Screamers – JUDY! BARBRA! LIZA! BETTE!

Judy! Barbara! Liza! and Bette! – They’re back! And just in time for Mardi Gras, with a classic live cabaret at The Seymour Centre’s class Sound Lounge. Performing three quintessentially raucous shows only, with cabaret table seating and a fully equipped bar, it’s certainly something that will take the edge off.

With last year’s effort coincidentally intertwining with the fall of the Abbott Government, this time around the production has been unambiguously intended for Mardi Gras as it looks to rejoice with the LGBTQI community.

“It’s specifically designed for Mardi Gras and we thought it was time for a celebration. Our show last year had a stab at bringing down the Abbott government and in the week that we performed the show he had been ousted. So we thought that it was pretty good timing,” explained Director of the show Gavin Vance.

The Cabaret scene in Sydney has experienced a bit of a resurgence in recent times and according to Vance, there’s no coincidence that politically extreme periods will breed a witty and precise response from the artistic community.

“All he wanted to do was stop the boats and send the boats back, which is one of the most inhumane things I’ve ever heard of. We were just at a loss. We were about half way through rehearsals when he knighted Prince Phillip, and that was just something that tipped us over the edge. We were embarrassed internationally that we were being led by such a monster,” said Vance.

“I think that’s why the scene is bigger at the moment. In extreme times, it pops back up again. We need to express those scenes and work out, through dialectics, how we can move forward,” he added.

Hosted by Velma Vegas and the Vaguetts, who have a colorful past in this arena, the spectacle will not only get you singing along to all of the divas greatest hits but will be giving you a rarely seen look into their early lives as performers.

“Velma waxes lyrical throughout the show about their story. Some parts of their story are seldom told and there are some really interesting little shrieks about what happened to those women in their lives,” said Vance. “Something that pops up in every single interview is this idea of them being difficult women, so that’s something that’s really interesting that Velma latches onto and talks about as well. They were women that struggled in a man’s world.”

With the impeccable choice of venue, the Seymour Centre is sure to bring the very best out of The Vaguettes – Dan Holland on keys, Stan Valacos on double bass and guitar and Tim Bradley on drums.

“It’s a great little venue, its 120 seats only, so it’s perfect for the beautiful raw, live sound that we’ve got. All the musicians are saying that acoustically it is the best in Sydney,” elaborated Vance. “It’s perfect for that speakeasy cabaret feel and a great night out.” (AH)

Fridays: 12, 19 & 26 Feb – 8pm. Seymour Centre Sound Lounge, City Road, Chippendale. Tickets & info: seymourcentre.com

BY ANDREW HARRISON