Kim Smith in Morphium @ The Butterfly Club - 24th to 27th June
Friday, May 21, 2010 at 10:55PM
2009 Bistro Award Winner
2009, 2010 MAC Award Nominee
Australian cabaret artist Kim Smith returns to Melbourne following his Adelaide Cabaret Festival debut.
Morphium is a dark and whimsical evocation of the decadence and decay of 1930s Europe.
Singing in German, French, and English, Smith reinterprets works by Weimar-era composers, and modern-day artists alike, from Mischa Spoliansky and the Supremes, to Kurt Weill and Kylie Minogue, as he charts a ruinous path through the arrivals and departures of a neo-Weimar, musical misfit.
Amanda Hodder accompanies on piano, Christian Coulson directs.
New York based KIM SMITH is an award winning cabaret artist known for his Weimar-inspired cabarets that juxtapose authentic musical material with stylistic takes on more current popular tunes. His newest cabaret, Morphium (directed by Christian Coulson) premiered in March 2009 at the Neue Galerie’s Café Sabarsky in New York, before touring to Australia to perform exclusively at The Butterfly Club. Morphium has since returned to Café Sabarsky, and performed at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, and at Don’t Tell Mama NYC.
‘Wit and cleverness aplenty. Smith has strong sense of irony, wit and avante garde – always entertaining, great voice with impressive range – gratifying to see new edgy shows like this’ – The Age
‘Not to mince words, Kim Smith is mesmerizing’ - Barbara Leavy, Cabaret Scenes Magazine, New York
‘Consummate artistry, strikingly expressive interpretations … As thrilling a debut as I can recall seeing’ - Roy Sander, critic/columnist, New York
‘This 26-year-old embodies all that is unique about this art form – it would be a challenge to look away from him. There isn’t an extraneous gesture, expression, word or note. He has chiseled away everything that is unimportant to get down to a precise core. This is cabaret at its best and most interesting’ - Arthur Frank, Cabaret Scenes Magazine, New York
Read Kim Smith’s interview here.
Reviews
Polished to perfection but still wickedly dirty when the moment calls for it, Morphium is one truly engaging hour of cabaret.
Accompanied by an expertly played piano and preferring to do away with gimmicks, flashy costumes or an elaborate set, Smith is utterly engaging as a sole performer whose vocal talent is arguably among the best in this years Cabaret Festival.
Read the full review by Jessica Leo here.
Smith gives each song his own stamp, accentuating them with his movements and facial expressions, sometimes giving lyrics a meaning far removed from the innocent intentions of the composers. This is definitely cabaret that embraces the dark side. Smith has the audience in the palm of his hand from the moment that he steps on stage to his final exit, whether on the stage or while working his way around the room, resting his hand lightly on the shoulders of men in the crowded venue.
Read the full review by Barry Lenny here.
From start to finish, Morphium is a show with a single vision, masterly executed by one of the most fascinating performers to come along in quite a while. The voice is strong and clear, taking on everything from the standards to “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”—brilliantly re-imagined. He can be dark and dangerous one moment, sweet and hopeful the next. Singing in English, German or French, he clearly conveys the intent of the songs. A good actor, he creates a character for each song with a definite point of view. His instincts are spot-on; his stage presence commanding.
Read the full review by Arthur Frank here.
Kim Smith in Morphium
Dates: 24 - 27 June
Times: 24-26th @ 9.00pm 27th @ 8.00pm
Ticket price: $27 full / $22 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: Click here or call 03 9690 2000
Duration: 60 minutes approx
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