Lovesick
Opening the evening will be FEST actress Laurie Gaertner, performing her original monologue Lovesick.
“But I was sixteen. Don’t believe a guy if he tells you ‘you’re the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.’ It’s always that damn pink dress…! A lonely bus stop at night, and a ruined night. A girl finds herself transported back into her past, reflecting on her first failed love, growing up a young woman, and most importantly: revenge.”
50 Shades of Fairytales, a non-political(ly correct) song revue
FEST is proud to present visiting artist Titilayo Adedokun, performing 50 Shades of Fairytales, a non-political(ly correct) song revue.
The show explores the complexities of love and the consequences of expectations, dealing with these issues in a satirical and entertaining way. Music by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Herb Ellis, Frederick Loewe, Sondheim, Comden & Greene, Rodgers & Hart, Tom Lehrer and more.
“We start learning about fairytales and happily-ever-after before we can even walk. Then we grow up. Some of us wonder what ever happened to the fairytales and some of us, well… never believed in them in the first place. This whimsical and quirky song revue depicts the journey of two women (both played by Titilayo Adedokun) who evolve through their personal experiences of love, its challenges and its consequences. A collection of witty and thought-provoking songs that will leave you laughing, crying and oh-so identifying with the characters.”
Show details
Performance dates: 10-12 September and 17-19 September 2021, Friday & Saturday 7:30pm and Sunday 6:00pm
Tickets: www.kulturhaus-frankfurt.de
Artists’ biographies
Laurie Gaertner is currently completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre & Literature Studies at JGU Mainz. She has been acting in amateur and university theatre productions since 2019 and performed in Death of a Salesman with FEST in 2019. She loves dark British comedy and theatre about diversity and feminism.
Titilayo Rachel Adedokun was born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA to parents of Nigerian origin. A former Miss Ohio and 2nd Runner-up to Miss America, her talent and experience span different musical genres from classical, musicals and spirituals to jazz, blues and Yoruba music.
She is known for her versatility, her range and an unparalleled ability to captivate an audience. A graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Ohio, USA – studying opera by day and performing at a dinner theater by night – she has sung in opera houses and with orchestras in many parts of the world and has also performed with the late Adolph Greene, Betty Comden, Lauren Bacall and Tommy Tune. As a recipient of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, she lived in Italy where she studied with Renata Scotto and Vincenzo Manno, and performed regularly with the late jazz composer and pianist, Giorgio Gaslini.
She was chosen by director Franco Zeffirelli to sing the title role in his production of “Aida” at Teatro Verdi in Busseto, Italy, on the centennial celebration of Verdi’s death. She has toured Europe in various productions including “La Boheme” as Musetta, Kate in “Kiss Me Kate”, soloist in “Night Fever: Die Gala Der Film Musicals” and Billie Holiday in the Jazz Musical “Ella & Billie”. A regular soloist for the Munich Big Band Orchestra, “The Wine & Roses Swing Orchestra”, she recently moved back to Germany from Cape Town, South Africa, where she lived for 8 years with her family.
Cape Talk: In conversation with singer Titilayo Adedokun
Review by Marina Griebenow (Theatre Critic, Cape Talk/Die Burger):
“One of the things I envy my friends who live in New York is that late night, after the shows end
on Broadway, stars sometimes head to intimate clubs where they let their hair down and give
impromptu performances of hits from the musicals and lesser-known numbers by the same
composers and librettists, in other words the stuff they would really like to sing. Coming across a
show with the same sensibilities right here in the Mother City was therefore an unexpected and
welcome pleasure!
Titilayo Adedokun’s cabaret show puts her audience in a New York state of mind with
sophisticated material ranging from Gershwin to Sondheim and a finely honed, polished
performance. She is a superb interpreter who has an extraordinary voice that she uses to great
effect. In fact, she is a rare breed – a trained singer with an instrument that manages to straddle
both the operatic repertoire and show tunes without the one style overwhelming or undermining
the other. In a venue the size of Alexander Bar’s theatre, it is understandable that she would rely
on backtracks for accompaniment, but it would be a real treat to hear her performing in a venue
like the Baxter Concert Hall (she does not need amplification) with a good pianist”