An Audience with Meow Meow: A Musical Play. Arrangements by Lance Horne. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Rhoda Stage, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org. September 5 – October 19, 2014.
An Audience with Meow Meow at BerkeleyRep earns her reputation.
[rating:3]
There are a myriad of laudatory reviews about the entertainer Meow Meow whose given name is Melissa Madden Gray. She is an Australian-born actress, dancer and cabaret performer who tours internationally. Most of her time has been spent in in the UK where she has earned plaudits for the musical adaptation of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, appeared in La Clique at Roundhouse, created the role of Maîtresse in the West End at the Gielgud and earned the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe Prize. In 2011 she wowed audiences in her premiere of Meow Meow in Concert. This time around she has teamed up with Emma Rice, my favorite director from the Kneehigh group who brought Brief Encounter to San Francisco before a triumphal run on Broadway.
At the risk of being labeled as contemning or an elitist old fogy this reviewer had not heard of Meow Meow nor seen a performance by Lady Gaga and the definition of a person being a “post-post-modern” phenomenon escapes me. Also, a performer who condescends to give me an “audience” seems pretentious.
In fairness to Meow Meow she is a superb performer and “an audience with” could be a simple reference to the fact that much (most?) of the show is with audience participation. After a spectacular opening with Meow Meow in a fantastic costume (Neil Murray), amidst brilliant lighting (Alexander V. Nichols), suspended high on the stage she is winched down to stage level for an Apache type dance with tuxedo clad dancers Michael Balderrama and Bob Gaynor (Choreographed by Tiger Martina). The dance humorously degenerates into a series of debilitating miscues for the male dancers forcing them to the wings.
She is now on stage level, devoid of garish costume, and the “down to earth’ portion of the evening begins as audience participation kicks in. The outstanding quartet of onstage musicians playing eight instruments never misses a beat even when they are required to accompany Meow Meow in her wide range of songs from every genre. Her ability to interpret the many songs is phenomenal, even while rolling of the floor singing to a stand-up stage microphone. She is on the floor quite often especially when she entices audience members to the stage and intertwines her lithe body between them. It is very, very clever and brings much laughter. Since this part of the act worked well with three audience members why not try it with four, or was it five, chosen at random from the front rows? It works again and earns accolades.
Meow Meow earns her much admired reputation but her method of receiving a “standing ovation” is suspect. She mosh pitted the audience and left them standing for the final song. Running time 90 minutes without intermission.
CAST: Meow Meow; Michael Balderrama as Dancer Sergei Romanov/ a Dark Prince of the Stage; Bob Gaynor as Dancer Jonathan Spooner/ a Dark Prince of the Stage; Band,Russ Gold (drums & percussion), Lance Horne (conductor & piano), Jessica Ivry (cello), and Pat Moran (bass, guitar, mandolin & trombone).
ARTISTIC STAFF: Written and starring Meow Meow; Choreograph by Tiger Martina; Music Supervision by Lance Horne; Adapted and directed by Emma Rice.
PRODUCTION STAFF: Musical Arrangements, Lance Horne; Additional Arrangements, Martin Lowe; Scenic & Costume Design, Neil Murray; Lighting Design, Alexander V. Nichols; Sound Design, Simon Baker; Physical Comedy Consultant, Geoff Hoyle; StageManager, Michael Suenkel; Dramaturg, Robert Egan; Assistant Stage Manager, Leslie M. Radin.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.
