The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age
Last Sunday, @ginges-stuff and I attended the matinee of the show. It was a fantastic experience.
The venue is built as a 1930s New York nightclub and offers an authentic atmosphere. There are three stages (one with the band next to the entrance, one in the middle and one behind the bar at the back of the room), several round tables on the floor and additional seating at a little higher pedestal on two sides. We sat at a table with high chairs at the side and had a great view from there.
The show started at 1 pm with Miss Belle Livingstone (Suanne Braun) welcoming everyone and promising the greatest night of jazz, ever. She wore a red dress that flattered her figure and gave the impression of a woman who knows the ins and outs of running a speakeasy. Always a saucy quip on her lips, she worked the room and made sure everyone was having a good time.
Belle and Valaida (the resident singer) took turns exciting the audience with their amazing voices. They were accompanied by four dancers (the spirits) and a fabulous band. Through music, song, and dancing, we learned the story of Belle’s life, her past, her hopes and dreams.
Besides the main attraction, there was another show that was hidden from the obvious eye: the choreography of the waiters and waitresses. Well attuned, they ensured everyone got their drinks and their food in the allotted time windows. However, serving drinks didn't always work out the way it should have. Drinks could be ordered with your phone scanning a barcode that included your table number. Somehow the app changed the table number or used a default because several times, we were asked if we had ordered the cocktail/champagne/wine. If we had been any lesser human beings, we would have said “yes” and gotten free drinks which someone else had paid for.
The three-course-menu was excellent and delicious.
At one point when @ginges-stuff and I were talking about the upcoming Fedcon event and fangirling over Amanda (as usual), Miss Belle came up to us and asked us if we had a good time. We were so surprised by her sudden presence that we could only affirm with a simple, “Yes, we have a great time.” Then, she winked at us and was gone again. And we missed the opportunity to say something funny. The entire day, one quick-witted sentence was stuck in my head, “Miss Belle, you are looking stunning, as stunning as an Egyptian goddess.” I missed my chance, which in retrospect is probably for the best.
At the end of the show, tension built up once again when the police raided the place and caught Miss Belle with a bottle of alcohol. But she didn't stay in prison long, because there was a party to celebrate.
The three hours flew by, and we left the place with a feeling of “Yes, indeed, we had the Greatest Night of the Jazz Age.”
If you have a chance to catch a show with Suanne, do it. The experience is well worth your time and your money.
