|
Prima Artists Entertainment Showcase
- Review -
Madame Jojo's London
May
23
Featuring : Damon St James, Sav, Jane Shaw Cunningham, Mr Williams, Drew
Cameron, Kevin Fitzsimmons, Opposite Attraction, Ian Marchant, Rhythm'n'Smooch,
Passionate Strings, Mike Hatchard, Dirrty, Funky Divas, Celia Graham, Paul
Baker
Madam Jojo's in Soho proved to be a marvellous venue to
showcase this seasons's troupe of top entertainers from the Prima Artists
stable. The intimate atmosphere of this cabaret bar played host to several
of Prima's finest mix and mingle artists, all of whom worked the room to the
delightful lilting solo guitar of Damon St James adding to the relaxed
ambience of the event.
An import from the USA, St James' superb mix of
smooth Latin rhythms and delicious jazz classics made for a perfect musical
backdrop to the afternoon. The audience were treated to a mixture of magic
and mystery with conjuror Sav mesmerising the audience with his
sleight of hand, while elsewhere psychic Jane Shaw Cunningham
predicted what the future dealt to amazed individuals.
The onstage
entertainment opened with a bang as Prima offered us a tribute to that most
contemporary of entertainers Robbie Williams. In Mr
Williams they have a sharp impersonator with a voice to match the
illusion, who manages to convey the appealing arrogance of the real thing.
Accompanied by two high energy dancers, Mr Williams tripped off a medley of some
of his most popular numbers.
These showcases can be a minefield for
comedy acts and versatility is the key to working in front of such a critical
audience. Fortunately Drew Cameron's range enabled him to
swiftly move with the atmosphere of the room, gauging our reactions and
tailoring his act to suit. While his impressions were sharply observed and
executed - particularly his Graham Norton - the artist really came into his own
as compere in the second act, showing us his quick wit and ability to improvise
with the best of them.
There is much more to being a tribute act than the
right make-up and costume, as is proved by the marvellous Kevin
Fitzsimmons. His Sinatra relies ostensibly on a remarkably astute
vocal tribute. With a perfectly natural timbre to his voice he immediately
conjures up Old Blue Eyes in his glory years. His choices for the
afternoon were impeccable, offering the audience a glimpse at Sinatra the lounge
singer, with the familiar Witchcraft to open, I'm in Love and closing with the
louche, almost melancholy One More for the Road.
Opposite
Attraction had flown in all the way from Spain to give us a glimpse of
their truly unique international act. Mixing music, magic and comedy this
international couple stunned the audience with levitation, a knife act and,
later a selection of amazing mind-reading tricks incorporating live music.
In a mystical take on an old favourite, the couple seemed able to name that tune
with no musical clues whatsoever.
Ian Marchant managed
to keep up an amusing dialogue while demonstrating his skills as a
juggler. Juggling seemed only a minor part of the act, however, as
Marchant proved equally adept at ball spinning and the peculiar art of hat
manipulation.
Classical music was given an edge with a selection of
strings, reed and keyboard. Rhythm'n'Smooch have a
unique, stylish act that is apparently a favourite of the Royal Family.
Their particular blending of flute and oboe, crossed with colourful costumes,
witty repartee and music from an Irish Jig to Abba make for an exciting
combination.
The same may be said for Passionate Strings
as two virtuoso violinists, brimming with energy and visual flair, they mix up a
medley of both classical and contemporary pieces for a discerning
audience. The keyboard is left in the versatile hands of Mike
Hatchard a rare talent combining a Stilgo-esque mix of original comic
numbers - Death by Chocolate was a real treat - and a selection of improvised
musical tricks designed to bring the house down.
Prima have selection of tribute acts in their collective and opening Act
II we were treated to the very talented Jeni Jaye with the wickedly named
Dirrty a tribute to that raunchiest of divas, Christina
Aguilera. Jaye's slick dance routines coupled with a belting vocal range
certainly capture the essence of her idol.
When it comes to foot tapping get up and boogie fun, however, you would
be hard pushed to beat the Funky Divas. Three of London's top
session singers combined to belt out funk and pop classics in an array of sexy
outfits and demonstrating a jaw-dropping vocal power and range - easily one of
the highlights of the afternoon.
It's always great to see a decent
crossover of variety and straight theatre and Prima supplied the goods
with the delightful Celia Graham. Direct from the
West End, Graham's soaring soprano gave us a classic mix of operatic arias and a
number from Lloyd Webber's Phantom, displaying the purity, strength and
surprising maturity of this charming young lady's voice.
Closing the
show, we were treated to the rich melodic voice of Paul Baker
with a lively, dynamic rendition of Have You Met Miss Jones? Baker,
more familiar to audiences in London's Theatreland, has a one-man cabaret act
that revisits some of his favourite roles and offers a few surprises along the
way including his emotional rendition of You Raise Me Up, a fitting finale to
the fine selection of performers showcasing their work
Paul Vale ... The Stage June 29,
2006
|
