Review: A QUIRKY COMEDY CABARET at the NAC's Fourth Stage

A Quirky Comedy Cabaret is a uniquely Ottawa experience. Rose-Ingrid Benjamin, the mastermind behind the show, created A Quirky Comedy Cabaret with the goal of showcasing local BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ artists. Last night marked the second in a series of, hopefully, many more events to come. It was my first time at the National Arts Centre's Fourth Stage, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and intimacy of the venue, which provided the perfect backdrop for this show. I ended up being way too early, so I grabbed a drink at the back bar and watched the widely diverse audience arrive. The venue was only filled to about half-capacity, but there were people who had clearly been to the previous iteration and knew each other.

In true cabaret style, the performances were multi-disciplinary and included comedy, song, dance, and burlesque. The theme for this edition of A Quirky Comedy Cabaret was Juneteenth, with an all-Black lineup. Every act was extremely talented, and the roster incorporated some younger artists who were testing out the waters, as well as veteran performers at the top of their game.

Benjamin’s drag alter-ego, The Rev. Love (from OUTtv’s Drag Heals, S3), was the evening’s host and his game show skit, “Are the Song Lyrics about Love or Jesus?” was hysterical, even if it did get him into some hot holy water with an audience member who was seemingly offended by the religious overtones.

The incredibly funny Alastair McAlastair, Jinesea Lewis, Adam Adjokatcher, and Serge Nkusi shared personal experiences, anecdotes, adventures (and misadventures) with warmth, infectious energy, and a healthy dose of humour.

Neo-soul jazz vocalist, Emmanuel Simon, treated the audience to two songs: Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind”, made famous by Ray Charles, and Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady”, inviting the audience to participate in the latter. Simon has a silky-smooth voice and has performed with the likes of Michael Bublé and Josh Groban.

Minnie Bombay, co-producer of one of Ottawa’s first all-Black burlesque productions, Underneath the Harlem Moon, gave a fun, but all-too-short, campy performance to the Pink Panther theme song.

Omari B. Johnson was, perhaps, the biggest surprise of the evening for me. Johnson is a self-taught dancer, who has only been on the scene for about three years, but has already made waves as the runner-up for last year’s Mr. Capital Pride. Based on his performance last night, I expect to see much more of Johnson in the Ottawa theatre and dance scene.

The overall vibe reminded me of a piano bar that I went to in New York City, where there was an immediate cozy, unpretentious atmosphere and where the level of audience participation was largely left up to the individuals’ comfort level. Well, except for Josh. Although, to be fair, since Josh is dating one of the performers, I’m sure he knows that it comes with the territory. Then there’s Olin, who I’m guessing ran home and immediately marked his anniversary date on the calendar. Nevertheless, both the audience and the performers seemed to be having a fabulous time, and no one was rushing to go home once the show was over (except, maybe, Olin!), which is remarkable for a Wednesday night event.

Benjamin plans to hold A Quirky Comedy Cabaret roughly every two months, with the next iteration planned sometime in August, coinciding with Capital Pride.

This was a wonderful night out featuring all-around great performances and where everyone was welcome and greeted with open arms. I highly recommend attending A Quirky Comedy Cabaret, as there is truly something for everyone and I hope to see a full house in August. For more information and to stay up to date on the upcoming performance schedule and invited artists, follow A Quirky Comedy Cabaret’s Instagram page here.

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