth vocal stylings and the occasional admonishment when York’s enthusiasm needs reining in.

And that’s an aspect I really enjoyed. York isn’t afraid to throw caution to the wind and give a full-throated performance here. Her onstage persona is larger than life and this works well given the material. For example, I never knew the things one could conceal in a little black dress including a small bottle of wine!

Indeed wine is scattered around the sumptuous performance space Downstairs at the Maj including a prop bottle… whatever the hell that may be. The opening of that bottle was done in flamboyant style as was the comic touch in its consumption.

Lyrics to well known songs are altered to incorporate a viticultural bent; bad puns are thrown around like disused wine casks; and amusing tales are shared with gusto. One particular thread throughout the evening involved York’s musical theatre background which rang utterly true given this town has a little place called WAAPA. From the pitfalls of craving sex with ‘Music Theatre Boys’ to being an entertainer at kids’ parties to the obligatory karaoke sessions, this was hilariously accurate. There was even some audience participation as York revelled in mock inebriated antics. 

The most telling moments though are when she changes gear and allows moments of genuine self-reflection and regret. These are amplified by almost mournful versions of a Carole King classic and Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.

Strip away all the attitude and bluster and you’re left with York’s voice which is a powerful instrument that effortlessly filled the space. When she cuts loose on a song like Feeling Good it’s a joy to hear. Yes, she’s humorously playful with her vocal ability particularly when dropping down to the lower registers but it’s done with great style and confidence.

This was an enjoyable evening of great songs warped for comic effect and a ballsy performance that was funny and in your face but with a touch of emotional truth that will resonate. 

These Things Take Wine is on at the gloriously air-conditioned space Downstairs at the Maj until 13 February.

Exactly Like You: The Magic of Dorothy Fields - His Majesty's Theatre (11 October 2014)

You know you’ve done pretty well when your opening act is Barack Obama. Yes, Exactly Like You starts with a recorded excerpt from the President’s first Inauguration speech where he borrowed lyrics from Dorothy Fields’ song Pick Yourself Up. It’s a somewhat obscure reference unless you are familiar with Fields impressive body of work – over 400 songs stretching from the 1920’s all the way to the early 70’s. If you’re not then writers Izaak Lim and Nick Maclaine take you on a guided tour of the lyricist’s career in a slick and entertaining cabaret show featuring Ali Bodycoat as Fields.

Having recently seen Lim and Maclaine’s tribute to Cole Porter (You’ve Got That Thing!) in Melbourne they use a similar format that works well – three performers and an accompanist on piano using songs between key narrative scenes to tell the span of a life story from one character’s perspective. While Porter was the referred to yet absent hero in that show, here Fields is front and centre with Bodycoat giving a wonderful performance both vocally and in the acting stakes. She is joined by Ian Cross as the much older and brash composer Jerome Kern; and Lim himself playing three roles – initially Fields’ early composer and lover Jimmy McHugh, her brother Herb Fields, and finally the composer Cy Coleman who lures Fields out of retirement for a late career resurgence that includes the collaboration on the musical Sweet Charity.

Collaboration is the key word here as Fields worked with a variety of famous people including Irving Berlin on Annie Get Your Gun which perhaps explains why she is not as well-known as her track record deserves. Indeed, much is made of Fields blazing a path in a traditionally male dominated realm but except for Kern’s initial protestations and early condescension little is seen of this. A point reinforced by the closing monologue where Fields acknowledges how grateful she was to have such gifted male colleagues, mainly the ones who are featured here. But this is predominantly a celebration of her songs so the negative aspects are nodded at but not explored in any great depth.

Bodycoat is such a strong presence that wisely the opening interlude with McHugh is brief as Fields flounders on learning she is merely a ‘fling’ for the also married composer. It’s a fleeting moment of weakness that throws the character but ultimately leads to more productive collaborations.  It’s when she butts up and holds her own against other dominant personalities – Cross giving Kern a lovably gruff father-figure aspect, and Lim as the irrepressibly charming Cy Coleman - that Bodycoat excels playing a strong, feisty woman who very much knows her abilities. Her posture throughout was very erect, her costuming very formal, and there was a stillness that radiated calm confidence. No flamboyance here even during one of Fields’ signature numbers, Big Spender, the writing of which was amusingly reconstructed with Lim on piano.

Other highlights included the transition from a moment of triumph – Kern and Fields winning the Oscar for Best Song (The Way You Look Tonight) - to the announcement of Kern’s death which was beautifully handled; the resurrection of Kern as a ‘phantom’ in the second act to urge Dorothy to ‘pick herself up’ after his death; and the fine comedy work between Bodycoat and Lim as Cy Coleman ‘propositions’ the older woman to write with him. The piano playing by Musical Director Lochlan Brown was excellent and the singing and sound balance throughout was equally impressive.

The standout though is Bodycoat who shines playing a woman who could craft a lyric from plain speak yet had that touch of New Jersey vulgarity. Even when put on the spot as we observe her sat melancholic while Cross’ rendition of Lovely To Look At plays over the speakers, she is fascinating in what was a brave directorial move by Michael Loney. Such deliberate stillness and inactivity for what must have been the better part of 3 minutes on stage takes guts by both director and performer.

I walked away from the sold out final night the same as I did from You’ve Got That Thing! – thoroughly entertained and knowing a lot more about a key figure in 20th century musical history. That is no small achievement and a seam that Lim and Maclaine will hopefully continue to mine with equally enjoyable results.

Directed by Michael Loney with a Book by Izaak Lim and Nick Maclaine, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields, Musical Direction by Lochlan Brown and featuring Ali Bodycoat, Ian Cross and Izaak Lim, the show was performed Downstairs at His Maj as part of Cabaret Soiree.