The Threepenny Opera - WAAPA (14 October 2017)

Attitude. The very best productions have it. Clearly discernible, unapologetic, and totally embraced by all involved. The third year acting students bring it in spades with what turns out to be a perfect ending to their formal training at WAAPA. There is a cockiness and surety here that is undeniable.

Initially I had thought the prototypical musical was an odd choice for the acting cohort given the vocal demands but it turns out be an inspired one. It suits the group personality of this graduating class like a 'fancy glove'. As one audience member put it after the show, "they owned the space".

And what a glorious space it is.

This is why you make the Edith Spiegeltent a permanent addition to the performance venues on the ECU Mount Lawley campus. For productions exactly like this. The atmosphere and sense of history adds immeasurably to the aura of a classic piece of theatre. So much so that visiting director Craig Ilott dispenses with the need for set decoration with the exception of, as Roy Joseph's messenger amusingly put it, "these fucking mannequins". The two of which were totally extraneous to proceedings anyway.

Instead, the 8 piece band, conducted by visiting graduate Kohan van Sambeeck, is nestled at the rear of the tent with a thrust-like stage jutting into the centre of the space. In a smart move, the audience is situated within the inner circle of the spiegeltent so there are no cluttered sight lines. We're right on top of the action. Or, as I discovered, the action is occasionally right on top of us!

The outer circle and booths were the province of our players. This gives the production an immersive quality for the audience as characters prowl and cavort around us with multiple entry and egress points to and from the stage. There is the feeling of a fully formed world that exists beyond the strictures of the performance space. A colourful, bawdy, exotic world full of villains and dames; vagabonds and, well, to put it indelicately, ladies of dubious reputation. But something more as well - as if we're transported in time to how The Threepenny Opera might have been experienced in decades gone by.

In a simple device the setting of scenes was left to characters wielding cardboard signs (and to our imaginations). I must say the furniture was ever so fancy in the stables of my mind's eye! But more than that, a sense of time and place was evoked by make-up and costuming. The use of white face paint for all; the women provocatively attired; the men all singlets with smart pants and braces; not to mention a range of beggar chic that would make Oliver Twist blush.

Most impressive of all the performers were, as another audience member put it, "balls to the wall" in their characterisations. This was a chance to 'go big' and they lapped it up. In another smart move actors were mingling with the audience before the show started; being cheeky, friendly, inviting. It set the tone - that attitude - of the production right from the get go. A relaxed confidence that you couldn't help but feel and respond to. Thank you Laura McDonald, Sasha Simon, and Katherine Pearson for the chats.

To top that all off there were many fine singing voices with Natasha Vickery (Polly Peachum), Skye Beker (Lucy Brown) and Katherine Pearson (Jenny Diver) excelling in this regard with notable contributions from Rhianna McCourt who belted out Ballad of Sexual Dependency with savage contempt and, of course, the notorious Macheath, Jake Fryer-Hornsby, who acquitted himself well with the challenging lead vocal role.

This is generally described as a 'play with music' so there is ample opportunity to show off the acting chops. With such a rogue's gallery of characters to inhabit this provided all sorts of treats. Kudos to Macheath's henchmen - Charles Alexander, Kingsley O'Connor, Elliott Giarola and Mitchell Bourke - who provided a touch of menace, more than a dash of comic relief, and worked together well especially during the stables sequence.

McCourt and the booming-of-voice Martin Quinn, as Celia and J.J. Peachum, were the Thenardiers of their time in an immensely enjoyable double act. I loved the swagger McCourt gave Celia and Quinn, as Present Laughter also demonstrated, plays pompous rogue with aplomb. Vickery added lovely touches to perhaps the only virtuous character of the lot such as fussing over the decorum of her surroundings - carefully brushing dirt off the steps leading to the stage before sitting for example. She also has a stand out moment singing Pirate Jenny.

Fryer-Hornsby gets to show the greatest range, imbuing his Mack the Knife with an almost cavalier attitude that crumbles when the hangman's noose beckons. I wasn't as convinced about the character's reputation as a ladies man but there is charm here and he worked well with Jack Scott's Tiger Brown, especially during the Canon Song, a fun demonstration of male camaraderie. Scott plays the police chief with a sense of haplessness that I later learned was partly modelled on Inspector Lestrade from the BBC's Sherlock.

Then there's Roy Joseph who delivers the play's infamous Deus Ex Regina as I like to call it. The Queen herself, on her coronation day no less, ensures that crime does indeed pay. Joseph, following the constant breaking of the fourth wall throughout the production, plays up to the silliness of the reversal in a gloriously over-the-top declaration that had some of his fellow cast members struggling to hold back laughter. Nice assist from Mitchell Bourke with equine inspired antics. 

In all, a marvellous production that had me leaving the magical world of the spiegeltent behind with a smile humming what else but Mack The Knife.

Sincerely Yours... A New Musical - Fringe World 2016 (18 February 2016)

How often are we given a second chance? Do we recognise it when we’re presented with that opportunity? Do we have the courage to pursue it or are there things, or perhaps more crucially, people from the past that stop us from moving forward?

That’s the premise of Sincerely Yours, an original new musical written by and starring current and recently graduated WAAPA students. Interestingly, for a show created by Australian twenty somethings, it is set in America during the early to mid-70s with the Vietnam War providing a significant backdrop.

In its musical style and structure it reminded me of The Last Five Years in that there are two timelines at play, one in the present of what I took to be 1975 and three years earlier when James (Andre Drysdale) and Sarah (Megan Kozak) first meet. These timelines are intercut as we move back and forth, the focal point being Sarah’s emotional state. Unlike the Jason Robert Brown musical, however, this is a three hander where Sean (Jason Arrow) becomes a surrogate for James in the ‘present day’ scenes as Sarah deals with the aftermath of her earlier relationship.

The story starts with Sarah, a talented painter, who is struggling to finish a portrait. A letter is slipped under the doorway to her apartment. She hopes it was James, who she hasn’t seen in some time, at the door.  Flashback three years and we have the ‘cute meet’ as the two children of army personnel meet one New Year’s Eve. James has experienced tragedy in his immediate family and this influences his decisions, notably in regard to Vietnam. The two fall in love but the war and James’ sense of duty to his family eventually comes between them. Three years later and Sarah is still coming to terms with what happened and why, assisted by Sean who encourages her to move on.

This is the third show I’ve seen Megan Kozak in at Fringe. I know her as a fine singer with a real flair for playing comic or quirky characters, particularly in her graduating year at WAAPA with standout performances in the musicals Urinetown and Legally Blonde. What was terrific to see here was Kozak sinking her teeth into a dramatic role where there was real heartache and loss. She acquitted herself admirably which bodes well for an already bright future. There’s no doubting her vocal talent but well rounded acting chops add another dimension.

Jason Arrow, who wrote the Book and Lyrics, has the trickiest role as the third wheel to the central relationship. His character flirts with being unlikeable as Sean takes matters into his own hands at one point. We wonder what the character’s true motives are. It’s a non-singing role so Arrow has to rely solely on his acting skills which, apart from being a little busy with hand gestures at times, is effective as his Sean nudges and gently cajoles Sarah into seeing her second chance.

The revelation though is Andre Drysdale who is superb as James. Not only does he have an exquisite voice that was showcased to great effect in several songs, his acting was first rate. This is helped by being given a clearly defined arc that initially maximised a sense of nice guy charm that he handled effortlessly that then crumbles into recrimination and misplaced anger. It is an impressive launching pad into his third year at WAAPA and I’m keen to see how he does in their upcoming musicals.

The music by Kohan van Sambeeck and Arrow was very good indeed. Predominantly piano and cello driven it heightened the emotional nature of the production and was very well played by Joshua James Webb (piano and conductor), Krista Low (cello), Campbell Ellis (guitar), Samuel Gibson (bass) and Ben Cremer on drums. The only thing I would say is that even with Kozak and Drysdale mic’d up, the more drum heavy elements tended to drown them out in the relatively small space. This meant that some of the lyrics were lost especially in the early going as the story was being set up. 

There were a couple of technical hitches - Kozak’s microphone was giving noticeable echo and times when a performer was left in darkness with the lighting design. Some adjustments to get the sound clean and balance right would enhance what was a lovely score and character driven songs.

I did have some issues with the Book. The phrase ‘a second chance’ was overtly referred to far too many times. That’s the theme and would be better utilised as subtext. The overuse as text ultimately watered down its impact. There was a reference that the war was going to start but of course America (and Australia) had long been in Vietnam before the decade started. I didn’t believe that Sarah could possibly be the bearer of bad news at one point given how such things would be handled by the military. They’re minor things but tended to wrench me out of the story. There was also a critical scene between Sean and Sarah where the former takes something from the latter and ruins it. While I understood the intent it’s a tricky sequence that didn’t quite work and flirts with damaging Sean as a character.

Those things aside this was a mature and accomplished piece of musical theatre with an excellent score and well delivered songs that had some great moments of genuinely affecting dramatic acting. It’s a pity that the song titles weren’t included in the otherwise nicely presented programme. 

Sincerely Yours by Stray Cats Theatre Company and Mad Cats Theatre Company is on at Studio 411 (formerly the Drama Workshop) at Murdoch University for only two more performances, 7pm Friday and Saturday.

WAAPA Grads Say Thanks (22 June 2015)

A great advantage to having one of the world’s best training academies in our own back yard is that big touring productions such as Les Miserables and Wicked are invariably chock full of WAAPA alumni. Those graduates are generous in giving back to the institution that played a critical role in shaping their professional careers. We saw this earlier in the year with the Les Mis cast holding a Music Theatre Showstoppers concert at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre. On Monday night it was the turn of other performers from the storied Academy including many from the Wicked cast currently playing at the Crown Theatre.

Hosted by Lisa McCune and John O’Hara with Musical Direction and piano accompaniment by Kohan van Sambeeck (himself a recent graduate) it was an entertaining evening with an eclectic mix of songs and some nice surprises along the way. Sondheim is always a favourite at such affairs and so it proved with an early Medley and a couple of songs from Into The Woods.

An unmiked Lisa McCune kicked things off playing a sixteen and a half year old at her WAAPA audition singing Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera. It was a key theme of the night as McCune and O’Hara would periodically share their own and ask their colleagues to recount memories from those formative years at the Mount Lawley campus. There were some funny anecdotes but also the inspiration of having such luminaries as Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchett talk to students along the way. It was all very relaxed and informal with McCune and O’Hara warm and engaging.

Highlights from the evening included that Sondheim medley where the whole ensemble gave us excerpts from songs such as Everybody’s Got the Right, Send in the Clowns, Being Alive and Johanna. The other medley – Somewhere - arranged by David King and featuring songs from The Wizard of Oz, An American Tale and West Side Story was beautifully sung by Katie McKee, Jennifer Peers, and Tom Handley as the lyrics weaved together in impressive style. 

 

A favourite of mine, The I Love You Song from The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, brought a smile as Edward Grey, Sophie Wright and Katie McKee gave a joyous version. Alexander Lewis and Brendan Hanson played up to the wonderful Agony and McCune herself launched into the lyrically stunning On The Steps Of The Palace to complete the Into the Woods double. Sophie Wright again and John O’Hara got their Freddy Mercury on with a soaring rendition of Who Wants To Live Forever from We Will Rock You while Matthew Lee Robinson and Jennifer Peers enjoyed the cheeky inclusion of The Song That Goes Like This from the hilarious Monty Python musical Spamalot.

Suzie Mathers, currently playing Glinda in Wicked, had excelled in the snippet of Send in the Clowns and was prominent again with Alexander Lewis in the duet Falling Into You (The Bridges of Madison County). The evening finished with a nice touch as the third year musical theatre students coming off the superb Legally Blonde ventured on stage for the penultimate number and then the second and first years joined them and their illustrious predecessors for You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel. As with the Les Mis concert there was a real sense of passing on the baton to the next generation of upcoming musical theatre stars.

An enjoyable evening of light banter, wonderful singing and excellent piano work, WAAPA Grads Say Thanks was a one off concert as part of 2015 Music Theatre Educator’s Alliance Conference (a coup for WAAPA as it’s the first time it’s been held in the southern hemisphere). It starred Lisa Adam, Edward Grey, Tom Handley, Brendan Hanson, Glen Hogstrom, Alexander Lewis, Suzie Mathers, Lisa McCune, Katie McKee, John O’Hara, Jennifer Peers, Matthew Lee Robinson, and Sophie Wright; directed by Edward Grey with Musical Direction by Kohan van Sambeeck.  

The Last Five Years - Fresh Bred Productions (15 August 2014)

Ah, yes, The Last Five Years, the Memento of Musicals where a couple fall in then out of love; the man telling his story in normal chronological order, the woman is reverse chronological order with their timelines only crossing in the middle at their wedding. Sammy Jankis would be proud.

In honour of this conceit let me introduce our reviewers for this production:

A struggling screenwriter in a Hicksville town who has dreams of hitting the big time, called Richar—um, Jeremy; and

An aspiring theatre critic, the author of a little seen blog, who hopes to one day write for The West Australian Arts liftout section, Richar—um, Rachel.

Richar—um, Rachel: It’s after the show and I’m outside chatting to the director Craig Griffen who is clutching what promises to be the first of many alcoholic beverages. He is relieved but effusive in his comments. I get the lowdown on the wardrobe malfunction that causes an extended musical interlude before the performer reappears to the delighted applause of a generous audience. The biggest nugget of information (apart from the one’s I can’t tell you!) is that Craig deliberately chose to have the characters interact in certain moments (other than the wedding) to try and move away from a totally stand and sing style.

Richar—um, Jeremy: I realise I have made a rookie mistake the moment I sit down. Front row centre is my favoured spot for the theatre but at the Dolphin Theatre the front row is right up against a (highly) raised stage. I am peering up at the performers and, at one stage, when Eimear Foley sits on the edge of that stage she is only inches away. With her being so close and miked up, I enact the cone of silence lest my big laugh gets captured. Thanks also for the spotlight on the back of my follicle-challenged scone!  The cricks in my neck will come out soon, no doubt.

Rachel: The usual congratulations are taking place in the lobby and I have a fascinating conversation with a performer who has played the role of Jamie in a staging of this very show a while back. Then it’s a hello and introduction in person for the first time to the talented musical director and pianist, Kohan van Sambeeck, who looks pleased but exhausted. Amazingly, there has been only ONE technical rehearsal before tonight’s opening performance!

Jeremy: So the stage is set up with 5 musicians seated upstage and the musical director playing piano and conducting from stage right. There is a table in front of the musicians; a door with stoop stage right; a small table with chair stage left, and a couple of platforms on either side. The lighting is fairly rudimentary.

Right off the bat, let me say that this is a beautiful score and it is played wonderfully well by van Sambeeck on piano, Campbell Ellis (guitar), Tim Perren (bass guitar), Izurein Sabudin (violin), Beren Scott and Krista Low, both on cello. Their work is a highlight of the evening.

With only two performers though, this clearly is a showcase for the vocals. I must admit I thought that Jason Arrow (Jamie) and Eimear Foley (Cathy) didn’t really get into a rhythm until his ‘Moving Too Fast’ and her ‘I’m A Part of That’.

Rachel: The show ends with the wonderful ‘Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You’ where Cathy (Eimear Foley) is at the start of her journey and is excited to see Jamie (Jason Arrow) again while Jamie, five years later, is saying goodbye for the final time. The song is perhaps the best crafted within the conceit of the storytelling and is a poignant and rousing final number. It is a fitting showcase for both Jason and Eimear.

Jeremy: Oh, hi there. What are you doing?

Rachel: Writing a review.

Jeremy: Hey, me too! What’s yours about?

Rachel: Love, loss and relationships, with singing.

Jeremy: Mine too! Want to compare notes?

Rachel: Sure. I was going to say that it’s a strange musical in many ways. The fractured timeline narrative, while clear for Jamie, seemed more muddled for Cathy. The choice to have them interact within their separate timelines was a little confusing even though I understand the director’s rationale.

Jeremy: I have seen Jason Arrow perform before in Hairspray and Cats. He has a big voice but I was curious to see how his acting would hold up under this sort of scrutiny. As pointed out to me, Jamie could easily be seen as unsympathetic because it’s his actions that largely cause the breakup of the relationship. I thought he did pretty well though. Now doing musical theatre at WAAPA, it will be interesting to see how his acting skills develop over the journey.

Rachel: I was unfamiliar with Eimear but I see from the programme that she is also at WAAPA studying Classical Voice and Opera. Some songs didn’t seem to suit her as well as others but I thought ‘I’m A Part of That’, ‘A Summer in Ohio’ and ‘Climbing Uphill/Audition Sequence’ as well as the finale were very strong.

Jeremy: Of course Eimear got to play a little shtick in the audition sequence which was quite funny.

Rachel: And Jason did a little talking dummy/puppet work with ‘The Schmuel Song’… though neither reached for the gun.

Jeremy and Rachel: It’s perhaps ‘The Next Ten Minutes’ where they duet in the middle of the show that is the most satisfying emotionally as we finally see them fully together both in song and in their relationship.

Jeremy: The show ended to great applause.

Rachel: Does anyone park straight at UWA?

Directed by Craig Griffen with Musical Direction by Kohan van Sambeeck; Written and Composed by Jason Robert Brown; and starring Jason Arrow and Eimear Foley; as well as the musical talents of Campbell Ellis, Tim Perren, Izurein Sabudin, Beren Scott and Krista Low, there is only one more opportunity to see this show at the Dolphin Theatre at UWA, Saturday evening at 7pm.