Lynn Belvedere

SHORT AND SWEET CABARET 2016 WEEK ONE SYDNEY

Kay Armstrong

01 Nata Forte LR-10 02 Songs for Sarah Connor LR-16 03 Being Betty LR-1 04 Martin Charles - False Gods-1 05 Carolyn Burke - Get the Love You Deserve-1 06 Girls on Tap-1

One of the highlights between each ten minute cabaret act, was the gorgeous Kay Armstrong as the MC. Armstrong contributed plenty of audience participation, great one liners, and some corny jokes, plus one crazy ballet number. All very entertaining and well worth seeing. Later in January, Kay Armstrong is also bringing her one woman show to Short and Sweet Cabaret 2016.

Sydney’s Biggest Little Cabaret Festival is back, with a brand new round of performers every week, for four weeks during January. Short and Sweet Cabaret has a new festival director this year, James Taylor (Royal Ballet London, The Magician’s Cabaret, El Circo, Risque Revue).

In under ninety minutes, six superb ten minute performances were presented from 7:30pm on Tuesday night. This week a unique and very entertaining evening of brand new cabaret was experienced, with a huge range of cabaret style songs, including comedy, dance and musical theatre. With so much talent on stage this week, very very hard to pick the winner.  

 (1) “Nat’s Entertainment”. Charismatic singing star Nata Forte, performed a repertoire of delightful songs from around the world, with the audience singing along to the Australian songs.

(2) “Songs for Sarah Connor”. Starring Alistair Tomkins as THE TERMINATOR mix-tape cabaret style, with very entertaining new humorous lyrics sung to very familiar music, played on the piano by accompanist Dom Woodhead. There were the unfortunate deaths of everyone named “Sarah Connor”, and was an audience favourite comedy.

(3) “Being Betty” Julianne Sisinni is a beautifully dressed, very hip 1960s secretary, telling her psychiatrist all about her relationships and her complicated life in song, from the comfort of a red-coloured egg-shaped chair.

(4) “False Gods” Martin Charles as a huge vocal range, and inspired by the beautiful dichotomy of human nature, his latest songs are from his upcoming music EP. Accompanied by Guitarist – Micheal Coggins and on Double Bass – Elsen Price.

(5) “Get The Love You Deserve” Carolyn Burke is the YouTube self help and relationship expert. But because she was just dumped by her boyfriend, and with the help of too many Xanax and alcohol, instead of delivering a empowerment seminar to the faithful, and with a wonderful voice, sings her way back to happiness.

(6) “Girls On Tap” Accompanist Sally Hare has seven of the best of the best tap dancers performing clever routines with an unexpected fast costume change. Their high energy dance routines were another audience favourite. Cast: Laura Scarfo, Peta Anderson, Siobhan Shibby Parker, Maria Costa, Georgia Shae Anderson, Natasha Window.

Short and Sweet Cabaret Week 1 is playing nightly at  7.30pm until Saturday 9th January at the New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown.

Photo credits- First image is of Kay Armstrong. Photo by Maylei Hunt. All other pics by Sylvi Soe.

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -