Michael Griffiths' Cabaret Tour Diary Part 4 - The Audience

 The Queen (me) and Justin Timberlake (Josie Lane) backstage before Saturday night’s show

Sunday January 22, 2012

It’s 9am. I was hoping for a big sleep in today because it’s my first day off in a week, but I woke up an hour ago going over little passages from the show in my head. I suppose I really am ‘in the zone’ and it’s virtually impossible to switch off. The last two In Vogue: Songs by Madonna shows have been simply wonderful and even better still, I now have three days off to really recharge and let my voice have a proper rest. I was feeling a little vocally tired last night during some of the more challenging numbers, but nothing a day or two off won’t fix.

Let’s go back to Friday night. We needn’t have panicked, throwing about free tickets to lure the reviewers. We ended up with a lot of walk-ins, had to drag out about fifteen more chairs and ended up even turning a few people away! The crowd was incredible and it was easily the best show yet. I am finding the ease that is so essential for a cabaret show improves notably with each performance. An audience can smell fear a mile away, so when they are virtually in your lap (as is the case in our fabulously intimate venue) they are impossible to fool. 

I had a table right down the front of about five women that looked to be in their mid thirties, who laughed and laughed so hard in all the right places that I had to pause now and then until they regained composure. They were such good fun! They even hung around after the performance to meet me and pose for pictures. That’s exactly the kind of people you need in your audience. They’ve promised to come back with other friends and I hope they do.

After the ‘movie medley’, which is a cheeky little stroll through The Queen’s not so illustrious movie career, an audience member got up and left - presumably to visit the bathroom. In a 100-seat venue, you can’t scratch your ear without everyone noticing, so in the context of a cabaret performance, it was the perfect opportunity for a cheeky little improvisation. It was something along the lines of:

“Oh, sorry to see you go. Good-bye! Sorry I’m not your cup of tea…” No response, as she walked out.

“You know, I’m sure she’s off to tell all her friends, ‘I went to that Madonna cabaret and it was absolute rubbish!  I tried to sit it out but that movie medley was the final straw. It wasn’t funny. It wasn’t clever…”

The movie medley is possibly the wittiest and sharpest sequence in the show, so this did tickle everyone’s funny bone. They were such a rowdy bunch and it made the show such a joy to perform.

All the technical aspects of the show are working a treat; I am SO in love with the mirror ball I simply could not perform the show anywhere again without it! “Crazy For You” was magic and it captivated the crowd. I love it when a crowd is moved to complete silence after a song. “Crazy” ends with a delicate fade to black and when it’s really cooking there is a prolonged moment of silence, which is just delicious! With two reviewers in that night, I couldn’t have been happier with the combination of performance and response.

After the show, a little group of us sat out on the street in front of the theatre on milk crates at Cumulus and had a feast - such wonderful food and wine! Our waiter was very excited to boast that Geoffrey Rush was in the night before singing In Vogue’s praises to staff and patrons alike. 

Saturday was a quiet day. Breakfast at Proud Mary AGAIN and Daryl and I had little wander around Fitzroy, which I just adore. Then it was back to the space again for an hour of piano practice. The show was the most accurate it had ever been the night before but there is always room for little improvements. I feel I might ‘jinx’ myself if I don’t play through the entire show each day of a performance.

It was then time for a little pampering with a massage in the city and another swim to warm up. Tonight’s presale was sitting at about 50. As long as there are 40 or so tickets sold each night, we break even. Anything above that is a bonus. We had about 20 walk-ins too, so it was a good size and our first strictly ‘paying’ crowd since opening. Admittedly they were the quietest crowd yet, and seemed to be strangely unfamiliar with a lot of the Madonna references, which usually evoke screams of delight from our more conventionally homosexual audience members. I suppose it was more of a ‘general public’ crowd but they seemed to have enjoyed the show, because Josie Lane told me that as they left the theatre, there were murmurs of what a “fantastic show” it was and what “gorgeous arrangements” they heard.

I don’t have another performance until Wednesday night so its time to relax for a couple of days. I’m going to give myself today off entirely but I will go into the venue on Monday for some more practice to keep my fingers supple. I also have fingers crossed that The Age review surfaces before Wednesday because, assuming it is positive, it will give ticket sales a big boost. The shows next week are looking pretty good but I want them to be bursting at the seams!

Reviews:

“He creates a sense of togetherness in the room, reminding audiences that pop songs aren’t popular because they’re ordinary or vacuous, but because of the joy and connectedness that they inspire in the people who hear them. To miss this show would be even more of a crime than Madonna’s cover of ‘American Pie’.”

Click here to read the Four and a half-star review by ArtsHub reviewer Aleksia Barron.

“Griffiths’ charming and impish performance sheds new light on Madonna’s songs and career…” - Kate Herbert

Click here to read the four-star review by Sun Herald reviewer Kate Herbert.

“With some impressive arrangements for piano, Griffiths gives the music and lyrics a considerable lift, and together with some clever monologues, injects a lot of humour” - Australian Stage

Click here to read the full review by Vito Mattarelli. 

Michael Griffiths in In Vogue: Songs by Madonna

Melbourne season as part of the Midsumma Festival at fortyfivedownstairs: For tickets and show info, click here.

New York season at Don’t Tell Mama: For tickets and show info, click here.

Sydney season as part of the Slide Cabaret Festival: For tickets and show info, click here.

Read his interview with Cabaret Confessional here.

Cabaret Confessional is excited to announce our new guest blogger Michael Griffiths, a critically acclaimed cabaret and musical theatre performer. He made a spectacular cabaret debut at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival last year with In Vogue: Songs by Madonna. Following his success, he is now touring the show to Melbourne, New York City and Sydney. He will document his time on the road on his tour diary for the next two months.

Michael Griffiths Bio:

Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor in Music Theatre in 1999 and has a Diploma in Music Composition. Michael is currently performing in Sydney in Jersey Boys. Before this Michael toured Australia and New Zealand in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Michael performed in the Australian and Japanese tour of We Will Rock You!, appeared in the original Australian cast of Shout! and was in the original workshop for the new Australian musical Prodigal. Michael has performed cabaret at Sydney’s legendary Showqueen at the Supper Club and for Koookaburra’s Up Close and Musical series. He enjoyed a sold-out season with his cabaret debut In Vogue: Songs by Madonna at the 2011 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. 

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary series

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 1 - Melbourne debut

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 2 - Preparations

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 3 - Mirror Ball

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 4 - The Audience

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 5 - A Collaboration

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 6 - NYC Bound

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 7 -  The Takeoff

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 8 - New York Debut

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 9 - Priscilla

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 10 - Shows and more shows

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 11 - The homecoming

Michael Griffiths’ Cabaret Tour Diary Part 12 - Farewell

Related post:

Interview: Michael Griffiths salutes Madonna

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