c**t

/kʌnt/

“The overall feel was that of being a guest where the host has thought of everything.”

“Above all, the show felt like a present and a love letter to the audience: one left the show feeling spoiled rotten, through and through.”

The Pretentious Kants may well be the naughtiest cabaret big band out there, as the name clearly telegraphs. With its base in western Norway, the band is led by the captivating frontwoman Jean Brigitte (AUS). She founded the band together with drummer/arranger Elias Pellicer in 2023. 

In November 2023 550 people showed up to an empty warehouse in Stavanger (NO). They had no idea what to expect, seeing as the show had been advertised only by means of a cryptic poster with a QR code, plastered all over the town. The half-naked producing duo Jean Brigitte and Elias Pellicer, the date and the title of the show: 

I’M A WOMAN

One could practically smell the excitement on the torch-lit cue snaking all the way around the block, shiveringly waiting for the doors to open. Little did they know that what they had in store was an entire world reminiscent of the heyday of Broadway entertainment of the 30s and 40s swing era. 

Built by the renowned art director Alex Podger, every detail was taken into consideration from the moment the audience was let into the hall. The lighting, the makeshift bars, the welcome drink and tapas for those with VIP tickets. Not least the world class magician Sid Quatrine, flown in from London, swooning around the tables playing tricks on the audience. 

And then the band comes on, as the MC’s introduction sounds over the PA. Quiet, lights dimmed down. At the front of the stage, the entire band starts singing the three-part chorale written for the occasion: Jean Brigitte Could Give A Fuck. 

Whereupon the musicians take their seats and the spectacle begins. Jean Brigitte appears at the top of the stairs, backlit with a golden dress and tiara. The opening cadence of Feeling Good, once made famous by Nina Simone, keeps the audience at their tip of their seats. Jean Brigittes voice and appearance are equally mesmerizing, the musical tension building to the almost unbearable. And then finally the band kicks in, and from there it goes. 

Under the steady hand of conductor Åsmund Perssønn Ødegaard, the band sounds tight and crisp; nobody would have guessed they have rehearsed only four times leading up to the show. Jean Brigitte’s costumes and stage presence get crazier as the show goes on. This is a real cabaret show with classic repertoire, featuring songs like Ain’t He Sweet, Big Spender and Champagne Taste. 

But it is also full of surprises, like when the band performs an arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero with ballet dancer Sebastian Sund meandering through the audience. Or when the head kants Jean Brigitte and Elias Pellicer break into their tap dance routine - the gag of course being how bad they are at it. 

In the aftermath of this insane, debaucherous, over-the-top stunt of a debut show, Jean Brigitte & The Pretentious Kants // I’M A WOMAN has gained significant interest and the show is already booked in 2024 and 2025.