Live Performance
Essay Preview: Live Performance
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Shadowbox Cabaret performed on Saturday May 29, 2004 at 11:00 pm a show named “Dirty Little Secrets.” It was a combination of live music performances by the band “BIllwho?” and comedic monologues with sexy themes. The show was two and a half hour with 15 minutes of intermission and with the exception of several flaws, it was excellent.
The room was quite crowded. In the relatively small room, there ware 10-15 tables with 10 chairs on each table and there were more than 100 people watching. However, this created a friendly atmosphere. All the audiences were able to blend in and watched the show in relaxed manner.
The stage was divided into two main sections. The one on the left was for the band to perform while the one on the right was for the monologues to be played. People sitting in the back of the room or in the balcony will not have any difficulties at all to be able to watch both the band and the monologues. This however created a problem for the audience sitting near the stage. The audience has to either move their chair or twist their head every time the show alternated between the band and the monologues.
Costumes substantially influenced the success of the show. The female crews were dressed in skimpy outfits. For example, during the first monologues there were a dance performance and the dancers were dressed in fluorescent cream satin lining with glitter ball. Even though some of the female crews dresses were suggestive, nothing really objectionable or pornographic was shown. The male crews, on the other hand, were dressed in casual and semi formal outfits which suit the role they were playing in the monologue. For example, there were two male actors acting as customers in a restaurant and they set a conversation about who would pay the check.
The arrangement of sounds was perfect. The band played a variety of instruments including guitars, drum, keyboard, percussions, and even harmonica. Nevertheless, no single instrument was dominating the band and the lyrics of the songs could be heard clearly regardless of the loud volume of the instruments.
By using great control of the lighting system, the audiences were “forced to see what the actors wanted them to see. This system was perfectly used to emphasize on certain actor or important event in the