December 2005
Well, Charlie-In-the-Box and the Polka-dotted Elephant
are going to have to wait until next year. Big Mess
Cabaret is taking the year off. Philadelphia's
combination of Little Rascals, Fellini, T-Rex, and Mr.
Rodgers will be back next Christmas, if not sooner.
Meanwhile, we'll be making more of our Christmas album
"Have Yourself" available for your downloading
pleasure. So, keep up the Good Will, agitate for Peace
(you know, On Earth,) and we'll see you soon,
Andy Bresnan
Artistic Director
Big Mess Cabaret & Orchestra
CD available at:
a.k.a. music
21 N. Second St.
Philadelphia, PA
215-922-3852.
Click here for more information.
YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A BIG MESS
December 2004 - The Big Mess Cabaret returns! We have left the Trocadero to find a home in the cold
world, free from the imported Home-Depot-nomics now so popular with all of Philadelphia's
established venues. In launching Operation Yuletide Freedom, we have found that shock
and awe aren’t what they once were, but that titillation is always right on the money! Or, as
Charles Coburn put it in "The Lady Eve", 'Let us be crude, but never vulgar'. As our forces
deploy in Northern Liberties, we bring to the grateful populace our new Christmas album,
"Have Yourself". It is a sophisticatedly childish clarion call to all who feel, like Hermie the
dentist elf, that they somehow "don't fit in". And in these uncertain times, there are more of
us than ever!
The glamourously threadbare lifestyle of the
"independent venue" allows for neither telephone nor
the person to answer the telephone, so ALL TICKETS are
available AT THE DOOR. But there's plenty of room, and
plenty of swanky table seating! (With real, non-foldy
chairs!)
In the move to our new home, we bring the coalition that has helped Big Mess define
Christmas for thousands of Philadelphians for 14 years: the 16 piece orchestra; our Mistress
of Ceremonies Carlota Ttendant; singers Magda Hood, Butterfly Fairweather, Grace Flea,
Helen Back, and many more; embedded are members of Moxie, Headlong, SCRAP, Pig
Iron, as well as members of dozens of Philly area bands and theater groups; the crotch
puppetry stylings of The Cuntessa; A 12 round bout between Santa Claus and
Jesus "the Bethlehem Bomber" to settle the holiday once and for
all; the Off-Our-Backs-And- Onto-Yours-Strip-Show-
Auction; and, finally, the Big Mess Christmas Pageant!
All of this celebrates the release of "Have Yourself", a
collection of Christmas favorites done Big Mess style.
The Little Drummer [Boy] brings a casio, the Beatles' Rain returns as Snow with a Weil-on-performanceenhancers
flair, and the Dead Milkmen's Joe Genaro
sings O Holy Night like a punk rock Mario Lanza (if he'd
kept his Philly roots.) The album, like the show, tends to
spike the holiday eggnog with a little borscht, serving the
piss and vinegar tastefully on the side. The CD will be out
just in time to swell the stockings of all the well behaved
inner-children of Philadelphia.
January 2003 - Some video from the December 2001 show is available. We hope to have photos and video from the 2002 show posted soon as well. In the meantime, here's Magda, Helen, Butterfly, and some elves.
December 2002 - Die Heilige Kuh! Cabaret (Holy Cow! Cabaret) - Members of Pig Iron Theater, Headlong Dance, Moxie, Helen Back and the
Str8 Razors, Benny & the Vildechayas, More!! Vaudevilles, Christmas
Pageant "Fellini meets Our Gang."
New CD planned... Stay tuned... We have the material, its the time we need! We hope to have a new CD out ...sometime inthe future. The first disc -"A Little Trash Goes a Long Way" - is now sold out. We may press a second run at some point. Sorry - no T-Shirts are available...yet!
October 2002 - Band leader Andy Bresnan has been contracted to score the Big Mess Theme for the upcoming Philadelphia Orchestra Halloween Concert. Our very own Carlotta Ttendant will be reading Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" and the Philadelphia Orchestra will play the theme in her honor. See the Orchestra's site for details - the last listing on this page.
|
