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Festival Review: Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs *****

Michael Cox reviews 'an unforgettable performance'.

Situated at the top of the Royal Mile in the Hub, Club Cumming is in full swing. Armed with a band of three and performing before an audience arena made of tables and booths, Alan Cumming storms onto the stage for a cabaret of songs and personal stories.

What could have been a mere ego boost is in truth a pinnacle of the art form. Cumming is phenomenal in every aspect: he sings well, he tells great stories and he whips the audience into sobs and hysterics with ease.

But what sets this production apart is how he handles these aspects. Most cabarets are mostly about the songs, with stories told more as titillation (or shameless name-dropping) to connect the dots. Cumming uses the stage as both a confessional and as a way to celebrate the power of music.

And it is how he uses both story and music as a way of enhancing the full theatrical experience that makes this a special production. Songs are used to give an emotional punch to stories, and stories or told to enhance the meaning of Cumming’s song choices.

He might be singing ‘sappy songs’, but Cumming gives an unforgettable performance—not just a celebration of music and personal stories but embracing the power of live performance. Not to be missed.

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs performs at The Hub at 2230 until August 27, 2016.

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