The 2017 Adelaide Cabaret Festival was launched on Friday night with the annual Variety Gala, a glittering showcase of what we can expect from this year’s lineup.
Opening the show was a peacock-themed number from the Brisbane-based boy-lesque group Briefs. The number featured the troupe of ridiculously handsome male dancers shaking their peacock feathers and flaunting their chiseled rigs in outfits that left little to the imagination.
Hosted for the second time by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival co-artistic directors Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect, the 2017 Variety Gala kicked off with a number from Perfect’s latest project, a Broadway adaption of ‘Beetlejuice’ entitled ‘Welcome To A Show About Death’.
Taking to the stage in Her Majesty’s Theatre next, calling themselves the Three Mikados, was comedy gold Colin Lane, Umbilical Brother David Collins and Broadway darling Amy G. In just minutes the trio proved they are not only funny but can also hit a killer three part harmony while taking on Gilbert & Sullivan at the speed of light.
If you hadn’t heard, the 2017 Adelaide Cabaret Festival has a huge two-week program which will feature a mix of home grown acts, premieres and special guests from around the globe, most notably Dianne Reeves and Alan Cumming. Also returning to Adelaide for the third time following visits with Club Swizzle and Dita Von Teese’s Strip Strip Hooray at last year’s festival, our favourite semi-famous comedian Murray Hill took to the stage between acts to host the ‘Murray Hill Challenge’. Hill plucked three audience members from the crowd and invited (forced) them to participate in a dance-off which saw them shaking their bacon to some of the best contemporary hits. Always charming and hilarious, Murray Hill is a star is his own right.
Eddie Perfect later stole the show with a moving performance of ‘Quiet’ from Tim Michin‘s musical, Matilda which is currently showing at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Possibly the most entertaining performance of the night goes to Dillie Keane, the naughty nana who’s filthy ‘Hokey Pokey’ number about geriatric sex had the audience in stitches. The saying, “if you wouldn’t say that in front of your grandma, then don’t say it,” would not apply to this woman, who at 65 proves that age has no limit for a spectacular solo career.
After a minimum of five outrageous outfit changes from Ali McGregor, an upbeat medley of Kylie Minogue hits by Michael Griffiths and a sassy performance by Les Girls veteran and ‘Queen of the Cross’ Carlotta, the Variety Gala wrapped up with an energetic mash-up led by Perfect and McGregor, backed by the 2017 Class of Cabaret members.
To view the program and book tickets to one of the many amazing shows at this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival click here.
If you’re stuck trying to pick which shows to see, we conveniently wrote an article on our top picks for the festival here.
Image: Adelaide Cabaret Festival Facebook
