Review By Lauren Donikian
Most people have heard of Sweet Charity, Cabaret and Chicago but do they know about the man behind the choreography?
The cast from Cabaret le Queer razzle dazzled the crowd by performing songs from these musicals with choreography inspired by Bob Fosse. Some of the songs performed were ‘Mein Herr’ from Cabaret, ‘The Rich Man’s Frug’ from Sweet Charity and ‘All That Jazz’ from Chicago which got the audience singing along. The cast were cheeky, engaging and a little flirty (which is what you would expect from a night like this) the dancers and their high kicks, singers with their sultry voices and Drag Queens with their quick wit meant that the night was a lot of fun. There was audience participation which provided a lot of laughs and boosted some of the energy in the room.
The talented cast included Lady De Vine (Lauren Batschowanow) as MC and lead singer, who shone brightly when she sang “When your good to mama”. The burlesque performer seemed a little nervous at first but really came into her own as the night progressed. Penelope Pettigrew another lead singer on the night stole the show with her performance of ‘I Can’t Do It Alone’ from Chicago. The pair harmonised well together and seemed to have a good rapport. At times the microphones were a little loud, however in the opening number it was the music that was too loud. Unfortunately, it drowned out their voices, but this was corrected by the end of the show. The dancers on the night were Kate Garrett, Vixen Heart and Lauren Johnson who also sang a solo of Mein Herr. The trio of dancers worked well together, which was hard at times due to size of the stage. They looked cramped, especially when the whole cast were on, but they kept those smiles on their faces and the big, feathered fans in their hands. Midas, who was mingling with the crowd before the show was effervescent and clearly a big fan of Kath and Kim. Lady Francesca, absolutely blew me away coming out in a maroon robe with feathered trimming and stripping down to something unexpected.
The costumes were spot on with bejewelled bodices, miniskirts, and gloves. There were coloured wigs, high ponytails, and lots of sequins. Due to this, there were a lot of costume changes which lead to some dead air on stage. This caused a drop in energy, but the cast had the audience on their side and didn’t need to do too much to build the energy back.
The Vanguard seemed like the perfect venue for a show like this, it had the red curtain on the stage, the platform that led out to the crowd and the low lighting. However it did fell too small for the big characters that were on stage.
Overall, I had a great time and left with a smile on my face. I may have also been singing at the bus stop on the way home. Further proof that with the right music, the right moves, and a passionate cast it will be a night you will never forget!
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