Paulina Pino Rubio, Katie-Rose Connors and Bella Ciccone in “Cabaret of Murder”, Photo by Anahí Castelán
Presented by Blair Moro
Conceptually, this is an intriguing endeavour: a theatrical staging of poetry, plays and songs written by serial killers. Bella Ciccone, Paulina Pino Rubio and Katie-Rose Connors, dressed in elegant cabaret-wear—white tank tops and black slacks with suspenders—enthusiastically mine the material for outrageous spectacle. And though I appreciate creator Blair Moro’s stylistically bold and committed intention, I found it rather difficult to connect to Cabaret of Murder.
Punctuating the dramatic renditions and musical numbers, the trio give contextualizing information for each grotesque and bizarre offering, revealing the infamous killer who is responsible for it. Some are more funny, chilling and creative than others—your milage with any and all of these bits (and the show as a whole) may vary. For the most part, I felt removed from it. It’s not even an identifiable failing of the material or execution—though I do find it lacks a certain urgency and a driving mechanism—it’s really my own sensibilities that aren’t quite in tune with the vibes here.
The comic conceit of handling the dark subject matter with a performative lightness of tone—the crucial draw here—gets tiresome. I think it could be a little edgier by disguising this obvious ploy with a more nuanced tonal ambiguity. The upfront goofiness gets stale and one brief moment of genuine emotionality gets lost in the shuffle.
The final song, an upbeat and encouraging ditty written by Charles Manson, is pretty rad. I’ve heard some of Manson’s work before and, unlike so much of the art rendered here, is actually pretty good. It’s disconcerting, y’know, to contemplate the authentic and persuasively feel good vibes coming from such an upsetting figure.
Cabaret of Murder
@ Toronto Fringe Festival
running July 3 to 14, 2024
Alumnae Theatre Mainspace (70 Berkeley Street)
running time: 60 minutes
