Jun 27

WEB TV – Wasteland Panda – New Episodes

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpipanda_1Adelaide’s Epic Films has released three new films in their Wastelander Panda series.

Wastelander Panda is a live-action post-apocalyptic tale about Arcayus, the Wasteland’s last remaining panda. Along with Rose, a human girl raised by his brother Isaac, he treks across a broken world ruled by anarchy, seeking revenge for Isaac’s death.

In January 2012, Epic Films released a three-minute Prologue for the series, which was seen 100,000 times in 150 countries during its first three days online.  Based on this accomplishment, as well as a successful $25,000 crowdfunding campaign, the South Australian Film Corporation and Carclew Youth arts came on board to fund three films and an interactive map-based website that allows the online audience to explore the world of the Wasteland.

This made Wastelander Panda the first project to be funded by a government film body in Australia without having a traditional ‘market attachment,’ such as a distributor or broadcaster.  The South Australian Film Corporation recognised the project’s potential to reach new audiences online, and funded the idea based on its proof of concept and audience through the Prologue and crowdfunding campaign.  SAFC CEO Richard Harris noted,

“Wastelander Panda offered the SAFC a great opportunity to try a new approach, and support a project that had its genesis online.  We looked at both their entrepreneurial approach to financing and audience development, but also the strength of the project and the creative team, and overall it made a pretty compelling package to support at this development stage.”

The back-to-back launch screenings of Wastelander Panda will be held at the Piccadilly Cinemas on Monday May 27th, at 6:30pm and 7:45pm.  Writer/Director Victoria Cocks and all cast and crew will be in attendance.  The episodes will then be launched as part of the new Wastelander Panda website at http://www.wastelanderpanda.com. Producer Kirsty Stark commented,

“We’ve spent the last year growing our audience online, and are lucky to have supporters in over 150 countries.  The Internet affords us an amazing opportunity for all of those fans around the world to see the episodes on the same day, and we’re really excited that they can be part of the launch, no matter where they are.”

More information about the project and a link to the Wastelander Panda Prologue video can be found at http://www.wastelanderpanda.com

For the Wastelanderpanda Youtube channel, CLICK HERE

Jun 23

CABARET FESTIVAL – Kate Ceberano & Teddy Tahu Rhodes – 4.5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpiMeet-Me-Middle-760x380By Peter Maddern

While there had been any number of cameo or spontaneous appearances by Festival Director, Kate Ceberano, across last year’s and this year’s Festival, Friday night was the first time in her two year reign that her own show had been scheduled. And for that she chose a dual bill with opera maestro Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

A capacity Festival Theatre came ready to enjoy themselves and they were not disappointed. From Whitney Houston to Leonard Cohen and Hunters and Collectors, from Porgy and Bess to Les Miserablés and the characters of Bloody Mary and Escamillo, the hits and fun kept coming.

Ceberano seemed very determined to make it her night – come what may – and even the occasional signs of tardy preparation did not daunt her or her audience’s enthusiasm. Almost gushing over Tahu Rhodes, early on coy and clingy, Ceberano in a Bloody Mary / Eva Peron mixed outfit indulged in idle banter about the various ruses required to get her classical operatic baritone partner, who strode magnificent on stage in all black and a tighten shaven head, to try his hand at humble cabaret. But as the evening went on, a more comfortable accommodation developed between them, helped admirably by Vanessa Scammell, the leader of the quite excellent Adelaide Art Orchestra.

It is worth taking a brief diversion to note the performance of this #2 ensemble in this town that seems to always rise to the occasion when the ASO is just too big to engage. Seemingly night after night during this Festival , the AAO went into bat on all manner of new and varied material and pulled it off superbly.

While Caberano is no slouch in the vocal department, anyone hearing Tahu Rhodes for the first time could only have been singly spell bounded by the delicious delights of his singing. It is indeed a voice to die for.

This was an excellent night’s entertainment and a wonderful culmination of another highly successful Cabaret Festival by Kate Ceberano. This Festival seems to be only growing in popularity and quality and while the acts often produced mixed results for the various audiences, that of course comes with the territory and, in and of itself, a reward for those willing to experiment with more than a show or two.

Kryztoff Rating   4.5K

Jun 23

CABARET FESTIVAL – Brian Cadd & Russell Morris – 4K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpi2013 Cab LogoBrian Cadd and Russell Morris at the Dunstan Playhouse rocked the house. The audience were not young but at the end of the night they were on their feet and dancing. While a few in the audience were reaching their limit by way of cool moves the Dynamic Duo were not.

Cadd and Morris have unique and extremely identifiable voices and they have still got it, in spades. Cadd punched it out with a combination of his soulful country rock and magic fingers on keyboard; Morris let us soar with his to die for longing in the voice.

During the between song chit chat we got an education in late 60’s and early 70’s music history in Australia, Cadd made mention of his 40 year anniversary and the boys taunted each other in very laid back tones. A few acceptably hackneyed jokes about hair loss and personal popularity later and yet another well remembered hit from the past shot through the collective hearts of a truly appreciative audience.

The back catalogue was a joy and include: Show Me the Way, Ginger Man, Your, Mamma Don’t Dance, Little Ray of Sunshine, Arkansa Grass, The Reel Thing, Wings of an Eagle, Sweet Sweet Love. Tomorrow’s gig is booked out but if you get a chance – see these guys.

Kryztoff Rating   4K

Jun 23

ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2013 – Idina Menzel – 5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpiIdinaMenzel_t614By Anthony Nguyen

When it comes to Broadway legends, the name Idina Menzel gets tossed around quite often. And for the first time ever, Idina Menzel, graces our shores in her Australian debut show for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

The Tony award-winning Broadway star is best known for her original roles as both Maureen Johnson in the musical Rent and as Elphaba in the green-skinned witch in Wicked. Additionally, Menzel has also featured in numerous film and television shows, possibly best known by youngsters today as Shelby Corcoran in hit musical TV show, Glee.

Accompanied by the 55-piece Adelaide Art Orchestra, conducted by Vanessa Scammell, including some members of Menzel’s own band, Idina Menzel makes a glamorous entrance with a bone-chilling rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Menzel takes us through her life journey, displaying an intimate performance showcasing over 10 songs from shows she has been involved in, including Rent and Wicked, as well as songs reflecting her relationships and loved ones she’s lost.

Barefoot and dressed in a self-proclaimed ‘very non-sexy frock,’ Menzel simply does not fail to amuse her audience in between songs and it is clearly obvious that she has a rather large fanbase here in Adelaide.  Not only showing spectacular vocal skills, Menzel also performed a small dance number to the entertainment of the audience.

A memorable and highly enjoyable moment of the night would be when Menzel performed Rent’s Take Me or Leave Me in which she invited a trio of unexpected talent to come up onstage to sing the song with her. Without a doubt, this performance of high grandeur received an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience.

In an unforgettably moment, Menzel performed an unaccompanied acapella version of For Good from the musical Wicked, a song which emphasizes her appreciation of her fans and the opportunity to travel the world doing what she loves. And without a doubt, she closed the show with her most signature song in a grand performance of none other than Defying Gravity.

However, Idina Menzel returned to the stage once more to perform a song from her upcoming musical If/Then and her personal favourite Somewhere from West Side Story.

The Adelaide Festival Theatre, housing approximately 2000 people, provided a simple backdrop and minimal staging decorations in order to allow a more intimate performance between Menzel and the audience. The powerful vocal performance displayed by Menzel emphasized her professionalism in being a renowned musical theatre actress throughout the years.

It goes to say that the name Idina Menzel  will be passed around countless times in the theatre world in the years to come. If one ever happens to be in New York in 2014, be sure to see Idina Menzel in her return to the Broadway stage in her new show If/Then.

 

Kryztoff Rating: 5K

Jun 22

CABARET FESTIVAL – Compositions – Tyran Parke – 3K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpiimagesBy Peter Maddern

Tyran Parke is one of three artistically talented brothers raised in Newcastle who lost their mother around their respective ages of 10. Tyran sings, beautifully, with a confidence and a passion, devoid of arrogance but with a gentle showmanship that reveals his identity and genuineness. His elder brother, Trent, is a nationally recognised photo-journalist who portrays an edgy and visually complex world through his black white images that play heavily on water – swirling seas that home at least for their moments human fish out of water ; rain – caught like short tracer bullets that separate people from their destinies; and vapour that clouds and make magical country settings and isolated people.

Compositions – A Musical Close-Up is Tyran’s attempt in the form of musical theatre to link music and images through the commissioned works of a variety of song writers, including some very famous names. This week’s two shows were the premieres of five years of work since the idea popped into has head while in New York.

The result has the makings of something excellent. Arranged by Luke Byrne and based on compositions sent to him inspired by the ideas evoked by single images of Trent, Tyran’s youthful enthusiasm for the project in its conception and performance is truly infectious.  It takes some balls, if not raw naivety, to approach the likes of Stephen Schwartz and John Bucchino to write songs on this basis but he has pulled it off. Highlights were his duet with Gareth Keegan for Colour My Life and Jeff Blumenkrantz’s Choose Happy.

The weaknesses were in the use of the images. The small screen, the lack of ‘Ken Burns’ effects with them and the insistence to maintain the stage’s lighting throughout detracted from their potential impact. The other oddity was the single of use of his two soloists – the aforementioned Keegan and punky Queenie van de Zandt. Perhaps having them rejoin him on stage for the finale would have helped round out the program.

But still, as written above, there is much to work with to develop this into an exciting musical theatre project and I hope it gets that chance.

Kryztoff Rating   3K

Jun 21

CABARET FESTIVAL: Martha Wainwright – Come Home to Mama – Dunstan Playhouse – 3.5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpi2013 Cab LogoThere is no doubt that Martha Wainwright is an extraordinary performer and the sold out crowd in the Dunstan Playhouse were obviously very excited to have the opportunity to experience her play live. Accompanied by husband Brad Albetta on bass, Yuval Lion on drums and Ben Grayson on piano and keyboards, she showed her own skills on guitar and set the air on fire with her beautiful vocals.

The first half of the set was fairly routine, as Wainwright played a series of great songs of her own. There was a definite shift in the energy when Albetta and Lion left the stage and Wainwright and Grayson played several numbers by Edith Piaf, including the delightful L’Accordéoniste, which Wainwright kindly translated the story of for those of us whose French is a little rusty. This was the section of the show where she started talking between songs and the energy became a lot more interactive and comfortable.

Wainwright shared several stories about her mother, Kate McGarrigle, and played a number of songs written by her, including the delightful I am a Diamond, from an unproduced musical theatre production, and Proserpina, the final song McGarrigle wrote. It was these later numbers, along with an encore in which she performed Stormy Weather, accompanied by Albetta on piano, that were particularly lovely and emotive.

This is one of those shows that prompts you to question just how wide the definition of “cabaret” can be. With the full band behind her, it seemed a little odd to be sitting in the surrounds of a theatre for a show that felt like it would go off in a pub. Having said that, several of her other Australian dates have also been in theatre venues, so it may be a choice on Wainwright’s part. However, whether it is appropriate to be included in a cabaret festival still seems questionable.

While this performance seemed a bit out of place in this festival and Wainwright took a while to offer anything extra to the audience, once she did her likeable personality added to the quality of her performance, to create a pleasant night of enjoyable music.

Kryztoff Rating: 3.5K

Jun 20

CABARET FESTIVAL – Paul McDermott – The Dark Garden – Festival Theatre Stage – 3.5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpi2013 Cab LogoDuring this year’s Adelaide Fringe, the staircase to the basement of the Tuxedo Cat was actually a porthole into the mind of Paul McDermott. In the bowels of what was once the David Jones building, you found yourself surrounded by pictures of traditionally cute animals (bunnies, deer, etc.), unsettlingly evolved into rather darker versions. The world they inhabited was a corrupted and dangerous yet beautiful environment, The Dark Garden. The Cabaret Festival now offers a sister piece to this exhibition, as McDermott presents a collection of songs, written during the same period as the creation of this visual art, which explore some similar themes.

This is a show quite directly focussed on loss and the feelings that accompany it. McDermott references the Kübler-Ross model of five stages of grief throughout, and uses this – though with a substitution of one stage for cross-dressing – as the structure for the journey through his songs, with varying success. It is interesting that the stage he chose to substitute was depression and thus, this state of mind is never directly mentioned in the show despite clearly being a heavily underlying sensation throughout. The songs are pleasing, in a beautiful, sorrowful, cathartic way. Musically, the four piece band (lead by Stu Hunter) and string quartet compliment McDermott’s voice and the arrangements are satisfying.

Within the show as a whole, there is an interesting juxtaposition. In between songs, McDermott is the character we know from TV and the Doug Anthony All Stars; a self-confident comedian, full of irreverence, quick with the one-liners, letting rip with a few profanities and telling ridiculous stories featuring characters such as ex porn stars. On the one level this prevents the performance from becoming too overly gloomy, but on the other it jars with the intensity of the songs so that it ends up feeling a little disjointed. Having said this, the presentation of these two very different sides also serves to exhibit the differences between the person that gets presented to the world and the internal feelings not so readily shared; not just in terms of McDermott but for people, particularly men, as a whole.

The lyrics of the songs clearly come from a very personal place for McDermott and this no doubt makes it hard for him to sing them. His performance often felt distant, like he wouldn’t, or couldn’t, allow the emotions in the songs to affect him – or, if he did feel them, allow this sensitivity to be reflected for others to see. While it’s a natural instinct to avoid being overly emotional in front of others, part of a performer’s job is to be the conduit between the passion of the piece and the audience. When he did throw himself into it, and showed some of his vulnerability, it was highly affecting.

While not a wholly satisfying emotional journey, there were certainly some stimulating elements to this show and McDermott has a wonderfully creative mind and beautiful voice. It was interesting to see the ideas and images from the paintings reflected in a different art form and this show and the instillation make nice counterparts.

Kryztoff Rating: 3.5K

Jun 20

FILM – World War Z – 3.5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpihqdefaultWhen this ‘save us from the apocalypse’ flick starts, our hero, Brad Pitt is caught up in the mother of all traffic jams in downtown Philadelphia with his family. Soon, we get the picture things are not normal and a plague of zombies descends upon all soon after.

Thereafter the story follows familiar ground of the former action hero who is reluctantly cajoled and then forced back into service to single handedly save the world and, of course, his family. As is the want of the modern global film industry, Bond like, we then get a Thos. Cook tour of various world locales including South Korea (allegedly), Jerusalem, Cardiff (again allegedly) and Nova Scotia. Even the Soviet satellite of Belarus gets a gig through its national airline that escapes the carnage in Israel.

While Pitt dominates throughout, the film is otherwise strangely composed with any number of substantive supporting acts but none that you would describe as a co-star or leading lady. The most bizarrely interposed character is the son of a middle-eastern family who joins in the Pitt clan after his elders failed to heed pithy words of wisdom from the great man. Just what he was doing in and amongst the otherwise picture perfect nuclear family world is anyone’s guess.

And , while as I say Pitt dominates screen time, he does so at not more than third gear and the best acting of the whole film comes near the end when Pitt is comes face to face with a zombie on the tooth and it is the zombie that wins the performance plaudits hands down over our Bradley.

Having said that, the special effects are good fun, (a good plane crash and zombies piling on top of each other like ants in a feeding frenzy against the wall in Jerusalem – see image – are highlights) though seeing it in 3D is by no means mandatory, and the action races along. Which is a good thing seeing the gaps in logic that get exposed from time to time are ones that the audience is best not allowed to dwell on. Not that the target market for this holiday floss is PhD scholars.

Kryztoff Rating   3.5K

Jun 16

CABARET FESTIVAL – Meow Meow – 5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpi2013 Cab LogoBy Peter Maddern

Fans of traditional cabaret may not know whether to laugh or cry as Meow Meow, clad only in her underwear (as a result of ‘a hiring stuff up by her producer’), takes to classic Weimar and New York table entertainment with sword and satire. Whether seeking to inject ‘atmosphere’ into a frigid Adelaide crowd, spice things up with Vegas style lighting and making perhaps the most awkward costume change in theatre history, Melissa Madden Gray is a rollicking delight.

Anyone who has witnessed Dame Edna’s antics will spot the provenance of this show but Gray is unabashed as hapless males are brought up on stage to nurse her various protrusions and folds while she sings and even the members of her two piece band are required to strip down in sympathy with her.

Notwithstanding the roses and rockette dolls flying around at will, there is actually singing going on; rich, edgy and pulsating renditions of works from Brel to Brecht to Radiohead – though amongst the mayhem it is perhaps the weakness of the show that one does not get more of an opportunity to appreciate Miss Meow’s vocal skills.

The is fine entertainment and somewhat like Eddie Perfect’s musical, it may be you will never look at the genre in quite the same way again. A show to enjoy over and over with her crowd surfing finale amongst who booked the earliest a memory that will joyfully stay with you for a long time beyond the show.

Kryztoff Rating   5K

Jun 16

CABARET FESTIVAL: Virginia Gay – Songs to Self-Destruct to – 5K

SMA Kryztoff banner May 13 100dpi2013 Cab LogoThough many people will know Virginia Gay from her appearances in Aussie television favourites All Saints and Winners and Losers, it may come as a surprise to those who have not seen her live before that she is also a powerhouse cabaret performer. Her new show explores the experience of insomnia and the places in your mind that it takes you while the hours slip away. Anyone who has experienced insomnia will know the bizarre mix of desperation and resignation that it can bring, and the way that it can lead to the sense that you’re somewhat losing your mind.

Gay has put together an eclectic and enjoyable mix of songs – from The Backstreet Boys through to The White Stripes, Kanye West through to Casey Chambers – which manage to bring this feeling to the stage. In addition to some wonderfully original covers of iconic songs – think a calypso-esque version of Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares to You – she has a flare for mash-ups, weaving together songs that you wouldn’t normally think would complement each other, into an hilarious yet musically satisfying mix. Assisting her in this are the brilliant Benny Cann on drums, Gavin Pierce on bass and Musical Director Simon Ross on Piano.

Through all of the numbers, Gay’s voice soars out over the crowd. It is powerful and enveloping, with a syrupy quality and clarity that never falters. Her stage presence is mesmerising and her energy, at the same time coupled with the suggestion of more than a hint of the exhaustion brought about by lack of sleep, is infectious.

This is a superb vehicle for Gay to show off her considerable musical and comedic talent and she provided a highly enjoyable hour of entertainment.

Kryztoff Rating: 5K