Ryan reawakens the '80s with cabaret

Once upon a time not too long ago, two Edmonton artists boldly went where none had gone before. Singer Bridget Ryan and painter/sculptor Jason Carter transformed the magical land of Catalyst Theatre into a nostalgic hare run of eighties music.

Yes, in celebration of the Year of the Rabbit, Catalyst's lobby and stage is adorned with about 140 of Carter's frozen canvas paintings and stone sculptures of life-sized hoppers that appear poised to leap into action.

They are a dreamlike rabbity backdrop for a 90-minute cabaret that explores the five elements of the Chinese astrological calendar - wood, earth, water, fire and metal.

Dubbed Bridget Ryan's Hare Band Cabaret/Jason Carter's The Year of the Rabbit, the cabaret is just a hop, skip and a jump back to an era where the cocaine-fuelled music industry produced a raft of mega hits.

As program creator, Ryan has developed a musical pot of gold with some of that era's mega chart toppers that run the gamut from Enya and Kate Bush to Trooper and Sister Sledge.

And Ryan, an acolyte of musical theatre who refined her chops at New York cabarets, plays against type and takes on the rock world with gusto. Constantly on the go, whether pumping her arms or jumping up and down, she relays a sparkly energy that commands the stage.

Who would have thought that I Want to Go Where Love Is and Endless Love epitomized the romanticism of wood? Or that Queen's We Will Rock You embodied the solidity of earth. And while I never equated Styx's Renegade with the bad boy characteristics of fire or the Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams are Made of This with water's cleansing soul, Ryan's crisp vocals somehow makes it all work.

Yeah, some of the lyrics are cheesy, but it's all in good fun. And as lead singer, Ryan ties all the disparate elements together with a spontaneous comedic patter that includes a lot of hand-movement and mugging. I suspect at heart she's more than a bit of clown.

The cabaret was a nostalgic reawakening of the eighties. But it wouldn't have worked without The Hare Band - a fluid combination of John McMillan's complementary male vocals, Jennifer McMillan's delicate keyboard stylings, Connor Walsh's sexy bass and Andrew Miller's full-throttle drums.

Just as Trooper's mantra is Raise a Little Hell, Ryan has stirred the pot with this rock foray and challenged the crowd to think about where they are in life.

It's two shows for the price of one and 25 per cent of the proceeds raised will be directed to Edmonton's Youth Emergency Shelter.