1998 Cabaret Convention - Saturday Night
Sydney
Australia CABARET CONVENTION Reports
Here
is a report of the 1998 Sydney Australia CABARET CONVENTION as reported
by our Australian correspondant, David Schwartz. David sent these
reports nightly, and they were e-mailed to all the subscribers of
CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE as they were received.
1998 SYDNEY CABARET CONVENTION - NIGHT 3
The
buzz in the room as I and my friends walked into the venue of the
Cabaret Convention last night was the lack of talent the night before
and what we might expect tonight. But more important than that there
was the bigger question: WHAT IS CABARET AND HOW FAR CAN YOU "PUSH
THE ENVELOPE" AND STILL CALL IT CABARET?
The
evening turned out to be a fine example of the many shapes and forms
of this elusive entertainment form called CABARET. There were 12 acts
plus a star turn from one of the more popular entertainers in Australia,
Jeanne Little, and the evening really added up to a demonstration
of cabaret diversity.
Among the
acts were a cool jazz lounge-style act called "Alfie" fronted by Melinda
O'Connor doing covers of Bachrach and the Carpenters, a singer/guitarist
named Phillip French in the Joni Mitchell tradition performing original
material, a young barroom blues singer named Ashley Gould and a duo
act with David MacMillan and Andrew Farrell playing piano and guitar
who ranged through rock to Rachmaninoff to classic guitar and back
to blues in just over 7 minutes leaving us aghast at their technique
but also reeling from the melange of styles in their mini-showcase!!
All of these acts demonstrated merit, but a certain lack of stylishness
and polish that seems to be the hallmark of cabaret.
Four other
performers, all vocalists, were a bit more in the accepted cabaret
"groove": Roanna Dempsey doing Porter and McBroom, a classically trained
singer from Canada with lots of promise named Lawrence Cotton who
did a stunning "Joey, Joey" from MOST HAPPY FELLA with great tone
and control, Tim Page performing a tiny bit of his Shakespeare-inspired
act FROM BARD TO BROADWAY and a female trio called Chic Chicks "A
Little More Mascara" doing part of a review that was a parody of the
Brit group FASCINATIN' AIDA with new lyrics. Again, all of it was
more or less cabaret without the necessary "fire" that makes you want
to hear more than 7 minutes (the Convention maximum time rule).
There were
two excellent acts that again tested our definition of Cabaret: The
Marionettes, an act of elegant distinguished marionette/live performer
work in the spirit of the great Burr Tillstrom (of Kukla, Fran and
Ollie fame, for those who have very long memories) written and performed
by David Hamilton and Graeme Mathieson that left the audience yelling
for more. The other excellent performance was from the Craig Schneider
Trio (with Colin Hoorweg on drums and Brendan Clarke on bass). Schneider
is a very polished piano vocalist who seems to be aiming for a Bobby
Short sort of sound who sold the material on its own merits and demonstrated
an enormous range and energy in the short time allotted. If the results
have come from only three years of work, this young performer has
a big future.
The absolute
knockout of the night came with the close of the first half of the
bill, traditionally a star spot in vaudeville, with an excerpt of
the review ABROAD WITH TWO MEN, a combination of skits, original songs
with a strong political content and parody work in the Forbidden B'way
vein. This was classic cabaret performed by Phillip Scott, Linda Nagle
and Jonathan Biggins and has been refined into high art since its
first appearance in 1996. So far, it looks to be the favorite for
the Convention award. This is the real McCoy, a review with a generous
heaping of satire, wit and sauciness that would sit with ease in any
cabaret venue in the world. Those with long memories for the great
days of Julius Monk would think that he had returned from the great
beyond of Cabaret Heaven to guide this elegant and witty performance.
Scott, Nagle and Biggins showed what the High Art of Cabaret is all
about.
And so, with
two more showcase nights and two "special performances" yet to go,
we are left to wonder what Cabaret is meant to be. Whatever it is,
be it a combination of wit, song (old classics or new material) or
instrumental dazzle, you know when you are in the power of its enchantment.
And so it goes on.
David Schwartz
1998 Sydney Cabaret Convention
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