Review: 'TIERGARTEN' EXPLORES THE PAST at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

Tiergarten, a cabaret hosted by Kim David Smith and produced by Death of Classical on January 16th, presented a look into the past across several art forms. From Weimar-era cabaret classics to Italian opera to modern dance, it explored times of turmoil from throughout world history, drawing parallels to the present and asking questions about the future. The historical periods chosen were all moments of extreme change, of new ideas emerging and old ones fading away. 

Smith opened the show quite strongly with classics like “Pirate Jenny.” His stage presence was captivating, full of theatrical flourishes and costume changes. His singing was just as strong, hooking the audience immediately with his first song, “I’m a Vamp.” He sauntered to the stage in an elaborate dress and gave an electric performance. He also acted as an emcee for the evening, introducing the time periods and the other performers with some delightful banter. 

For the section about the crucifixion, Smith sang Eden Abhez’s “Nature Boy” while burlesque performer Pearls Daily donned a fake beard and white robe to dance around as Jesus. The movement was quite playful, although at the same time there was a serenity to it – as if to signify Jesus’ acceptance of his fate. Overall, the performance was quite a sight, ending with Daily posing against a tree in the position that the crucifixion is usually depicted: arms outstretched yet limp at the wrists, head slumped over, and ankles crossed together. Afterwords, a spiritual was sung by Amara Granderson, while Daily continued to pose. It was a striking juxtaposition – the comedy of the previous number with the stone-cold seriousness of Granderson’s performance. 

The show hewed closely to its central theme, often capturing moments of both great inspiration and great sorrow for each time period it covered. One section that explored that dichtomy beautifully was the American Revolution portion of the show. Miguel Ángel Vásquez gave an incredibly stirring rendition of The Liberty Song, a patriotic tune from around the era of the American Revolution. His emotive performance and low vocal range brought an incredible gravitas, and he projected his voice so as to fill the room completely. Amara Granderson followed by singing “Strange Fruit,” a song about lynchings made famous by Billie Holiday’s rendition of it. Granderson gave a somber yet no less emotive performance, honoring Holiday’s version while still bringing her own intensity to it. The two songs' placement right next to each other, combined with both of their lyrical focuses on trees, represented America at its best and America at its worst. More specifically, it highlighted how both of these realities are present throughout our history, often simultaneously. The show intentionally left that contradiction open-ended, perhaps to suggest that it remains unresolved in the present, not to mention the past.

A dance performance towards the end of the show, performed by Liana Zhen-ai and Dylan Contreras, explored a similar contradiction and conflict through movement. The performance was themed around Adam & Eve, and their graceful movements reflected both the love and the conflict of the story in equal measure. The entire evening was centered around returning to the past in order to seek answers and lessons for the present, and so it was only right to end at the beginning, with the creation narrative. Eve is often scapegoated as the villain of the Genesis story – she ate the apple, the original sin that consigned humanity to its fate. However, Eve’s choice was not the end of the story – it was the beginning of it. Within the piece, even after Eve’s transgression, the duo often acted in sync, as one. They continued, together, whether in the garden or not. The lessons of the past might be difficult to interpret, but one thing is clear: after the fall, there is always another chapter.