Presented by Lucienne Weber
Reviewed 12th August 2019
Performer Lucienne Weber has pulled together a high-energy evening of cabaret.
Telling the story of her time in New York, Weber takes us through terrifying Broadway auditions, friendships, love and sex (or the lack thereof!). The story is told through songs from musicals, mostly more recent ones. For old theatre lags, it’s a great introduction to lesser-known works. Weber certainly knows how to deliver a number, with not a weak choice amongst them. She is a mezzo-belter, so although a little strained in the upper register, she chooses wisely, working mostly within her range.
The show-band is a corker: Jason Hammond, Christian Weber, Bonnie Aue, and Kevin van der Zwaag deliver some fine musicianship, under the direction of Hammond. The full band sound adds to the atmos and the story, giving a true Broadway feel to the work.
Songs include I’m Not Afraid of Anything, A Corset Can do a Lot for a Lady, What I did for Love and Defying Gravity.
Weber has a big on-stage presence: warm, sassy and sexy, she owns the space, and exudes a generous energy. Only issues were the sound mixing, which meant a lot of her vocals were lost, and her costume choice. Although she looked fabulous, the constant pulling at her skirt was beyond annoying. Either wear a longer skirt or enjoy the short one and stop worrying about it!
This is a value-packed 90 minutes of Broadway songs and stories. For anyone who has loved New York, or wanted to go. For anyone who loves good stories. For anyone who loves good music.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @Tracey Korsten
Rating out of 5: 4 ENERGETIC
Photo credit: Karen Waller
Venue: Holden Street Theatres
Season: August 12th-13th
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $30
Bookings: http://3ww.holdenstreettheatres.com/index.php
@HoldenStreet #cabaret #lucienneweber
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