Trevor Ashley’s Liza is Exceptional!
“Start spreading the news” – Trevor Ashley finally brings his Liza on an E! cabaret show to Perth as part of the Fringe World Festival!
Image – John McRae
This cabaret show is more than just a drag queen singing Liza Minnelli tunes.
Ashley, accompanied on stage by a seven piece band, has managed to reflect on the life of a great talent and, amongst the laughs, examine the influences which may have affected Liza. As Ashley himself puts it “I like to see it as luggage that I carry with me. Some of it is mine, my famous mothers, my gay dada’s and my unsuccessful sister’s, Lorna Luft.”
Ashley commands the stage as Liza and he performs her to a tee. His facial expressions, hand gestures and giggle are Minnelli. If you close your eyes you would swear you were listening to the real thing.
Some of the more comedic moments include Ashley’s attempt to throw his leg over a chair during a take on the ‘Mein Herr’ number from Cabaret; his attempt to drink water instead of alcohol; and his rendition of the Disney tune ‘Be Our Guest’, as a reflection on Minnelli’s marriage to David Guest.
The evening is a mixture of well chosen ballads and big band numbers. Not all are Minnelli, but that’s just fine with us. Ashley’s version of Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ is refreshing and original, while his medley of ‘Losing my Mind’ (Follies) and ‘Maybe this Time’, clearly an emotional reflection on Minnelli’s quest for true love, is performed with such emotion you could hear a pin drop in the audience.
The final number of the show is – according to Ashley – one Minnelli, herself refuses to sing at concerts saying, “that song has been done”. When he begins to sing a raw and emotional version of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, you get a sense of why Minnelli never has, and never will, sing her mother’s signature song.
Liza on an E is so much more than a drag show, it is a reflection on the life of Minnelli; a Tony, Oscar, Grammy and Emmy award winner, full of heart and soul. Ashley will have you standing on your feet as he belts out the final notes to the signature tune, ‘New York, New York’.
Trevor Ashley’s Liza is E-xceptional! Book your tickets now!
Trevor Ashley is Liza (on an E)
De Parel Spiegeltent
Perth Cultural Centre
Tuesday 12 – Saturday16 February 2013 @ 8.15pm
Bookings: www.fringeworld.com.au
