Tag Archives: musical

Review: Parade (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Everest Theatre (Chippendale NSW), May 9 – 25, 2024
Book: Alfred Uhry
Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Director: Mark Taylor
Cast: Georgia Barron, Nic Davey-Greene, James Frampton, Ashley Garner, Guillaume Gentil, Genevieve Goldman, Adeline Hunter, James Lee, Sophie Loughran, Noah Missell, James Nation-Ingle, Maverick Newman, Rebecca Ordiz, Aaron Robuck, Quinton Rofail Rich, Montana Sharp, Tarisai Vushe, Liam Wigney
Images by Matthew Chen

Theatre review
It was 1913 in the USA state of Georgia, when Leo Frank was charged with the murder of a young girl. The case remains an important and deplorable example of antisemitism, and over a century later, authorities recommenced investigations, in efforts to clear the name of the wrongfully accused. The musical Parade, by Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown, details that infamous trial. Although appropriately sombre, and containing some eternally useful lessons on human behaviour and injustice, the piece features highly enjoyable songs, that keeps an audience attentive to the meaningful story.

Music direction by Mark Bradley is richly inspiring for this 2024 Australian production, but sound engineering proves a significant deficit, often preventing us from sufficiently connecting with the creative endeavours being carried out. Lights too, keep us wanting. Although imaginatively rendered by Sidney Younger, the show is frequently shadowy and consistently dim, further alienating us from the action. Production design by Harry Gill, although overly muted with its palette, conveys a sense of authenticity, and provides impressive spatial adaptability that helps with engagement of the narrative.

Direction by Mark Taylor, along with choreography by Freya List, delivers a staging that is swiftly paced yet admirably earnest, in this valuable recount of history. Performer Aaron Robuck brings integrity to the portrayal of Frank, and Montana Sharp is especially memorable as wife Lucille, with a vocal brilliance and a dramatic urgency, that encourages our emotional investment. Also noteworthy is Adeline Hunter who is surprisingly convincing as the 14-year-old victim, with a believable innocence that accompanies very strong singing, for her interpretation of a crucial role.

The American Civil War was meant to have ended in 1865, but we see time and time again, that a system built on subjugation of peoples, will keep rearing its ugly head, and make refreshed nemeses of new others. We seem always to work on the liberation of particular communities, but in failing to address the very fascistic tendencies of how we relate to one another, we find ourselves simply creating different enemies and scapegoats. Humans understand peace, but it appears we know it much more as an abstract concept, than as a lived reality.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.soundworksproductions.com.au

Review: Tell Me On A Sunday (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Apr 12 – May 5, 2024
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Don Black
Director: Blazey Best
Cast: Erin Clare
Images by John McRae

Theatre review
There was a time, approximately half-a-century ago, when men would create shows about women who had no interest for anything else but love. They would dream up pretty young things who wanted nothing other than to find a man, presumably a specimen much like themselves. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s 1979 creation Tell Me on a Sunday is a one-act song-cycle, that sees “the girl” wandering from England to New York and to Hollywood, just chasing candidates for marriage, presumably because for her to have any other purpose, would be terribly inconvenient. At just over an hour long, the pair clearly did not know much about the character they purport to represent, and although of brief duration, some might consider Lloyd Webber and Black’s show to be tiresome even before its halfway point.

In this 2024 iteration, direction by Blazey Best does accord “the girl” an attitude of gumption and vigour, she is certainly no shy retiring type, but it is nonetheless irksome to see her want nothing but to land a man. The songs are very much of that period, none of which are particularly catchy, although musical direction by David Gardos is notable for offering enjoyable nostalgia through his faithful renditions, of these compositions about missed opportunities.

Performer Erin Clare sings the score with precision and passion, and although motivated to bring a sense of integrity to the character she embodies, it is difficult to see her as anything but lost and excruciatingly misguided.  Costumes by Ruby Jenkins are flattering, if not always accurate with the era being depicted. Lights by Kelsey Lee deliver sumptuous imagery, along with a sense of time’s passage, as we see “the girl” wasting her best years, running from one failed romance to another.

Even the love obsessed, must contend with the existence of other things, if only for survival. It can be true that a person like “the girl” did exist, especially at a time when we were determined to indoctrinate that being wife and mother, was the ultimate virtue. How we talk about women though, needs to be much more generous in scope. Not all women have to be ambitious, powerful, wise, or resilient, but we do need to make stories be about our agency and autonomy. In stories at least, we need to be able to put ourselves at our own centres.

www.hayestheatre.com.au

Review: Grease (Capitol Theatre)

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Venue: Capitol Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Mar 24 – Jun 1, 2024
Book, Music & Lyrics: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey
Director: Luke Joslin
Cast: Brianna Bishop, Cristina D’agostino, Tom Davis, Mackenzie Dunn, Keanu Gonzalez, Annelise Hall, Catty Hamilton, Marcia Hines, Jay Laga’aia, Patti Newton, Andy Seymour, Joseph Spanti, Caitlin Spears, Harry Targett
Images by Jeff Busby

Theatre review
It is more than 50 years, since the original premiere of the musical Grease, and even though its songs remain as delightful as ever, its story could not be more antiquated. Nonetheless, the show is a much-loved classic, and can always be considered ripe for reinvention. It is therefore disappointing that this new iteration under the direction of Luke Joslin, chooses to be faithful, in both stylistic and ideological terms, to the Grease of the 1970s. Through no fault of Sandy’s own, she is again required to go through an awkward, and completely inauthentic transformation, in order to attain happily ever after. 

Of course, the narrative was always absurd, which is probably why the musical genre feels appropriate for farcical stories of this nature. The current production however lacks a campness that could have ameliorated many of it deficiencies. There is a sterile quality to the presentation, also noticeable in music direction by Dave Skelton, which sounds frankly soulless, for a work famed for its humorous expressions of teenage rebellion.

There is no doubt that the cast works hard to bring ebullience, but comic timing proves not to be their strong suit. Singing and dancing are of a high standard though, with nostalgic choreography by Eric Giancola contributing much needed pizzazz. Annelise Hall and Joseph Spanti play the leads, both delivering commendable vocals, and are physically attractive as Sandy and Danny, although unable to compensate for the general shortage of charisma on this stage.

Set design by James Browne is ambitious, and even though not sufficiently refined, does manufacture a satisfying grandeur. Browne’s costumes add colour and a charming whimsy, and along with dynamic lights by Trudy Dunn, imagery is consistently captivating, for an otherwise lacklustre experience.

Sandy was always fine as she was. Furthermore, Danny had adored her whether she presented innocent or provocative. In 50s America though, they both had to acquiesce to standards of behaviour that were far too oppressive and invasive, unable to escape peer pressure of high school, which served as a microcosmic representation of the wider world. Things feel different now, but it is hard to be sure if changes are true and fundamental, or if it is only the way we talk that has altered.

www.greasemusical.com.au

Review: Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Mar 8 – Apr 6, 2024
Book, Music and Lyrics: Laura Murphy
Director: Darren Yap
Cast: Natalie Abbott, Tamsin Carroll, Chelsea Dawson, Nancy Denis, Adam Di Martino, Ryan Gonzalez, Stefanie Jones, Drew Livingston, Monique Sallé
Images by John McRae

Theatre review
It is three hours before curtains at a community theatre in Sydney’s west, which is a terribly inconvenient time for zombies to begin rampaging all across the land. Zombie! The Musical is an ingenious work of musical theatre by Laura Murphy, memorable for its zany humour and amusing characters. Murphy’s infectious pop-flavoured songs are deeply compelling, and accompanied by a delightfully absurd plot, Zombie! proves to be most satisfying, even if its concluding moments do go overboard with its intentional cheesiness.

Darren Yap does wonderfully as director of the show, turning every moment into a joke, and making every joke absolutely hilarious. Choreography by Chiara Assetta is inventive and charming; always keeping energies up, and holding our attention to every plot detail.

Set design by Nick Fry impresses with its adaptive capacities, and costumes by Esther Zhong are memorable for their convincing renderings of apocalyptic ruin. Lights by Verity Hampson are a sensational element, completely delightful with their flamboyant depictions of supernatural occurrences.

Sound design by David Grigg adds to our enjoyment of the production’s style of faux horror, unabashedly theatrical with its enhancements for all the ghoulish goings on. Music direction by Damon Wade is exciting and varied, thoroughly engaging in its post-modern pastiche approach, for a story taking place in 1999.

Performer Stefanie Jones is a confident and grounding presence as Felicity, giving our focus a secure centre for a playful narrative that could otherwise have turned too chaotic. In the role of Dave, Ryan Gonzalez presents the most endearing zombie one could ever meet, with a pizzazz that is, well, to die for. Tamsin Carroll and Drew Livingston bring exquisite polish to the stage, along with the most excellent comedy, in a show that brims over with laughter. Musicals may not be for everybody, but Zombie! is entertainment that even the sourest of dullards can sink their teeth into.

www.hayestheatre.com.au

Review: & Juliet (Sydney Lyric Theatre)

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Venue: Sydney Lyric Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Feb 27, 2024
Book: David West Read
Music and Lyrics: Max Martin
Director: Luke Sheppard
Cast: Blake Appelqvist, Casey Donovan, Jesse Dutlow, Yashith Fernando, Amy Lehpamer, Lorinda May Merrypor, Rob Mills, Hayden Tee.
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
If Anne had possessed any meaningful amount of power in the 16th century, she would have been able to make her husband William Shakespeare’s plays much more palatable to audiences of today. In the musical & Juliet by David West Read, with songs by Max Martin, we see Anne standing up for women, in her objection to the dismal conclusion of “Romeo and Juliet”, demanding that Juliet does not sacrifice herself at the end. A rewrite of the legendary play ensues, with the young leading lady making choices that are much more satisfying, and reasonable, than what the Bard had conjured on his own.

Read’s book provides for the musical a clever and exciting narrative, bolstered by a benevolent attitude that is sure to inspire audiences everywhere. Incorporating some of the biggest pop hits from the last 30 years, written and co-written by Martin, we are treated to a story that encompasses brilliantly, feminist and queer virtues, in a representation of our best progressive selves in the current epoch. Direction by Luke Sheppard is appropriately exuberant, with visual design elements that make the experience as dazzling as any musical theatre lover could hope for.

Performer Lorinda May Merrypor is a convincing Juliet, commendable for hitting every musical note and every gesture of choreography, with vivacious accuracy. Jesse Dutlow and Yashith Fernando play May and Francois respectively, both sprightly presences who help tell the story with unmistakable passion. Romeo appears near the conclusion of Act 1, brought to scintillating life by Blake Appelqvist whose flamboyant sense of irony keeps us endeared to a character that could easily be regarded with little more than disdain.

The magnetic Casey Donovan is most valuable player, as Angélique the nurse, precise with her delivery of every line, and effortless in her glorious execution of some very big tunes. Hayden Tee is immensely charming as Lance, marvellously switching between poignancy and comedy, for a loving portrait of modern fatherhood. Shakespeare is played by a very likeable Rob Mills, whose delicate balance of egotism and sincerity, makes the fanciful conceit of the show seem suddenly plausible. Amy Lehpamer wins us over entirely to Anne’s side, with an intricate understanding of the humour required in every scene, always making us feel secure in this bold revision of a revered classic. Also remarkable is the fantastically attractive ensemble cast, bringing emotional authenticity to all the extravagant goings on.

So much of our cultural institutions contain values that are outmoded and frankly, harmful. They are deeply entrenched in our lives, and even when we are able to identify their failings, it is no easy task trying to deny their existence, and simply wishing them away has proven impossible. We can however confront and interrogate what they mean, and examine how they continue to affect subsequent generations. We can reframe old messages, turning them into new discussions, so that we may bring refreshed understandings, to symbols of authority that have outstayed their welcome. It is no longer acceptable in our storytelling to have 14-year-old girls kill themselves for romance, and that is only the tip of an iceberg, that includes many more maladies we have grudgingly inherited.

www.andjuliet.com.au

Review: Send For Nellie (Wharf 1 Theatre)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Jan 10 – 14, 2024, with further performances at Art House Wyong (January 19–20) and Merrigong Theatre Company in Wollongong (February 14–17)
Playwright: Alana Valentine
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Cast: Elenoa Rokobaro, Eleanor Stankiewicz
Images by Wendell Teodoro

Theatre review
Born 1900 in Sydney, Nellie Small worked many of her adult years as an entertainer, eventually establishing a career as a male impersonator in the 1930s. As a gender non-conformist, and a prominent person of colour living in Australia a century ago, Small remains an important figure in our queer history. Alana Valentine’s play in a cabaret style Send for Nellie, is an admirable attempt at immortalising the memory of Small. It is a respectful tribute, albeit offering a somewhat sanitized impression of Sydney nightlife.

At just an hour’s duration, with an abundance of song-and-dance incorporated into the staging, Send for Nellie is an excellent showcase for a performer like leading lady Elenoa Rokobaro, whose powerful vocals and precise execution of choreography, elevates the presentation with her exceptional polish. There is however an absence of a certain queer sensibility, that we know instinctively to be a crucial element in any recounting of Small’s life. Eleanor Stankiewicz plays several supporting characters, each one more vibrant than the last, but none of whom distract from the main attraction. Also a delight is the three-piece band of women musicians with Zara Stanton as Musical Director, although it is worth pointing out, that acoustics are a major sore point in this production.

Direction by Liesel Badorrek gives Send for Nellie an abundance of variation and movement, but the show never really connects. We feel as though the soul is missing, from a person we want to know better. On a positive note, visual design is generally of a high standard, for a work as handsome as the person it wishes to memorialise.

For the benefit of every person in queer communities, we must continue to tell stories about our forebears, in order that we may be inspired by their resilience, their resourcefulness and their innumerable achievements. We need always to see how as a people, we continually prove them wrong, that we are of great worth, that what they have construed of us for generations, is reprehensible and must always be met with resistance. To have survived her times as a queer person of colour, Nellie Small was unequivocally a warrior. It would not have been easy, but it does mean that greatness is absolutely within our grasp.

www.thearthousewyong.com.au

Review: Big Name, No Blankets (Ilbijerri Theatre Company)

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Venue: Roslyn Packer Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 10 – 14, 2024
Playwright: Andrea James
Directors: Dr Rachael Maza AM and Anyupa Butcher
Cast: Baykali Ganambarr, Googoorewon Knox, Teangi Knox, Aaron McGrath, Jackson Peele, Cassandra Williams, Tibian Wyles
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
It was 1980 when the Butcher brothers from Papunya in the Northern Territory, along with some great friends, formed the iconic Warumpi Band. Bringing their act all over Australia, and to Europe, the group cemented themselves as an integral part of our national and Indigenous cultural histories. The new play with music Big Name, No Blankets by Andrea James, offers an opportunity to acquire a deeper knowledge of the band, juxtaposing anecdotes of their formation and stories from the road, with legendary songs that prove to stand the test of time.

Co-directed by Dr Rachael Maza AM and Anyupa Butcher, the show shifts seamlessly between its dramatic portions and its musical sections, perfectly blending both aspects for a wonderfully cohesive telling of a captivating tale. Performer Baykali Ganambarr leads the charismatic cast, playing the role of Sammy Butcher Tjapanangka and serving as narrator, with a humorously tender approach that engenders a consistent simpatico connection with the audience.

Also noteworthy is Googoorewon Knox, who as the band’s lead singer George Burarrwanga brings glamour and energy, completely electrifying when performing Warumpi Band’s many rock numbers. Music direction by Gary Watling, together with arrangements by Crystal Butcher, are an unequivocal joy, presented powerfully by live musicians who demonstrate beautifully the genius of the source material. Sound design by James Henry create further auditory embellishments, to keep us engaged and invested.

Set design by Emily Barrie addresses sensitively the various spatial requirements of the storytelling. Lights by Jenny Hector fill the atmosphere with warmth, but switch effortlessly to alluring vivacity when characters are in rock star mode. Video projections by Sean Bacon, Patricia McKean and Guck help us contextualise times and places, as we delve into different pockets of the past. Costumes by Heidi Brooks provide a sense of authenticity for the personalities we encounter, and for an era that most do still remember.

Members of Warumpu Band followed their hearts, and created a legacy out of passion and bliss. Big Name, No Blankets represents and exemplifies the integrity that we should all seek in how we make our decisions, and in how we live our lives. In the show, we see people being their true selves, and are reminded that trying to be anything else, is always a futile, and often harmful, exercise.

www.ilbijerri.com.au

Review: The Hello Girls (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jan 10 – Feb 4, 2024
Music and Lyrics: Peter Mills
Book: Peter Mills, Cara Reichel
Director: Jason Langley
Cast: Rhianna McCourt, Kira Leiva, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Nikola Gucciardo, Kaitlin Nihill, Joel Hutchings, Matthew Hearne, David Hooley, Lincoln Elliot, Zachary Selmes, Jessy Heath, Alexis van Maanen, James Frampton
Images by Philip Erbacher

Theatre review
It was 1917 when Grace Banker was enlisted to lead a USA corps of thirty-three women switchboard operators in World War I. Although formally termed the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit, they became popularly known as the Hello Girls, a moniker after which Peter Mills and Cara Reichel named their entertaining and informative 2018 musical. It is a comparatively small yet ultimately consequential wartime story that the pair has identified and deftly written about, accompanied by a notable collection of catchy tunes to keep us firmly engaged.

Exquisitely sung by a cast of ten, with Rhianna McCourt as their effervescent leading lady, the quality of vocal performances in The Hello Girls leaves a remarkable impression. Also exceptional, is the spirited band under Natalya Aynsley’s meticulous musical direction, delivering songs that are as tightly propulsive as they are imaginatively transportative. Sound design by Kyle Sheedy too is effective, especially when called upon to help illustrate the more chilling aspects of the women’s experiences.

Directed by Jason Langley, along with choreography by Amy Orman, the narrative is conveyed with a theatrical exuberance and an appropriate sense of urgency. Not all of the story is applicable to how we think of the wars that are currently being fought in foreign lands, but portions of the show certainly resonate in meaningful and contemporaneously relevant ways.

The staging suffers however, from an overall lack of visual flamboyance. Set design offers a functional space, but one that appears increasingly rigid over the two-and-a-half-hour duration. Lights are fairly rudimentary, although dynamic within its limited technical capacities. Sarah Hordern’s costumes are perhaps too accurate in emulating apparel from the era, with representations of characters that look excessively pragmatic and frugal.

We discover in The Hello Girls, that it had taken 60 years after the war before the American Congress approved Veteran Status/Honorable discharges for the remaining military women. This prolonged denial that women were a crucial part of the war effort, exposes the ease with which our venerated systems are able to accommodate injustices of all kinds. The Hello Girls also shows that there is nothing broken about those systems, that it is precisely the way they were always meant to operate, that we need to interrogate and transform.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.facebook.com/heartstringstheatreco

Review: Next To Normal (ARA Darling Quarter Theatre)

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Venue: ARA Darling Quarter Theatre (Sydney NSW), Nov 22 – 25, 2023
Book and Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
Music: Tom Kitt
Director: Marie-Jo Orbase, Eezu Tan
Cast: Jacen Bennett, Liam Faulkner-Dimond, Sebastian Nelson, Chaya Ocampo, Claire Perry, Marcus Rivera
Images by Hugo Photography & Film

Theatre review
Diana experiences serious mental health challenges; suffering from bipolar disorder, along with depression and anxiety issues, she tries different treatment options, hoping for a cure that could solve her problems decisively. In the musical Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, we take an honest look at a phenomenon that is pervasive yet stigmatised, to help facilitate discussions about how we, as individuals and as communities, navigate psychological well-being.

It is a cleverly structured work, with excellent humour and a sensitive tenderness, culminating in a surprisingly subversive conclusion, that connects with both intelligence and amusement. Directed by Marie-Jo Orbase and Eezu Tan, the production is full of sincerity, and although lacking in polish, tells the story with a vibrant gusto. Sound engineering in the production is particularly impressive, standing out as the staging’s most professional element.

Performer Claire Perry demonstrates great commitment for the role of Diana, and sings the part with admirable precision. The entire cast delivers a good standard of musicality, as well as passion and energy, for a show that provokes valuable thought and discussion.

There are many ways we can choose to deal with our mental health, as long as we know not to neglect its care. We are bruised and battered from simply existing, and what happens in the mind is endlessly complex and delicate. There are no easy solutions, and certainly nothing that could work the same for every person, but to pay it close attention, to understand that it requires constant nurturing and tending to, is crucial to us thriving.

www.whimsicalproductions.com.au

Review: The Bridal Lament 哭嫁歌 (Performance Space/Carriageworks)

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Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Oct 19-22, 2023
Director: Tessa Leong
Lead Artist & Performer: Rainbow Chan 陳雋然
Images by Joseph Mayers

Theatre review
Arriving as a child from Hong Kong in 1996, a year before the handover to China, Rainbow Chan 陳雋然 grew up like many Australians, between cultures. Now that we are in a moment that feels as though assimilation to whiteness is decisively a thing of the past (at least for now), immigrants like Chan are scrambling to fully reclaim their roots, for a state of identification more meaningful than before. It is not an abandonment of Australianness, but an evolution in the narrative of our survival, when we attempt to foster a greater connection with that which had to be left behind.

Through conversations and consultations with her mother Irene Cheung 張翠屏, which form the basis of The Bridal Lament 哭嫁歌, Chan reaches back to marital customs of her people to form an intricate study of traditions, many of which are obsolete, and in the process attains a new understanding of where she had come from. A key feature are the songs young women learn from their mothers in the Weitou dialect, that they sing for 3 days before crossing the threshold to become wives. Chan’s show is an archive of sorts, including some of those hitherto forgotten tunes, alongside her own compositions, for a theatrical presentation that offers a bridge that examines a particular collective history, preoccupied with a past yet feels so much to be about our future.

Chan’s music draws heavily from pop genres, but is unmistakeably poetic in nature. It stretches deeply in ways that ensure resonance, beyond cerebral concerns. Directed by Tessa Leong, The Bridal Lament 哭嫁歌 is tender yet intense, in its rendering of a contemporary Chinese-Australian perspective and attitude. As performer, Chan is captivating in this solo work, although portions of the staging can feel sparse, in need of more imaginative support of one woman and her immensely vast story.

Set and costumes by Al Joel and Emily Borghi are sophisticated, especially memorable for a highly ostentatious beaded archway evoking concepts of travel and searching, and that also allows for some truly magical theatricality, when combined with extraordinarily dynamic lights as conceived by Govin Ruben. Video projections by Rel Pham are another crucial element, as vehicle to relay fascinating minutiae from Chan’s research, and to inspire emotional responses, for these meditations that can never be divorced from longing and heartache.

When we cut our apron strings, is ironically when we become ready to draw from our mothers’ wealth of knowledge and experience. Being a woman is hard in this world, and guidance from mothers (biological or otherwise) is unequivocally invaluable. It is imperative that we honour women who have grown and aged, to fight against a hegemony that wishes to diminish them and render them invisible. We must understand that forces responsible for so many of our world’s deficiencies are the same ones that tell us not to believe women. Mothers may not always make things easy, but they often do know best.

www.performancespace.com.au | www.carriageworks.com.au