Two Melbourne icons meet: the beaux arts theatre of old world glamour hosts the consummate jazz cabaret diva.
For one luminous night only, The National Theatre will come alive with a ravishing gala event on Saturday 2 September. Dress to the nines for an evening of sophisticated and enticing allure.
Enjoy soaking in the luxurious atmosphere of the plush foyer and opulent lounges, alive with the elegant sound of live cocktail jazz, before being invited to take your seats.
In the ornate gilded auditorium, acclaimed cabaret diva Mama Alto, with musical directress Miss Chief and a stunning jazz band, perform a dazzling and spectacular recital. Time is suspended whilst this divine songstress bathes you in her luscious voice.
As the final note lingers in the air at the concert’s conclusion, the buzz beyond the theatre doors beckons you into the grandiose atrium. A lavish post-show party is underway in the form of a glittering soiree, and you are the guests of honour. The tantalising bar is open, the live music continues under the glowing chandeliers, and who knows what delights the night may yet hold.
Jazz singer, cabaret artiste and diva, Mama Alto is acclaimed as one of Melbourne’s most prolific and exquisite cabaret talents, who thrills and beguiles with a luscious voice, gender transcendence and evocative interpretations of poignant ballads, scorching blues numbers, and astounding torch songs.
Fierce, femme and fabulous, she has been lauded as “divine” (Havana Tribune, Cuba), as “near flawless” (The Age), and “a knockout” (The Herald Sun). Drawing on the legacies of vintage torch singers, and from her own identity as a queer person of colour, she fascinates audiences with “an idiosyncratic mix of statuesque fragility” (The Music), and the accolades roll in from there – “velvet-voiced” (Sometimes Melbourne), “angelic vocal perfection” (The Plus Ones), “transcendent” (Stage Whispers), “breathtaking” (ArtsHub), “hypnotically beautiful, elegant and mysterious” (Adelaide Advertiser), and “bewitching” (SameSame).
“Mama Alto is an exceptionally talented singer, who makes the question as to whether it is a woman or a man singing obsolete. It is clearly an angel.” (The Conversation).
Highlights include: performing a sold-out tribute to the centenary of Billie Holiday’s birth at the Melbourne Recital Centre; becoming a featured performer in the Chamaco award winning Finucane & Smith tour to the 2015 Havana International Theatre Festival in Cuba; winning a coveted Fringe Weekly award for Best Cabaret at Adelaide Fringe 2014; and garnering a nomination for Artist of the Year at the GLOBE LGBTI awards 2015.
Exquisite: An Evening with Mama Alto, Saturday 2 September,20 Carlisle St, St Kilda; tickets (03) 9525 4611 or www.nationaltheatre.org.au www.mamaalto.com
