Photo by Christian Coulson
New York-based Australian Kim Smith has made a name for himself as a Weimar cabaret artist. A 2009 Bistro Award winner and a two-time MAC Award nominee, Smith weaves the world of dark, seductive decadence with his Weimar-inspired cabaret like no other. As he prepares to bring his show Morphium to Adelaide Cabaret Festival and The Butterfly Club next month, he talks to Cabaret Confessional and gives us a glimpse into his intriguing universe.
Tell us a little about your show Morphium? What’s it about?
Morphium is a very musical cabaret about medicating oneself with love, and with the need for closeness. It’s specific to whatever any given audience member wants to make of it, and is kind of ephemeral in terms of a direct narrative. I sing about all kinds of perspectives on neediness and loss, as well as abusive topics. I have chosen material that I feel reflects varying aspects of love’s maturation from infatuated youth, through comely hussy, molested innocent, and love-sick romantic. All of these are blended and obscured by love’s drug-like haze, represented by the opening piano piece, “Morphium Valse,” composed in 1920 by Mischa Spoliansky, and famously danced to on the Weimar stage by Anita Berber.
What is it about Weimar cabaret that draws you?
I love the history of the Weimar period, and have always been excited by the ways in which people expressed themselves through live performance, despite the increasing threat from volatile governing powers. There’s an opportunity for unpleasantness in this “super-niche” which I greatly enjoy.
You interpret pop songs in imaginative ways. What are the elements of pop tunes that appeal to you?
Definitely the lyrics. I approach all of the music I sing from the stories they potentially contain. For me, I like the challenge of turning modern music into old-fashioned theatre, and mashing it up with the styles and sensibilities of the Weimar period.
What is the first song that comes to mind right now?
I’ve done it before, but I want to revisit Diana Ross’ “Chain Reaction.”
This is your Adelaide Cabaret Festival debut – how do you feel about being involved with the festival?
I have been very interested in participating in the Festival for a long time, and am utterly thrilled to be making my debut! The Festival has an incredible profile over here, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been aching to be a part of it. I couldn’t be prouder to be a participant in the Festival – especially in its 10th year.
You’ve been living in New York for a while. How do you find it? Is the life in NYC as glamorous as it sounds?
Glamour is in the eye of the beholder. You can be everything and anything in New York, depending on the day, and where you find yourself. It’s a very distracting city, and you have to work hard to stay focused on the important things, but I love New York. It’s been said a million or more times before, but I love it. I walk very quickly and have a certain temperament that lends well to life over here.
And what would that temperament be?
Bold and impatient, but still likeable. :)
What took you there?
I first started coming to New York in 2005, having met a dashing and disarming young American in Melbourne earlier that year. We fell in love, and my visits became longer and longer, until I was living here, all of a sudden.
What was your big break in New York City? How did you become an established artist in such a competitive place?
I think my “big break” was more of a gradual progression. I’ve worked with some amazing people here, and have a really passionate following, for which I’m enormously grateful.
After having been in one of the, if not THE cabaret capital of the world, what are your thoughts on cabaret scene in Australia?
The scene in Australia is very exciting, and I think there is a lot of interesting work going on all over Australia, created by wonderful Australian artists. My first cabarets were performed at Melbourne’s The Butterfly Club (where I’ll be returning with Morphium after my season at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival), and I remember being very inspired by all the amazing artists performing at the club, like Mark Jones, Ali McGregor and Tim Minchin, to name but a few.
And on cabaret scene in New York?
I am in love with New York’s cabaret scene. I feel so lucky to be living and working in the nucleus of modern cabaret — New York has a very supportive community of artists and audience members, and I’m thrilled to be a part of New York’s wide and varied cabaret landscape.
How would you define cabaret?
I think cabaret is difficult to pin down to a precise description. It is ephemeral in nature, representing many things to many different people. Some people cringe at the word, while others are heavily invested in it as a unique art form. I think of cabaret as being a truly intimate forum for imagination; it’s really the only art form in which you have an artist immersed in music, where the audience has the opportunity to fill in the blanks around him/her. The simplicity of cabaret is a very beautiful thing.
How did you develop your performance style?
I learned a great deal studying at the Ballarat Arts Academy, and also from watching other artists, be they amazing or awful. Plus, I trust my directors and collaborators, and pick them very carefully.
Your director Christian Coulson is also a photographer. How does the creative process work with him?
We know one another very well, and both have the show’s best interests at heart. Christian is a vastly skilled and intelligent artist, and I feel very lucky to have him working on my projects, be it as photographer (www.arsonistphotography.com), director, artistic director, lighting designer, or in whatever other discipline his gifts are applicable to. I often joke that he’s my William Baker.
Who/what has been your biggest inspiration?
In terms of singing, my influences are a very mixed bag, with Karen Carpenter, Julie London, Marlene Dietrich and Björk all thrown in together. Eartha Kitt has always been a huge presence in my life, somehow, and I was very fortunate to meet her in 2007. Seeing Eartha perform live was a huge turning point for me as a cabaret artist — watching this luscious, ageless creature slowly devour an audience with her focus was beyond belief and defies description. The only other time I’ve seen focus like hers on stage was from Geoffrey Rush in “Exit the King.” Also, I have to say that I completely worship Kylie Minogue, and am utterly enthralled by her every move. Strangely, she inspires many things I do.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
Prince.
If someone could grant you just one wish, what would you wish for?
An easier commute to Australia! And, that Lady Gaga would acknowledge her embarrassing debt to Grace Jones and Róisín Murphy.
What are the things you miss most about Australia?
I definitely miss my family, friends, and Melbourne’s coffee culture. While living away from loved ones is tough, I have built up a wonderful army of friends over here in New York, and I really wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world.
Click here to watch his YouTube clip
www.kimdavidsmith.com
www.twitter.com/KimDavidSmith
Adelaide
Morphium - A Kabarett by Kim Smith
Dates: 16 - 18 June @ 9.30pm
Venue: Artspace Gallery, Adelaide Festival Centre King William Road, Adelaide
Tickets: Adult: $27.95, Adult Season Pass: $23.95
Concession: $23.95, Concession Season Pass: $19.95
Booking: call 131-246 or click here.
www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com
Melbourne
KIM SMITH in MORPHIUM
Dates: 24 - 27 June
Times: 24-26th @ 9.00pm 27th @ 8.00pm
Venue: The Butterfly Club 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne, VIC
Ticket price: $27 full / $22 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: Click here or call 03 9690 2000
Subscribe to Cabaret Confessional via email
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 1:15AM 
