The Hills Musical Theatre Company. Stirling Theatre. 7 Nov 2014
Legally Blonde the musical tells the story of Elle Woods, a Delta Nu sorority girl who unexpectedly enrols at Harvard Law School to follow the love of her life, Warner. Based on the novel ‘Legally Blonde’ and 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, the themes explored include self-belief, integrity, stereotyping and honesty.
The musical doesn’t quite have the same poignancy as the film, but it is so much fun to watch, and in the hands of David Sinclair (Direction), Mark DeLaine (Musical Direction) and Linda Williams (Choreography) The Hills Musical Theatre Company’s production is a winner. Sinclair has assembled an outstanding cast; the whole ensemble shines.
Williams’ choreography and the player’s execution is a particular highlight of this production. With everything from Irish dancing to an athletic skipping routine the whole cast relishes every step and takes maximum advantage of the small Stirling Theatre stage. The set, designed by Sinclair, is remarkably simple despite its technical complexity. The entire stage cyclorama has been clad with plasma screens to create a multimedia wall which offers up both locations and video interludes to string the scenes together. The effect is brilliant and, when supplemented with simple, uncluttered furniture, really delivers.
Mark Oakley’s lighting design is slick and bright. The far sides of the stage are occasionally in the dark leaving a few faces under-lit. The scrim, energetically drawn back and forward all night long, is slightly too transparent but otherwise very successful during quick scene changes. Costuming by Sue Winston and Michelle Davy is extraordinary and easily the most successful production element, transforming and transporting individual characters and the whole show into the American University cum cheerleading stereotype.
The orchestra plays soundly with direction from DeLaine, though my key disappointment was the sound mix and levels which left many of the song lyrics (sung at speed) inaudible. These improved in the second half, but the lead players are particularly difficult to understand when accompanied by the chorus.
All of the players excel and it is difficult to single anyone out, but the leads are deserving of a mention; Tegan Gully as Elle, Brady Lloyd as Emmett, Fiona DeLaine as Paulette, Matt Prime as Warner, Rebecca Raymond as Vivienne, Nicholas Bishop as Professor Callahan and Shenayde Wilkinson-Sarti as Brooke Wyndham.
The popularity of the show has seen the entire season (bar about 3 tickets) sell prior to opening, so if you are not booked you may have missed out this time. With a few tweaks to the sound levels this production will go down as one of the best for 2014.
Paul Rodda
When: 7 to 22 Nov
Where: Stirling Community Theatre
Bookings: SOLD OUT
Marie Clark Musical Theatre. Goodwood Institute. 31 Oct 2014
I had a very happy Halloween at the South Australian premiere opening of funny man Mel Brooks's comic musical masterpiece, ‘Young Frankenstein’. ‘Young Frankenstein’ played for over a year on Broadway around 2008, not long after his other comic musical masterpiece, ‘The Producers’. Both were popular films before stage hits.
Young New York brain surgeon Dr Frankenstein (say Frank-en-steen) sojourns to Transylvania merely to receive the estate of the late Dr Frankenstein - the one from the 1931 movie. Instead, he is enchanted and encouraged by Igor (say eye-gore) and Inga - the comely country girl cum lab assistant (Is that what you call it these days?) to continue his grandfather's work of monster-making in the old lab. The chorus of local yokels are endlessly fascinated and fascinating.
Director Brian Godfrey, musical director Ben Stefanoff and choreographer Rachel Dow are so simpatico with Mel Brooks' shtick that you couldn't tell where the writing genius ended and the production expertise began. Chris Daniels as the transplanted Frankenstein was absolutely delightful - he danced and sang the storyline and charmed his way through his every scene, which was nearly every scene. One look at Kristin Stefanoff as Inga in her cute little milk maid dress was enough to bring out the monster in me. Her numbers and nuances were fully professional. Katharine Chase accomplished the bitch of a role as the shallow fiancé through which Brooks mirrored the excesses of Manhattan. Shay Aitken made the monster come alive, finding the right balance between malice and cute. The ‘Puttin' On The Ritz’ number was a real boot scooter thanks to his monster's mal-footedness. Penni Hamilton-Smith landed a role that is totally aligned with her signature vocality and stage presence. Her solo number was an absolute hoot. Igor got the Anton Schrama treatment of complete head-to-toe transformation in a perfect blend of expectations and surprises. Schrama has a unique virtuosity comprising emotional sensitivity and theatrical craft that I can only marvel at. Bravo!
The creative triumvirate of Godfrey, Stefanoff and Dow led the chorus into wow territory for business, song and dance. Lighting designer Rodney Bates supplied watts needed except he did not oblige with the obligatory lightning and sparks that many expect to accompany the animation of the monster. Not enough noise either in my view. And the costumes? Not only was Renee Brice busy with the Singers, and in procuring and coordinating, but her movie quality make-up for the monster was magnifico. Bravo!
What's not to like about this show? From the opening number to the closing reprise, I was laughing when I didn't have a smile on my face. It was eye candy to watch, melodious to listen to, and multi-layered in comedy. Bravo!
David Grybowski
When: 31 Oct to 8 Nov
Where: The Goodwood Institute
Bookings: trybooking.com
State Opera of South Australia. Adelaide Festival Theatre. 28 Oct 2014
Verdi’s penultimate opera Otello is based on Shakespeare’s famous play The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. I won’t dwell on the plot – one can easily resort to Google if needed – except to say that Otello is a successful general who runs foul of Iago, his ensign, by promoting someone else (Cassio) above him. From then on Iago manipulates those around him to cause Otello’s downfall in spectacular fashion. Otello murders Desdemona, his wife, because he has been duped into mistakenly believing she has committed adultery with Cassio. When he realises Iago has manipulated him, Otello commits suicide.
Verdi ignores Act 1 of the play – well at least his librettist does – and other scenes are abbreviated, but the key theme of racism is not omitted. Otello is a Moor, but director Simon Phillips has taken the decision not to have the artist playing the role wear at least a swarthy complexion. This choice immediately eliminates the possibility that Iago’s hatred of Otello is racially motivated, at least in part, but it also (thankfully) removes the obvious and somewhat cliché (offensive?) imagery of good versus evil with a ‘black’ Otello and a ‘white’ Desdemona.
In his director’s note, Simon Phillips opines that Verdi’s opera Otello “surpasses its source”. This statement probably waves a red rag to a bullish Shakespeare devotee, but even if it was true, Phillip’s production has one major flaw – he locates it in present time and sets it entirely in the confines of a lower deck on an aircraft carrier. There are two aspects of the plot that do not translate well into such a time and setting: a lost handkerchief being proof-conclusive of Desdemona’s infidelity just doesn’t wash; and Otello’s cruel and humiliating treatment of Desdemona in full view of a prestigious military assembly is simply unbelievable. A different setting in a past era avoids such anachronistic absurdities. But, some aspects of the setting did work extremely well, such as the closed-circuit TV monitors that allowed Iago to spy unseen on others around him.
However this is grand opera and belief is to be suspended after all, so perhaps such things don’t really matter - but I think for many of the audience they did.
Together Bradley Daley (as Otello) and Miriam Gordon-Stewart (Desdemona) lacked chemistry in their love scene, ‘Gia nella note densa’, but individually they excelled. Daley’s aria of vengeance, ‘Si pel ciel marmoreo giuro’ was chilling, and Gordon-Stewart’s ‘willow song’ in the final Act, as she recollects a sad story about one her maids, was a high point of the production. Douglas McNicol played Iago with extreme cynicism and brooding hatred. His ‘Credi in un Dio crudel’ (I believe in a cruel God) was sung with authority and total believability (he deserved his copious ‘boos’ and jeers from the audience in the curtain calls!). Catriona Barr was excellent as Emilia, Pelham Andrews was resonant and commanding as Lodovico, and Jason Wasley (Roderigo), Thomas Millhouse (Montano) and Jeremy Tatchell (Herald) convincingly rounded out the minor principals.
The pleasant surprise of the night was Bernard Hull’s inspired performance as Cassio. He has never sounded or looked so confidant and at ease on the SASO stage. Bravo!
Brad Cohen extracted the very best from the mighty Adelaide Symphony and the superb SASO Chorus.
Kym Clayton
When: 25 Oct to 1 Nov
Where: Festival Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
Matt Byrne Media. Holden Street Theatres. 24 Oct 2010
‘The Breakfast Club’ is a cult 80s film by writer John Hughes that traces a day in the life of 5 teenagers stuck in detention on a Saturday. The group could not be more different, but by the end of the day they discover that despite these differences they could not have more in common. The character-focused story explores stereotyping, social politics and relationships.
Byrne has taken a huge gamble in attempting to mount a performance of such a well-known film; audience expectations are high, and translating a film to stage is never an easy proposition – particularly such a close character study. Sadly for me this production only made it half way there.
Before walking into the theatre I knew that solid casting and tight direction were the crucial ingredients this show would need to succeed. The actors all show great potential, and each develops an interesting character to watch. In this piece however, they have been left to their own devices too much and there is a real disconnect on stage that makes the play jar.
The cast is comprised of Jamie Hornsby, Kristen Tommasini, James King, Kacy Ratta, Loccy Hywood, Brendan Cooney and Matt Byrne. There are some strong performances amongst the group, but the material is complicated and their potential is left unexplored by Byrnes directing. Each of the young players work hard on their own stories, but the whole is still raw, unrefined, and in need of some tough direction to create a polished piece.
The ensemble would benefit from a lot more pace throughout the show; serving both to lift the energy during the arguments and heighten the poignancy of the silences. During intense scenes, the amount of pacing, shouting, desk-banging and feet stamping inevitably detracts from the real, raw emotions; this could have been better handled by Byrne. The choice to use American accents is understandable, but poor execution made it distracting, and it pulled focus at crucial moments in the story.
As the productions designer, Byrne has developed a very workable set which succeeds in locating various scenes throughout the show clearly and with minimal set changes. The intermedial use of projected photography and music does a wonderful job at guiding audience members who are unfamiliar with the film through the action.
Whilst I wasn’t entirely captivated by this production, equally I didn’t find it hard to watch. The truth is it doesn’t reach the same poignant and emotional heights as the original, and the journey doesn’t feel nearly as rewarding, but it is by no means a bad show, so if you are interested to see what Byrne and his young cast have done with a cult classic, I would still encourage you to check it out.
Paul Rodda
When: 22 Oct to 8 Nov
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: bass.net.au
State Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company. Space theatre. 25 Oct 2014
Thank goodness someone has written a play that shows the Chinese nationals to be the way they really are, or is it the way we think they are? Or demonstrates in no uncertain terms what they think of us - koala-like loafers lazily lounging on a treasure of resources lacking ideals - or is this the way white Australians think Chinese nationals think about us? Where sits the experience and the stereotype?
Kryptonite is a new Australian work co-produced by our state theatre and Sydney Theatre Company by accomplished playwright Sue Smith. While the world premiere took place in the harbour city last month, the work was directed by State's very own Geordie Brookman.
We follow the on-off relationship of Aussie surfie-uni bloke cum Green senator Dylan and Chinese student cum businesswoman Lian over twenty-five years. From the late '80s to today, the fulcrum moments - the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Beijing Olympics - provide temporal bookends for China's modern coming-of-age. The genius of the writing is that Dylan and Lian also represent their native lands, and their personal discourse gets geopolitical and progressively accusative and nasty. The love story is more a story of yearning at the foot of insurmountable cultural and character abutments.
Victoria Lamb's stage is designed with the modern idioms of bare and alienating, yet is fetchingly architectural (which means it's got style). I loved the disappearing ink on the rouched silk-like backdrop. Nicholas Rayment follows suit with harsh and focused lighting. Composer DJ Tr!p (no, not a typing error) hones the edge further, and sound designer Andrew Howard gives it an ethereal effect.
Sue Smith chose to chop up the chronology in a way re-popularised by Quentin Tarantino - another technique that separates modern theatre from its proscenium stage forbears. Sometimes confusing, I appreciated its value nearer the end.
Ursula Mills gives an excellent performance in the challenging role of Lian. Her Lian, likely a creation of all of herself, Brookman, Smith, and Smith's sister-in-law, certainly was an incredibly detailed and nuanced rendition of everything I see in being Chinese - for example, her hard working impoverished student, her early peasant-like behaviours, her power woman period, frank judgments, clear thinking, passion, love of country. Bravo! Tim Walker provided no less verisimilitude and his transition from a prankster to a senator seemed the real deal. Director Geordie Brookman made the years fly by, like the pages blowing off a calendar, with inventive blocking and creative scene changes, and not least, the performances he extracted from this great cast.
I was thrilled at the pace and the scope of this production, a real roller coaster ride called Australia's relationship with China, superbly executed and presented. A time capsule of the times.
David Grybowski
When: 22 Oct to 9 Nov
Where: The Space Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
Photography by Lisa Tomasetti
