Barry Lenny - Page 61

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild is celebrating its 75th Anniversary, and so William Shakespeare seems an appropriate choice of playwright for such an auspicious occasion.

Vika Bull and a seven piece group, The Essential R&B Band, present a musical documentary of the life of the late Etta James, one of the most important names in Rhythm and Blues, and perhaps also the most tragic.

Thomas Hardy wrote several novels set in the imaginary county of Wessex, occurring in the late 1800s, and Far From the Madding Crowd is presented by Independent Theatre in an adaptation by Mark Healy.

Noel and Gertie is filled with humour, wit, and occasionally poignant moments, songs, dances, and excerpts from his plays, with all of the sparkling dialogue that that entails.

The word 'dysfunctional' is barely adequate to describe the Dockerty family, who live in the working class Sydney suburb of Redfern in the 1950s, the subject of This Old Man Comes Rolling Home.

Charles Dickens wrote a good few popular novels, most of which have been dramatised many times and a few of which have been turned into musicals. Perhaps the best know of these is Lionel Bart's Oliver!

Popular Adelaide entertainer, Anya Anastasia, has branched out into a new area by bringing together a selection of acts into a cabaret variety show filled with music, dance, burlesque and more. She has called it Fear-Eater Theatre, which gives an indication that some of the material might be dark, edgy and even a little challenging.

There would be few people who have not heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood, a cautionary tale warning of what we now refer to as "stranger danger" and, let's face it, they don't come much stranger than a talking wolf.

One of Shakespeare's earliest works, and his shortest, The Comedy of Errors is an exciting first time collaboration between the illustrious and highly respected specialist group, Bell Shakespeare, and the State Theatre Company of South Australia. It is premiering in Adelaide before embarking on an Australian tour during the months ahead.

Jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck, put together a quartet that played during the 1950s and 60s and that put out the first platinum selling jazz album, with the title Time Out. It contained the track, Take Five, which became the top selling instrumental piece of all time. Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Story is a tribute to that particular incarnation of the quartet.

Director, Yasmin Gurreeboo, only arrived in Adelaide a few months ago from Britain and has already made her mark with this production. Aside from selecting two people who are perfect for the roles she has hit on an innovative method of quickly and seamlessly presenting the flashbacks.

Rachel Rai, Claire McEvoy, Brady Lloyd, and David Salter are the four singers for this performance, and they all know how to deliver comedy, many of the songs finding the laughs in highly inappropriate lifestyles and relationships.

Annie Siegmann is performing her latest cabaret performance at the very intimate venue, La Boheme, which ideally suits the even greater intimacy of her production. Siegmann has not touched alcohol for just over six months now, and so this is a very personal, revealing, and often dark tale of her struggle with the demon drink.

Becky Blake, who had the great Clemens Leske as one of her piano teachers, began her career, she told us, as a pianist at Adelaide's Hilton Hotel. She is now the pianist and singer with the very popular show band, Chunky Custard, as well as working in solo shows and small groups.

Adelaide cabaret stalwart, Libby O'Donovan, takes a very different tack for her latest production, Songs Only a Mother Could Love, a collection of songs that she, and others, learned from their mothers as children. O'Donovan is one of the most highly skilled and much loved of Adelaide's cabaret community and so every seat was filled and a good many more were happy to stand, just to be able to attend her performance.

Harriet Allcroft came to the attention of Adelaide audiences when she appeared in a show case performance following one of the Adelaide Cabaret Summer Schools. She extended this short performance into a full length cabaret show which she titled Barely Legal. she is back with a new show based on her observations during the four years that she has been working in the retail sector.

Barb Jungr made a very welcome return to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, her last visit having been in 2006, when she presented her unique interpretations of the songs of Bob Dillon. Together with her musical director, accompanist, and co-writer, Simon Wallace, her performance consisted of a combination of interpretations of songs by several other famous singers, and a number of her own songs.

Stephen Sondheim has written songs for many crazy people in his musicals, some permanently so, and some pushed beyond their limits by circumstances who become temporarily that way. Sondheim's music is often exceptionally difficult and a classically trained trio, Blake Parham and Tahlia Ries, accompanied by Joshua Mollart on keyboard, is an ideal combination to do his work justice.

Barry Lenny talks to Barb Jungr, who is appearing at the 2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

Rachel Rai and Claire McEvoy, aided and abetted by accompanist Aaron Nash at the piano, presented Tears on My Pillow: Cry Another Day, a sequel to their earlier hit show, Tears on My Pillow: Cry Harder, that was presented at the 2013 Adelaide Fringe and completely sold out.