BWW Reviews: ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2015: UNDER THE INFLUENCE Won Many Admirers

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Sunday 14th June 2015

Five of the past participants in the Class of Cabaret performances have reunited to present a full show of their own, Under the Influence. This production allows each of the five a chance to expand on that earlier experience by creating a narrative and performing several numbers, the next step on the way to presenting individual cabaret productions. This validates the importance of the Class of Cabaret to nurturing young and talented people in their last year or two of high school.

Every year the Class of Cabaret displays the abilities of some very talented young people, a few of whom really stand out, and I recall having noticed these five before, so it is pleasing to see them continuing to enjoy and perform cabaret.

Lauren Greco, Beth Hubmayer, Kate Lewis, Ella Lawry, and Jego Loreto were accompanied on piano by Logan Watt, a superb pianist and highly skilled accompanist, Having somebody like him helping them is very important to the confidence of a performer. Kim Spargo is one of the wonderful people working with the Class of Cabaret every year and so, as their musical director and mentor, these five performers have a familiar friend and an expert in the genre helping them prepare for their performance.

One thing that was instantly obvious is that they have all progressed considerable since I last saw them, and all are ready for the next step; solo shows. A theme that kept recurring was along the lines of 'what I have done and will be doing since I left school'. Although that might seem a little predictable for such young folk, their post-school choices varied considerably, providing some fascinating insights. Also in evidence was a greater maturity in their storytelling abilities between the songs.

Ella Lawry and Jego Loreto definitely need to start using head microphones, as they clearly want to move more freely than even a hand held microphone permits, and the other three should probably do the same as there were hints that they, too, had outgrown standing in one place. They are all moving into that professional level, where the full resources available to a performer are needed to expand their productions. They all exhibit that relaxed approach and ability to engage and react to the audience that is so important in cabaret.

They began with an a capella medley of songs by artists who have inspired them, arranged by Lawry and with some impressive harmonies from the group. A strong start to a performance is important, and this was it. From there on it was a fast paced cavalcade of songs and stories, some solo with piano, some with guitar or bass accompaniment from Lawry, Loreto, or both, or with harmony lines or backing harmonies from the others.

Some were very upbeat, some were poignant, some were about overcoming obstacles, and there were a few comic numbers, such as Why Do the Wrong People Travel, from Nöel Coward's Sail Away, delivered brilliantly by Bethany Hubmayer, who has recently travelled to France. Billy Joel's She's Always a Woman to Me, turned into a moving tribute to Loreto's mother, bringing tears to a few eyes. Nature Boy got an intriguing reworking in a fast tempo reading. Then The Life of the Party swung like crazy thanks to Kate Lewis. Lauren Greco gave a sultry and sizzling rendition of the James Brown number, It's a Man's Man's, Man's World. She is a confirmed career cabaret artist in the making, with plans to take New York by storm, and she probably will. They all could.

I am only glad that I do not have to pick one of the five as the best. It would be an impossible choice as they all have enormous versatility, masses of talent, and considerable determination to succeed. They are individuals, too, not a group who all sound the same and sing the same sort of music. The songs cover many decades, styles, and genres, all delivered with panache. There was never a dull moment and, even though the performance ran longer than advertised, it seemed like no time at all.

I, for one, will be keeping an eye open in the near future, eager to see the next moves that these five will make. You should do the same.

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