The Marvelous Wonderettes by the Maitland Musical Society captures all the kitsch and fabulous fluffiness of 50s frocks, with costuming, props, and dialogue dragged directly from the past.
The show draws the audience in as we watch the “award-winning” (hey, third place is still a win) prom singers devolve before our eyes. Their high school angst-filled youth is captured beautifully in each individual character—and individual they were—each being unique and well set apart from the others.
The actresses really did the girls’ characters justice, never breaking character despite the numerous bouts of audience participation in the show. Due to their commitment, you will undoubtedly be able to recognise characters from your own high school days, regardless of whether that’s a good thing or not…
The music features toe-tapping tunes with popular hits from ‘way back when’ and some lesser-known ones for those who want to experience some new songs from the era. The cast had a good blend of voices with each other and the music, though they were occasionally overpowered by the live band, who sat onstage with the cast and also got into the show, dancing along with their own tunes. Their presence really adds to the live prom feel.
There were a couple of minor tech issues, including mics turning off and lights being slightly off cue, but for their opening performance, some teething issues are to be expected, which will no doubt be streamlined as the season progresses.
There are some strobe lighting effects used multiple times throughout the show, so be prepared lest you be caught off guard. Kudos to the wardrobe team, who created colourful costumes perfect for the era and the characters; the wigs themselves were almost scene-stealers!
Finally, the venue and staff were just amazing, offering homemade snacks as sweet as the Marvelous Wonderettes would like you to think they are. Overall, it was a marvellous experience, and I applaud the Maitland Musical Society for putting on such an amazing, entertaining show.
The show runs for only one more week with sessions as follows:-
- Sun 2nd June 2pm
- Fri 7th June 7pm
- Sat 8th June 7pm
- Sun 9th June 2pm
Please don’t miss out, and when you get there, don’t forget to take a selfie at ‘The Prom’!
