Part great night out, part cathartic therapy session, this wild and entertaining ride explores the twists and turns of the human psyche with razor-sharp wit, soulful music and disarming honesty.
Chameleon is a hilarious and heartfelt cabaret that dives headfirst into the ups and downs of modern life and mental wellbeing — from dating disasters and fitness fads to the unforgettable tension of a high school reunion.
Through original blues-infused songs and vivid, deeply personal narratives, award winning artist Karen Lee Roberts brings Alexandra to life — a woman navigating the twists and turns of her own unique journey. With humour and authenticity at its core, Chameleon celebrates the messy, unpredictable, and often surprising path we all travel.
Joining her on stage is Mr Sunshine — Dr Jeff Usher, a jazz and blues legend — whose rich, soulful accompaniment adds warmth and depth, guiding the audience through a story of growth, resilience, and self-discovery.
Karen has performed in the West End musical Hair, her original works in Malaysia, and in various festivals all over Aus. She performed a residency piece in ‘13 at the Metro Arts Theatre and in ‘14 with the OzFrank Theatre Company. Her cabaret Chameleon (formerly It’s Not Easy Being Green) first opened in ‘15 and has been performed at the Anywhere Theatre Festival in ‘17 and ‘19, Adelaide Fringe in ’18 and ‘22, Arts Ablaze Festival, Melbourne’s Butterfly Club, RPAC Stage Sessions, Wynnum Fringe Festival, and the Queensland Cabaret Festival. Karen also joined indelabilityArts performing Look Mum, No Hands and Love:Me, and writing/performing Wilbur the Optical Whale (adapted from Karen’s children’s book). She has performed in Restless Dance’s award winning Intimate Space at the Commonwealth Games, and toured regionally with indelabilityArts. Keep an eye out for her upcoming cabaret Sex and Other Philosophies, a collaboration with Lucinda Shaw and James Halloran.
Dr Jeff Usher has built a reputation over 35 years as a solo pianist, band leader and composer working with Australia’s finest jazz musicians, inc. Bob Bernard, Ted Vining, Peter Harper, Ian Chaplain, Elliott Dalgleish, Andrew McNaughton, Jonathan Dimond, Adrian Sheriff and Martin Kay. He is a member of the jazz faculty at Qld Conservatorium Griffith Uni since ‘98, and in ’19 completed a PhD in composition at Uni of Queensland. From ‘86 to ‘94 he led Jeff Usher’s Jazz Unit on tour around Aus and recorded several albums. In ‘15 he engaged in a solo jazz piano album and a live recording of Bird Wings with his ten-piece group A Love Supreme Super-Band (founded in’05), performing Jeff’s originals and his own arrangement of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.
Karen Lee Roberts Creative 