Future. Joy. Club. review | Finucane & Smith | Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

It's been a hellish last few years for us all, and while we might not be getting off this bumpy ride any time soon, Finucane & Smith are here to ensure that we can still have a good time with their new production Future. Joy. Club. From cabaret to burlesque to dancing to singing and to everything in between, they bring together some beautiful people performing breathtaking acts in a extravaganza full of fun, laughs and love.

Mama Alto begins the show by belting out Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”. It is one of the many highlights of the night and illustrative of the premise for Future. Joy. Club, where we will survive, and we will thrive. Joining Mama is an army of onesie wearing dancers spreading the glee into the audience at the Sofitel ballroom.

Dance Hall!: The Diva Carousel review | Finucane & Smith | Luna Park

Art has the ability to change people's way of thinking and it has the ability to unite us. In Moira Finucane's Dance Hall!: The Diva Carousel, a number of Melbourne's finest talents come together to celebrate art and to inspire us to be better and do something good, particularly with the way the current Australian Government has been treating refugees, women and people from the LGBTQI community.

While the show is a little tamer than you might come to expect from Moira Finucane, it is still a hugely entertaining evening with a mix of regular faces and new faces within the Finucane family. Maude Davey wins the crowd over with each one of her acts, including her puntastic turn as Earth. Her performance of The Angels' "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" is always a joy to watch and was clearly an audience favourite. James Welsby's highly energetic vogueing number is an empowering reminder for constant self-growth and self-exploration and learning to be comfortable in your own skin and never denying who you are. 

The singing and dancing continue throughout the night with Paul Cordeiro literally having people dancing in their chairs with some seated choreography to Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limit". Chanteuse Clare St. Clare performs a gorgeous cover of Beyonce's "Halo" and counter-tenor diva Mama Alto hypnotises the audience during their performance of Des'ree's "Kissing You". In her Melbourne diva debut, Willow Sizer cranks out a commanding rendition of the Eagles' "Hotel California".

Diva Dive review | Finucane & Smith | Hares and Hyenas

Moira Finucane is the artist who just keeps giving. She has dazzled audiences all over the world – most recently in Cuba – and her new show Diva Dive is no exception. With this show, Finucane focuses her stories around animals, specifically crows and auks, but such is the strength of her storytelling, you can instantly relate to their plight and in their ability to be hopeful and show strength in the face of adversity.

While the space at Hares & Hyenas is smaller than where Finucane usually performs, Diva Dive takes advantage of this intimacy while still allowing for a grandness to the proceedings. Performing in the round on a square stage, there are plenty of touches that make this show feel bigger than what it is.

Mama Alto season launch

If you haven't yet heard of Mama Alto, then 2016 will definitely be changing that. Tucked away down a side street off Collins St, Entrecôte hosted the 2016 season launch of the countertenor diva, jazz singer and cabaret artiste Mama Alto.

Guests were greeted to a high tea party extravaganza with glasses of sparkling wine, lemonade scones with jam and cream and macarons while treated to a sampling of what Mama Alto has in store for 2016.

An evolving piece of repertory work throughout the year begins with Mama Alto: Torch Songs, which will feature an ever changing selection from the 200 jazz standards within the Mama Alto repertoire of sumptuous ballads, fierce blues scorchers and poignant torch songs. This will premiere on March 4th at one of Melbourne's most vibrant performance venue and bar, the iconic Butterfly Club, before touring to further locations.

The rest of this varied season includes further appearances with the legendary Finucane & Smith and Mama Alto: Delicacies; a feast for the senses, which will see the culinary skills of Entrecôte combined with the musical tastes of Mama Alto & pianist Miss Chief. Another exciting event will be an immersive theatrical experience, Mama Alto: Blues in the Night, which will transform the Chapel off Chapel theatre into an underground jazz age speakeasy in December that should not be missed.