in Australia -
Dimity Shepherd (mezzo soprano)
Antoinette Halloran (soprano)
Ben Winkelman (piano accordion, keyboard)
Jason Bunn (viola)
in UK -
Jacqueline Tate (mezzo soprano)
Catherine Friel (soprano)
Phil McLeod (piano accordion, double bass)
and occasionally, if we are very good and very lucky - Captain Frodo (Saw)
Influences
Yma Sumac, Sarah Vaughan, Renata Tebaldi, Jeff buckley, Gotye, Ben Folds, Theresa Cahill, Thom Yorke, Maria Callas, Theresa Stratas, Dita von Teese, ACDC, Bon Jovi
Sounds Like
Moments of operatic purity with dashes of Berliner Kabarett and lashings of Wagnerian inspired rock-opera...
As a principal soprano for Opera Australia for over 5 years Ali McGregor won awards (Green Rooms) and sang with some of the worlds great singers and conductors. She developed a show called 'The Opera Burlesque' which boasts "More high C's than sleaze but just enough tease to please". Took it to Melbourne, Adelaide Fringe Festivals (with Dimity Shepherd, Antoinette Halloran) - and sold out every show.
Ali joined the Cast of 'La Clique - A Sideshow Burlesque' in which she gets away with singing both Puccini and Radiohead in the same program. She has performed with the famous tent in Melbourne, Adelaide and Edinburgh Festival. A regular guest on ABC Australia's Spicks and Specks, her 'Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night has been a cult favourite at Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Opera Burlesque has a UK cast - Jacquline Tate, Catherine Friel but are taking the OB is taking a little break while people have babies and sing in Phantom of the Opera...
Ali is performing Jazz Cigarette at Adelaide Cabaret Festival where she will also appear in the Opening Gala (see www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com She will also be doing her Variety Night this year at Edinburgh Fringe. See her website for more details.
Here is some footage from the Opera Burlesque in BBC's final Edinburgh Fringe round-up 2007.
A little Bon Jovi for you all...
I hope you'll be performing in the Christmas special for 'Spicks and Specks' this year. I'll watch the show even if you weren't on it as I like Adam Hills, but it's much more fun to see you both together. You and Adam look adorable as a couple and work well together professionally. Have fun!
May you always have stables of horses to service your needs. In your presence even my shadow acquires the sensation of touch. Your cleverness helps me breathe without the need of oxygen. I relentlessly desire cotton candy lollipops. I love your eyes, I know they can stare through my thoughts. I keep searching for you between the cushions. Wood nymphs sprinkle your path with rose petals while you dance and prowl in the sequined moonlight with leftover cupcake sprinkles. Your beauty is multiplexed in contemplation of your multidimensional effervescence. Polished rock candy comes ever to mind when thinking of you. Please let me hear more of that wonderful sound. I sense wild vapors of sweet champagne in your larynx. Blinking reveals the true visage of beauty hidden within your eyes. Your reflections bring happiness that rends naked glass. All my thoughts are lost to your graceful gaze? The elves that play in the toasters wash their drum sticks in honey and sing strikingly colored anthems in perfect harmonious pleasure.
Thank you for coming to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and making it fantastic! I saw your show Jazz Cigarettes again (I saw it first in Melbourne) and it was superb.
Hope to see you again in Adelaide for next year's Fringe Festival. Also congratulations on your engagement to Adam Hills!
Haha yess that would've been me! I got my family friends to take their whole family too, and they're still thanking me for it they looved it!
Thankyou Ali, I'm checking it out now, hopefully will be able to come along!
also good to see you twittering, I've started following you on there (I only got one of those twitter things a couple of days ago) I'm shinysilverjane (I regret not using my actual full name now..) incase you see me talking at you haha
Hi Ali, hope you're having a great day! Just stopping by to say that I loooove you and your music!! You might not remember when I saw you after the show at Kingston Arts Centre here in melbourne haha we talked about our rings and shoes but it was such a beautiful concert and you were so lovely and nice I'll always remember it :)
Still listen to your music so much and hope I can see you live again soon!
Wishing you a fantastic Christmas and a sensational New Year.
I saw you singing on 'A Very Specky Christmas' last night and you and everyone else in the choir looked wonderfully Dickensian and sounded glorious.
Enjoy your holidays.
Cheers!
PS. I also hope the stories about you and Adam Hills getting engaged are true. You and Adam make a beautiful couple and you both share a wonderful sense of humour.
hey Ali! I was wondering.. was there any recordings of the late night variety nite nights? I reheaally want a copy of that mish mash of cry me a river.. and a few others, or were they live only?
