★★★★☆ A welcome return for Ashley’s unrivalled impersonation of Liza Minnelli.

Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne
January 23, 2016

Six years ago, myself and around 100 other eager cabaret fans, crammed into the Criterion Hotel in Sydney’s CBD to see drag star, Trevor Ashley, perform Liza on an E, his hilariously irreverent tribute to Broadway icon Liza Minnelli. It may have been cramped, far from glamorous and a little sweaty, but Ashley all but blew the roof off of that pub with the decibels of raucous laughter issuing from his adoring audience.

Since those days of pub-theatre cabaret gigs and Mardi Gras floats, Ashley’s star has risen considerably. After appearing in two of the biggest mainstream musical theatre drag roles – firstly in the Priscilla musical and as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray – Ashley has most recently hung up the frocks to star as Monsieur Thenadier in the box office smash-hit Australian tour of Les Miserablés.

You might be able to take the boy out of the drag show, but as Ashley’s latest Minnelli-inspired cabaret production shows, there’s no taking the drag show out of the boy. Liza’s Back! (is broken) is a very welcome sequel to Ashley’s original Minnelli parody, but this time realised with the glitz, glamour and production values worthy of Judy Garland’s daughter.

Ashley’s understanding of Minnelli’s myriad of mannerisms is so innate that this caricature is as close to the real thing as you’re likely to find this many time-zones from LA. The unintelligible, over excited rambling; the constant, mildly-crazed giggling; the pinched, uplifting curl at the end of each sentence; the husky, nicotine-hued gravel of her vocal tone – each tiny facet of Minnelli is captured. But Ashley is also a consummate comedian and knows just when to crank the Minnelli-isms up to the full power to land a joke. Behind the blue humour and the sequins, Ashley’s artistry is finely honed, as is evident when he offers a brief but perfectly observed cameo by Judy Garland (from beyond the grave).

While this might be a tried and tested character for Ashely, he’s also treading new ground with this show. Rather than reprising the same old songs, Liza explores the what-ifs of her career, taking the biggest musical theatre hits of Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Elaine Paige, and putting them through the Minnelli mangle. This offers some ingenious new takes on these well-known classics, including a particularly inspired swinging big-band arrangement of Memory from Cats, and a smokey jazz version of Les Miserablés’ Do you hear the people sing? 

In virtually every way, from the well-conceived lighting, ambitious choreography, brilliant musical arrangements performed by a seven-piece orchestra, and the two-act, full evening length of the show, Liza’s Back! (is broken) is a far grander affair than Ashley’s original Liza outing. But bigger isn’t always better – the gags and patter of this show remain very close to the bawdy brand of comedy that would have felt very comfortable in the Sydney bars where Ashley cut his drag teeth, but in the more conventional space of the Fairfax Studio, not every punchline found its mark.

There are also some issues of stamina here. In a production made entirely of show-stoppers, the vocal demands are herculean, and while the setlist was definitely fearless, it wasn’t always flawless, with the odd cracked note taking the sheen off some of the bigger numbers.

Ashley, however, is not only a pro, he’s also an artist who clearly lives to perform. Just like Minnelli, it may be a little loose and a little rough around the edges, but watching a performer holding nothing back, giving every last inch of themselves for our enjoyment, is an entertaining joy to behold.

Liza’s Back! (is Broken) is at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne until January 31.