Cabaret star Mark Nadler is heading to Perth for the very first time as part of the 2024 Perth International Cabaret Festival.
The internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning singer, pianist, tap-dancer and raconteur will be coming to town to deliver his show which is all about one of his favourite composers.
Nadler promises to take audiences deep into the wit, the glamour and the romance of arguably America’s most beloved songwriter, Cole Porter.
OUTinPerth traded some emails with Nadler about what people can expect when he hits the west coast of Australia in June.
You’re coming with your show that focuses on the work of Cole Porter, when did you first become aware of his work?
Cole Porter’s songs are so ubiquitous in the U.S. I can honestly say that I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t aware of them.
What is it that you love about Cole Porter’s tunes?
There’s so much that I love about them. First of all, the lyrics in the up tempos are clever and witty, rhyme perfectly and smartly. I always feel like I’m the most sophisticated person in the room when I’m singing them.
As for his serious songs, they express the entire range of human experience with grace, candor and longing. The poetry never eclipses the human emotion. They’re approachable and immediate while at the same time using the most beautiful language to paint the most vivid of pictures.
As for the music, I love Porter’s complexity. He studied to become a classical composer and that comes through in his song writing.
He often eschews the standard AABA form that was popular at the time; instead creating music that evolves and grows like an art song. While, at the same time, keeping the songs completely accessible and “hummable”.
He wrote so many famous songs, how did you go about selecting which Cole Porter tunes are in your show?
It’s true. There are so many, and so many great songs. I had a story that I wanted to tell in this show, and I chose the songs that tell that story.
Porter had lots of hit songs that have stood the test of time, but what are his lost classics, what should we check out on a deep dive into his output?
There’s one I do in the show called Wake Up and Dream. It’s unlike any song I’ve ever heard. It’s not a love song and it’s not a clever up-tempo. It’s completely unique.
There are so many others. Some of my favorites are Dream Dancing and I Am In Love – it has the great couplet “Such conflicting questions ride ‘round in my brain; Should I order cyanide or order champagne?”
I could go on and on and on…
Have you ever met any of your childhood heroes and inspirations?
Amazingly to me I’ve met so many of my childhood inspirations. In fact, a propos to the Porter show, I was always a huge fan of the original cast recording of Kiss Me Kate and when the house where Porter was born, in Peru, Indiana, was landmarked I performed at the inauguration ceremony with Patricia Morrison — the original Kate in Kiss Me Kate.
I accompanied her on the piano and therefore got to know her a bit. Also, one of my very close friends was Gretchen Wyler, who became a major Broadway star when she was in the original cast of Silk Stockings.
What was it like growing up as a gay kid in the American mid-west?
I was living in my own fantasy world for the most part. But, of course, I was rudely pulled out of that world on an almost daily basis. Iowa, the state where I come from, is very sports oriented. I was not even remotely athletic and, frankly, I was a bit of a fairy.
I was literally beat up by other boys more often than I care to remember. But because I could play the piano and sing, I very early on found a way to stand out from the crowd and that gave me strength. It also gave me a way to earn money so I could get the hell out of that town!!
Ok, here’s some quick-fire questions.
Who’s the top?
Anyone you like if you know how to work it.
Would you want to be a millionaire?
I subscribe to the adage: rich or poor, it’s good to have money.
Do you love Paris?
I like Paris, I love Rome. I also love Prague. I also love Adelaide and Melbourne and can’t wait to fall in love with Perth.
When should one begin a beguine?
According to the song the Beguine is a dance song that brings back the memory of a lost love. Rather than beginning a Beguine, wouldn’t you rather blow Gabriel, blow? Or even do the Can-Can (If in Lesbos a pure lesbi-ann can, then you can Can-Can too!)?
Mark Nadler’s Cole Porter After Dark is at His Majesty’s Theatre from 20th – 21st June as part of the Perth International Cabaret Festival. Tickets are on sale now.
