Review: AN EVENING WITH JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL at Catalina Jazz Club

The Catalina Jazz Club is nestled in an industrial-looking building down a side street off Hollywood Boulevard. It is inconspicuous to say the least— one enters through a parking garage and waits in a courtyard that feels more like an office building than a performance venue. However, inside awaits a dinner club that boasts a surprising range of upcoming performances.

John Cameron Mitchell’s cabaret show exhibited his demented, impish persona through a series of high-energy numbers. Of course, the crowd was most invested in his renditions of songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the show which put him on the map as a writer-director-performer. However, he sampled a range of varied selections including songs by David Bowie (an obvious influence for Mitchell’s own vocal performances) and some new pieces written by lesser-known composers.

Highlights of the evening included an homage to Bette Midler’s performance in The Rose by cabaret star Amber Martin, who has the audience eating from her hands based on her vocal prowess and comfortable air alone. By the end of the song (Martin unfortunately only performs two solo numbers in the show), the crowd was on its feet begging for me.

A surprise guest appearance by cabaret icon Jackie Beat also bolstered great applause. Overall, the show was a gratifying evening for Hedwig fans with memorable performances sprinkled throughout.