Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 10 June 2022
The Cabaret Festival is back and that means so is the after-party venue for all those who don’t want the night to end after their show. Located in the newly renovated outdoor area, set amongst outdoor firepits, seating areas and a bar, sits the Famous Spiegeltent. Home of the The Piña Colada Room promising a decadent homage to the icons of disco. Dressed in our disco attire and excited for a late-night of dancing, where we would live our best studio 54 lives. In hindsight our expectations were set high given the incredible never to be forgotten opening night of Club Cummings the year before. As we entered the venue, DJ Rautie was spinning tracks; unfortunately it seemed like 90% of the crowd missed the memo that discos are for dancing.
Reuben Kaye took to the floor soon after to open the night and did so with humor, pizzazz, a sultry number, and an Acknowledgement to Country worthy of a cheer; it is no wonder their Cabaret show Live, and Intimate is sold out. Catherine Alcorn and Phil Scott from the show 30 Something performed re-imagined contemporary songs that made you wonder why you hadn’t already bought a ticket to their show.
After this DJ Rautie was back, unfortunately the play list just didn’t scream disco and the songs that were played weren’t the type that were easily danced to. With Kaye back we were introduced to Trevor Jones whose free show Piano Man, also boasts as a place to hang out post Cabaret shows, for those who would like a nightcap while they listen to some classic piano bar belters. Trevor’s rendition of Elton’s Bennie and the Jets injected a great sing a long into the night. Jack Buchanan from Don Juan also belted out a number that was enjoyable.
As Kaye once again took to the stage to announce the conclusion of the live entertainment portion of the night, sighs from the crowd with multiple “so no Tina?” could be heard. As DJ Rautie came back on the stage some Jackson 5 and notable other disco songs began to play. However, the vibe just couldn’t be captured no matter how hard we tried. The night felt disjointed and off theme and although it was a good showcase of some of the shows on offer, it fell well short of last year’s extravaganza that was Alan Cumming’s Club Cummings.
DJ Rautie was unfortunately hidden at the back of the stage, the bar closed well before the end of the night and the atmosphere just wasn’t what the description had promised. With no two nights the same, one could hope that disco can be injected into The Piña Colada Room. Unfortunately, this reviewer felt like it was a sequel that you just wish they hadn’t made. My rating reflects the live entertainment portion of the evening.
Reviewed by Tara Forbes-Godfrey
Rating out 5: 3
Venue: The Famous Spiegeltent
Season: 10-25 June 2022
Tickets: $39
Bookings: https://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au/events/the-pina-colada-room/
Photo Credit: Claudio Raschella
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