Michael Griffiths – It's a Sin: Songs of Love & Shame

Michael Griffiths

Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in arrangement with Midsumma

Details

Cabaret powerhouse Michael Griffiths pays tribute to Pet Shop Boys, the soundtrack of his life.

Vale Park, Adelaide, 1987. Michael Griffiths is about to start a new Catholic Secondary School. New uniform. New peer pressure. New everything. He’s also trying to navigate his sexuality in a time when the AIDS epidemic was full blown, when the Grim Reaper was on TV every night and homophobia was everywhere. In these times, the coolly melancholic songs of electronic duo Pet Shop Boys – aka Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – provided solace, and a safe space to explore feeling out of step with the world.

Directed by Dean Bryant (Dear Evan Hanson, My Brilliant Career) and featuring Julian Ferraretto on violin and Dylan Paul on double bass, It’s a Sin sees Griffiths bring his inimitable cabaret style to PSB classics like Rent, Love Comes Quickly, Suburbia, You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk, Go West and It’s a Sin, linking each song to some of the most important (and sometimes hilarious) episodes, incidents and people in his life. Most movingly of all, it gently but unflinchingly explores the challenges of long-term relationships.

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Artists & Program

Artists

Michael Griffiths piano, voice
Julian Ferraretto violin
Dylan Paul double bass

Program

Pet Shop Boys
It’s a Sin
Suburbia
Can You Forgive Her
Love Comes Quickly
To Speak Is a Sin
Rent
I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing
It Couldn’t Happen Here
You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk
Being Boring

reviews

‘Effortlessly commanding the keyboard, Griffiths sings and wittily annotates a curated PSB catalogue that maps against the bumpy but blessed arc of his life. Backed by Julian Ferraretto on fiddle and Dylan Paul’s thumping double bass, we hear about his unsuccessful attempt to run away from home; the time he first held hands with a man; and how that man became the love of his life.’ – Sydney Morning Herald

‘Let’s be absolutely clear: It’s A Sin is much more than a tribute show. The songs weave into Griffiths’ life as if they were written for him – which, in a way, they were. The unique arrangements, new harmonies, and one memorable slip into ‘The Rite of Spring’, allow him to make every moment his own. Combined with his skill and experience as vocalist and entertainer, this creates a seamless tapestry of life, music, and fantastic cabaret.’ – The List UK

‘an instant standing ovation from an audience that had embraced the artist’s raw, warts and all invitation to his life’s journey.’ – Limelight

‘A compelling hour shared by an equally compelling masterful cabaret performer…’ – Stage Whispers

‘A beautifully told confessional in anecdote and song…’ – Canberra Critics Circle

Venue