Arts Brief: Model Citizens

Nobody wants a repeat of the 2004 presidential elections, so for three night beginning Sunday, Sept. 7, the Citizens Band—a political cabaret show put together by friends in reaction to the last election—will use the tents at Spiegelworld to stage a primer for November’s voting booths.

The show utilizes the talents of a vast range of performers, from musician Jorjee Douglas, to singer and model Karen Elson (also known as Mrs. Jack White) and artist and girl about town Sarah Sophie Flicker. The troupe’s newest addition, director Gordon Greenberg, comes with credentials as well; he’s directed everything from Happy Days to Jacques Brel. Greenberg—who describes the show as “part Clifford Odets, part Moulin Rouge”—appreciates the vigor his motley crew of performers brings to the table.

“To me that’s what makes it so special and so alive and organic and kind of dangerous,” Greenberg says. “Everyone is there because they’re deeply passionate about the subject and about the performance. You’re not going to see a group of slick performers who know exactly what the next moment is going to bring.”

This unpredictable show contains what Flicker describes as “the highest highs and the lowest lows…glamorous showgirls and breathtaking acts of contortion and tumbling, aerial feats of daredevil-ness and a political message.” Through a combination of old songs and originals, the players entertain at the same time they “tell the story of what’s going on in the world today.” An admirer of the decadent styles of the past, Flicker prizes Depression-era songs for their aesthetic appeal as well as their eerie applicability to the present day. “We make the same mistakes over and over again,” she laments. However, Flicker is quick to point out that the message is ultimately optimistic: “In my lifetime I’ve never seen people this excited about politics, I just feel really energized and excited and hopeful. I’m not Michelle Obama, so I can say that I’ve never felt that way before.”