Category: Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Melbourne 2016: KINKY BOOTS The Musical

Dazzling

By Jessica Cornish

In case you haven’t heard the Tony award-winning musical, I’m glad to inform you Kinky Boots has come to town. Reminiscent of Priscilla Queen of the Dessert, Rent and with a splash of La Cage Aux Faux, this musical was two hours of pure joy, inspiration and all things that glitter. It challenges the broader community to accept all people for who they are (Maybe Malcom Turnbull should grab a ticket?), and for us all to have the courage to be proud of who we are.

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With music and lyrics created by 80’s pop icon Cyndi Lauper, orchestrations by Stephen Oremus, a book by Harvey Fierstein, and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, this beautiful story tells the tale of Charlie Price (Toby Francis) trying to save his family’s shoe factory by creating a new line of shoes for the transgender community inspired by an unexpected friend, Lola (Callum Francis).

The Australian cast were magnificent, giving an energetic and believable performance. But hands down, Callum Francis stole the show. This performer is a super star, his performance was flawless with silky smooth vocals, ounces of charisma and an overall incredibly strong stage presence. He was well complimented by leading man Toby Francis whose beautiful voice and vulnerability translated on to the stage effortlessly alongside Lola.

The music was playful and continuously rolled forward, and contained a balance of upbeat numbers interweaved with some beautiful ballads such as “Not My Father’s Son”, which explores the fallout of trying to live up to the expectations of those we love the most. And don’t worry, there are some more humorous numbers also thrown into the mix with the likes of “What a Man” and “The History of Wrong Guys”, the latter being a personal favourite that I feel a lot of women can relate to also.

The stage was painted with colour and beauty by the incredible costumes designed by Gregg Barnes, and further highlighted by clever lighting (Kenneth Posner), while the sound design was well-balanced and bright (John Shivers).

This modern-day musical is an upbeat, melodic pop-masterpiece that can live on outside of the walls of Her Majesty’s once the performance is done. Kinky Boots is easily one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen in Australia for years. If you only see one musical in the next twelve months, this is your pick!

12 October- 11 December

Ticket bookings: Call Ticketek 1300 795 012 or http://kinkybootsthemusical.com.au/

Price range: $60-$140

Her Majesty’s Theatre
219 Exhibition Street Melbourne

Image by Matthew Murphy

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

StageArt Presents THE COLOR PURPLE

An unforgettable theatre experience

By Sally McKenzie

The emotional impact of Stageart’s The Color Purple is something so very special. It is a show that I have known about for a very long time, have owned the cast album, sung the songs and seen the movie. Not until tonight, however, have I realized how powerful this show really is.

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Most people know the movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, which was later brought to life on stage by Oprah Winfrey – this time as producer. The story, beginning in the early 20th century, follows the story of ‘Celie’, an African-American woman in America’s south, facing a life of abuse by her father and husband and how she struggles to maintain her faith in God and humanity.

Jayme-Lee Hanekom is an absolute shining light in this superb production – from the moment she steps on stage in the very first scene as a very young Celie, singing with her sister to the mature woman who leads the whole cast in the spine-tingling finale. Hanekom is absolutely breathtaking in this role, and her vocals are equally as magnificent Along this journey I felt her pain, sorrow, heartache, anger, hatred, joy and the overwhelming love she had for her sister, Nettie (Anna Francesca Armenia) and Shug Avery (Thando Sikwila), and I know for a fact that I wasn’t the only one in tears.

Armenia was delightful in her role, radiating joy and hope in everything she did. She and Hanekom complemented each other perfectly. Sikwila thrived as Shug: her duet with Celie – ‘What About Love’ – was sublime. Their velvet voices blended like nothing I have heard before. They were born to sing together. Sikwila was equally as impressive belting out her song at the ‘juke joint’ – ‘Push The Button’.

Noelan Petero (as Doris), Sasha Hennequin (Darlene) and Anisha Senarante (Jarene) had just the right amount of ‘sass’ as the trio providing the social commentary/gossip as the story unfolded. Their harmonies together were also on point. Kendrew A. Heriveaux (Mister) was consistently strong in his role as Celie’s abusive husband. Vanessa Menjiva was definitely an audience-favourite as the strong-willed, tough female role-model , Sofia. As her husband Harpo, Iopu Auva played the perfect ‘second fiddle’ to Sofia. There are too many roles to mention here, but this is a show with no weak links. The ensemble was brilliant! Harmonies were well-executed and superbly balanced and blended.  Whether playing an evangelical parishioner, a worker on the farm, a native African in the Mission, each and every cast member was completely connected to their character and purpose for being part of that scene.

The set was simple but completely fitting for the staging of this production: nothing else was needed with performances from the cast so astonishingly good. Lighting was beautifully designed by Jason Bovaird and Maddy Seach, helping provide an apt frame for the intimacy of the story and the focus on the personal journey of Celie. Congratulations to director Robbie Carmelotti for his exemplary creative choices. Costumes by Rhiannon Irving were also simple, but appropriate for the period and status of each character. The brightness of the traditional African garments in the second half of the show was a fitting contrast.

Sound design (Marcello Lo Ricco) was exceptional, providing the perfect balance between band and cast. It was the richest and most heartfelt quality of sound I have experienced in this space. Musical direction by Caleb Garfinkel was well-executed.  With the music in this production clearly a highlight, Garfinkel certainly had his work cut out for him – masterfully balancing the leading of the band while also playing guitar and keyboard. Diction was not always clear, however – particularly amongst the singing from the female trio. This was partly due to the heavy accents required of them. I also worry about the female cast maintaining their voices. There is so much emotional belt in this show – which can definitely take its toll. Hopefully an informed vocal coach is on hand.

The Color Purple is showing at Chapel off Chapel from 15th October to 6th November. If the immediate standing ovation after tonight’s performance is anything to go by, this show is sure to be a sell-out. Don’t miss out! I have already booked my ticket to see it again.

http://www.stageart.com.au/the-color-purple

Image by Belinda Stodder

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Playback Productions Presents THE WEDDING SINGER

Joyous nostalgia and amazing mullets beckon

By Jessica Cornish

Growing up idolising Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in the 1998 motion picture that inspired this musical, I was a little sceptical as to how it would translate onto the stage, but from the moment the lights went up I was hooked. Playback’s production of The Wedding Singer was vibrant, energetic, hilarious and oozed with the colourful spirit of the 80s.

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Composed by Matthew Sklar, with lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, The Wedding Singer’s music is what you’d expect, a contemporary/pop musical laced with incredibly catchy melodies – and don’t worry, Adam Sandler’s infamous songs from the motion picture are both there! And if you like gory 80s’ chiffon dresses, plastic crucifixes and curls, this musical has you covered. Stand-out musical items of the night were “It’s Your Wedding Day” and “Casualty of Love” which had electric music and really fun, high-energy movement using a diverse ensemble.

The main cast were all terrific in achieving the difficult task of recreating well-known characters from the screen while bringing their own twist to it. Lead sweethearts, played by Leighton Irwin (Robbie Heart) and Katlin O’Keene (Julia Sullivan) were well cast.  Irwin brought a constant high level of energy to his performance whilst belting out pitch perfect notes, and Sullivan had beautiful warmth to her voice and a gentle stage presence that contrast well to her 80s counterparts. The supporting roles were equally excellent and special mention needs to be made of the musical and comedic skills of Dion Kaliviotis (Sammy), Rosie Alexander (Linda), and my personal favourite, the sassy and flamboyant Danny Nercessian (George).

With such a strong performance this means an equally strong production team. Monica Cioccia needs to be commended for her excellent role as director, similarly musical director Allan Hessey for ensuring a night of strong vocal performances supported by impressive live musicians. And of course what good is an 80s’ musical without some dancing? Grace Madderm was the hard-working production choreographer and also played the promiscuous and bubbly Holly.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of sound issues through the entire opening night, which was frustrating for audience and cast alike, no doubt. It was a shame as some key vocal lines were lost to white noise, or were overpowered by the band when microphones would completely cut out. There were a few missed lighting cues and performers not finding their light, however I am confident as the performers and tech crew continue the run, these initial issues will soon iron themselves out.

This is such an incredibly fun and entertaining musical at a intimate venue hidden away on Acland St, St Kilda. Defiantly worth squeezing into your busy schedule!

Venue: Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St Kilda

Date: 14 Oct 2016 – 23 Oct 2016
Time: Thu to Sat 7.30pm & Sat/Sun 1pm
Price: $38 full / $36 conc / $34 group 10+ [plus booking fee]

Bookings: Please call 03 9534 3388

Festivals, Musical Theatre, Whats On

Melbourne Festival 2016: OUR LADIES OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR

It’s a wild and wonderful ride

By Leeor Adar

I was expecting St Trinians, but instead I was treated to something so much better. A musical theatre lover I am not, but Lee Hall’s adaptation of Alan Warner’s Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour may have cured me.

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The internationally renowned National Theatre of Scotland has indeed graced our good Melbourne Festival this year with a riotously funny, endearing and poignant show concerning the misdemeanors of Scotland’s wildest Catholic schoolgirls.

On a journey to Edinburgh for a choral competition, our girls are planning to booze, cruise and find a worthy specimen for their hormone-driven desires. Initially, their voices sing out unaccompanied to Felix Mendelssohn’s Lift Thine Eyes, but it’s a momentary holy light before the girls embark onto far wilder renditions of Jeff Lynne’s Don’t Bring Me Down and disco classic Shine a Little Love. The cast are all talented sopranos, and they heartily reimagine 70s rock and disco classics as they travel between dive bars and blow up a drug dealer’s shack with fireworks. They manage to do their mischief all the while under the watchful gaze of a Virgin Mary statue.

There is heart to this production. The desire to rise up and beyond their incestuous poverty is an ever-present theme. One character, Orla (Joanne McGuinness), a cancer sufferer and virgin until further notice, peers across the world with the gentle eyes of someone who may soon leave it. Kay (Karen Fishwick) is the local doctor’s daughter, and a university hopeful whose momentary lapse into recklessness could change her life forever.

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour feels like any wild party – there are moments of pure inclusive ecstasy, and moments of poignant truths. Vicky Featherstone has directed a fluid and thoroughly engaging production to rival anything we’ve seen on the Melbourne musical stages. Featherstone’s cast gel so effortlessly it feels like these girls have known one another forever. The cast must be commended on their highly physical performances, and a further accolade must be given to choreographer, Imogen Knight, for their well-crafted movement.

Overall, the entire production team have created a show that captivated and sent their audience into fits of laughter. A standing ovation was what they received for their efforts, and I expect Melbourne will be delighted to see the National Theatre of Scotland return next year.

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is performing at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne until Saturday 22 October. Tickets available at https://www.festival.melbourne/2016/events/our-ladies-of-perpetual-succour/#.V_iM_DJh2CQ

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Melbourne 2016: WE WILL ROCK YOU

Yes, they will

By Jessica Cornish

In true Melbourne style, the first evening of Spring was ushered in by cold wind and rain, but this was no deterrent to the buzzing opening night crowd of We Will Rock You at the Regent Theatre. The show was incredibly vibrant, energetic and visually spectacular.

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We Will Rock You utilises the well-known music of Queen to tell the quirky story of a society that is becoming more and more virtual, with the looming presence of Global Soft trying their best to stamp out all forms of bohemian life and of course the dreaded music of rock and roll. Despite the evil corporation’s best efforts, a small group of rebels strive for a world reunited through classic British rock.

Director Ben Elton, musical director Dave Skelton and choreographer Arlene Phillips combined forces to create a powerhouse production team. This creative strength was further complimented by a mesmerising lighting design by Willie Williams and excellent scenic design by Mark Fisher as the entire show being incredibly punchy and dynamic owed much to a set and lighting rig that was constantly moving. Box truss, LED screens and scaffolding flew in and out throughout the evening and the lighting rig was robust and well-planned. The show was consistently visually exciting and the stage looked stunning: there was even some pyro and confetti thrown into the mix, so no complaints here.

Bobby Aitken’s sound design was forceful, clear and generally well balanced. A couple of times the female vocals were drowned out in the mix by their male counterparts, although this could also be in part due to the challenging low vocal range the female performers were required to perform in the occasional bottom-heavy (pun intended) Queen songs.

Equally strong were the lead cast members and ensemble. They were all terrific triple-threat performers that were on the ball all night. Relative musical-theatre newcomer female lead Erin Clare (Scaramouche) sang beautifully and seemed to slip effortlessly in to the rebellious role. However, I felt her male counterpart Gareth Keegan (Galileo) lacked a contemporary edge to his performance which made him seem slightly wooden and not as believable as the dreamy love interest. Other leads, Jaz Flowers (Oz) and her muscly counterpart Thern Reynolds (Brit) did not miss a beat and were a pleasure to watch. Every movement and note was perfectly executed. Former 80’s rocker Brian Mannix (Buddy) was well received by the crowd and performed well however it was the former Australian Idol champion Casey Donovan who stole the show. She was – hands down – the standout performer of the evening as the glorious Killer Queen. She was charismatic and demanded attention every moment she was on stage. She gave an incredibly strong performance, and I couldn’t take my eyes off this bodacious babe, particularly in her rendition of fat bottomed girls framed by an array of women in leather and pink feather dusters.

We Will Rock You does not disappoint. It is a great starting point into the world of theatre, especially for the younger audience and of course all those with a love for Queen, and an impressively dynamic show that is both well-polished and well-executed. How can you pass this up?!

VENUE: REGENT THEATRE

SEASON: TO 30 OCTOBER

PERFORMANCE TIMES: TUES 7PM, WED–SAT 8PM, SAT MATINEE 2PM, SUNDAY 1PM & 6PM

BOOKINGS: TICKETMASTER.COM.AU OR PHONE 1300 111 011 GROUPS 8+ CALL 1300 889 278

Image by Jeff Busby

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Pursued By Bear Presents FIRST DATE

Crass, cluey, and relentlessly funny

By Amy Planner

That awkward blind date feeling should definitely be avoided at all costs, so when someone decides to dedicate a musical to it, there are bound to be a few uncomfortable and unfortunately relatable moments. Enter First Date: The Musical (book by Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner) – this is the show dedicated to bringing those dreaded memories back and managing to make you both laugh and cry at them.

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When slightly nerdy blind date newbie Aaron (Jordan Mahar) is set up with tattoo-toting blind date veteran Casey (Rebecca Hetherington), their obvious differences make for an interesting and incredibly awkward first date. Along for the ride are a number of family members, potential children, ex-lovers and a best mate or two to give their albeit not always helpful advice – in musical form of course.

The Small Timber Café was the setting of this first date disaster, with the audience invited to sit at the café tables and even order coffee from the stage before the show. Cast members lingered around, blending in with baristas and immersing the awaiting audience in this distinctive setting.

There were a few sound issues in the beginning but after some level adjustments and once those opening night nerves were settled, this show had the audience laughing, clapping and even hollering at times.

This small cast were incredibly entertaining from lights up to lights down. Their energy was outstanding as was their enthusiasm for the show bubbling over. Hetherington and Mahar took the lead with their well-characterised vocals, even contriving to sober the boisterous audience with their serious solos.

The five-man ensemble; Nicole Melloy, Danielle O’Malley, Adam Porter, Stephen Valeri and Daniel Cosgrove, were the energetic life force of the show. Each performer had such a unique take on their characters, which made for a hilariously bumpy ride.

Other than those few audio hiccups, this show was pretty seamless. Director Mark Taylor took an Americanised script and made it fit perfectly into an Australian setting and by taking a few ‘lewd’ chances, has put together a genuinely hilarious production.

First Date’s musical score is very modern and unexpected but has indisputable flow and vigour, and no successful musical would be complete without a great Musical Director – and Stephanie Lewendon-Lowe was just that. Her artistic verve manifested in equally witty tunes and great musical moments. The band had nowhere to hide, set upstage in full view of the audience, disguised as café patrons and a chef hat-totting drummer behind the pass.

Sarah Tulloch’s production design was satisfyingly realistic and unbelievably innovative. The set dressing was simple but effective and the ease with which backstage crew could be disguised as waiters and move items around was a sneakily brilliant thought.

First Date is comically crude and toe-tappingly upbeat, and it even slips in a few serious moments to make you remember some things are all too real and unavoidable. As someone who has seen the Broadway original, this definitely stacks up and does Melbourne proud.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel

Season: September 2-11, Mon-Sat 8pm & Sun 5pm

Tickets: $39 Monday only, $49 Full, $39 Concession (+ transaction fee)

Bookings: chapeloffchapel.com.au

Musical Theatre

The Production Company Presents CURTAINS

 Marvelous music and joyously good fun

By Bradley Storer

The madcap trials and tribulations of a Broadway-bound musical falling apart at the seams, a classic ‘whodunnit’ murder-mystery, a romantic comedy as well as a tribute to all people with passion for the theatre, all bound together by the final score devised by the legendary team of Kander and Ebb – who could ask for anything more in a show?

Curtains

Simon Gleeson in the role of Lt. Frank Cioffi – lead investigator of the aforementioned murder – is a revelation, his leading man charisma channeled into a role that would be the comedic sidekick in any other piece but here is the focal point of this ode to the theatre world and its people. His comedic timing is exceedingly precise and his rendition of the wistful ‘Coffee Shop Nights’ is absolutely mesmerizing, his rich resonant voice peeking through at a few artfully chosen moments.

The rest of the cast work wonderfully as an ensemble but a mixed bag in terms of individual success. Melissa Langton as the brassy producer of the show nails her character’s bitter (and hilarious) one-liners, but her big number ‘It’s a Business’ falls slightly flat despite her magnificent belt. Alex Rathgeber finds the heartfelt sincerity in his caddish composer, and his touching ballad ‘I Miss the Music’ is a highlight of the show – Lucy Maunder is radiant as his estranged lyricist/wife. Alinta Chidzey sang beautifully as the ingénue Niki Harris but tended to vanish in a role that seems bland and underwritten.

Colin Lane was slightly off-kilter at first as the British director of the show within the show, his accent seeming a little wobbly, but found his feet with pithy non-sequiturs punctuated throughout the evening. Nicki Wendt as the woefully untalented diva whose demise launches the plot delivers a performance of such scene-stealing awfulness that it feels slightly disappointing (in the best possible way) to see her for only the first five minutes of the show.

The ensemble had clearly worked hard at creating individuated background characters, devising moments of sneaky comedy for those looking hard enough, and danced brilliantly in all their numbers, with the orchestra under musical director John Foreman giving the glorious Kander and Ebb score the magnificent treatment it deserved at all times.

Balancing an incredibly tricky mixture of narrative tones, The Production Company delivers this Australian professional premiere with panache, this tribute to the ‘theatre people’ of the world as a whole shining with warm-hearted joy.

Venue: The State Theatre, The Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne.

Date: 20th August – 28th August

Times: 7:30pm Wednesday – Saturday, Matinees 1pm Wed/2pm Saturday/3pm Sunday

Prices: $42 – $130

Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au , 1300 182 183, or at the box office.

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Prince Moo Productions Presents AVENUE Q

Uproariously funny and supremely entertaining

By Jessica Cornish

Growing up as a teenager obsessed with the music of Avenue Q, I was pretty ambivalent as to how the recent Australian production playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre would compare to my original cast recording memories, but as the show began, my anxiety quickly evaporated. It was one of the most engrossing and entertaining musical productions I have seen in the last few years.

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The story follows recent college grad, Princeton, who moves into a colourful apartment block in a diverse neighbourhood filled with Sesame Street-style monsters, puppets and even humans. Throughout the quirky two-hour (and adults’ only) musical journey, we see the youngster settle down, find romance, lose romance, have a fling, and even gain a life purpose along the way.

The dynamic and often dual characters were well cast with Ross Hannaford (Princeton/Rod), Vincent Hooper (Nicky/Trekkie Monster) and Andrew Hondromatidis (Brian), however exceptional performances belonged to Sophie Write (Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut) and Sun Park (Christmas Eve), who between them stole the show. Both women were vocal standouts: pitch perfect, perfect tone and with great resonance. The vocals for superintendent Gary Coleman (Zuleikah Khan) were less secure at times, although it’s a notoriously tricky part which can often challenge a female’s lower vocal range and demand sacrificing power for pitch. As minor characters that weave themselves in and out of the story, the Bad Behaviour Bears performed by Lulu McClatchy and Hooper were also particularly high energy, hilarious and well-worthy of note.

John Kerr‘s set design was simple but effective and the puppeteers draped in black were well-choreographed and transitioned smoothly in and out of different roles all night. Whether you watched the puppet or a puppeteer, both were equally engaging and emotive. Unfortunately the lighting operation was slightly under whelming and patchy at times on the night I attended, with shadows cast on puppet faces and a couple of sloppy follow-spot pickups: however, I’m sure this will sharpen up as the season progresses. The sound was clear and well balanced, however it would have been nice to bump up the volume for an excited opening night audience.

This was, overall, a brilliant production directed by Peter Snee and musically directed by Trevor Jones, and I honestly could not stop smiling the evening. With those witty lyrics and music written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty‘s book helping offer a raunchy insight into the lives of puppets dealing with homosexuality, racism and sex, this new production of Avenue Q is as good as theatre gets.

Season: Performances every night until August 14 (no performances Monday)

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre

Bookings: Ticketek

Image by Nichole Riseley

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Melbourne 2016 Season of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL

Joyous celebration of women, wit, love, and life

By Narelle Wood

Four sassy women take to the stage, set in the midst of a department store lingerie sale, to lament, laugh and learn about all things menopause. Menopause the Musical – Women on Fire sees a revitalised production of the hit show return to Melbourne with new choreography, some new songs, and plenty of new laughs.

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Caroline Gillmer, Donna Lee, Megan Shapcott and Jackie Love play these four very different characters (business woman, housewife, hippy and soap star respectively) that bond over the sisterhood experience – the midlife change. Over the course of the day in their Myer-style department store (although the set is more Victoria Secret) they shop lingerie, spa-date, lunch-date and shoop shoop their way through everything from hot flushes, sex and needing to go to the bathroom.

Shapcott and Love are great but Gillmer and Lee just seem to revel in all the awkwardness and candidness that their glorious characters demand. The depiction of Lee as a housewife doesn’t quite capture the complexity of the character she brings to life; it was captivating and joyful but in a uncomfortable and desperate kind of way – hard to describe but definitely fantastic.

The musical elements is reliant on parodies of some well-known classics from the 60’s, 70’s and the occasional 80’s. There are some standout reworkings including The Great Pretender to Sane and Normal Girls (The Beach Boys’ California Girls). One of my favourites was the poignant reimagining of Sonny and Cher’s I’ve Got You Babe, exploring the complex and close relationships between mothers and daughters. For the most part the parodies work providing witty and honest commentary that has the audience guffawing loudly. However a couple of the songs, mostly at the start, sounded like they were forcing the rhymes and rhythms to create the songs they were after.

Even though it is directed and choreographed by the acclaimed Tony Bartuccio, there were moments where it seemed as though all the elements, incredible in their own right, hadn’t quite come together. This made the performance for me a little uneven; some instances that were polished and right on point and others that were good but appeared to lack cohesiveness as though it was indeed a new production still finding its feet.

Menopause the Musical may not appear to be everybody’s cup of tea, but first glances can be deceiving. It makes for both a good night out and an educational experience, and one that is sure to leave a smile on your face.

Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St, Melbourne

Season: Until August 6th. Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, matinees Wed 1pm & Sat 2pm

Tickets: $59.90  (+ booking fees)

Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Stage Art Presents TITANIC: THE MUSICAL

Exhilarating

By Myron My

It has been over 100 years since the Titanic sank, killing more than half its passengers and crew. While this famous tragedy is a well-documented and discussed event, Stage Art‘s production of the Australian premiere of  Titanic: The Musical breathes new life into the story, creating a gloriously entertaining show that should not be missed.

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The cast of 20 is flawless and all the actors take on their numerous roles with much gusto, achieving character changes effortlessly and at times, instantly. The production is meticulously directed by James Cutler, and from the opening scene, the hustle and bustle and the excitement felt from everyone on board is perfectly encapsulated as the latter is replicated in the audience.

Some stand-out performances included Jon Sebastian as the pompous J. Bruce Ismay, Casey Withoos as the second-class passenger with aspirations of first-class grandeur Alice Beane, Sam Bennett as love-struck third-class passenger Jim Farrell, and Dom Winsor, reprising the role he first played over a decade ago in the US production, as the ship’s designer Thomas Andrews.

Peter Stone‘s story and book develops elegantly and organically: even with such a large number of characters, every single person has a clear and distinctive story arc or motivation. Whether it be through a song or a short scene to tell their story, they all felt fleshed out, whereupon the emotions felt and reactions experienced upon the sinking of the ship are rendered even more heartbreaking to witness. The characters in Titanic the Musical were based on those actually on board the ship, and while a little creative licensing occurs, Stone’s careful research is evident and pays off marvelously.

The music and lyrics by Maury Yeston are wonderfully brought to life by the highly talented band and singers under the proficient musical direction of Kent Ross. The ensemble pieces, especially the epic opening number, are a dream to listen to and you cannot take your eyes of the accompanying action happening on stage. Greta Sherriff and Matthew Hyde perfectly complement each other with their voices, and their song “I Give You My Hand” is a tender and touching moment. Adam Di Martino and James Brown‘s dynamic ragtime number “Doing the Latest Rag” is also a firm favourite.

Titanic: The Musical is a gripping and entertaining story that reaches far beyond the familiar historical narrative we thought we knew. Already halfway through 2016, it is fair to say that this will emphatically be one of the best musicals, if not one of the best shows, of the year.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran 
 Season: 24 July | 7:30pm Wed- Sun, 1.30pm Sat and Sun (17 July 1.30 performance will be AUSLAN interpreted)
Tickets: A Reserve: $69 Full / $65 Concession | B Reserve $59 Full / $55 Concession | C Reserve $49
Bookings: Chapel Off Chapel

Image by Belinda Strodder