Maverick music theatre makers the Present Tense Ensemble re-imagine five legendary albums as part of The Major Bruce Sessions: Volume 1, a monthly residency at Ruby’s Music Room featuring:
Eternal Nightcap by The Whitlams on Wednesday 19 February at 6.30pm
with Zoy Frangos (Les Miserables) Zoe McDonald (FOMO) and Yesse Spence (Delectable Shelter)
Like a Prayer by Madonna on Wednesday 19 March at 6.30pm,
with Anna Boulic (Chants Des Catacombes) and Mark Leahy (The Twoks)
Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf on Wednesday 16 April at 6.30pm
with Amy Lehpamer (Rock of Ages / Dirty Rotten Scoundrels/ Margaret Fulton: Queen of The Dessert)
Josh Price (M+M / Menagerie) and Quyen Le (the Good China).
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday 23 July at 6.30pm
with Laura Burzacott (Chants Des Catacombes/ Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert)
and Jack Howard (Hunters & Collectors)
Tapestry by Carol King on Wednesday 27 August at 6.30pm)
with the best recent graduates of the Ballarat Arts Academy
Curated and arranged by Nate Gilkes and Bryce Ives (the unconventional theatre directors behind Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert, Chants Des Catacombes and FOMO: The Fear of Missing Out) Major Bruce will feature the hallmarks of their Present Tense ensemble: glorious vocal arrangements and impulsive live performances led by Nate Gilkes, sitting at a sensational Steinway piano.
“Most of our contemporaries are dealing with the works of Shakespeare, Beckett or Churchill. We’re more interested in Madonna, Meatloaf and Bruce Springsteen. This monthly residency gets us out of the theatre; as we jam, make music and reflect on the poetry that inherently exists in popular music,” says Bryce Ives.
“We’re excited about the intimacy offered within Ruby’s Music Room, it will give the audience the opportunity to be up close and personal with the lyrics and music of some of our greatest rock and pop artists,” says Nate Gilkes.
The Major Bruce Sessions: Volume 1
Ruby’s Music Room: 132 Lt. Lonsdale Street Melbourne
Tickets: $25 on the door, or $20 online