2018 Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala

2018 Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala
Chapel off Chapel. 19 June – 1 July, 2018

The Melbourne Cabaret Festival returns for its ninth year. The Opening Gala kicked things off with a bang, hosted by second-time Artistic Director, Dolly Diamond. Dolly certainly knows how to work a crowd, getting everyone laughing, cheering and singing along in no time. No one does sarcasm sharper than Dolly.

The audience was treated to two songs from Dolly (unfortunately her only performance this festival), and excerpts from six shows from the festival. Fans of the 1980s soap opera Sons and Daughters will relish the opportunity to see Alyce Platt share all the secrets of her “shady past” in her show Someone’s Daughter. And she’s backed by some of Melbourne’s best musicians. Internationally recognised countertenor Max Riebl juxtaposes pop songs with baroque compositions for his show Hard to Handel.

Act 1 ended on a fun note with Justin Clausen and Jamie Burgess’ He’s Every Women. Featuring songs by pop divas including Tina Turner and Celine Dion, this is definitely a show you can sing along to. The pair have been mentored by Dolly herself and Clausen appeared in Dolly’s show for the 2017 Melbourne Cabaret Festival, The Lady is a Tramp. Her influence shines through with Clausen flirting with the audience his entrance for The Power of Love. It gave the performance that element of intimacy, interaction and reaction that I enjoy most about cabaret.

Act 2 of the opening night gala featured Drew Dowling’s tribute show, God Only Knows: the Songs of Brian Wilson. The full show will feature a 14-piece band and bring to life the undeniably 1960’s sound of Wilson’s classics including Help Me Rhonda and Surfer Girl. All the way from Perth, Erin Hutchinson and Tyler Jacob Jones’ production, What Doesn’t Kill You [blah blah] Stronger featured original songs about survival stories they discovered on Google. Their catchy tunes had the audience in stitches! The final act of the night was Danielle O’Malley’s Nancy Sinatra – You Only Live Twice. Certainly an accurate impersonation with songs that will get you bopping in your seat.

This year’s festival features 20 acts, somewhat smaller than previous years and also a notable lack of the Cabaret Fringe Festival at The Butterfly Club. It seems somewhat overshadowed by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, which claims the title of being the biggest and best cabaret festival in the world. In any case, there’s enough cabaret talent going around for all cities to enjoy. The 2018 Melbourne Cabaret Festival offers something for everyone!

Sophia Dickinson

Images: Dolly Diamond and Alyce Platt. Photographer: Sanjeev Singh.

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