Daniel Vigilante
Sandra 1
Michael ItaliaCabaret: La Soiree
Cabaret Review
Spiegeltent - 2007 Fringe Festival
At $110 a ticket, you’d expect to be practically knocked dead, gutted, then revived again to a thunderous applause. Of course my metaphorical death sequence alludes entirely to ‘spectacular entertainment’, and when you add in a sumptuous 4 course meal while it’s taking place, it’d be fair to say you get your money’s worth.
That’s exactly what’s on offer at the Melba Spiegeltent with a blistering cabaret called La Soiree (pronounced swaray, which you may need to know prior to giving a live radio review, unlike my-graceless-self), over 2.5hours in the stunning surrounds of the 1910 built tent.
The Spiegeltent itself is one reason to be impressed, but the show that is brought to life here adds a whole new layer to the fine dining experience, complete with Moulin Rouge-esque ambience, acrobatics, circus trickery, and theatrical parody. The meal too is practically part of the show; the maitre d’ turns a fork into a spoon with David Copperfield precision before tasting the soup with it, and only then gives the OK for it to be served. He performs other sleight of hand bafflements (such as obliterating a wine bottle) as well as orchestrates the ensemble of screwball characters, who all get their individual chance to shine.
Fifi, the giggling French waitress, does a commendable juggle with a trashcan using her feet, then balances a table in the air with just one foot; Einstein, the kitchen-hand, dazzles us with his acrobatic talents, one stunt being what I thought was the most spectacular part of the show, that being a free-fall drop like Superman only to be saved by his rope inches before hitting the ground. And what cabaret would be complete without a nipple-tassel-clad striptease from a gorgeous femme fetale; and in La Soiree, Lola gives us two(!), which of course makes all the men’s meals go cold, as you can’t possibly eat while your jaw is in your lap.
The transvestite Madame, who is wonderful character of perverse sensibilities—if a little too drunk to care—gives a sparkling rendition of Walzing Matilda, only to interrupt herself mid-song to go the bar. The mute waitress closes the performance with a transfixing aerial acrobatic display which has her spinning so fast you almost feel the Peach Melba dessert come back up your throat. But if one thing’s for certain, you’ll leave the show with more than just your stomach satisfied.
Spiegeltent - 2007 Fringe Festival
Lola, supplying the eye candy for dessert
The Spiegeltent itself is one reason to be impressed, but the show that is brought to life here adds a whole new layer to the fine dining experience, complete with Moulin Rouge-esque ambience, acrobatics, circus trickery, and theatrical parody. The meal too is practically part of the show; the maitre d’ turns a fork into a spoon with David Copperfield precision before tasting the soup with it, and only then gives the OK for it to be served. He performs other sleight of hand bafflements (such as obliterating a wine bottle) as well as orchestrates the ensemble of screwball characters, who all get their individual chance to shine.
The transvestite Madame, who is wonderful character of perverse sensibilities—if a little too drunk to care—gives a sparkling rendition of Walzing Matilda, only to interrupt herself mid-song to go the bar. The mute waitress closes the performance with a transfixing aerial acrobatic display which has her spinning so fast you almost feel the Peach Melba dessert come back up your throat. But if one thing’s for certain, you’ll leave the show with more than just your stomach satisfied.
