In case you missed it, Greg Glidon from The Courier did an article on what you can expect this Saturday at Granny Bingo. You can read The Courier article here. It’s going to be a hoot on Saturday, and not to be missed!
There’s also a little special video here by Edith and Maureen, especially just for you!
At our Afternoon of jazz and wine tasting next Sunday Sarah and Michael will be playing a well-picked selection of songs written and performed by LGBTIQA+ artists from the early 20th Century, such as Billie Holiday, Cole Porter and Bessie Smith. They will balance these great tunes with a spare selection of songs by some of our great contemporary LGBTIQA+ artists such as Elton John, Rufus Wainwright and LP.
A queer-identifying performer herself, Sarah’s readings of these tunes are timeless because she respects and understands the composer’s intent. There are singers around with more flash but very few with such commitment to the melody. She is accompanied by Brownie, a gifted guitarist who effortlessly infuses their timeless repertoire with a fresh and colourful sound.
Read our interview with Sarah below to find out more and get excited – because this is going to be a fabulous event!
Sarah and Michael
How long have you played together for?
We performed together regularly between 2005 and 2010 and have only recently begun playing together again.
How did you two meet and decide to play together?
We met many years before we actually formed a duo. In our early 20s both of our partners at the time lived together in a share house and that is how we met. At the time, Brownie was busy being a rock star, and I was busy completing my music degree in Melbourne. I remember the first time I met Brownie and being struck by what a lovely man he was. Years later, I moved to Ballarat. I had been performing in Melbourne with an acapella group but it became difficult to maintain the group long-distance, so I was looking for a new project. I contacted Brownie and thankfully, he was up for it.
What inspires you to perform?
Singing for an audience is thrilling. There is something about having others listening, that enables me to really push into the emotions of a song and this is really gratifying.
What inspired your idea of covering queer artists for this gig?
Jazz is not a genre of music that tends to be associated with LGBTIQ+ culture. However, there have been some hugely influential players in jazz who were queer. I’m a huge Billie Holiday fan and I’ve been heavily influenced by her vocal stylings. I cover a lot of songs that Billie sang and, knowing that she was bisexual, it was then natural for me to consider the inclusion of other LGBTIQ+ composers and performers in the set. My focus is on the jazz music from the first half of the 20th Century and when I discovered that Cole Porter was gay I knew that it was going to be easy to find plenty of material for the set. My research also uncovered Billy Tipton, a trans-man who was a jazz pianist and bandleader who performed many wonderful songs.
What can audiences expect at the gig?
Brownie and I will perform a selection of popular music from the early 20th Century, along with a selection of some more contemporary pop songs by artists such as Elton John, Rufus Wainwright, and LP. Talented pianist Akasha will be playing some beautiful tunes in between our sets.
Is there a particular song you’re most excited to play?
T’aint Nobody’s Bizness is a song that was first performed by blues singer Bessie Smith who, along with Ma Rainey, Gladys Bentley and others, was part of the queer subculture in 1920s Harlem that gave rise to drag ball culture. I have always loved expressing the sentiment of this song, and I have created some new lyrics for the modern era. So listen out!
What kind of people do you think will attend the gig?
I think this gig will appeal to members of the LGBTIQ+ community and allies who are towards the older end of the spectrum, along with anyone who enjoys beautiful, lyrical music.
If you could play a gig with any performer alive today, who would you choose?
Rather than any particular performer, I would really love to sing with Post Modern Jukebox. I love the way they reconstruct contemporary pop songs into vintage genres. It’s just really fun music!
10 words or less to describe your act:
Romantic, passionate and heartfelt, sometimes kitsch and cute, occasionally gut-wrenching.
Don’t forget to get your tickets to the jazz and wine tasting afternoon here!
Yana Alana will be helping kick off Frolic Carnival Day. Be there early to see her or miss out! Details on Carnival Day here.
Yana Alana will be performing at Frolic Carnival Day – don’t miss her!
Yana Alana and The Paranas offer a celebration of difference in a world obsessed with bland cookie-cutter celebrity.
‘I’m Not A Role Model. I’m A Model With Rolls’ Yana Alana
The alter ego of Sarah Ward, Yana is a self-obsessed, tragic and heroic femme-drag clown, a champion for the disenfranchised with a voice scaling from a Bassey-sized belt to an operatic soprano.
Born in Melbourne’s queer and alternative clubs Yana has become a Helpmann Award-winning Australian Cabaret Icon. Alongside her all-female band The Paranas (Bec Matthews MD/drummer and Louise Goh pianist) and Director Anni Davey they have 11 Green Room Awards (Melbourne’s Premiere Arts Awards).
Check out this online piece about local rainbow families in The Courier by journalist Hayley Elg and get behind Frolic by having a look at the program and booking your tickets today here.
You can also read a slightly different print version of the article below.
We’ve had some great coverage in the paper the last couple of weeks about Frolic Festival.
Check out the articles here:
Click on the pic to be taken to the article
Click the pic to read the article
Remember, grab your tickets today from www.frolicfestival.org before they run out! ❤️
Thanks WIN News Ballarat for covering our little festival. We’re super excited to be bringing what will be a fun and visible event for the whole community! Thanks also to our supporters Juliana Addison MP and Michaela Settle MP who were there too.
Remember, grab your tickets today from www.frolicfestival.org before they run out! ❤️
Sarah on a rock… somewhere definitely not in Ballarat.
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Thanks so much Sarah for sharing your story! Part of connecting the local LGBTIQA+ community is getting to know and celebrating its individual members. We’ll continue to share the stories of our volunteers in further updates!
Have you ever thought about getting involved in Frolic Festival as a volunteer? More info here: https://frolicfestival.org/volunteer/
Not long to go now. Make sure you get your tickets BEFORE the festival at www.frolicfestival.org/events
Check out our short and hilariously dorky behind the scenes video of what happens at Frolic Committee meetings and see the winner of our tagging competition announced live!
We really look forward to seeing you at the festival everyone! ❤️🏳️🌈🎉
Make sure you like our FB page so you can stay up to date with the latest Frolic news.
The time has come to reveal our full 2019 Ballarat Frolic Festival trailer!
So we may have been a little cheeky when we said there were clues in the teaser trailer. There wasn’t really… except for the dates 🤣 But there’s definitely some obvious clues in our full trailer with some of our key events highlighted. 😝
Our full 2019 program and ticket sales will be going live this weekend. Email subscribers get early access to our cheaper Early Bird tickets. Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/c79X-9
Watch our trailer with Festival highlights below or on our Ballarat Frolic Festival Facebook page!
Jay in her steam punk look at Frolic Cabaret during Ballarat Winter Festival.
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Thanks so much Jay for sharing your story! Part of connecting the local LGBTIQA+ community is getting to know and celebrating its individual members. We’ll continue to share the stories of our volunteers in further updates!
Have you ever thought about getting involved in Frolic Festival as a volunteer? More info here: https://frolicfestival.org/volunteer/
jaymorrison1982 