Review: Meow Meow Sets Carnegie Hall on Fire with Laughter

It may have been cold and raining outside, but inside it was hot and hysterical at Carnegie Hall for Meow Meow, Sequins and Satire, Divas and Disruptors: The Wild Women of the Weimar Republic on March 23, 2024. The performance is another show within the iconic venue’s festival, Fall of The Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice, which gives voice to the arts and culture during this brief, yet important period in time. The Australian-born songstress and comedian known by the moniker, Meow Meow, took the sold out audience on a rollicking “tip-of-the-top hat” ride with her tribute  to the famous and infamous women of late 1920’s and early 1930’s in Weimar Germany. 

Sally Bowles may have coined the term “Divine Decadence” in the show Cabaret, but Meow Meow embodies it.  Dressed to shock in a black lace corset with a floor length lace open skirt and killer stilettos, the absolutely Divine Diva that is Meow Meow began what has been aptly dubbed a “kamikaze cabaret” show.  Chaotic, unexpected, confused and with constant interaction and immersion with individuals within the audience, she set off riots of laughter among theatergoers.  Meow Meow spoke of the “wild women” of Weimar from 1919-1933.  After the horrors of World War I, many women were forced to survive by their wits and talents.  Their men had been broken from a disastrous war.  They literally were dancing on the brink of a cliff, a brief moment in time for democracy and freedom before it all plunged into the grasp of the Nazis.

The raven-haired chanteuse used her powerful and at times, belting vocals as she sang  in both English and German  “rare” songs from known songstresses who lived a century ago.   Standout performances included: “Love Market,” “Ballade von der Hollen-Lili,” “Pirate Jenny,” “Weinn ich mir was wunschen durfte” and “Ich bin ein Vamp.” Here were songs about the vamps, sirens or even poor girls who had to learn to survive in these difficult times.  Tunes that had been made famous by names such as, Lotte Lenya, Marlene Dietrich, Blandine Ebinger and Anita Berber, to name but a few.  During the Weimar period, these women sang of the world around them, a topsy-turvy and many times lawless post World War I Germany. Anything and everything was allowed and so the population ventured into the extravagant and outrageous without restraints from society. The wild women sang stories of  love (including selling their love), intense poverty, the need for survival, corrupt politics and how all they could do was to live for each day. Decadence (divine or not), sex and thrills were the order of time - after all they had nothing to lose.  

Just like during the Weimar days, the Carnegie Hall patrons roared with laughter at the bawdy humor, interacted with the onstage comedy and remained completely and utterly silent during Meow Meow’s torch songs.  This reviewer was completely overwhelmed by the tornado of talent that is Meow Meow.  Rowdy comedian, sonorous singer, femme fatale and true entertainer, she is all that and more while never losing her fans from within that immersive grasp.  Meow Meow purred her siren song and we, the audience, followed. How wonderfully divine and utterly decadent the evening was!

Meow Meow, Sequins and Satire, Divas and Disruptors: The Wild Women of the Weimar Republic featured the fabulous Meow Meow and her band, Isaac Hayward (piano and cello), Nicholas Crosa (violin), Dan Witton (Bass) and David Berger (percussion).

Find great shows to see on the Carnegie Hall website here.