If one had
thought that nothing could top the excitement of the first two weeks
of the 2003 Adelaide Cabaret Festival then the opening show of the
third and final week, would certainly have put them straight.
For me
that week commenced with the Australian debut of K.T. Sullivan and
Mark Nadler in "Ladies of the Silver Screen." From the minute she
sashayed on to the stage, long black velvet dress revealing a shapely
leg, feather boa trailing, platinum blonde hair piled on top of
her head, delightfully wide-eyed and looking every inch the movie
star, K.T. Sullivan had us in the palm of her pretty hand, and that's
where we stayed for the duration of her show.
Accompanied
with panache by the amazing Mark Nadler on piano, and singing a
series of beautiful, sometimes wacky songs we had almost forgotten
from films made between 1930 and 1957, K.T. Sullivan paid affectionate
tribute to such Hollywood luminaries as Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich,
Doris Day and Carmen Miranda. Mark Nadler joined in the fun, sharing
the gossip and standing in obligingly for the other screen ladies
during the duets which punctuated a series of clever medleys sprinkled
throughout the show. Funny and stylish "Ladies of the Silver Screen"
was the perfect entree into the final week of cabaret presentations.
Later that
evening Mark Nadler presented his own 90-minute tour-de-force in
his solo show "Tchaikovsky and Other Russians." Using the Kurt Weill/Ira
Gershwin patter song introduced by Danny Kaye in 1941 as the reference
point, Nadler dashed through a madcap examination of the music by
a series on well-known (and unknown) Russian composers. Along the
way he included fine interpretations of the songs of Frank Loesser,
("The Ugly Duckling") Cole Porter ("I Concentrate on You"), Stephen
Sondheim ("Next") and Mary Rodgers ("Very Soft Shoes") and a particularly
lovely pairing of "Homeward" (Robert Wright/George Forrest) with
"Manhattan Blue" (John Wallowitch).
Towards
the end of the festival K.T. Sullivan and Mark Nadler farewelled
their Adelaide audiences with a single performance of "Sweet & Lowdown
 an Evening of Pure Gershwin" based on their MAC Award winning
show "American Rhapsody." It was an evening of pure magic. Whether
swathed in gold lame, black bugle beads or top hat and tails, K.T.
Sullivan was enchanting. Her first entrance into the darkened theatre
singing "Summertime" in her sweet, pure soprano was spellbinding.
Mark Nadler offered an hilarious, virtuostic version of "Vodka"
and a stunning arrangement in which he sang "S'Wonderful" while
playing "Rhapsody in Blue." In between they presented a smorgasbord
of Gershwin's greatest hits in a show which will forever stay vivid
in the memories of the capacity audience who shared it.
The performances
by Jason Robert Brown and Lauren Kennedy of his two-hander "The
Last Five Years" was one of the most eagerly awaited events of the
festival. We were not disappointed. Presented in concert, Jason
Robert Brown performed the role of Jamie from the piano, sensitively
backed by his own band, The Caucasian Rhythm Kings (Randy Landau,
Roger Butterley) augmented with violin (Julia Brittain) and two
cellos (Nicholas Metcalfe, Maya Bianchi) with Lauren Kennedy superb
as Catherine. Adelaide Cabaret Festival audiences were treated to
a definitive and memorable reading of this personal and intimate
musical.
For the
final week of the festival French chanteuse, Caroline Nin reprised
her "Scarlet Stories," which was a hit of the 2002 festival. Backed
by Sean Hargraves (Keyboards) and Jerome Davies (Double Bass) Nin
performed a series of songs by Brel, Weill, and Kander and Ebb,
in perfect English, French and German. Confessing to a mischievous
obsession with streetwalkers, her songs told of a world where love
is for sale, and Nin's performance of them was mesmerizing.
Like a
wayward circus band Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentleman waltz,
tango and polka their way through a haunting musical time capsule
of macabre, bloodcurdling and beautiful songs like "A Formidable
Marinade," "Nowhere is Closer Than the Moon," and "One Of Those
A Minor Days." This strange ragtag gypsy quartet is lead by the
snarling yet strangely lovable Mikelangelo  in real life Mikel
Simic, who narrates, sings, and plays accordion and guitar but also
writes all the songs. The group includes Phil Moriarty, (clarinet)
Ben O'Loughlin (double bass) and Pip Branson (violin) all with assumed
names like Rufino, Baron von Babyface and The Great Muldavio. Presenting
an original fusion of German cabaret, Russian folk, Hungarian gypsy,
French chansons and spaghetti western rhythms Mikelangelo and The
Black Sea Gentlemen provided a remarkable and moving cabaret experience.
"Broadway
to Boheme" featured two very experienced music theatre performers
Helen Noonan and Martin Croft in an act which set out to explore
the links between Opera and music theatre. Though the music of Weill,
Gershwin, Sondheim and Mozart was agreeably performed, the show
was hampered by an unconvincing script and loose direction.
They have
sold out shows at the Melbourne Comedy and the Edinburgh Fringe
Festivals however I had never before seen Tripod, a clever musical
comedy trio who rejoice under the names of Scod , Yon and Gatesy.
Their two shows in the 500 seat Dunstan Playhouse also sold out.
Their original songs are clever, funny and topical with excellent
harmonies. Their dialogue is also good-humoured, off-the-wall and
fruity, much to the pleasure of their audience who seemed to have
an average age of around 15 years.
Gentlemen
Prefer Curves is an Adelaide trio which was a hit of the 2002 Adelaide
Cabaret Festival, comprises Carol Young, Johanna Allen and Catherine
Campbell offering beautiful harmonies and funny dialogue. Their
new show, "Flyfishing," while not as polished as last year's show
was, none the less, engaging, well sung and very entertaining.
British
entertainer Stefan Bednarczyk, who the previous week presented the
excellent "Evening of Flanders and Swann," was equally as impressive
in "An Evening of Noel Coward." Elegant, self-deprecating, wry and
witty, Bednarczyk had great fun with old favorites like "Mad Dogs
and Englishmen," and "Mrs. Worthington" which he delivered at lightning
speed, then drew every nuance from such lovely songs as "If Love
Were All," "I Travel Alone" and "Someday I'll Find You." He also
gave a touching performance of the Coward poem "The Boy Actor."
An added pleasure for this show was the surprise appearance of Steve
Ross who replaced the indisposed Sheridan Morley. Ross cleverly
introduced some Cole Porter into the program with "Thinking of You"
and "Can Can" before seguing into "Let's Do It" utilizing both the
Cole Porter and the Noel Coward lyrics.
Mary G,
the self-styled "Black Queen of the Kimberley," is the creation
of indigenous entertainer Mark Bin Bakar and has become something
of a cult figure as the result of radio and television programs
"The Mary G Show." Bin Bakar uses his female alter ego and laid
back style to take sly digs at the behavioral traits of his Aboriginal
people and their social problems. White Australia doesn't escape
unscathed though. Assisted by her beloved Baamba and a small backing
group Mary G delivered simple, tuneful songs and insightful comments
good naturedly, and without any malice, and proved to be not only
winning but wonderfully outrageous in a very enjoyable program.
In "All
That Glitters" David Cassell and Abi Collins also employ alter-egos,
Sid and Lena, to showcase a huge variety of circus physical skills
in a story of two Aussie battlers who have given up their Aussie
Pie Shop and switched to extreme physical cabaret to find fame and
fortune. Attractively costumed and densely peppered with acrobatics,
balancing, hoola hoops, box manipulation and other circus stunts
"All That Glitters" was an attractive showcase for the talents of
Cassell and Collins.
Long recognized
as one of Australia's most respected jazz and recording artists,
Janet Seidel has in recent years also established herself as one
of the country's finest cabaret performers. She is strongly drawn
to the music of the great American songbook which she sings from
the piano in a style that is warm and laid-back. During the final
week of the festival, brilliantly supported by her brother David
Seidel (double bass) and Chuck Morgan (Guitar) Janet Seidel presented
two very different shows. The first "We Get Requests" is based on
her experiences as a piano bar pianist, and contains a very funny
and insightful segment during which David Seidel and Chuck Morgan
portray two piano bar patrons from Hell. The truth of the observations
is patently obvious and all the funnier for that.
Her second
program "Doris and Me" was given just one performance to a packed
auditorium on the last day of the festival. Much more tightly structured
than the first program "Doris and Me" is an affectionate portrait
of the life of Doris Day featuring many of the songs associated
with her. In "Doris and Me" Seidel also gracefully acknowledges
the influence that Doris Day had on her own development as an artist,
and though she does not attempt to imitate Doris Day, there are
strong similarities in their voices. Seidel however brings to the
familiar repertoire her own vocal nuances and phrasings, which combined
with superb arrangements, impeccable musical backing and well researched
and pithy narration, brings a freshness and affection to the story
and repertoire that is totally captivating.
The final
event of the 2003 Adelaide Cabaret Festival was "The Last Night
Concert." Not as you might expect, a collection of party pieces
from the festival, but another thrilling showcase of the talents
of Jason Robert Brown. A retrospective of his compositions to date,
songs and music from "Parade," "Kimberley Akimbo," "Songs for a
New World," "The Last Five Years" and "Urban Cowboy" were played
by 25 members of the Adelaide Arts Orchestra, conducted variously
by Georgia Stitt and Jason Robert Brown himself. In addition an
eight-voice choir and The Caucasian Rhythm Kings joined them.
Vocals
were provided by Lauren Kennedy, mostly in longing ballads and bittersweet
duets, but she did get to have some fun with "Pretty Music" from
"Parade" and "Hopalong Heartbreak" from "Urban Cowboy." Judi Connelli
reprised her stunning version of "Surabaya Santa" and Jason Robert
Brown sang an amazing array of his work including "It Don't Get
Better Than This," "Grow Old with Me" and "I'm In Bizness." Many
of the songs played were being heard in Australia for the first
time. A fact not lost on the appreciative capacity audience which
included many of the performers who had contributed to festival
over its 17 days duration.
The show
was to have ended with a rousing full-cast version of "Coming Together"
which was Brown's stirring response to September 11, but the audience
would not let him leave the stage until he performed one more encore,
his footstamping "Things Are Movin' Too Fast" from "The Last Five
Years." The concert was a magnificent climax to an outstanding Festival.
The Festival
itself was a triumph for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Director
Julia Holt, who with her third festival chose to raise the artistic
bar, giving the event a new, clearer focus and theme. Over the 17
nights the festival featured 400 artists in 160 performances with
attendances which are expected exceed 40,000. It is also a tribute
to the vision of Frank Ford AM, whose idea it was to establish a
cabaret festival in Adelaide, and to the organizational skills of
the management and staff of the Adelaide Festival Centre which in
three short years has managed to establish the longest and most
exciting festival of cabaret in the world.
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