Naked Dream - Review

Reviewed by Lydia Cheng
On Friday night, Rachel Collis took over the stage at Riverside Theatres. Rafferty's Stage may not call to mind an imposing stage like New York's Carnegie Hall, but for a performer like Collis, the venue is perfect for her piano and her band. With Michael Galeazzi on electric and double bass and Michael Quigley on drums, Collis' music is built up even more and the audience can peek into Collis' mind.

Before the show began, conversations about her filled the audience. Why yes, she was at the Fringe Festival earlier. Didn't you realize that she was working on several other songs? A few of her songs come from real life inspiration; however, she does disclaim that certain pieces are not inspired by her cat, which according to Pet Hell should be made into mince, or her local restaurant that blew up as a result of arson in So Your Dreams Went Boom.

With that, the lights dimmed, and Collis stepped out on stage, barefoot, before striding over to the piano. Her first two songs, Tomorrow and If I Could, are lovingly crooned out to the audience, allowing them to settle back into their seats.

The fourth song began to reveal her theatrical side. The French Door Thief is silly but charming. Dim lighting and a snazzy chorus showcase Collis' ability to step into a persona: I am reminded of someone from the 1920s, or a cabaret singer who dabbles in the burlesque arts. She shakes and shimmies, with comedic effect, but it is truly her voice that holds your attention.

However, there are other skills that Collis has. Her ability to strum along on the ukulele is fantastic, even when she admits that she only knows two songs. Then the moment she showcases her kazoo skills, the audience can't help but laugh. After all, a kazoo appearing in the middle of a sultry act tends to bring out a few giggles.

The bantering between Collis and her band mates kept the mood light throughout the evening, something much appreciated with her songs Winter in Munich and Make Room. Winter in Munich is an eerie piece: the piano and Collis' gentle voice belay sorrowful lyrics about journeys and leaving. Given that Collis' husband contributed to the lyrics, the thought of a couple working together on a melancholic song makes the melody even more haunting.

Make Room is a song that Collis wrote awhile back. She mentions that it makes her think of the current situation with refugees coming to Australia. With lyrics like “love is spacious,” it's not hard to see why. Several people in the audience seemed to have chills from the music, myself included.

Collis ended the night with two fantastic encores: The Germans and Pablo. One is a satirical ode to “If the Germans had won the war”; the other is a ballad for a wonderfully skilled Brazilian waxer. s

Rachel Collis and her band presented a highly diverse and wonderful show for an entire 90 minutes. Between her attitude as a jazz lounge crooner, a maniac pet owner, and a slightly unhinged human being, Collis' performance persona is both likeable and admirable.