Cabaret Confessional

Melbourne Comedy Festival,

tagged

Jacueline Morton,

Melbourne,

The Butterfly Club,

Tommy Bradson in

Cabaret,

Melbourne,

Melbourne Comedy Festival,

Reviews,

What's On

Saturday

20Mar2010

Lea Salonga blogs about the 'Journey So Far' opening night

Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 5:27PM

Photo by Monica Simoes/BroadwayWorld

From BroadwayWorld

March 9, 2010 was my first night at the hallowEd Halls of the Carlyle. And it was one of the most amazing nights of my life, ever.

All of us had been rehearsing for nearly two weeks without a day off. For two weeks we went through all the music, put together patter, had script meetings, and just ran the show over and over again. Ripley-Grier rehearsal studios became my home for the fortnight; I have no idea how many cups of butternut apple soup I had! (By the way, if ever you find yourself there, you have to get a roll with your cup of soup. Jerry, the guy at the cafe calls it a “little bit of heaven”.)

For the most part I was housed in studio 16H… then we started playing musical chairs with the studios, as that place books really quickly. We’ve seen the interiors of most of the other studios, including one on the 10th floor. I’ve also been able to see quite a few friends and former co-workers moseying around the halls! We’ve had a few impromptu reunions on the premises, which made me really happy.

The final three rehearsals were in front of test audiences… since there was a lot of comedy written into the script, we needed to see where the laughs would fall. All of us invited a few friends to each rehearsal, including workmates from the revival of Les Miz and the Asian tour of Cinderella. I held a poker night in my suite with my Les Miz poker group, to calm my nerves and have a little fun.

Fast forward to opening night. I had chosen the turquoise Andrew Gn number to wear for this special evening, as I would be performing in front of audience of good friends (including one of my bridesmaids and “gay of honor” Victor Lirio, artistic director of Diverse City Theatre Company). I wanted to look (and feel) like a princess. The Jimmy Choo sandals were a big help, too.

My make-up artist Yuko Takahashi arrived at my suite at around 6:15. While she set up, I took a quick shower to clear my head and freshen up, then warmed up as she was fixing my face and hair. A half hour before the show, Dan, Diana and Larry came up to wish me luck and to tell me that there was a lot of love in the room. I then went back to getting ready, and felt the butterflies in my belly begin to flutter… hoooh boy, it’s another opening night.

The show itself went like a blur. I messed up on a couple of things, but no matter! I did feel the love from everyone watching, and it was amazing!

Afterwards was an impromptu photo session in the lobby with the celebrities in attendance:Sandy Duncan, Rebecca Luker, Andrea McArdle, Leslie Uggams, Jose Llana and Paolo Montalban, who came with his mother Vivian. I then headed up to my suite, hung up my dress, got into my jammies and iced my foot (I had injured it in Manila previous to my arrival in New York). My friends then came upstairs and hung out for a bit.

So… how did my cabaret’s opening night go? I don’t think I could have asked for a better one, because of all the love in the room.

To read the blog on BroadwayWorld, click here.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these previous entries:

Tony Award Winner Lea Salonga Makes Her Cabaret Debut @ Café Carlyle (New York)

Barb Jungr’s ‘River’ show @ Cafe Carlyle reviewed

London Singing Sensation Barb Jungr Returns to Cafe Carlyle to Launch New Series (New York)

tagged

Yuko Takahashi in

News

Friday

19Mar2010

Melbourne Comedy Festival: Anne Edmonds in SING US A SONG YOU’RE THE PIANO, ANNE @ The Butterfly Club from 23rd March

Friday, March 19, 2010 at 7:04PM

Winner of 2010 Raw Comedy Competition - Victoria

‘Anne Edmonds. One to watch. And not just because she’s talented but because she’ll nick your wallet’ – Catherine Deveny

Anne Edmonds (Tough at the Top, ABC online) has been watching you … out the front of your house … at night … with binoculars. If you’re lucky you’ll end up as one of her characters. If not, you’ll end up in a skin suit under her house.

A night of stories, songs and ‘special’ guests.

Anne Edmond’s website: www.anneedmonds.com

Venue: The Butterfly Club 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Tuesday 23 March to Sunday 4 April (no shows Mon 29 March)

Times: Tue / Wed / Sun at 8.00 pm

Thu / Fri / Sat at 9.00 pm

Tickets: $15 on Tuesdays; other nights $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more

Booking: click here or phone 03 9690 2000

Melbourne Comedy Festival,

tagged

Tough at the Top in

The Butterfly Club,

What's On

Thursday

18Mar2010

Ute Lemper - Angels over Berlin Australian Tour

Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 10:16PM

The international singing sensation and undisputed queen of cabaret, Ute Lemper (Cats, Cabaret, Blue Angel, Chicago), returns to the Australian stage in May for an exclusive series of once-only concerts in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Angels over Berlin is her brand new show. Her recent appearances in Europe and North America have wowed audiences and won the admiration of critics bowled over by the sheer presence and vocal mastery of this talented and charismatic artist at the height of her powers.

Opening in the Weimar Republic, Angels over Berlin journeys through the repertoire of Brecht and Weill for which Ute Lemper is justly famous, continuing into the poetic universe of the French chansons of Brel, Piaf, Ferre and further to the Argentinian world of Tango by Astor Piazzolla.

Backed by a superb line-up of musicians - Vana Gierig on piano, Steve Millhouse on bass, Tito Castro on Bandoneo and drummer, Eric Halvorson - Angels over Berlin will show Australian audiences, eager for her return since her triumphant national tour in 2003, why Ute Lemper is regarded as one of the world’s great performing artists.

Admired worldwide for her dazzling solo performances and leading roles in Broadway and West End musicals including Cats and Chicago, Ute Lemper is also a successful recording star who achieved major international recognition with the release of Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill, Songbook, a collaboration with the British composer Michael Nyman as well as a string of solo recordings including Punishing Kiss, But One Day, Blood & Feathers: Live at the Cafe Carlyle and most recently, Between Yesterday and Today.

Australian Tour Dates:

Sydney

19^th May

State Theatre 8:00pm

Adult $95

Concession $89

Groups 10 or more $89 per ticket

Book here or call 136 100.

Brisbane

QPAC, Concert Hall 8:00pm

Adult Premium $89, A Reserve $79, B Reserve $69

Concession Premium $79, A Reserve $69, B Reserve $65

Groups of 10 or more save $10 per ticket from $69 per person

Book here or call 136 246

Melbourne

21^st May

The Arts Centre, Hamer Hall 8:00pm

Adult A Reserve $95, B Reserve $85

Concession A Reserve $89, B Reserve $79

Groups 10 or more $89 per ticket

Book here or call 136 100.

Adelaide

22^nd May

Her Majesty’s Theatre 8:00pm

Adult A Reserve $95, B Reserve $85

Concession A Reserve $89, B Reserve $79

Groups 10 or more $89 per ticket

Book here or call 131 246

Michael NymanBrecht and Weill,

tagged

Edith Piaf,

Eric Halvorson,

Jacques Brel,

Vana Gierig in

News,

Shows,

What's On

Thursday

18Mar2010

Melbourne Cabaret Festival 22nd-25th July - first show featuring Eddie Perfect on sale now

Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 8:40PM

A dedicated cabaret festival in Melbourne at long last! The very first Melbourne Cabaret Festival will take place this year between 22^nd to 25^th July at intimate and eclectic premier cabaret venue The Butterfly Club and the adjacent South Melbourne Town Hall. 40 plus performances will be showcased over four nights.

The first show and the world premier of ‘Songs From the Middle’ featuring Eddie Perfect (Shane Warne the Musical), The Brodsky Quartet from the UK and musicians from the National Academy of Music went on sale this month. See it before it opens in Sydney and Brisbane later in the year. Tickets are selling fast – book them before it’s too late.

Songs From the Middle with Eddie Perfect and The Brodsky Quartet

About the show

Comedian, actor, composer, performer and 2009 Helpmann Award winner, Eddie Perfect takes a detour into the world of cabaret with the ever innovative UK based Brodsky Quartet and musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music in his new song cycle.

Like a lot of other white people, Edmund Thomas Perfect was born and raised in suburbia. He had what you would call a ‘good childhood’ in a good suburb called Mentone.

Mentone, with its long stretch of beach, its wide nature-strips, access to public transportation, high quality schools, ten-pin bowling alley, beautiful Catholic church and (much later) Bunnings Warehouse. There wasn’t much you could say was missing.

Still, Edmund couldn’t wait to leave and as soon as he could, he headed to the inner-city, and, as time passed, forgot all about Mentone.

Now, driven by a brand of nostalgia reserved only for new fathers, Edmund Thomas Perfect has decided to return to Mentone in order to find inspiration for a new musical work. What is it about a place that leaves a permanent print? Why is it so difficult to make peace with such a harmless, ultimately charming, seaside suburb?

The same man who penned satirical songs on everything from politics, the media, capitalism and popular culture to an entire musical on the life of Shane Warne, has decided to get personal with a cycle of songs about Mentone. Ranging from the historical to the intimate, the painfully factual to the patently fanciful, these songs pay homage to a place where every third or fourth person knew your name.

This is a piece about the nature of belonging, the reason people live in the places they do, and why those places matter. It’s about remembering and pretending to forget. It’s a show about Mentone. The show will tour to the Sydney Opera House from Sunday 1 August and the Brisbane Powerhouse on Friday 6 August after its world premiere at the Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

Music director: Iain Grandage

The Brodsky Quartet

The Brodsky Quartet are Daniel Rowland, violin; Ian Belton, violin; Paul Cassidy, viola; and Jacqueline Thomas, cello. T They are also known for their pioneering work with a diverse range of performing artists, including singers Elvis Costello, Sting, Anne Sofie von Otter, Dawn Upshaw and Björk.

Dinner and show information

A two course à la carte fixed-price dinner option is available, which must be booked at the time of ticket purchase. To view the menu, Click Here

While seating is arranged at tables of 8 or 10, any number of tickets can be selected.

Songs From the Middle with Eddie Perfect and The Brodsky Quartet

Date: Sunday 25 July 2010

Dinner from 7pm, Performance starts 8.30pm
Tickets: Dinner and Show package/ $104 Full, $99 Concession, Show only/ $50 Full, $45 Concession (+ transaction fee)

Venue: South Melbourne Town Hall

Bookings: Click here or call 1300 273 896 (a higher transaction fee applies for phone bookings)