Review: "PALACES OF VARIETY". Johnny Pace with Michael J Coomes at the piano, School Of Arts Cafe, May 1996. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

This guy is good! With one of those 'I know that name' names and 'I know that face' faces, Johnny Pace brings to the Canberra region something which many of us are already very familiar with - the fine traditions of Music Hall.

This show, in three acts, is on the whole well constructed, expertly narrated and very well performed and has in fact been written especially for the School of Arts Cafe.

Act one deals with the songs made famous through the tradition of Music Hall from its beginnings in 1865 to its demise sometime in the middle of this century. Boiled Beef and Carrots and I'm Henry the Eighth I Am (brought in by Harry Champion) are featured, along with The Man Who Broke The Bank At Montecarlo and Champagne Charlie (originally delivered to audiences by George Leybourne) and many other fine songs.

Also included, is a wonderful version of Burlington Bertie, rendered this time by a male performer, the clever twist being that originally the song was delivered by male impersonators.

One very endearing aspect of this show is how costume changes and makeup are all included as part of the act and indeed the set. Watching Mr Pace transform from one character to another is a fascination in itself, although the real characterizations do come from the performers own excellent acting skills and experience.

Act two deals with selected British musical comedy stars - creditable impressions of Stanley Holloway, Robb Wilton, Bud Flanagan (Underneath the Arches) and Dickie Henderson (whom Mr Pace regards as a major influence) and wonderful performances of George Formby and Max Miller.

The only glitch for me in this show was a rather cheap rendering of Sammy Davis Junior at the beginning of act three. Not that there is anything sacrosanct about impersonating Mr Davis, it's just that this one really isn't done very well and brings the whole show down to 'prawn morning' level fairly quickly. Why this had to be included I can't imagine. Mr Pace's forte is English musical comedy. It's a bit like the opera stars who suddenly decide they're going to release a jazz album. Thankfully, it passed and we returned to a more elevated performance, the show finishing with a very clever song called How To Finish A Cabaret, which Mr Pace milked for all it was worth - and then some!

Palaces of Variety really is a great act, and with some fine tuning should mature into an excellent one.

First published in Muse Magazine (Canberra), June 1996 

Review: "LOST IN THE STARS" - Kurt Weill and his Music. Karen Cummings, soprano with Marie Louise Catsalis at the piano. Directed by Bill Stephens. School of Arts Cafe, May 16 1996. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Lost In The Stars

Kurt Weill and his music

Karen Cummings, soprano with Marie Louise Catsalis at the piano. Directed by Bill Stephens. School of Arts Cafe, 

May 16 1996

Reviewed by Tony Magee

German born composer Kurt Weill studied composition at the Berlin Musikhochschule with Humperdink during 1918 and 1919, continuing with Busoni from 1921 to 1924. Busoni's influence is apparent in Weill's early works such as his String Quartet (1923) and further influences from Schoenburg, particularly expressionism and an approaching atonality, are features of his one act opera Der Protagonist (1926) and his Concerto for violin and wind (1924). I mention this only to highlight the solid musical background from which Weill emerged and to further highlight the enormity of the changes in his compositional style, for Weill's music took a new direction when he became Brecht's collaborator in 1927, evolving a cabaret style which he used to great effect to highlight the corruption of capitalism which Brecht was exposing in such works as Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) (1928) and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (The Rise and Fall of the City Of Mahagonny) (1930).

Soprano, Karen Cummings

It is from this point that mezzo-soprano Karen Cummings and accompanist Marie Louise Catsalis delivered a really first class presentation of the music of Kurt Weill, still embracing a huge variety of styles and languages - for whilst this show featured Weill's music for the Berlin cabaret, it also covers his French Chansons and the songs he wrote for the Broadway stage.

Cummings chose to render songs from each of these periods in their native language - her French is outstanding -  luscious and romantic as evidenced by performances of chansons, J'atten a Navire and Je Ne T'aime Pas. Her German is good, although needing further work to be really convincing, but nonetheless delivering fine performances of Berlin im Licht and Nanna's Leid.

Lost In The Stars is constructed in an ingenious and intriguing way. Director Bill Stephens in conjunction with the two performers has connected the musical numbers together with informative dialogue presented through the eyes of a friend of Weill's (played by Cummings). Generally, Cummings portrayed this characterisation confidently and convincingly, although at times the heavy European accent wandered between French and German  - something to work on, but still very good going for a first night run.

Weill's German cabaret period continued in to the early thirties, his song style further developing along the lines of an expose of the real and not necessarily attractive Berlin Society.

Director, Bill Stephens

With Hitler's appointment as chancellor on 30th January 1933, the bright lights of the Berlin cabaret scene were suddenly extinguished, condemned by the Nazis as "Jewish and Bolshevist culture". Thousands of artists and intellectuals left Germany for uncertain exile - Weill went to America. 

Here he concerned himself almost exclusively with the Broadway musical theatre, and here Cummings presented us with beautifully portrayed renditions of That's Him, I'm A Stranger Myself and My Ship (from Lady In the Dark, 1941). Act II of the show continued with Weill's Broadway output, featuring Lonely House and stunning versions of  September Song and It Never Was You (both from Knickerbocker Holiday, 1938). Act II also unveiled further offerings from the French Chanson repertoire, featuring Le Roi d'Aquitaine and Le Grand Lustucru - once again performed with an outstanding feeling for delivery and sense of story within the French language.

The song Lost In the Stars itself was used both as an opener and a closer to great effect and is from the show of the same name, composed in 1949.

    

Marie Louise Catsalis' accompaniments were absolutely first rate - every phrase and breath of Cummings was felt and accommodated. The two performers really are a wonderful musical unity.

Well - what an amazing show. Some of the historical account which I have given is not included in the dialogue presented by Cummings - perhaps an area for greater reflection at some stage - but Weill's short fifty years of life contains so much that you really can't include too much detail; we'd still be there now!

Originally published in Muse Magazine (Canberra), June 1996