REVIEW: Dillie Keane offers cabaret perfection at 59E59 in NYC
NEW YORK — Dillie Keane is an incomparable performer, someone who commands the stage with witty humor, theatrical resonance and engaging storytelling. The founder of the United Kingdom’s popular cabaret group Fascinating Aïda recently offered her one-woman show at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. Simply titled Hello, Dillie!, the two-hour affair was a wonderful ride of emotions through Keane’s ruminating on life, love and shattered illusions. The show, directed by Simon Green for its U.S. engagement, is easily a highlight of the theatrical season.
American audiences, especially those who frequent 59E59, will know Keane from her Fascinating Aïda work. The trio of women who offer those wonderfully funny and poignantly sincere tunes are currently on hiatus, which has allowed Keane to venture back into solo waters. Although F.A.ns — I’m coining that phrase for Fascinating Aïda fanatics — need not worry. The trio will be back at it again this August at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Having only Keane on stage with the musical accompaniment of pianist Michael Roulston makes for a more intimate evening of songs and stories. The tunes, numbering around 15, are from Fascinating Aïda and Keane’s back catalog and mostly deal with the peculiarities and whimsies of love. They are sharp, salient songs.
Keane begins the cabaret show by sitting on the piano and reenacting the morning after a night she can’t quite remember. “My Average Morning” sets Hello, Dillie! on a path that looks at sex, romance and the intersection of these topics in a humorous light. As a performer, Keane is able to interpret her songs, which are mostly co-written with Fascinating Aïda’s Adèle Anderson, with wonderfully emotive facial expressions, precisely performed steps and turns of the hand to gather more laughs or more tears, depending on the tune.
In “My Average Morning,” Keane sings some lyrics while lying down, recreating that uneasy morning and constantly wondering who this person is in the bed next to her. It’s a perfectly fitting opening song, highlighting the theme of Hello, Dillie! and getting the audience in on the laughter.
Keane follows up that song with “Internet Love,” another humorous ode to the weird and wild world of 21st-century matchmaking. A highlight comes in the third song, one of the best of the evening. “Shattered Illusions” lets the audience know that Hello, Dillie! will not be a laughfest from beginning to end. There are times — both in this show and in life — when love can sting, love can hurt and love can wondrously sweep someone off his or her feet. Keane explores the many different ways love expresses itself in society, and “Shattered Illusions” may be her best exploration.
“Little Shadows” is equally touching, a nice accompaniment to the pathos of “Shattered Illusions.” Other first-act tunes, from “Single Again” to “Out of Practice,” continue Keane’s ruminating and exploring. In between each song, she offers the occasional story or setup. Keane has an obvious appreciation for clairvoyance and tarot-card reading, and how she connects both subjects to her own life can be surprising and revealing. Other stories follow her on dates with men who won’t last long, others who last far too long and one who feels just right.
Act II begins with more comedic songs, including the quite funny “Much More Married” and “This Ain’t the Hokey Cokey Anymore.” Much like the first act, Keane starts out with a laugh and finishes with an emotional sendoff. For Act II, that sendoff consists of “Love Late” and the triumphant “One More Campaign.”
Hello, Dillie!, which was part of 59E59’s Brits Off-Broadway Festival, is a beautifully crafted show of songs and stories from a woman who has explored the funny intricacies of life for more than three decades. The songs by Keane and Anderson are smart and sly. The directing by Green (in the U.S.) and Michael Fitzgerald (in the U.K.) emphasizes Keane’s strengths as a unique performer with a catalog of memorable songs. The accompaniment by Roulston is nicely complementary.
Spending two hours with Dillie Keane is akin to pulling out a jar of homemade chutney, grabbing some triangles of toast and putting on a pot of tea. As the audience’s friend, she has something to say, and there probably will never be a time when the audience doesn’t want to listen.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Hello, Dillie! played 59E59 Theaters through July 3. Directed by Simon Green (U.S.) and Michael Fitzgerald (U.K.). Featuring Dillie Keane and Michael Roulston on the piano. With songs by Keane and Adèle Anderson. Running time: 120 minutes with intermission. Click here for more information.
