Reviews

Being ‘Keeper of the Flame’ and sharing the heritage of legendary ‘High Priestess of Soul’, Nina Simone, American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist is no small feat, even for her only daughter, Lisa. Nina Simone’s music spanned multiple styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop.  Beloved and well known for jazz-like singing in her contralto voice, she was strongly influenced by her passion for European classical music which was her original career plan.

Gente, gente! (Italian for ‘People, people!’) is a grassroots not-for-profit opera company producing shows “for the people, by people who love opera”. Many of those opera lovers braved a rainy Saturday night in winter to see the opening night of their production of Dialogues des Carmélites.

The tragedy of living in a world of make-believe finds timeless expression in Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire, in the character of Blanche DuBois, a woman close to forty hoping that her pretensions of class, glamour, and (greater) youth will bring her the prince of her dreams.

To celebrate the end of another Adelaide Cabaret Festival, it seemed fitting that the 2024 cabaret icon award recipient Reuben Kaye would host a cross-section of talented performers to bring us 90 minutes of raucous entertainment. Joining him to celebrate the hilarity was Adelaide Cabaret artistic director, Virginia Gay.

Kaye sashayed through the crowd as we entered, greeting audience members like life-long friends. His trademark lavish lashes, mischievous smile and immense talent are what makes this performer a sensation at many cabaret and comedy festivals across the world.