Those who have been following my blog for a little while now will be aware there is nothing in this life I love more than the Rocky Horror Picture Show! Having seen multiple iterations of the show (the most recent of which being https://rhysreviews.com/2022/02/13/rocky-horror-production-review/) it is one of those shows I could watch over and over again but never never get bored! Another musical that will forever have my heart is the cult classic Little Shop of Horrors as this was one of the last musicals I ever performed in. This is why when we discovered that Cabaret of Queerosities (which you can read about the precious event they held at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/07/cabaret-of-queerosities-4-production-review-2/) would be putting on a unique hybrid of two of my favourite musicals (on my actual birthday of all dates) I know I could not miss it! Now If I, by some miracle, found myself as a part of the lineup for this iteration of Cabaret of Queerosities then I would have opted to perform the iconic track “Dentist” originally performed by Steve Martin in the movie but I would have changed the lyrics to “I am a drag queen.” I think I would have started the track in a sparkly white dentist coat but removed it on the first chorus to reveal some sort of extravagant outfit underneath.
Those who read our review of the previous iteration of Cabaret of Queerosities will be aware that it was hosted by the special guest host Ivory Glam (who we actually interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/DkydmBZr3J8?si=VtQHpNSIKT13NoD1) as the regular host Ice Amour was taking a much-needed break to look after themselves. Even though Ivory was an absolutely fantastic special guest host, we are very excited to see that Ice is back in fighting shape and is reprising her role as host/organiser/performer! She helped to make sure the evening moved on swiftly and helped to get the audience excited for every single performer (as well as leading a rendition of Happy Birthday for me) as well as making sure each each got the applause they deserved after their act. On top of their hosting duties, Ice also treated the audience to a fantastic rendition of “Canibal” by Kesha which was a high-energy dance number. We have not yet seen Ice showcase their dance-based talents but from this performance, I think this is something we need to see more as it was totally mesmerising. They nailed every single beat of the Kesha classic and sprinkled in the perfect amount of tricks/stunts to keep the audience on the edge of their seat throughout. During the Cabaret of Queerosities event headlined by Dragula star Orgotik, the audience were treated to a fantastic duet from both Ice Amour and Matt Hazard (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/QgFBcnjApoU?si=cXuxx2bQaUWkukyJ) The performers must have enjoyed this so much as they decided that they would again team up but this time paying homage to the little shop of horrors with their rendition of “Suddenly Seymour.” The routine got off to a hilarious start as Matt pulled out a sock puppet complete with nerdy glasses to represent the character of Seymour from the original movie. As the Audrey-inspired character in this duet, Ice then had to interact with said puppet as if it was in fact a real human which led to some hilarious moments throughout. If there is one thing I know about Matt Hazard, it is the fact that they never miss a theme! At the clowning around they took to the stage in a brilliant neon killer clown outfit and this time they wore an incredible Audrey two-inspired outfit. I personally think it is incredible that Matt makes a conscious effort to embrace a theme as it allows them to stand out amongst the other performers! I also thought it was very clever for Matt to showcase a performance of “Get it” (which is also sung by the killer plant in the movie) which was pitch-perfect throughout!
Opening the show was the ever-unpredictable Chae with a C (who we actually interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/84KfWuZ8YMU?si=DLi0tui8UZgSTa-O) who opted to perform one of the most iconic songs to come from the Rocky Horror Picture show “Sweet transvestite.” As expected this was a high-energy, highly entertaining performance which instantly drew the audience in due to how recognisable this number is! During the iconic “anticipation” moment towards the end of the song, Chae decided to elongate the dramatic pause and deliver a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to me (as it was in fact my birthday) only to wrap up the musical number immediately after this musical intermission which was absolutely brilliant! Rocky Horror was not the only musical Chae with a C paid homage to however as they also decided to deliver a series of songs for sister act. This routine was yet again a high-energy mega mix of iconic songs and so the audience were on the edge of their seat in anticipation of which song would be performed next. It would not be a Chae with a C performance without a rendition of her original paradise that stays in your head for weeks! At this event, she decided to showcase her version of “Don’t You Want Me” by the Human League where the words were simply working as a waitress which the audience went absolutely wild for!
Next to the stage was the amazing Myst Fortune (who we most recently saw at Cabaret of Queerosities: Clowning Around which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/07/cabaret-of-queerosities-4-production-review-2/) who played to their strengths by delivering an incredibly moving and powerful rendition of “I’m going home” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. For those who don’t know this song comes at a point in the musical where Frank reveals what made him the way his in a heartfelt ballad which Myst performed excellently. They used every inch of the stage and captured every single emotion-fueled moment flawlessly while showcasing their incredible dance-based talents which not only drew the audience in by radiated the powerful inspiration of the track. The audience were also treated to a performance from Ice’s drag daughter the brilliant Khloe Luxx (we still can’t get over her show-stopping performance at Sly which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) who has built a name for herself by showcasing high-energy, choreography heavy routines but for her first performance this evening she decided to do something totally different. She had opted to perform to iconic “Toucha Toucha Toucha Me” for the Rocky horror picture show which showcases Khloe’s comedic talents. While this track is a highly sexual number there is a certain degree of comedy and campness infused into it which Khloe captured perfectly. She used every inch of the stage to create a truly immersive performance which the audience absolutely loved! Keeping with the highly sexual undertones but a complete change in vibe, Khloe’s second performance of the evening was an incredibly high-energy, choreographically intense routine starting with “xxx” by Kim Petras. The whole routine was totally mesmerising as Khloe used every inch of the stage and audience area to deliver an absolute spectacular!
At the aforementioned Clowning Around event the audience were treated to a special guest performance by Ice’s own biological mother and clearly, this guest slot has re-ignited Mother Amour’s love for performing as she returned at this event. I think bonus points should be given to Mother as she was the only performer of the evening to pay homage to both the Rocky horror picture show and the little shop of horrors which was the whole purpose of this entire event! Their first performance of the evening was a wonderful rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green” from the Little Shop of Horrors which was absolutely beautiful to listen to! She nailed every single note of the song and the creative choice of doing an Audrey impression throughout the number helped to replicate the innocence and sympathy for this character in the movie (which would have also worked well with my dentist parade performance.) My favourite performance from Mother this evening would have to be her rendition of The Floor show from the Little Shop of Horrors which was pure camp fun which the audience went absolutely wild for! Not only did she amp up the energy and flamboyance for this number but also managed to capture each distinct role. Being able to quickly and flawlessly switch between characters is something that I know I would struggle with but Mother did not seem fazed in the slightest!
Closing the entire show and making their Cardiff debut was the incredible Paris Grande who brought the event to a close in the most spectacular way! Paris decided to showcase a high-energy performance of “Feed the Beast” by Kim Petras where she used every inch of the stage and audience area to create a truly immersive performance. They started the routine on the stage with a whip in time which they perfectly snapped in time with the music which instantly started building the tension/excitement with the audience which built up to the point where they pulled out all of their tricks. Throughout the routine, we saw splits, a death drop and incredible floor work which created a truly exciting performance that the audience went absolutely wild for! One of my favourite moments in this routine saw Paris spin in a circle who’ll demonstrating multiple high kicks which showcased not only the control she has of her body but also was an endurance test that I don’t think I would have gotten even close to doing myself!
Overall, Cabaret of Queerosities: little shop of Rocky horrors was a unique celebration of two of my favourite musicals which conveniently landed on my birthday. I do have to talk the team behind this show for helping my celebrate my 25th in such a special way! Each performer showcased their own style of performance with complimenting songs from with musical which meant the audience never knew what to expect next which made for a very exciting/interesting lineup. I would rate this event 4.5 stars out of 5!
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