Ali Harper has done it again. Our local chanteuse has created another intimate and sexy cabaret show to celebrate a cornucopia of great songs, this time covering a span of the last 100 years. Following on from a successful season at Circa Theatre in Wellington, The Supper Club is now open in Christchurch at The Piano and running until August 17. 

The Supper Club was an infamous fun-filled nightspot in Paris which opened back in 1924. Over the years, the club has been a showpiece of Parisian nightlife, attracting artists from around the world, and entertaining guests night after night with fine musicianship and performances. Ali shows us glimpses of the past by playing multiple characters who step onto the famous stage, until finally we reach the present and she drops the characters to sing more contemporary material as herself. 

The passage of time is shown through the song selections, and the narration woven through each of the characters she plays. With three character (and outfit) changes in the first half we know we are in for a fun night.

The set dressing and costume design, also provided by director Ian Harman, are superb. The Piano is a challenging space to fill due to its height and shape, but we were treated to lavish textures and shapes everywhere we looked, and it made the large stage appear far more intimate. The sound and lighting were also particularly good, providing a solid sense of atmosphere and some much-needed visual variation.

Ali is such a singular talent, the show truly soars when she gets to be herself. The other characters are fun, but their accents are occasionally distracting. Though the entire set list was full of gems, the standout musical moment for me is her contemporary cabaret mega-mix towards the end of the show. It is so playful, so joyous, and so well matched for her voice. Truly a delight to see Ali in full flight.

Musical Director and pianist Tom McLeod opening the second half with ‘Got a Lot of Living To Do’ is another real highlight and notifies us that this act will have a quicker pace and more up-beat tempo. The light sprinkling of choreography is a nice touch and provides some wonderful shape and texture on stage to augment the high dosage of standing for most of the songs. It is particularly fun when Tom joins Ali for some fancy footwork.

The band are incredibly tight. I am surprised to learn that two of the musicians (Doug Brush and Richie Pickard) were not in the band when the show played its recent run at Circa in Wellington. The talent and skill on display is terrific and means all of the musicians play as though they’ve been a cohesive unit together for a long time.

The show is polished and tight, with a running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes (including the interval). It is well-paced, especially the second half, and full of musical gems we can all fall in love with again and again. I would love to see a song list in the programme, as I will struggle to remember all of the wonderful tunes we are being treated to. 

The encore Ali treats us all to at the end is sublime and it is impossible not to walk out grinning from ear to ear. Every time Ali creates a new show you know you are in safe hands with this seasoned performer, The Supper Club is no exception.

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Ali Harper is Golda, a German cabaret singer performing in a Parisian club in 1937.

Resplendent in a gorgeous gold frock, the multi-talented entertainer woos and charms the Circa Theatre audience as she sings a few songs, including Jacques Prevert’s Immense and Red, backed by an impressive band: Tom McLeod and the Jazz Hot ‘Supper’ Club Band.

Golda (Harper) drops onto the knee of a man in the front row, and croons in his ear, singing Cole Porter’s Let’s Misbehave. We sit in a replica Parisian cabaret, Supper Club, which features like a character in Harper’s two-hour long show. [More]

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The most exclusive club in town is taking new members.

Now open at Circa, Ali Harper’s The Supper Club has all the grandeur and cheekiness you can expect from our talented bombshell and esteemed Toi Whakaari graduate (1994).

Back in her second home at Circa, no sequins are spared in adorning the theatre into a grand hall worthy of chandeliers and soirees worth remembering. You shouldn’t expect anything less of director, set and costume designer Ian Harman, whose sparkle is noticeable at every feather swish and costumed twirl.

Sequins and feathers ready, The Supper Club promises a showcase of songs through the last century. We’re in for an adventure and my best heels are in place for the ride.

Ali knows how to heat up and cool down the enthusiastic Wellington crowd, with her soulful trills, rasps and oohs, leaving the audience in awe of her range, power and repertoire, showcased across the nearly two hour set: a 100-year musical history and countless songs and characters to whisk us through the ages.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Ali’s Supper Club showcase is a new style of show unlike a usual love story. Here the love is for the music and we are transported by our time-travelling host Ali for the ride.

Musical director Tom McLeod is a marvellous leader of the pack, grinning ear-to-ear while providing the vehicle for our great escape through the ages – a grand piano – with The Jazz Hot Supper Club Band: our talented musical tour guides.

This unstoppable combination of talent is a delight to behold as we hear every instrument shine and watch every musician be a star in their own right, with Olivia Campion on percussion, Scott Maynard on Double Bass and Blair Latham covering brass, woodwind and guitar – what a feat!

Ali embodies all the characters and songs enhanced by the ‘super’ band as I call them, from ‘It’s De-lovely’, and ‘Too Darn Hot’, to some 20th century surprises and the rare dance number to keep us on our toes with additional choreography by Sandy Gray and Ian – there is nothing he can’t do!

There are plenty of surprises, my biggest ones being the number of songs I don’t know and the number of languages Ali makes her own, while giving us some new favourites along the way. 

The costumes and set are characters taking on their own life as the jaw dropping backdrop is brought further to life by lighting designer Rich Tucker. If there was ever a time to be blinded by a disco ball, that time is now!

Joy is found in the smallest touches of props, movement, and the band’s chemistry and charisma; they bounce off each other and charm us all.

As the story is in the songs and many songs are meant as a surprise, the show is unpredictable, but we have come to expect the unexpected from Ali and our superstar never disappoints. I wonder if the next show will take us into the future or space, as anything is possible with the unstoppable Ali Harper, Tom McLeod and the Jazz Hot ‘Super’ Club Band.

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