at The Laundry 50 Johnston St Fitzroy until Sat Feb 6, 1999
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
When cosmetics become
high art, culture has surely reached a low ebb. Samantha Leith's show works
from the premise of "make-up as existentialism". Does anybody else
feel faint?
In Samantha Leith Made Up, her solo show, cabaret chanteuse
Leith literally places cosmetics front and centre. She spends most of her
evening of song and banter seated behind a table littered with a cacophony of
lip and eye liners, mascaras, gels, powders and foundations. Less is definitely
not more for this gal. Leith has no intention of becoming a "cosmetic
bulemic".
She is fine belter with a big voice and she is better known
in Sydney. This show opens here during Midsumma Festival before going to
Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney during Mardi Gras. Leith's voice has been the
theme song for the ABC coverage of Mardi Gras for two years.
While she trowels on the Ivory Bisque foundation she sings,
ironically, numbers such as Bette Davis Eyes, Natural Woman, That's Why the
Lady is a Tramp and Say a Little Prayer For You.
She reminisces about her childhood while singing Keep Young
and Beautiful or Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon then bemoans working for Optus
with Working Nine to Five and craves renown with When Will I, Will I Be Famous.
The show builds as she we wait as her character prepares to
go on stage. She adds Big Hair which gives her a definite Drag Queen look and
finally hits the dance floor with the first physical song, an 80's disco hit,
Don't Go.
Leith is engaging and her singing is formidable but her
patter, which craves editing, lets her down. She needs either better jokes or
more acerbic commentary on cosmetics.
Her accompanist, Steven Ritchie, is a very skilful jazz
pianist. He has taken over the Melbourne season this week since Leith's
long-standing accompanist jumped ship to join the Navy. Really! Certainly a new
slant on "Hello Sailor!"
The feature of the show is the songs. Leith is too
inaccessible to us behind her table of cosmetics. Why not stand or at least sit
on a high stool. It is too slow to build to its climax and the anticipated show
within the show could be longer than a single song.
KH