Cabaret Noir: Sweeney Todd vs. Miss Clairol

A full, appreciative house was on hand for the launch of Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir. The show started well before the figurative curtain went up with Mullet the Zombie clown going table to table to warm up (or was that alarm) people coming to see the show.

Fate would have that I was the first performer for this first show – I started off the open stage with a couple of mythic pieces about growing in Cape Breton. a few more open stagers and then Jean-Paul Mullet did his zombie walk to the stage. Mullet is the whole package – excellent make-up right down to red contacts. More a story teller than a physical schtick performer, Mullet held us spellbound with his eerie canoe tale – we could hear the ‘wings of a raven over head.’

Next up was David Bateman who captivated us with several ‘creative nonfiction short stories.’ The pieces contained vivid memories of doing hair styling in which realized he was more Sweeney Todd than Miss Clairol; of being warned not the rake the leaves too soon after a funeral lest one risks blowing their souls away with the dead. ‘Sometimes you just have to be love’ posed, amongst other things, the hope understanding by merely repeating the words.

Another break and we were wowed, (wobba wobba, ow ow wowed) by Kat Leonard. With her back up band on her iPod we didn’t have to worry about them getting drunk & falling off stage – though Kat did in fact fall off the stage as part of her song about being drunk and falling off stage. Her love songs were tender, sensuous, funny and emotionally invested. She took ‘the four corners of the world and wrapped it around our hearts like a blanket’ and we liked it.

A good time was had by all. Check out Lizzie’s photos and more pics on More Cowbell. Before the show I got to enjoy a cup of Q Space tea and excellent carrot cake. An expanded menu is being worked on – I can’t wait to give it a taste test. Q has quickly become an excellent spoken-word hot-spot. Good sound system, good sight lines, lots of windows make a great venue.