I was invited along on a spare ticket, which was just as well. This show costs $50 and there is no meal involved, yet it started at 6pm. The Bar is not in the theatre – its quite a distance away and there is a long line for it at interval. We popped down to the food court for nibblies and cheaper soft drinks.
The theatre space was huge, impressive and not too crowded, with everyone around tables and booths raked at the back. I think the show might’ve worked better in a more intimate space. The best thing about it was definitely The Kransky Sisters and that was the reason I went. They were thankfully given a large chunk of the show before and after interval and I was pleased to note that they had some new material along with all their classic songs. The funniest thing was probably seeing them on stage together with the Voluptunes, a trio of so-so lady lounge singers in rather dull but skimpy outfits. Mourne deriding their short skirts and the others being quite excited by them.
As host, Glynn Nicholas did not seem on top form. His policeman was a bit tired and stale, his rude French waiter, a weak sort of Mr.Bean.
Imogen Kelly the ‘Burlesque Artist’ was dreadful, esp in her tacky Shirley Temple get-up pulling lollypops out of her snatch to the tune of “Good ship Lollypop” and then as a pretty woeful fan-dancer. Finally in Act II we found out what she could do, she did some beautiful acrobatic, ariel ballet.
The showband were pretty good, but didn’t do much to justify their presence. The best bit of the non-Kransky part of the show was probably the Aussie-fied Christmas Carols at the end, much more clever and funny than I’d expected from the quality of the rest of the show.
I felt the show was trying to be a bit edgy, but was saddled with a behemoth of a venue that attracted the wrong conservative, elderly audience and so the show had to play down a bit to them. The cheering at the end though, proved that the audience loved The Kranskys as much as we did and certainly more than any other act. Talent will shine.