Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – John Cameron Mitchell and Amber Martin’s CASSETTE ROULETTE is an ecstatic display of downtown swagger

• By drediman
• February 24, 2023
• No Comments

Over the course of a number of weeks this winter at Joe’s Pub, John Cameron Mitchell (of Hedwig and the Angry Inch fame) and cabaret star Amber Martin have teamed up to perform Cassette Roulette. In essence, the show has been structured around a (mostly) random selection of songs (drawn anew at each performance), which means that each night is bound to be different. It’s this kind of unpredictability combined with a conscious effort to conjure the punk aesthetic that has yielded the kind of controlled yet irresistible mayhem that has ensured that these shows have been a consistent sell-out.

Since the roulette includes songs both familiar and unexpected, the format ensures that both the performers and audiences alike are in store for a wild ride. Looking svelte and projecting a wise sort of confidence, Mitchell gave the audience what it came for, and then some. Paired with the outrageous antics and powerhouse vocals of Martin, the two of them brought back downtown swagger — their performances were totally in the moment yet sublimely artful — with a vengeance.

Martin’s unbridled vocals were undeniably fierce when singing rousing rock standards like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”, in addition to a couple of well-crafted self-penned songs. However, she most memorably made her mark on the evening in a couple of extreme parody numbers, namely hilarious, off-the-wall takes on favorites by the likes of Reba McEntire and Whitney Houston (Martin’s rendition of “I Will Love You” was truly inspired lunacy).

At the show I attended, the special guest was none other than Stephen Trask — Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s still boyish co-creator — who seamlessly partook in Mitchell and Martin’s ongoing shenanigans with utter commitment. Throughout, the duo and their guest were backed wonderfully by Justin Craig and the Hedwig house band Tits of Clay, as well as fascinating “live” artwork captured via overhead projection.

The performance concluded in crowd-pleasing manner with Mitchell squarely in the spotlight, delivering ecstatic performances of “Midnight Radio” and “Wig in a Box”, two of Hedwig’s most recognizable songs (the set also included Trask singing “Random Number Generation”, a rollicking punk anthem from the show that I haven’t heard much of outside the original Off-Broadway cast album). The final performance of Cassette Roulette’s current Joe’s Pub residency is this weekend. If you can snag a ticket, go, go, go.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL & AMBER MARTIN: CASSETTE ROULETTE
Cabaret
Joe’s Pub
2 hours (without an intermission)
Through February 26