Adelaide Fringe

Justin Clausen: Off the Record – Adelaide Fringe 2011

Presented by MacGregor William Productions
Reviewed Saturday 5th March 2011

http://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
http://justinclausen.com

Venue: City Soul, 13 Hutt Street, Adelaide
Season: 10:30pm to Saturday 12th March 2011
Duration: 75mins
Tickets: adults $25/conc $20
Bookings: Fringe TIX outlets or http://www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Justin Clausen is remarkably young to be doing what he is doing as well as he is doing it. He is 22 and performs as though he has 50 years of experience in the business. Under the direction of Jon Stephens he takes to the stage and gives a strongly confident performance worthy of any of the great cabaret singers of the past.

With his musical director, Ben Kiley, at the piano, Steph Bell on bass and Michael McNab on drums he is well served with some fine backing arrangements, subtly supporting his singing. Along with a number of standards he offers jazz versions of a wide range of other songs from the world of popular music and musical theatre. Opening with a superb version of I’m a Stranger Here Myself it was clear that this was going to be a great show. Sinatra, of course, gets a reference with a great version of All the Way. Dusty Springfield and Kylie Minogue get a shoe in, and there is a great version of Mack the Knife. I particularly liked his moving rendition of Not While I’m Around from Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd.

With his warm presentation, regularly making direct eye contact with each member of the audience so that they feel that he is performing just for them, and through his bright personality and humorous patter between songs, he held the audience in the palm of his hand. This is a captivating show that will send you out with the songs still running around in your head.

This is an extremely talented young man who is destined to go far. Catch his show now, before he hits the big time and moves overseas.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

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