2ND BLOG ENTRY - JOE CALLERI'S PIX TAKEN AT THE MEDIA CALL FOR BARBIE LIVE: THE MUSICAL: FRIDAY 04 APRIL 2014.

Palais Theatre, St Kilda - Friday 04 April 2014, from 12.30pm.

Here are some of the images I took during the Media Call for the Australian debut of the colorful, peppy Barbie Live: The Musical. The show opens tomorrow night, April 05, 2014, at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda.

PIX TAKEN BY JOE CALLERI AT THE MEDIA CALL FOR BARBIE LIVE THE MUSICAL: FRIDAY 04.04.2014.

The Palais Theatre will burst into high chroma life with the Australian premiere of Barbie Live The Musical.

REVIEW - A SUNBURNT HISTORY: CITIZENSHIP

A SUNBURNT HISTORY: CITIZENSHIP

TRADES HALL, UNTIL APRIL 06, 2014.

A sure-fire recipe for comedy magic made from soil, sweat, and sheer chutzpah!  

Stars: 4.

By: Joe Calleri.

CHARLIE RANGER (L), NICK WAXMAN (R) - IMAGE SUPPLIED

Wanna see two, young, hard-working Aussie comedians shoe-horn 226 years of Australian history into one tightly scripted, high energy, and highly entertaining, sweat-soaked hour?

Then go see Charlie Ranger’s and Nick Waxman’s production, A Sunburnt History: Citizenship.

These guys easily earn their 4-star rating for accomplishing comedy’s equivalent of climbing Mount Everest in an hour.

Part satirical history lesson, part reflection piece, these two blokes impressively and hilariously re-enact some important persons and events from Australia’s relatively short history.

This show is a welcome break from the self-absorbed rantings of most modern stand-ups.

After a beautifully written introduction containing only words ending in “ation” (nation, elucidation, eradication, etc), the duo enthusiastically put their personal spin on events including John Batman trying to acquire tracts of land from the native indigenous owners with mere trinkets, and the hero worship of the Eureka Stockade’s Peter Lalor.

Discussions regarding the absurdist White Australia Policy, all too pervasive racism, ridiculous border security policies, the risks presented by “boat people”, and how badly we continue to treat our indigenous population, made me pause and wonder once more whether as a nation we have advanced in our attitudes as far as we believe.

Some of the show’s many highlights include a hilarious cameo from our esteemed Prime Minister Abbott (clad only in little red Speedos), and the lovely Brynne Edelsten (compete with visible g-string, and 5 o’clock shadow) hosting the Dictation Test Challenge. Warning: it’s not as easy as it looks.

Readers, in my view, Charlie and Nick represent the exciting next wave of Australian comedy. They deserve your patronage during the 2014 Comedy Festival.

REVIEW - ANJELAH JOHNSON

-->

ANJELAH JOHNSON

HI FI BAR, UNTIL APRIL 06, 2014.

The “H” in Anjelah stands for hilarious - and hot!

Stars: 4.

By: Joe Calleri

ANJELAH JOHNSON - IMAGE SUPPLIED.

She sings, dances, raps, beatboxes, she impersonates. And she’s smokin’ hot to boot!

Anjelah Johnson is in da house.

This 31-year old Los Angeleno stand-up comedienne with her easy smile and spicy Mexican heritage, languidly lopes around the stage at a jam-packed Hi Fi Bar, reflecting a performer who is perfectly comfortable with her material and in her own skin.

Johnson arrives in Australia for the first time, boasting impressive comedy and performance credentials: former NFL cheerleader, and appearances on Comedy Central, and MadTV for starters. But, like many other performers, it is that modern marvel, YouTube, that has catapulted Johnson to international stardom. One of her YouTube clips alone has received more than 65 million hits! Perfect way to generate an ardent following.

Her comedy routine is one part revelatory, one part flexing her versatile vocal and physical performance skills.

Johnson, a Christian (which may partly explain the remarkable absence of profanity from her routine), is married to a handsome Puerto Rican Christian rapper. Didn’t know they existed.   

After describing the travails of a recent European travel adventure, Johnson unleashes from her ample arsenal of performance skills, neatly weaving them in with skilful, and impeccably observed impersonations of both her immediate and extended family. Her mother in law impression is a hoot!

But, the audience whoops and hollers the loudest during two of Johnson’s best known and loved routines. The first describes her encounters with Asian nail beautician, Tammy. Many will have had their nails buffed and polished by beauticians just like the overly friendly, intrusive, and impossible to understand, Tammy. Side-splitting stuff!

Then, Johnson’s MadTV alter ego, the violent, fast-talking, fast food employee, Bon Qui Qui, hits the stage with her tender rendition of the rap song, “I’m a cut you”.

A short hour spent with this performer is inadequate. So, y’all come back and visit us, Anjelah, y’hear?

REVIEW - TOMMY DASSALO - DREAMBOAT

-->

TOMMY DASSALO - DREAMBOAT

ACMI, FEDERATION SQUARE, UNTIL 20 APRIL 2014

Time-travelling down memory lane with talkative Tommy worth the ticket.

Stars: 3 & 1/2.

By: Joe Calleri

TOMMY DASSALO - IMAGE SUPPLIED

While Tommy Dassalo’s new show, Dreamboat, breaks no new comedic ground, it contains one especially clever and memorable twist that proves once and for all, that time travel is possible – with eye-popping and hilarious results.

The amiable, well-known host of The Little Dum Dum Club Podcast mostly succeeds with this rapid-fire delivery performance because of his absolute commitment to material that, in the hands of less skilled comedians, could be pedestrian.

After the audience throws their brightly coloured undies at Dassalo (folks, he supplied them), he settles into a generic, stand-up slice-of-life routine.

There’s the growing up pains when your Mum bought your underwear, the warm comfort of high school tuck-shop food, and the geeky friends with strangely appropriate nicknames.

Dassalo throws in some uncomfortable but funny anecdotes about parents and partners (the side-effects of eating bad seafood), and familiar tales of daily life and interactions with them. It’s grist for the mill for most stand-ups, but Tommy ably carries off this material with the audience’s appreciation.

He throws in one dark tale, which I can’t disclose here, regarding the cringingly sinister derivation of the show’s cute title.

And, did you know how many Australians are injured each year by slipping on stray grapes? No?

If you want to know, mosey down to ACMI, and spend an hour with Dreamboat Dassalo. Just don’t call him Carl Pilkington, OK?

Review - The Umbilical Brothers – KiDShow (Not Suitable For Children)

The Umbilical Brothers – KiDShow (Not Suitable For Children)
Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse – to 13 April 2014
Underwhelming Umbilicals Under-Perform and Under-Deliver
Stars: 3
By: Joe Calleri

DAVID COLLINS (L), SHANE DUNDAS (R) - IMAGE SUPPLIED.

Despite a few highlights, The Umbilical Brothers’ latest production, KiDShow (Not Suitable For Children) lacks their usual snap, crackle and pop, leaving it an awkward and curiously tentative effort.

The internationally renowned, and usually dynamic duo of curly-haired David Collins and bald Shane Dundas – those blokes you see flogging cough lollies on telly – are noted for their unique brand of high-impact mime, physical humour, and remarkable vocal dexterity.

The performance has the basic ingredients of a children's show: cute, smiling, overly-friendly presenters, silly songs and dances, and a parade of well-known and imaginary characters.

It’s ironic the duo choose to disguise this piece as a children’s show, considering they recently starred in a genuine but now defunct children’s television program, The Upside Down Show.

Once the Brothers discover the audience is made up of adults, the gloves come off, the tone and subject matter become decidedly darker, and the language decidedly bluer.

The audience then witnesses tantalising glimpses of the theatrical magic of which these Brothers are undoubtedly capable.

Such flashes of brilliance include an anarchic, violent and destruction-fuelled parody of The Brady Bunch, and Collins' impressive rendition of Nina Simone’s classic Feeling Good, with Dundas providing hilarious, background sound effects.

Some of the problems with this show may stem from the last-minute replacement of the Brothers' sound and lighting operator, however this does not excuse the problematic structure and its intermittently lacklustre performances.

These veteran Aussie performers possess unique theatrical skills so it’s a shame that the Brothers have, to coin a TV chef critique, plated up a flawed dish.

END