Leather Lungs, aka Jason Chasland, has something of a following in his home country of New Zealand and with good reason. His four-octave range means that he can hit the notes that other cabaret performers can only dream of and he’s a hilarious and charming presence on stage.
Jason Chasland is easily the next big thing in cabaret.
By sticking almost exclusively to recognizable chart hits and classic torch songs, Chasland is able to immediately show off his spectacular vocal abilities without needing to ease us in gently. We know these songs and we’re able to sing along only to be quickly left behind as his voice rockets up to those seemingly impossible to reach top notes.
But this is cabaret so there’s banter to go along with the tunes and Chasland works the crowd like a seasoned pro. He’s got the cheeky comebacks and double entendres that you’d expect but there’s also a nice line of confessional anecdotes that frame each song and carry the show along nicely. He’s perfectly aware of how fabulous he is and, by the end of his first monologue, we’re all convinced too.
Jason Chasland is easily the next big thing in cabaret and this is an opportunity to say you saw him first. He’s redefining drag cabaret and I say it’s about time.
