PAST SHOWS - 2004
JAMES MILLAR IN
"SHOPPING CENTRE SANTA"
17 DECEMBER
In October 2004 James Millar opened in the "solid gold hit" Eureka at Melbourne's Her Majesty Theatre in the principle role of Frederic Vern. Projected to tour for up to 18 months, James believed all his Christmases had come at once.
In November 2004, only a month later, the show closed.
James' third cabaret show, explores the experiences of a disgruntled out of work actor forced to go to Santa School (yes, it DOES exist!) and don the apparel of jolly old Saint Nick in shopping centres full of greedy kids, credit cards and yuletide muzak.
A comedy of the highest order full of Christmas tunes you may not have heard - and some old favourites that may never be the same again.
Shopping Centre Santais an hilarious evening out full of eclectic festive melodies and is a joy for anyone who has an intense fear of snowflakes, mistletoe and midgets.
James is accompanied by Michael Tyack.
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TIM
MINCHIN IN "DIE KABARETT" die kabarett is a dark and hilarious smorgasbord of music, comedy, beat poetry and air-guitar. Minchins got it all: he writes lyrics like Noel Coward, has the timing of Bill Cosby and banters like Woody Allen. Unfortunately, hes straight, white and about as kosher as a Chirstmas ham. "Mr Minchin has fine musicality, fine poetry, fine wit, in short, a fine madness. This is quality comedy." - Max Gillies "Articulate, thoughtful, dry and unashamedly polysyllabic... Dark, irreverent and talented... Excellent, provoking, funny. - Fiona Scott-Norman, The Age ...a hilariously entertaining show. - Buzz Cuts With a brain roughly the size of a bookstore's cultural studies section and a vocabulary to match... Minchin is indisputably chucklesome. - Helen Razer, The Age In October last year, Tim Minchin wrote and performed his first solo show, Navel cerebral melodies with umbilical chords, which earnt him two nominations at the 2003 Green Room Awards. He was a Victorian state finalist in Raw Comedy 2004, and his second show, Perineum Millennium (the in-between years) sold out at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April this year. He has just returned from a sell-out season of Die Kabarett in WA. |
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HAYDEN
TEE IN "THE GIN IS COLD...BUT THE PIANO IS HOT - THE MUSIC
OF KANDER AND EBB" Sydney Cabaret Convention winner Hayden Tee presents his new show The Gin is Cold..but the Piano's Hot - The Music of Kander and Ebb. This brand new show with musical direction by Nigel Ubrihien, is a sometimes dark and sometimes comic and always personal look at the music, lyrics and world of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the classic Broadway composers of such hits as Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York and Kiss of the Spider Woman Hayden was drawn to their work as their style and thematic structure examines the hypocrisies and ironies of life "they wrote many songs about happy endings, yet their shows never had happy endings..they walked on the dark side but with a wry smile on their faces".... |
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MICHELINE
VAN HAUTEM IN "SONGS OF JACQUES BREL" After her sell-out shows at the 2004 Adelaide Cabaret Festival Micheline returns to play the Melbourne International Festival and then comes to Sydney for four special shows before returning to New York. Belgian singer Micheline Van Hautem performs the songs of her fellow countryman; the extraordinary Jacques Brel. Van Hautem's interpretations of Brel's dense, complex lyrics and stunning melodies keep the essence of the originals; elegiac angry, funny, heartrendingly beautiful songs. Featuring Frederik Caelen on accordion and piano. "Micheline Van Hautem is in a different league. She is, simply, fabulous." - The Times "Micheline Van Hautem's interpretation of the mesmerizing songs of Jacques Brel is pure dynamite. This is a perfect show. A real tour de force." - The Scotsman |
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FRIENDS
OF BARBRA IN "EVERGREED" They've played three sell-out seasons in New York but its been four years since award-winning cabaret trio Friends of Barbra last performed in Australia. Now they are on thier way home with Evergreed, a new show that pokes fun at them, their namesake and the notion of celebrity... they've tasted a little and now they want more. Evergreed is Sex in the City meets Survivor, with a power-ballad (or two) thrown in for emotional depth. Just like life. Friends of Barbra's Michael Smallwood, Luke Gallagher and Nigel Ubrihien have experienced the dizzying heights of international cabaret boyband stardom and are back to sing about it. From Babs to J.S Bach, Annie Lennox and Kermit the Frog. Evergreed is a tour-de-force of no-holds-barred comedy cabaret. The naughty boys of Australian cabaret are making thier Sydney debut for one night only! |
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CHRISTINE
ANU IN "INTIMATE AND DEADLY" Christine Anu has become an Australian household name ever since she exploded on to the contemporary music scene with her debut album Stylin' Up in 1995. Her career spans all facets of the entertainment industry from her beginnings in contemporary indigenous dance with the Bangarra Dance Company to her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mimi in Rent to being featured as Arabia in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. She is the ultimate triple threat. For the first time ever get intimate with Christine Anu as she shares her amazing career and heritage in this very special wanem time Kabarett show. Concept
and Direction:
David Hawkins |
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MICHELLE
COLLINS IS "THE LITTLE AUSSIE BATTLEAXE" Australia's oldest ingenue, Bunty Battleaxe, would have starred in a snuff movie if they paid her enough! (Just once) But now she is much more choosy about her audience. More Malice than Debbie Does Dallas! More frocks than the Footy Show! This show has legs! Michelle Collins is Bunty Battleaxe - self appointed champion of the underdog, divine defender of truth and justice in the Australian way.... The Bitch of the Battlers! Here to check out the VIBE! with Kirsty Lee Allan and Bridget Zizza as the VIBE RATERS. Featuring Dazzling Daryl
Wallis on piano. |
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WEDNESDAY
KENNEDY IN "LAST NIGHT IN NEW YORK " They were the images2 that will haunt the world forever - terrorist strikes on the United States on September 11, 2001. Now, on the third anniversary of the attacks, Showtune Productions presents a multimedia performance by Wednesday Kennedy that takes us back to the city that never sleeps, in the aftermath of 9/11. Kennedy roams the streets in the weeks after the attacks, capturing a fractured and vulnerable New York, trying to make sense of a dramatically altered landscape. The show moves from New Yorkers' responses to Kennedy's own narrative, presented in vignettes woven throughout the documentary/performance - part poetry, part performance and part journalism, a unique and very personal hybrid from an outsider fused to the city by catastrophe. |
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"STORIES LIKE OURS" 20, 21, 27 & 28 AUGUST November 2003, showbusiness greats Rodney Dobson and Margi de Ferranti seemed set, both were enjoying lead roles in The Full Monty and Mamma Mia! respectively, and seemed destined to be employed until March 2005. Suddenly in February 2004, they both found themselves back in their homes on the Central Coast of NSW scratching their heads, thinking "How did I get here?" Margi and Rodney try to work out why the proverbial fickle finger of fate decided to cut short their showbiz dreams come true. In Stories Like Ours, with tongue firmly in cheek, they will look back on their careers and reveal the twists and turns they have taken to earn their status as "Showbiz Veterans". In what is guaranteed to be an evening of great singing and laughter, see Rodney, Margi and musical director Nigel Uhbrien, strut their stuff. |
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ACCOMPANIED BY EDDIE PERFECT & HIS BAND 13 & 14 AUGUST She's sexy, she's sassy and she performed in front of a sell out crowd at the recent Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Now Sydney audiences can see Kaye Tuckerman perform her own show, Man-Eater. Kaye Tuckerman is a virtuoso cabaret talent whose star is rising meteorically. Audiences are amazed at the power she packs into every number she sings. Seething with sensuality, moving like a Las Vegas dancer, engaging audiences with her rapier wit, singing sweetly and belting out a big number - these are just some of the comments made by her audiences. Winner of the New York Award at the 2003 Sydney Cabaret Convention, she's a singer, actress, dancer and director - there's not much Kaye Tuckerman hasn't already packed into her young life. Over the past 12 months, aside from performances at the 2004 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, she has performed in New York's three leading cabaret venues and was the feature entertainment at the 2004 Australian of the Year in the UK Awards (major award won by Clive James). She performed in Kooky Tunes in both Sydney and Melbourne, toured as a vocalist with international music theatre sensation, Michael Ball, and appeared in Sunset Boulevard alongside Anthony Warlow. Phew! |
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JAMES MILLER & VERITY HUNT-BALLARD IN "Stupidity. Lacking ordinary activity and keenness of the mind. Ridiculous choices leading to ridiculous outcomes. Lack of normal-functioning intellect and rationale. Sounding frighteningly familiar? Qualities that, indeed, we must all confess to presenting from time to time." Moments of Breathtaking Stupidity stars James Millar and Verity Hunt Ballard, recent WAAPA graduates, who have taken pen to paper to explore, through song and whacky observation, a variety of true-life moments that reflect how we human beings can be so hilariously, and sometimes disturbingly, dim-witted. Accompanied by the glorious fingers of Bev Kennedy (The Lion King, Mamma Mia) and the delicious vocals of James and Verity, Moments of Breathtaking Stupidity is an eclectic mix of Off-Broadway tunes and Contemporary Ballads, from Sondheim to the Bee Gees, and will be sure to have you laughing 'til you cry. Moments of Breathtaking Stupidity is a zany, poignant and gobsmackingly-enlightening evening for anyone who likes their cabaret mixed with a big, bright dose of silliness! |
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PETER
BAILEY, JIM CATT, LISA SCHOUW & GINA ZOIA - Special Guests
FREEFALL She's on her way to this year's
Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June and has a night in The Studio
at the Sydney Opera House later in the year with her show The
Other Woman: The Life and Music of Nina Simone, but before she
goes, Lisa Schouw has brought together the outstanding vocal
talents of Peter Bailey, Jim Catt, Gina Zoia, FREEFALL and Brett
Wood for 3 nights of drop-dead gorgeous music. |
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LUCY
TAYLOR, THOMAS CAMPBELL AND LEONIE COHEN IN "CATCH US IF
YOU CAN..." Rarely in a reviewer's theatrical life does such an important, significant and death defying group of artists appear in the one show. Vocalists Lucy Taylor, Thomas Campbell, teamed with pianist Leonie Cohen represent an important, ground breaking, fresh faced new movement in the world of cabaret, or as they call it, "funny stuff with some singing and dancing". A post-post modern, god is dead but not, da-da-ish, Brechtian/ Artaudian/ Lloyd Webberish multi media, puppetry hip-hop hybrid cross over performance piece with a strong "little l" liberal post pre humanist discourse that reinvents the re invention of cabaret, this production will change the face of Australian performance as we know it, have known it and will, perhaps, know it in the future. That is if Australian performance has a face. Funny yet humourless, at once dumb and clever, shocking yet comfortable, fragile yet stable, refined but raw, this ponderous, adrenalin charged, overly long, compact piece will keep you close to the edge of your seat that you have no danger of falling off. KEN TINAN "The New, New, Very New Authoritarian Republic Magazine |
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PETER
BAILEY, JIM CATT, LISA SCHOUW & GINA ZOIA - Special Guests
FREEFALL (Friday and Sunday), BRETT WOOD (Saturday) She's on her way to this year's
Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June and has a night in The Studio
at the Sydney Opera House later in the year with her show The
Other Woman: The Life and Music of Nina Simone, but before she
goes, Lisa Schouw has brought together the outstanding vocal
talents of Peter Bailey, Jim Catt, Gina Zoia, FREEFALL and Brett
Wood for 3 nights of drop-dead gorgeous music. |
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KOOKY TUNES - APRIL 24 AND MAY 1 A wildly funny, smash hit New York Revue with an all-star cast of Australia's top cabaret talents. This production comes to the National Press Club direct from it's premiere season at Kabaret Voltaire, Sydney and stars four of the country's brightest cabaret talents - Sharon Millerchip, Andrew Benson, Kaye Tuckerman and Eddie Perfect with musical direction by Greg Crease. |
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JEANNIE
LEWIS IN "SURF N THE CITY" "Her voice has never sounded better. Like most of the great singers she is a natural actor who sends blood pumping through every word, whether those words are floating or grinding." John Shand "Friday struck gold in its
(Sydney Cabaret Convention) line-up of guest artists... then
came Jeannie Lewis - her artistry placing her at the top of the
cabaret tree" Bryce Hallett |
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LJ
SMITH IN "CONFESSIONS OF A CAFFEINE ADDICT"
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APRIL 18 One of Australia's
most acclaimed young actor/singers, Hayden hails from New Zealand
and has been working professionally in Australia since he was
18. Most recently Hayden has gathered considerable acclaim from
the national tour of his one man show "Quarterlife Crisis".
In February last year Hayden played the leading role of Frances
in "Three Winters Green" by Campion Decent at the Stables
Theatre in Sydney, receiving much critical praise. |
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ANDREW
THRELFALL IN "OUT ON A LIMB" DIRECT FROM MELBOURNE'S MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL!
Madonna admits the secrets of her succes The Metrosexual Community Church finally comes out of the closet.
And William Finn's bag lady speaks, well sings. Out On A Limb brings together the work of some of the last century's greatest composers and the odd gay icon or two in a light-hearted look at life, love and fantastic hair. It's all the songs that were too silly, too obscure or just too gay for your average cabaret brought together into an outreach project gone completely insane. It's camp, it's silly, it's a lot of fun.
The show features work from everyone from Stephen Sondheim to Kylie Minogue, running the gamut of styles from musical theatre to modern pop.
And the secret of Madonna's success? Come along and find out |
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MARCH 18 - 21 The singing housewife who escapes the NapiSan and flies into cyberglory. Sinksongs follows the journey of a housewife stuck at home with twin toddlers suffering the lonely desperation that so many women will immediately recognise. Whilst her travelling husband is away, she installs a webcam in her coffee cupboard so she can share her musical fantasies, or "sinksongs" with other people. This opens up a whole new world in this enchanting musical tale of liberation. Sinksongs has been written by veteran cabaret writer and performer Joanna Weinberg, who has composed music and lyrics for five one woman shows as well as a full scale musical. Nigel Ubrihien is the arranger and accompanist. Come and join this poignant and comic journey, which will not only get your toes tapping, but awaken recognition in anyone who has ever changed a nappy. |
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ANGRY EDDIE Angry Eddie is a provocative, comic, musical burlesque from Green Room Award winning song-writer, singer, musician, actor and satirist Eddie Perfect. Featuring a spanking new crop of songs from Perfect's pointed pen - including John Howard's Bitches, Poor Little Middle-Class Me, and Some Of My Best Friends Are Aboriginal, the show takes aim at the big targets; politics, sex, war, popular culture, apathy, the media, and juice bars. Angry Eddie promises that no-one will escape unscathed, with the possible exception of Sophie Monk. |
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5 - 7 MARCH 2004 AN ALL STAR CAST ANDREW BENSON, SHARON MILLERCHIP EDDIE PERFECT AND KAYE TUCKERMAN "A MUST-SEE" (Sun Herald) Accompaniment and musical direction by Mr. Greg Crease Kooky Steps by Ross Coleman Directed by DAVID HAWKINS A wildly funny, smash hit New York Revue with an all-star cast of Australia's top cabaret talents. This production comes to the National Press Club direct from it's premiere season at Kabaret Voltaire, Sydney and stars four of the country's brightest cabaret talents. |
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LISA
SCHOUW & FRIENDS WITH PETER BAILEY & KATIE SEIDLER, JO
SCANLON, LOUISE DAVIDSON, ANDREW BIRLEY, PENELOPE WELLS, GERARD
MAREE, MARK NICHOLS AND KYLIE HARRIS Following the sellout success
of her show The Other Woman:The Life & Music of Nina
Simone last year, Lisa Schouw is back at Kabarett Voltaire
for 2 nights only with a celebratory evening of music, love and
laughter. |
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6, 7, 8 FEBRUARY If being awarded the first prize
at the 2003 Sydney Cabaret Convention wasn't enough for the talented
Shaun Rennie, then maybe revelling in the acclaim he is receiving
from hard New York critics might be! Winning the convention gave
Rennie his air ticket, an invitation to perform at the Mabel
Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention and the added confidence
to tackle New York head on but only he can lay claim to the talent
needed to prove yourself in the make or break city. |
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AMIE
McKENNA IN IDOL REJECT TALENT ADVENTURE Be treated by The Idol Reject Circus plus a whole lot of other fantastic performers including music from Modernists, Bobby the Beatbox, Faddy Kassab (direct from the conservatorium of Lebanon), old rockers Jane's Suite and some great original acoustic stuff from John Anthony! There is even an open mic for anyone who wants to get up and make noises and upstairs we will have Bar Media (screenings of short-films by hot young film makers) Plus MORE MORE MORE! And you get all this for the COMFORTABLE price of $10! |
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A
NIGHT OF SONG WITH KATIE SEIDLER AND LISA SCHOUW It is two years since Katie Seidler
has performed and 8 years since she last shared the stage with
Lisa Schouw. So tonight these two fabulous singers will celebrate
life and love with the music of Kasey Chambers, Nina Simone,
Living Colour, Cole Porter and much much more. Recently returned
from a trip around the world, Katie is keen to perform again.
Most notable of Katie's long history of singing, was her 5 years
as lead singer for the band MOViDA, who released the "August"
EP of original songs in 1996. |
