Michael Griffiths: Greatest Hits ~ Adelaide Fringe 2021 Interview
[CABARET/Music ~ WORLD PREMIERE ~ SA]
by Catherine Blanch.
Actor, performer, pianist, singer, Adelaide Cabaret Festival darlingā¦ Michael Griffiths is all that talent and more. WAAPA 1999 graduate, Green Room Award nominee for his role as Bob Crew in Jersey Boys, and Helpmann Award winner, Michael Griffiths has performed cabaret-styled tribute shows celebrating the music of Kylie, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Cole Porter and more. Now his is geared up and ready with a brand new show at Adelaide Fringe 2021.
We speak with Michael about his show Greatest Hits and ask if this is a collection of songs from previous shows or just the songs that he loves the most?
āItās mainly a retrospective. It is ten years in Cabaret this year,ā he says, āand Iāve never done a retrospective, so this is a nod to my favourite songs from all of my shows, with a few of my favourite songs added in, so āGreatest Hitsā is sort of an umbrella term. Itās also a nostalgic reference to the ā80s when I grew up, and to when artists would release songs on cassettes and LPs; I was always very excited about the greatest hits compilations. So itās sort of all of those things and lots of my faves from the ā80s.ā
From your beginnings in Musical Theatre 21 years ago, you seem to have found your spiritual home in Cabaret. How did the move from one to the other occur?
āItās just about diversifying,ā Michael says. āI was living in Sydney all through the Noughties, but came home to see my Mum in June for her birthday ā which always coincides with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and, after going a couple of times, I just fell in love with it. I thought āI want to do that; it looks way more fun and way more thrilling, and much harder!ā
āIn Musical Theatre youāre surrounded by sets and costumes and a cast, but Cabaret is very exposing ā so I really felt drawn to it. I didnāt really think Iād make it a fully-fledged thing, but thatās the path Iāve ended up going down, and Iāve never looked back.ā
One of the things that people enjoy about Cabaret, especially from my own perspective, is the diversity of it, but also the stories that go with it, and not just the stories of the people, but often people are performing songs from artists that mean the most to them or that have affected them.
āYes. Certainly tribute shows is kind of where I started, but the more Iāve been doing Cabaret and the more Iām confident, the less Iām interested in hiding behind masks and other people. Now itās just about me being on stage as myself. Greatest Hits is less about being a tribute show and more about āOh! I donāt have to hide, I can just be me!ā and thatās just as much fun. Itās more fun even! And no script anymore!
Michael explains that he used to script everything, but it was partly from working with Carlotta for so long that he learned that he no longer needed one.
āItās far more thrilling to just go out and be present,ā he says. āThereās an art to itā¦ which I stole from Carlotta. It would be terrible if she came to see me perform because sheād see all of her tricks that Iāve stolen [laughs].ā
So, what are you going to have in the show, song-wise?
āOh literally a taste of every one of my solo shows, so that covers Madonna, Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, and Cole Porter, Peter Allen, and then songs that I have just fallen in love with, songs that take me back to the ā80s. I grew up in the ā80s, so that will always be my go to, as anyone my age will attest. But Iām in my late 40s now, so itās all about nostalgia.
āBecause of trials of last year, I felt it really important to be fun and festive, upbeat and feelgood. We go to be entertained and uplifted, and it goes without saying that weāve all had a testing year, so I think itās important for our entertainment to be ā not silly, but just to remind us about the good stuff. So this show is all about feel-good, up-tempo and fun.ā
Silly is good though, that sense of light-heartedness. You know, like when you watch children get excited about nothing. That kind of excitement is really awesome and itās something that adults could embrace more ā carefree and happy. Cabaret doesnāt have to be all down at out, does it?
āNo!ā he agrees. āIt can often be cathartic ā it can be lots of things ā but thatās also the power of music and the power of nostalgia that helps us remember that unaffected ten-year-old that wasnāt cynical and wasnāt jaded and just got excited about a song. I was that kind of ten-year-old and these are the songs! Life was simpler ā but then things get more complicated as you get older.
Greatest Hits is going to be a fun show. I donāt think thereās even one ballad in there.ā
Not one ballad?
āWell maybe thereās one,ā Michael chuckles. āIf you want ballads go to see someone else. But if you want a good time come and hang with me! Iām looking at the Violent Femmes with one, thatās a better sense of departure for me, but when I was about 14-15 I just loved their first album, so yeah, again itās a night of taking us all back to the ā80s!ā
Please tell me you have at least one Abba song in there.
āI do actually, so you wonāt be disappointed. But ABBA and Peter Allen are my ā70s exceptions in the show.ā
After Fringe is there much else happening for you? We know that Covid has put a kybosh on a whole lot of things.
āYes Iām currently working on the development of a cabaret with Stephen Oliver from ABCās Black Comedy. He and I have worked together in the past,ā Michael says, āand weāre mounting a show at La Boite Theatre in Brisbane We have already started with development but Iām literally nicking back to Adelaide for the weekend at Fringe, and then Iām up here in Brisbane to work on Bigger And Blacker before presenting it at La Boite, which is fabulous.
āIām also Artistic Director of the Perth Cabaret Festival, so weāve already started working through to our first festival in June; Iāll be both working and performing. This year everythingās happening after last yearās total write-off. Suddenly life is firing on all cylinders. Iām just praying that borders stay open and things stay on the straight and narrow.ā
Is there anything else you would like to say about your show, about Fringe, about how awesome you are ā anything like that?
āOnly that Iāve been doing Fringe every year since 2014, although last year I missed out because I was touring in America. So after a year off, Iāve come back to my favourite city and my favourite festivalā¦ and a new performance venue at THE QUEENS. My mates are producing the venue, so it all feels fabulous.
āThe cherry on top is that Iām bringing Carlotta down from Brisbane for her āfarewell to Adelaideā show. She is retiring on her birthday this year. So yeah, itās all bloody happening this weekend! Incredible!ā
Michael Griffiths: Greatest Hits performs at The Chamber at THE QUEENS, at various times, from Fri 19 Feb until Sun 21 Feb.
Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 and adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
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