Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Festival Theatre. 7 June 2014
For one night only, Michael Falzon, Matt Lee, Luke Kennedy and Ben Mingay transformed the Adelaide Festival Theatre into a swinging 60s boys club. Their soundtrack was resplendent with samplings from Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin and Oasis (yes you read that correctly!). It wasn’t just classic swing that made it into the packed two hour set. We were treated to ‘swingified’ versions of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’, ‘Tainted Love’ sung beautifully by Kate Ceberano, ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis, and ‘New Sensation’ by INXS.
All of the staples where there; Sinatra’s ‘One More For My Baby’, ‘It Had To Be You’, ‘Me And My Shadow’ and ‘Night And Day’, Sammy Davis Jr’s ‘Mr Bojangles’, Ray Charles’ ‘Hit The Road Jack’, Bobby Darin’s ‘Mack The Knife’ and Cab Calloway’s ‘Minnie The Moocher’ to name a few.
The show started out sounding like a live performance of Robbie Williams’ 2001 album release ‘Swing When You’re Winning’ and youngster, Luke Kennedy, joked that Williams was the originator of many of the songs they sang!
But, it was the onstage banter between the boys that really gave the show some personality. Ribbing and heckling each other during numbers, they each took on respective roles as the bad boy, comedian, dancer and newbie, and filled the stage with a feeling of fun and camaraderie that translated beautifully onto the audience.
The not-so-surprising arrival of Kate Ceberano for ‘guest spot’ was fun, and gave the boys somewhere to focus their youthful energy. Highlights of the night included the three, totally unplanned(!), encores, Matt Lee’s solo tap routine as he sang Mr Bojangles, and every time the four talented artists came together in harmony practically lifting the roof off the theatre.
The 18 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra were perfectly on song and the show was just plain good fun! With a bar onstage for the boys and wine and beer enjoyed throughout the auditorium the evening felt intimate and personal despite the enormity of the theatre. Bravo!
When: Closed
Where: Festival Theatre
Bookings: Closed
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