From comedy to cabaret for Krum

AJN STAFF

CABARET performer Reuben Krum will step away from his usual brand of upfront comedy for a music-driven performance that he says “drowns sorrows and toasts [to] life”.

Titled Reuben Krum Going to the Dogs, the show will be performed in Melbourne at St Kilda’s Dog’s Bar on November 25.

“All the other shows have gone out of their way to be continuously funny. This show is more mainstream,” Krum says.

“It’s got swing and jazz and it’s more relaxed. It’s blending a live music gig with comedy cabaret.

“Sometimes I think I talk too much, so I’ve decided to shut up and sing this time,” he jokes.

Krum will be backed by a three-piece band playing music as wide-ranging as German composers Kurt Weill and Friedrich Hollaender, and 1950s musicians Sam Cooke and Frankie Vaughan.

While Krum recognises the new opportunities presented by working with a live band, he also understands that it comes with new challenges.

“A lot of the time that work has to be done quickly, so there’s no time for ego. If you [mess] up, you fix it,” he admits.

But the new direction doesn’t mean Krum has turned his back on cabaret. Rather, he views this performance as a natural career progression.

“You can be as serious as you like about cabaret as an art form, but when you get right down to it, people buy tickets for balls-out entertainment,” he says.

Reuben Krum will perform Reuben Krum Going to the Dogs at St Kilda’s Dog’s Bar on Wednesday, November 25 at 8:30pm. Tickets: $25. Enquiries: (03) 8534 3020; www.dogsbar.com.au.