A fat bass fills the silence, drums throb and Lady Rizo, a.k.a cabaret Goddess Amelia Kirin-Brown welcomes the audience to her show Red, White And Indigo at The Sydney Festivals Spiegeltent and states the evenings purpose: ’I’m here to stimulate other buttons,’ she intones as the New Yorker slowly weaves through adoring onlookers and saunters toward the star-spangled banner streaked across the front of the stage. ‘I’m here to give you glittery love.’
And she does.
The show revolves around zingers, kissing games and searing candour in the conversation that surrounds her sometimes selfish, slow to apologise and unrepentant boyfriend… America.
Australia’s relationship with America is interesting. While we love the artists, actors, scientists and inventors (thank you phones, light bulbs, planes, and Oprah), when it comes to Donald Trump’s politics…. all bets are off. The ‘Angry Apricot, Pudgy McTrumperson with his insane Twitter lady-fingers’ has no love lost in Rizo’s eyes.
As she sardonically segues through the maze that is privilege, injustice, politics, health care, lack of education and feminism, her songs themselves tell the story she seeks to so passionately reveal and come to terms with herself.
Something is just not right in the land that she loves. And she does love her country.
This is a great evening of Cabaret. The band is fantastic. Lighting, cleverly simple and engaging. The arrangements, banter and vocals hold onto you long after the night is finished.
Rizo’s razor-wit, is only matched by her soulful, dynamic vocals. This woman can belt! She crosses musical landscapes with ease. From Cohen to Cher, D’Angelo and Portishead, this woman packs a powerful punch. I will never listen to ‘Shit, Dam, Motherfucker,’ and ‘Bang Bang’ in quite the same way again. Although my favourites were her rendition of Cohen’s, ‘The Ghost of The Chateau Marmont‘ and Portisheads, ‘Glory Box.’
It’s not just that she covers diverse genres but that she embodies the style of every musical moment and makes it her bitch.. she wraps each song around her and saucily provokes, intrigues, challenges and beguiles. In short – She kicks arse!
To those who missed her show – Don’t do it again.
For now… I only have two questions:
Why don’t we all know her?
And
When is she coming back?
Lady Rizo’s latest album Indigo is out now.
Lee Anderson – Theatre Now & On The Town
Lady Rizo: Red, White and Indigo
Lady Rizo
7-13 Jan 2018
7 & 10 January at 5.15PM
9 January at 10PM
11 January at 7.45PM
12 January at 5.30PM
13 January at 3PM
Venue: Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent
Hyde Park North
Theatre Company: Lady Rizo
Duration: 70 Min
Chanteuse and cabaret superstar Lady Rizo soulfully (and saucily) unpacks her love-hate relationship with present-day America. A hippie child turned teenage punk turned trained actor with a big soul voice, Lady Rizo unleashes a soaring and sardonic tribute to that “very bad boyfriend”, her home country.
Bejewelled, regally gowned, lipsticked and lashed, the martini-sipping singer-songwriter seeks to reclaim the idea of patriotism, rather than blind nationalism, in a scorching performance of hopeful and heart-stirring original songs and covers of Marvin Gaye, Portishead, Leonard Cohen and more.
A provocateur with an electric wit who draws inspiration from Peggy Lee, Edith Piaf and Nina Simone, Lady Rizo has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts and Yo-Yo Ma (on Grammy Award-winning album Joy & Peace).
Backed by a four-piece band, Lady Rizo’s toweringly tender vocals spread love, liberty and joy, even as she’s sprawled atop a piano scissoring her legs in the air.
Ticket Prices
PRIORITY $66
GENERAL ADMISSION $56/$50
+ BOOKING FEE
