Perth Musical - Whats The Show

Put Some ‘DO RE MI’ Into Your Life!

17 November 202416 November 2024 Katherine De Vere

The Sound of Music – Melville Theatre Company Rating

★★★★★

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The Sound of Music at the Melville Theatre Company revisits the famous story of a novice sent to work for a widowed naval captain and his seven children. It is set against the backdrop of the Austrian ‘Anschluss’ during World War II.

Director and musical theatre devotee, Neroli Sweetman has accomplished a grand feat, in wrangling a sizeable cast and crew to bring this ambitious production to fruition.

As might be expected, there’s a plethora of singing postulants—read: nuns. The four-hander between Sisters Bertha (Lily Wakeling), Margaretta (Ebony MacFarlane), Sophia (Parish Findlay), and the Mother Abbess is particularly charming, All four of these actors bring genuine nuance to their characters.

Wimples-off to Eilish Marie Blackmore as the Mother Abbess. Though perhaps a tad young for the role, she delivers a soaring rendition of ‘Climb Every Mountain’ that could rival a West End performance.

WAAPA graduate Hannah Charlotte, playing Maria, starts a little nervously but warms to the lead. By the play’s end, her performance is truly endearing—with a touch of the Kate Winslet. And that’s high praise.

The Von Trapp children are utterly delightful from start to finish. Played respectively by Escher Roe, Leon Brand, Aurelia Turley, John Bell, Quin Dally, Halle McDonald, and Jasmine Dally (with doubles Charlotte Theodorsen and Bowie Silvay). As soon as they appeared, the stage-wattage went up and their renditions of “Do Re Mi’ and ‘So Long Farewell’ had the audience enraptured.

The weak link in this production was Captain Von Trapp, stiffly played by Nigel Goodwin. He comments, “I’ve never been called exciting before” and unfortunately, in terms of a lead performance, never a truer word has been spoken. Given that the love story is a central premise to the script, credibility, passion and even ‘Edelweiss’ went south here.

Similarly, Max, played by (Daren Goodison) looked the part but struggled with both timing and showmanship. What might have been witty three-handers between the Baroness, Max and the Captain became about as wooden as anything you’d find at IKEA. It may be that the lovely Baroness (Erin Sirle) struggled to find her form given the incumbent lumber.

Antagonist, Admiral Von Schrieber ( Kieran Smith) doesn’t cut the mustard either, lacking both age and authority. Less gravy and more gravitas? Weaker scenes aside, the costumes were impeccable and deserve special mention, as does the ensemble cast, who were consistently impressive in both character work and harmonies.

Supporting actors Peter Shaw (Franz the Butler), Imogen Porter (Frau Schmidt), and Zac Porter (Herr Zeller), leaned into their Teutonic accents channelling an entertaining ‘Allo ‘Allo vibe. That being said, the he old stage wisdom – either everyone in the cast does accents, or no one does – might have been more effective than a Smith’s Variety Pack approach.

Rolf (David Bell) and Liesl (Escher Roe) both show promise and it will be interesting to watch where these young performers go, as did newcomer, Michael Smith as Baron Elberfield.

The set design suffered from a case of indecision-itus, wavering between realism, minimalism and kitsch; the plastic greenery being a low blow ( or low brow?) On the other hand, the wedding and final scenes were both visual and musical delights.

This is community theatre, and as such, it deserves support and appreciation. It runs on the goodwill and tireless efforts of so many talented contributors. A standout, special ‘Alleluia’ to Nick Navarra and team for their spirited (and spiritual) musical direction – and the choreography. You’ll likely find yourself humming a tune on the car ride home.

Who among us couldn’t use a bit more ‘Do-Re-Mi’ in our lives?

The Sound Of Music runs to November 30th. To book tickets, please visit https://melvilletheatrecompany.au/

Session Dates/Times:-
Performance Dates:
Evening
November 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30

Matinees
November 17, 24
Times: All evening shows at 7.30 pm
Sunday Matinees – November 17, 24 @ 5 pm

Photography: Curtain Call Creatives

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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9 to 5: The Musical

3 November 2024 Emma Basc

9 to 5: The Musical Rating

★★★★★

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Don Russell Performing Arts Centre hosts Art in Motion Theatre company as they present 9 to 5: The Musical, based on the iconic 1980s film by 20th Century Fox, with music and lyrics written by the legendary Dolly Parton.

Walking into the theatre, it was both intimidating and exciting to see the band sitting right there, front and centre, staring at you as you walked in. It was intimidating because you walked around the corner practically into the band, and it was exciting because the musicians were normally hidden in the pit, and often, community-based musicals rely on recorded music. Who doesn’t love live musicians at a musical?!

My first thoughts on the show were that it was confronting. As a feminist in 2024, where gender parity is still very much a goal to strive for, it was confronting to see this portrayal of workplace culture in the 1970s (which really doesn’t feel like that long ago; if anyone mentions that it was half a century ago, we can no longer be friends) and to realise just how far we have come.

The show was light-hearted and funny and didn’t feel like a lesson in feminist agenda, yet seeing the way actor Aaron Lucas portrayed the villain, Franklin Hart, with the support of the whole male cast, made me uncomfortable, which may have been the intention. I heard someone in the packed audience say, ‘Can they say that now?’ which tells me that the director, Lys Tickner, did a great job of showcasing the themes of empowerment and feminism, without losing the fun-filled musical feel that kept audiences toes tapping.

For those unfamiliar with the show, 9 to 5 is set in an office in the 1970s. The office boss, Franklin Hart, is a sexist, pompous letch with zero ethics with his eye well and truly on Doralee Rhodes, played by Jen Gadeke, a married country girl who can’t seem to make any friends at work. Once the rumour of her affair with Hart is debunked, Doralee is befriended by the new girl and soon-to-be divorcee Judy Bernly, played by Stacey Gobey, and office supervisor Violet Newsted, played by Sarah McCabe, who has taken Judy under her wing, all of whom try to stay away from the office snitch Roz Keith, played by Mary Carter.

We know that when women circle, good things happen. So after a small mishap with poison, one thing leads to another. A kidnapping occurs, and from there, the friends take it upon themselves to hide their misdeeds while also setting the world to rights and creating the kind of workplace that people want to work in. Productivity goes up, escape happens, and the good guy (girls) wins in the end. All set to iconic Dolly Parton music.

The cast do a brilliant job portraying the characters and belting out a tune, I spent the show thinking ‘oh, she’s my favourite….oh no, she is…..ohhh I like her…’ between the female leads and when curtain call came I clapped and cheered for them equally but wanted to boo for Lucas (but did restrain myself), which I’m taking as a sign he did a great job portraying an awful character.

The sets were great. The set changes were really quite simple, and yet when Gadeke climbed the ladder to look for the missing file, I swear I saw a file move! I have to say that the scene with the photocopier might have been set in the 1970s, but it was a little too relatable for a 2020 office. While we may have come a long way with employment law, we haven’t come far at all when it comes to photocopier paper jams!

Hats off to the costume director. Noteworthy moments included the ensemble of Roz (how good are those glasses) and the ensemble of Frank in shorts. Some things can not be unseen; I think that vision will be with me for longer than I wish.

The music is wonderful, with some well-known (and some less well-known) Dolly Parton songs hosting over-the-top dance numbers and dream scenes. Even if you have never heard a Dolly Parton song, you will still be bopping along with the music. A great way to spend an evening.

9 to 5 is at the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre November 8, 9 and 10. With just one weekend, and three shows remaining, book your tickets for 9 To 5: The Musical as soon as possible.
https://drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138177

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Kiss Me Kate: Presented by The Gilbert and Sullivan Society

5 October 2024 Poppy Rogers

Kiss Me Kate Rating

★★★★★

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The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA returns for its second major production of 2024. Straying from the traditional G&S its name suggests, it presents Cole Porter’s musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate.

Based on the book by Sam and Bella Spewack, Kiss Me, Kate is a show within a show; passions run high as former spouses feud onstage and off during a musical staging of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The egotistical leading man, director, and producer Fred Graham (Ian Lawrance) are reunited with his ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi (Hayley Parker), when the two are brought together to star opposite each other as Petruchio and Katherine in a new adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew.

While their barbed and battling relationship puts the entire company on edge, the show’s supporting actress, Lois (Taylor Westland), finds out that her gambling actor boyfriend, Bill (Calen Simpson), has racked up an enormous debt and is hiding out at the theatre to evade the collection by local mobsters.

It’s great to see local groups stage musicals that are well known for their large overseas productions, including the recent West End stage show and, of course, Broadway. The millennials in attendance will be familiar with the themes and characters of The Taming of The Shrew, thanks to 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You.

Opening night at The University of Western Australia’s Dolphin Theatre was well attended and felt like the show had started as soon as you entered the foyer with a news kid (Ashlee Graveson) handing out flyers for that evening’s performance of The Taming of the Shrew. Two menacing gangsters (Samuel Farr and Tracey Myhill) also paced the foyer on the hunt for those with outstanding IOUs to be paid, adding a bit of fun while we waited.

Upon entering the auditorium, it was hard not to be excited to see the Orchestra front and centre rather than tucked away in the pit. However, if you were sat in the first row or two, it did mean they were eye level, so it was easy to get caught up in watching the musicians and not the action on stage.

The simple set and the inventive use of several elements in different ways, including spinning doors around to create the inside of dressing rooms, made for quick set changes. Keeping the set simple also came in handy for times when the entire cast was on stage, which had the potential to feel cluttered. I would have loved to have seen all of the performers in some scenes; however, there was a bit of blocking from those front and centre.

The four leads, Hayley Parker, Ian Lawrance, Taylor Westland, and Calen Simpson, delivered strong vocal performances and were supported by a talented ensemble. At times in the first half, the microphones had either not yet been switched on or could have been turned up more as dialogue was drowned out by the wonderful music. The same can be said for supporting cast members who didn’t have the luxury of microphones.

Well done to the costume team, as dressing a cast of this size can be challenging. I loved the details, right down to the shoe buckles strapped on—very clever.

With Cole Porter’s music and lyrics, it was hard not to keep your toe tapping all the way home. Even the next afternoon, I can’t get “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” out of my head. The cast is clearly having a great time performing this show, which is contagious for the audience.

Kiss Me, Kate is performed at The Dolphin Theatre in Crawley for an 11-show season.
October 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 at 7.30 pm
October 5 & 12 at 2 pm
October 13 at 3 pm

Bookings at https://www.gilbertandsullivanwa.org.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

8 September 2024 Breanna Redhead

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals Rating

★★★★★

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Picture this: a meteor has crashed and landed in your peaceful town, and a horrible illness is slowly infecting the townsfolk, causing them to face one of life’s greatest horrors – singing and dancing as if they were in a musical.

This is the basis of StarKid Productions’ ‘The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals’ – brought to life for the very first time in Western Australia by Art In Motion Theatre Company.

Joshua Hollander is the titular ‘Guy’ – also known as Paul Matthews – with the remaining cast work to bring to life a sea of characters as he navigates this world-ending disaster. By his side is the equally normal Emma Perkins, portrayed by Escher Roe. The pair work well as the show ‘simpletons’ in contrast to the other more exuberant characters.

Among the other ever-changing roles, Brittany Isaia shines as Paul’s co-worker Charlotte in a hilarious performance. A WA Starkid veteran, she has certainly found her niche. She’s coupled well against Blair Price-Morgan as Ted, a great young talent whom I look forward to seeing more of in the future.

Attempting to cure the mysterious disease is Artorius Emanuel as Professor Hidgens, whose ‘show-stopping number’ was a crowd favorite.

Clayton van Dijk brings nervous energy to Bill Woodward, with Georgia McGivern rounding out the group in a number of smaller roles and bringing great energy to the stage.

A personal highlight was Mathew Leak’s performance as both Mr Davidson and Sam Sweetly. Not only was his vocal performance strong, but Leak’s pure enthusiasm and joy simply radiated from the stage, and I couldn’t help but smile whenever he entered a scene.

On the note of enthusiasm, the amount of passion in the room—both on stage and in the audience—was really special. It’s no secret that StarKid has a cult following, and it was duly noted how captivated audience members were to finally see this show in person for the first time locally.

Also to be commended is the band, who are note perfect under the guidance of Zac Skelton. Extremely well executed they seamlessly fit in with the show so smoothly they almost go unnoticed. The music is partnered with trade-mark theater choreography, from Keri Baker, and performed with an appropriate level of cheesiness.

While diction and pacing in some areas could be improved – this production makes for a fun night out whether you’re a serial fan or a first-time viewer. Director Micheal Carroll has delivered a solid show that was clearly well-received by audiences.

With only 3 shows remaining in the season, you best book your tickets quickly @ https://drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/135674

Remaining Sessions:-

13th Sep – 7:30 pm
14th Sep – 7:30 pm
15th Sep – 2 pm

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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