Legally Blonde: The Musical - WAAPA (6 September 2024)

In his program notes, director Crispin Taylor mentions that for this production "Over 100 students and staff are involved from 10 different departments." This is perhaps WAAPA's greatest strength as a training academy - the breadth of disciplines that are offered. The yearly "major musical" is a fine example of how all these departments work together to present as close to a professional experience as possible, not only for the students but for the audience as well. 

There's no doubt Legally Blonde is a big, crowd-pleasing musical with catchy songs, a riot of colour and movement, with comic flourishes and heart. It also imparts key messages around the power of self-belief and being true to yourself... plus the importance of good hair maintenance, taking care of your pets, and the mystic allure of all things Irish. 

I can't possibly mention all 100 people involved so let's cut to the chase - the opening night performance was sensational in all aspects. I'd tell you to run and buy a ticket, however, it's been sold out for weeks and on the evidence of opening night, deservedly so. Instead, I'll go through the highlights...

Music students take a bow. The 16 piece orchestra under Musical Director Glenn Hogue played superbly. I love that the musicians came onstage for the curtain call and were met with thunderous applause. I couldn't work out where they'd been though with no pit and the full stage space in use. I found out after the show but we'll come to that shortly as... 

The sound design by Michael Fletcher and his team is excellent. There are some big voices in the cast and with the orchestra in full swing getting the balance this spot on would have been tricky. I loved the speakers under the top of the proscenium arch that gave such oomph to the score and the bigger numbers. I'm told the musicians were playing in a room some 100 metres away from the stage. If so, it's almost miraculous how good the overall sound was. All the dialogue and lyrics were crisp with only one mic pack failure in one number which will be quickly remedied.  

Then there's the work of the Production and Design students and staff. The show looks fantastic and moves like a well oiled machine. Set Designer Bryan Woltjen, who excelled last year with Footloose, has crafted a set that is built for slick transitions with elements flying in with precision. Woltjen utilises the full depth of the Geoff Gibbs stage and embraces the clash between the colourful aesthetic of Elle's persona versus the more 'serious' nature of the Harvard setting.  

A key element to the look of the show is the work of Costumer Designer, student Elisa Von Perger and her team including Wardrobe Supervisor Lauren Wroth and Dressing Supervisor Liana Karkar. From the explosion of pink to the Delta Nu cheerleader vibe over to the more sombre lawyer attire, there is a vast array of costumes which dazzle, especially when the full company is onstage. Wigs play an important part with brunettes turned into blondes and vice versa amongst the cast along with a couple of impressive 'perms' that are crucial to second act plot shenanigans.

Lighting Designer Jay Covich, another student, adds vibrancy and colour but also atmosphere to quieter moments such as the beautifully lit and staged title number. Shout out to the Props department and especially puppet makers Maisy Williams (Props Supervisor) and Joshua Horgan who created two charming surprises that were an immediate hit with the audience. 

To the performances and this graduating cohort has a cohesiveness that's been apparent from their very first public show, Godspell, last year. It's palpable in every production and Legally Blonde caps off a stellar year. Choreographer Jayne Smeulders taps into this special alchemy with a cheekiness to the big dance numbers that the cast attacks with real joy. Opening number Omigod You Guys and, shortly thereafter, What You Want set the tone and the production hits the ground not so much running as sprinting and never lets up. 

Within that group chemistry there are terrific individual performances starting with Emma Caporaso as Elle Woods. Caporaso's Elle is smart, capable, and determined right from the get go. I never doubted the character would triumph - there's no ditzy blonde here. She sings wonderfully, looks amazing in a series of spectacular outfits, and handles the comedy beats well. It's her work with Ben Goldsbrough (Emmett) that is particularly affecting and is the emotional heartbeat of the story.

Goldsbrough brings real empathy and a genuineness to Emmett that I found charming and quietly compelling. It's an impressive performance and, as mentioned, the duet Legally Blonde is an emotional highpoint.  

Jake Binns is like a 90s boy band idol as Warner breaks Elle's heart in Serious. The open shirt look, the smooth vocals, the effortless glide around the stage. Katie Green is bitch perfect as Warner's new love interest Vivienne until the character undergoes a change of heart and becomes an unexpected ally of Elle's deep into the second act. Which is when Green unleashes one of those powerful voices that is a feature of this class.  

Kathryn Desmier, Christina Anastasiadis (understudy for Jayda D'Agostino), and Asha Kerr play the Delta Nu trio of Margot, Serena, and Pilar who later become the Greek chorus in Elle's head. Always a fun and energetic presence, they ratchet it up a notch with the cheeky Bend and Snap, such a fun sequence. 

Adam Pavis makes an immediate impression as Professor Callaghan in an authoritative Blood in the Water. He later tackles the unsavoury side of the character with equal authority making Callaghan's abuse of his status somehow even more shocking. 

Ellen Ebbs commands the stage as Paulette with Ireland a standout. Ebbs showcases not only her superb vocals but an expressiveness that is riveting to watch. Her Paulette is a convincing voice of reason to Elle while also devouring the comic potential of the interactions with Samuel Austin's strutting delivery man, Kyle. They both play up to the mischief of it all with Austin a hoot as the seemingly oblivious object of desire. 

Tabitha Galluccio is another who has excellent stage presence as Enid Hoops. Galluccio brings the rap within The Harvard Variations and it's her facial expressions and deft comic timing that makes a mark as she subtly crafts a quirky counterpoint to the other interns. 

Geena Hutton slays Whipped Into Shape as Brooke Wyndham, the full on skipping assault whilst belting out the song. Harrison Ion and Blake Douglas lap up the theatricality of There! Right There! as Nikos and Carlos while Madison Randl brings the big hair and duplicity as Chutney Wyndham. 

You sense Taylor knew he'd been handed the keys to the Ferrari and he's let it rip in a fabulous show that is enormous fun and a great way for this graduating class to end their year. 

Photos by Stephen Heath Photography

Cats - WAAPA (11 September 2023)

What a ride the graduating musical theatre students have been on - from Sondheim (Assassins, Sweeney Todd) to Andrew Lloyd Webber by way of a pit stop in small town America (Footloose). I confess, I was a little wary going into Cats as I've always found it an oddly constructed musical but damn if the performers, musicians, and the production & design students didn't win me over, especially with a cracking 2nd Act. I still have no idea what a Jellicle cat is or what actually happens when one is reborn but it matters nary a jot with this amount of talent on display. 

Instead of wondering about the tenuous narrative through-line, it struck me early in the 1st Act that this is like a 1970s concept album or, perhaps more appropriately, a Showcase of sorts. Each song is a distinct set piece as different cats are introduced who have their own characteristics and personality expressed through lyrics and movement. Experienced through that lens I sat back and let the performances speak for themselves. 

Two aspects are immediately apparent - this is a dance heavy production with Jayne Smeulders' stunning choreography testing the performers' stamina and athletic limits; and the music students in the 16 piece orchestra (including 5 staff members) under the baton of musical director Craig Dalton are featured as equally as the performers on stage.

This was notable from the get go. All of the musicians are visible in the 'pit' in front of the stage so are part of the visual presentation. I really liked how the cast gathered stage right and listened intently to the Overture then applauded along with the audience before taking up their positions. Prior to the commencement of the 2nd Act, a sparkly attired Dalton asked the musicians to stand for applause which was another lovely touch. And applaud we did as they played out the show after final bows. The musicians did the keyboard/synth infused score justice and then some. Sound design by Dale Kerrison ensured the balance between music and vocals was spot on. 

Then there were the smart decisions that reinforced the "Seen through new eyes" tag line on the poster. Significantly, there isn't a tail or a whisker or a litter of lycra bodysuits in sight. Featured cats such as Jennyanydots (Eilidh Sinnamon) and Bustopher Jones (Mitchell France) are given distinctive, colourful costumes while the bulk of the company are all in black; sleek, sexy, and sensational. Sure, there is the occasional pawing motion or flick of an imaginary tail, even a hiss or two, but this show is designed for perpetual motion. 

To assist that kinetic momentum, the stage design is sparse to maximise the space for the nineteen strong company to cavort, tumble, and slink about in. There are numbers designed around a piece of movable set such as a wardrobe, street lamp or piano with the use of a scrim at other points to project surtitles onto or to enable startling shadow work. The lighting design uses a lot of spotlights to highlight individual performers for their moment in the moonlight but also use of shadow and darkness to disguise the movements of one mystery cat in particular. Excellent work by set and costume designer Elouise Greenwell and lighting designer Amber Lorenzi.

Which brings us to the MT students and what a marvellous cohort they are. 

Matthew Manning embodies a real sense of showmanship with his Munkustrap, like an emcee in this strange, feline world. I'm always a sucker for a tap routine which Sinnamon leads during The Old Gumbie Cat. Patrick Friedlander offers up swagger aplenty as a cross between Stuart Goddard's alter ego and Billy Idol as Rum Tum Tugger. France is an affable fat cat with padded cushion and all while Curtis Kossart and Emily Lambert dazzle in an early highlight with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

Cameron Taylor has a gorgeous singing voice which lends his Old Deuteronomy enormous empathy. Genevieve Goldman sings the hell out of the iconic Memory and looks resplendent in a sequined evening gown as her Grizabella ascends to cat heaven. 

The first act ends with a prelude of that song right after the extraordinary dance sequence of The Jellicle Ball, a balletic and acrobatic tour de force that rightfully drew raucous applause. The WAAPA Marketing department has been doing a terrific job on social media posting behind-the-scenes clips one of which was the before and after of that sequence. Now I know why the performers were drenched in sweat! 

I was utterly charmed by Gus: The Theatre Cat as a quiet interlude early in the 2nd Act as Mia Beattie (Jellylorum) introduces Asparagus (Tim Brown) with such a deft touch. Then director Crispin Taylor cranks up the energy even further and the show rockets into another gear. Brown leaps forth to launch a full on charm offensive as Gus regales us with the tale of The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles usually reserved for Munkustrap. In this he is assisted by terrific shadow play on the scrim and other cast members engaging in some delightful whimsy... as humans playing cats playing, um, dogs. 

Before you can catch your breath Marcus Frost's Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat, is dancing up a storm with the rest of the cast using everything from umbrellas to old-fashioned lamps, suitcases, and brooms as props in another burst of eye-catching choreography. Then it's time for my favourite song, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, where Hanna Harvey (Demeter) and Grace Alston (Bombalurina) are seductive and playful as the song builds and the orchestra swells into a brassy crescendo. Patrick Volpe exudes physical menace as Macavity in a year that's also seen him play a brooding Sweeney and an intense Chuck from Footloose. There's a lovely piece of stagecraft that proves that Macavity was indeed not there. 

Then it's time for some audience singalong to Mr. Mistoffelees led by Friedlander while Declan Allen engages in an acrobatic dance routine that Cirque du Soleil would be proud of. Mia Guglielmi (Jemima) leads us into Goldman's showstopper and then we're racing towards final bows. In a move that surely was intended Volpe and Guglielmi are placed together in those final moments, Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett reunited.  

There's no doubt about it, my initial scepticism was swept away and this was an impressive way to end an impressive year.  

The Drowsy Chaperone - WAAPA (14 March 2016)

One of the highlights of the Perth theatrical calendar is undoubtedly WAAPA’s mid-year musical extravaganza at the Regal Theatre. Increasingly though I would argue that the first performance slot of a musical theatre graduating class is the one to watch with Hair (2014), Urinetown (2015) and now this stunning production of The Drowsy Chaperone in the Geoff Gibbs Theatre.

The show ticks all the boxes – gorgeous production values, a witty script, fabulous performances across the board, a fun score, and above all it is consistently laugh out loud funny. At a brisk 100 minutes with no interval it is utterly infectious and a complete triumph. It’s not hard to see why it won Best Original Score and Best Book at the 2006 Tony Awards and this class does that pedigree justice with a thoroughly entertaining outing.

The story itself is a parody of all the tropes of the musical comedy genre as a theatre lover listens to one of his favourite recordings, the fictional 1928 production of The Drowsy Chaperone. On a vinyl record no less! The show comes to life in his living room as the ‘Man in Chair’ (Ashley Roussety) forgets all about his troubles and provides witty and arch commentary about the performers, the plot, and reveals more than a little of his own back story.

The story itself swirls around the impending marriage of starlet Janet Van De Graaff (Stephanie Wall) and Robert Martin (Matthew Manahan) while a collection of characters as diverse as gastronomic gangsters, a desperate producer, a ditzy wannabe starlet, a Latin lothario, and, of course, an increasingly inebriated chaperone provide a variety of hilarious obstacles and hijinks. It catapults towards a happy ending... it is, after all, a musical... and is in the finest tradition of good old-fashioned Broadway entertainment.   

Roussety is superb as our narrator. The show starts in darkness as he expresses the fears of many an audience member – will the show be short, entertaining, and not have actors entering the stalls. His tone is conversational and I immediately relaxed into the opening number as he demonstrated excellent comic timing and warmth in addressing and responding to the audience. It’s a nicely judged performance as Roussety imbues the character with enthusiasm, passion, some snark sure but also tinged with an underlying sadness or being ‘blue’ as Man in Chair would put it. He totally grounds the production and makes the narrative device work so effectively that all the gags relating to the turntable and the vagaries of a stylus on vinyl... on vinyl... on vinyl... ahem, sorry... work a treat.

But excellent performances abound and it’s interesting that the story is constructed in such a way that there are several distinct comic pairings and every principal cast member gets a showpiece moment. Man in Chair effectively is the narrative device that links one great number after another.

The hostess for the wedding, Mrs Tottendale, is played by Melissa Russo as a somewhat dotty matriarch with an outlandishly odd accent to say the least. Her comic pair is the servant simply known as Underling who is given an amusing air of English fortitude and thinly veiled disapproval by Jens Radda. Russo and Radda work beautifully together with one of the highlights involving a glass of “iced water” that is gloriously funny in its silliness.

The producer Feldzieg (Andre Drysdale) and his potential new ingénue Kitty (Christina Odam) are irresistible as another comic pairing; the former being pressured to stop the wedding so he doesn’t lose his star; the latter exuberant in her claim to be a perfect replacement. Drysdale is in full on Groucho Marx mode as he chomps on the scenery like a not so cheap cigar while Odam impresses with an adorably ditzy characterisation of the not so bright but eager wannabe star. Both deploy exaggerated accents to good effect while Odam bounces around the set on the balls of her feet as if exploding with excitement at the prospect of being the next Janet Van De Graaff.    

Janet herself is given haughtiness and glamour by Stephanie Wall who looks stunning, sings beautifully, and sells the conceit that she is the world’s biggest and most desirable star. The song Show Off is a highlight as Wall proves adept at doing exactly that, showing off in a number of ways while feigning modesty. It’s the sort of set piece that brings all elements together – singing, choreography, direction, music, and sheer verve – to stunning effect.

That it comes immediately after another eye opening sequence – the tap dance routine of Cold Feets – by Manahan’s debonair groom and his fretting best man George (Mikey Halcrow) with a killer cameo by Radda – is testament to how wonderfully entertaining this all is.

Then there’s the drowsy chaperone herself, Stefanie Caccamo, who plays the role with such casual insouciance that her every appearance on stage is compelling. Displaying a powerful voice that she uses tellingly in her “rousing anthem” As We Stumble Along there is real swagger here and not only as the character becomes increasingly tipsy. Her comic pairing comes in the form of Jason Arrow’s amorous Aldolpho who is tasked by Feldzieg to stop the wedding by sleeping with the bride. Mistaken identities dot the story in the best Shakespearean comic tradition and Arrow laps up the over-exaggerated Latin lover stereotype with Freddy Mercury style strut and vocal dexterity.  

Samuel Welsh and Hayden Baum are the two gangsters who have their own shtick going on with bad culinary puns as they heavy Feldzieg to save Janet from wedding induced retirement. That they are pressed into service as Kitty’s backup dancers during Toledo Surprise is another comic highlight. I must also mention the ‘false start’ of the faux second act opener that is such a brilliantly pointed slap at Rodgers and Hammerstein that I was gasping at the audacity of it all.

Finally we have the deus ex machina literally swooping down from the clouds in Trix the Aviatrix (Embla Bishop) who saves the day as all the complications collide. It’s a stirring finale as Bishop leads the company in belting out I Do, I Do In The Sky with a surprising twist that involves more than the hand cranked propeller she wields on her bi-plane.

This show really is outstanding – the ensemble added vibrancy and colour; the choreography of different dance styles from the twenties is outstanding; it truly looks sumptuous with the period costuming, clever set design, and is the most startlingly lit show I’ve seen at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre; the orchestra under Musical Director David King was exemplary, and it is flat out funny. I can’t remember having a better time in a theatre in quite a while. 

Surprisingly there were a few vacant seats at the Monday evening show. I don’t expect that to last long as word of mouth already has this as one of the best shows at WAAPA in years. Sure, you can wait for the cast recording on vinyl (good luck!)... but I suggest you book yourself a ticket as this is a terrific way to start WAAPA’s 2016 performance programme.

Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison; Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar; directed with flair by Crispin Taylor; with choreography by Bernie Bernard and Musical Direction by David King, The Drowsy Chaperone is on at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre until 19 March.  

Hiawatha - WAAPA (17 March 2015)

In many ways it is fitting that the program notes only list the names of the 19 members of the second year musical theatre class in this their first public outing as WAAPA students. It is a true ensemble piece with everyone given an opportunity to shine. It makes it a little difficult, however, to identify who is who with no roles assigned. But there’s plenty of time over the next two years to put faces to names and become familiar with this next wave of talented performers. I do know some and can make a guess at others but I apologise in advance for any incorrect attributions and the unavoidable omissions in what follows. 

This is also the first time I’ve seen a show at the amphitheatre and it’s a really nice venue that allowed for the creation of mood in the open air space with lovely use of lighting, sound and smoke effects. Unfortunately it also meant that shows had to be cancelled early in the run due to the inclement weather. While it threatened to rain late in proceedings it turned out to be a really great night for what was an evocative treatment of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow epic poem. Most impressively it allowed the musical theatre students to showcase several facets of their craft with singing, though present, taking a back seat. The focus was more on acting, vocal projection, movement and dance with the at times acrobatic ensemble work showing off the athletic prowess of the cast.

The poem is presented in its chapters with a rotating roster of female narrators after an opening Introduction featuring Jason Arrow. While the narrator addresses the audience, the featured actors in the scene with accompaniment from the ensemble give a stylised representation of events. I particularly liked how certain battles were handled where the use of magic is implied and the depiction of various animals including the bear that Mudjekeewis (Joshua Firman) kills. Hiawatha himself is played by a rotating roster of actors with only characters like Mudjekeewis, Nokomis (Melissa Russo) and Minnehaha (Christina Odam) undertaken by the same actor during the entirety of the piece.

Music is provided by one or two cast members just off stage, again this task being rotated through different performers. It was predominantly drum and percussion heavy with some additional sound effects added for eeriness or even slight comic effect. These rotations between narrators, Hiawatha, and music duties were seamless. I also liked that the cast were often dispersed at the rear of the audience and during The Hunting of Pau-Puk-Keewis their animal sounds from behind and facing away from us echoed off the surrounding buildings to great effect.

The back of the set had a large drape covered with constellations and the moon (or sun depending on lighting cues) made from feathers. The stage floor had a cloth covered in different symbols which I initially took to mean the different Indian nations that Hiawatha brings together though could have signified geographic locations. The cast were uniformly costumed (with some temporary exceptions for certain minor characters) again highlighting the ensemble nature of the work.

Mood and tone were very important to the piece and two moments that highlighted this were Minnehaha’s death during the famine that was particularly well handled and the Ghosts (Katherine Schmidli and Rebecca Cullinan) that visit Nokomis, Minnehaha and warn Hiawatha in the preceding chapter. And even though singing wasn’t featured there was enough here to get excited for the group’s subsequent foray into musicals.

This was a strong introduction to the second years as it showed so many different aspects of their undoubted ability and potential, but also worked as a standalone piece of theatre that did justice to the great American poem. A nice touch that I really enjoyed was that the cast greeted and chatted to the audience before the show which gave everything an informal, relaxed air.

Directed by Crispin Taylor with Choreography by Claudia Alessi, Hiawatha stars Jason Arrow, Hayden Baum, Embla Bishop, Hannah Burridge, Stefanie Caccamo, Rebecca Cullinan, Andre Drysdale, Marissa Economo, Joshua Firman, Mikey Halcrow, Matthew Manahan, Christina Odam, Jens Radda, Ashley Roussety, Melissa Russo, Katherine Schmidli, Nathan Stark, Stephanie Wall and Samuel Welsh with only two more shows on 18-19 March.