Marney McQueen is a Rump Steak at a Vegan BBQ, April 3, 2012 ***

Chapel off Chapel, until April 1, 2012

• Reviewed by Joe Calleri
• Published in Herald Sun online on April 05, 2012 12:25PM
• Stars: ★★★

Marney McQueen displays her bountiful singing and chameleon-like acting talents in her debut cabaret show. Pic supplied

DESPITE featuring in Hairspray as Velma Von Tussel and in more than 600 performances of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, you may not know, or recognise, Marney McQueen.

Not surprising considering that, in those shows her hair and make-up rendered her unrecognisable. Regardless, she is a genuine musical theatre star, with a strong, clean, crisp voice, and impressive top register.

McQueen displays her bountiful singing and chameleon-like acting talents in her debut cabaret show, Marney McQueen is a Rump Steak at a Vegan BBQ.

The clever title of this show is a reference to McQueen’s seemingly accursed status as an attractive, straight, 30-something woman who works in the gay-dominated world of musical theatre.

Backed by a killer three-piece band (drums, bass, and piano), McQueen begins the first and most successful part of her show by singing clever, well-crafted, original songs (one sung to the tune of Barry Manilow’s Mandy) bemoaning her inability to meet straight men - either on or away from a show.

But, when McQueen morphs into red-necked, racist head of border security Karen Barnes, then into Raelene Dreggs (whose daughter, Shana, is incarcerated in Denpasar for drug smuggling)and finally as snakeskin leather-clad, peacock-plumed, Russian beautician Rosa Waxofski, this show jumps the shark, and never recovers.

While McQueen demonstrates she is a skilled, transformational actor, Barnes, Dreggs and Waxofski, are dislikeable, narcissistic characters, and, in my view, the show suffers badly from their toxic, unnecessary presence.

At 90 minutes in length, this show is 30 minutes too long. McQueen should stick to the successful core theme of the show, and give Barnes, Dreggs and Waxofski the boot.

Stars: ★★★