|
|
 |
KT Sullivan.
"We went to a sheep farm when we were there, so please don't
tell Immigration because they ask you whether you visited a
farm!" It counts as one of the more bizarre openings to a conversation
I've experienced; this from New York based cabaret artist KT
Sullivan, who is holed up in her apartment with her musical
compatriot, pianist Mark Nadler.
A little scene setting is in order: Sullivan and Nadler are in her 40th floor apartment, somewhere in New York. With an interview schedule to run through, Nadler has thoughtfully arrived with dinner, takeaway sushi...
"And what did I see?" he chokes out. "I swear, I was coming up in the elevator and there were two fifths of a mariachi band in the elevator with me; but they were conjoined. Two women with a scarf draped over them, hiding the conjoined bit!! Only in New York... the whole of New York is like a David Lynch movie."
But back to that sheep farm; the question was posed by the US Immigration service, incidentally, who have made an artform of obtuse questioning... when I went to the US a few years ago the questionnaire wanted to know if I'd ever been a convicted Nazi war criminal. I feel I've done quite a lot in my life, but being a Nazi is not one of them.
Almost naturally our conversation switches to bizarre moments in the life of KT and Mark, and there seem to be a few, none more so than last time they were in Australia.
"We went to see the kangaroo on display at Cleland," Nadler begins in his broadest New York camp, before Sullivan jumps in to the story. " And in the same week as Barry White died, so we all stood around with our cameras in our hands, and I swear this kangaroo looked exactly like Barry White."
The two are presenting a total of five shows to Adelaide for this Cabaret Festival. That's a lot of shows, I comment. "Oh my God!" says Nadler. "The costumes are huge, we have so much extra luggage you just wouldn't believe... I mean, I am a man and I have five suits and so many shoes with me. Tap dance and soft shoes... suffice it say we'll be paying extra for luggage..." he screams.
KT Sullivan too loves a good costume change. "You'll never see me in the same dress twice, I've loved dressing up all my life. A little diversion for the eye is good..." she impresses upon me. "Sure some people can do ten shows in a row in a little black dress..." she allows, and the tone of her voice tells me exactly what she thinks of people like that. She switches tack, almost innocently; "But I like to think the songs stand up by themselves," she announces, and dissolves in gales of laughter.
Shall we examine a couple of the shows the two will be doing, then? 'Always, The Love Story Of Irving Berlin'... "Oh, 'Irving...' is very much like a book musical and KT and I play the characters," Nadler leads with his assessment. "We're using songs as the opportunity to delve into the characters, such as Irving's wife Ellen Mackie..."
'Everythings Coming Up Roses' is a tribute to the musical genius of Jule Styne, and includes some of the most popular of American music from the 20th Century. "It's the centennial this year, and that show is a very lighthearted portrait of a colourful character who was so instrumental in creating American popular culture," says Sullivan of the man who gave us tunes such as Bye Bye Baby and Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.
And then of course, there is 'Tchaikowky & Other Russians', another Broadway show of frantic pace, in which Nadler examines the influence of the Russians, as seen through the eyes of American popular music.
Alex Wheaton
 |
KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler perform together in numerous shows at the Cabaret Festival.
|
|
|
The latest issue
available now!
|
