Bourbon St To Broadway
The Butterfly Club, Carson Place
Reviewed on January 14, 2015
For more than twenty years, The Butterfly Club has been one of Melbourne’s leading, full – time performance venues.
Since 1993, the space has presented more than one thousand new shows, hosting everything from stand-up comedy to improvised farce. It has also kick – started the careers of Tim Minchin and Eddie Perfect, and recently featured established names such as Amanda Harrison and Jemma Rix.
However, as a mainstay for cabaret, the intimate space is ideal because artists and audience members may connect as one. The best cabaret acts are always the most personal, and Bourbon St to Broadway starring Britni Leslie is no exception.
Watched from an Australian perspective, Leslie’s American journey is as fascinating as it is unique. The show also speaks that critical universal language to any theatre gypsy working towards a career in the performing arts.
Growing up in Mobile, Alabama, Leslie reveals that she caught the acting bug very early as a child. Putting on shows for both family and friends, the young performer had a dream and went for it.
Eventually moving to Orlando in Florida, the singer auditioned for and got a job at Walt Disney World. Leslie recounts in hilarious detail, the maddening differences between being employed as a ‘fur character’ and a ‘face character’. She also explains what it was like maintaining the Magic Kingdom’s philosophy, of having to keep a smile on non-stop.
That experience and training from working for the mouse are clear.
Swishing her long blond locks and sparkling in a sleeveless pink taffeta prom dress, Leslie is the quintessential Disney princess. However, Bourbon St to Broadway contains a deliciously incongruous twist. The pay-off being, Leslie has a naughty sense of humour, and continues to charm us even when dropping the occasional f-bomb.
Once Leslie arrived in the Big Apple, her misadventures in childcare make Mary Poppins or The Nanny Diaries look mild by comparison. She also keeps us enthralled, covering her experiences on the dating scene with stories everyone can relate to; disasters and delights are covered in equal measure.
Leslie has a stunning vocal range, reminiscent of Megan Hilty, Kristin Chenoweth, and Australia’s own Lucy Durack.
Bourbon St to Broadway plays to Leslie’s strengths as a storyteller and a character singer. She has also selected a repertoire that drives the narrative, demonstrating both a Broadway belt and a rich coloratura voice.
Her biographical choices shift from classics such as Broadway Baby (from Follies), Little Girls (from Annie), Adelaide’s Lament (from Guys and Dolls), to more contemporary fare like Part of My World (from The Little Mermaid) and Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist (from Avenue Q).
Particular highlights included renditions of Someone To Watch Over Me, Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend and Dance Ten, Looks Three (from A Chorus Line). Several other songs have had lyrics rewritten to suit the story.
Bourbon St to Broadway is 60 minutes of bubbly, non – stop entertainment. Tim Verdon on piano provides excellent accompaniment, and is the perfect foil to Leslie’s Southern belle.
It is clear that Leslie knows herself as well as her intended audience, and this act is a terrific showcase for her talent. Leslie’s story would no doubt be a welcome part of any cabaret festival, or work by itself as a freestanding show.
Image Source: Star Now