Photo Kelly-Ann Denton
CHRISTA HUGHES IS OZ ROCKIN’ THE LADIES LOUNGE
24–26 JANUARY
Christa Hughes. Sydney. Spiegeltent. How can one resist?
I first met Christa backstage at the Spiegeltent in Melbourne between feathers, sequins and acrobats. Then she took to the stage in something like a yellow polka dot bikini and had performers and audiences rolling on the ground in minutes with her wonderfully hilarious and ridiculous theatrics. Next, she popped up on an ABC show crooning delicious deep jazz classics with her dad Dick Hughes on the ivories, revealing why she has music in her bones and why the cabaret is always curated with quality.
Back in Europe, French tap dance master and buddy Roxane Butterfly recounted memoires of living with Christa in London years earlier and catching the bus home with Christa peddling behind on a bike with a huge feather sticking out of her head for flair (or maybe her version of visibility for road safety in the English capital). Then, there’s her history with alternative rock back Machine Gun Fallatio formed in the late 90s known for their outrageously provocative performances, musical prowess and tongue in cheek lyrics.
All this to note that when you go see to see Christa, you know you’re not going to be bored!
OZ ROCKIN’ THE LADIES LOUNGE is Christa’s one woman musical show with Musical Director (playing Piano and Bass Ukelele) Leonie Cohen and musicians Marcello Maio, Ross Johnson and Julia Day. The show premiered and was developed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and is produced by Deborah Tobias.
The Spiegeltent glowing ambiance has the early audience (7:30pm show) looking and feeling good and for Christa it’s an easy home crowd- everyone is already a fan and dives right into the one hour show with her. It’s a trip through Australian rock, cabaret and pop classics à la Hughes, who begins in a Liza Minelli get up and concocts a theatrical costume change with help of audience members, a sing along and a large sequinned Aboriginal flag (after a light stab at Kylie’s Australian flag wrapping princess moment).
There’s a toast to Chrissy Amphlett, a tribute to Warumpi Band with Blackfella/Whitefella, a bit of AC/DC, Nick Cave, Cold Chisel and an intimate ukulele moment (“because everyone can play the bloody ukulele…. including me!”) and a symbolically silly Carrott Day finalé.
The audience, laugh, clap, sing along and leave happy. It would have been nice to have a longer show with an interval and at a later time slot – but at this apéro spark and you can be home for dinner and in bed by 10! Or perhaps, head off to another show. Those who like a midnight show to dive into, I’m pretty sure Christa has something else soon up her sassy sleeve.
In the meantime catch Christa tonight and tomorrow night at the Sydney Festival.
Details : http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2017/christa/?q=christa
Ruby Boukabou
