Sexercise - The musical , Alex Theatre, Thursday March 12th 2015

Sexercise - The musical, Alex Theatre, Thursday March 12th 2015

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The newly refurbished George Cinemas in Fitzroy St, St Kilda have been redeveloped into Melbourne's newest theatres by Aleksander Vass.  He with Malcom C. Cooke present the first show "Sexercise - The musical" with great foresight for Melbourne's flourishing independent theatre scene.

Booking tickets was a bit of a hiccup as I tried to buy tickets on the first day of release.  So I rang the Alex Theatre and provided feedback about the Ticketek website.  The Alex Theatre staff were so pleasant and grateful that I took the time to bring this to their attention.  The ticket prices are reasonable for the equivalent of a good quality Off-Broadway show.

Arriving at the Alex Theatre gave a sense of occasion with a security officer on the door which is similar to the large Broadway theatres.  The staircase and posters on the wall certainly gave a very positive and professional vibe to our arrival. 

The upstairs foyer of the Alex Theatre is a great homage to the magnificent theatres around the world with its enormous panoramic glass wall with Melbourne's Princess Theatre taking centre stage. From the programme Digikote -The Glass Printing Specialist advertise and I assume they made this magnificent panorama.   Below the Princess Theatre is the original cast of "Sexercise - The musical."  It is terrific fun to identify the various theatres and shows from around the world on this beautiful panorama.  Sadly a small table blocks the view of the centre of the panorama.  So make sure you look down to see the terrific cast of "Sexercise - The musical"taking this downstage position.

The Alex Theatre bar staff and ushers were very helpful and hospitable.  Drinks were reasonably priced as were the souvenirs.

Inside the theatre looks magnificent with the plush seating and the medium sized stage.  The theatre's interior and foyer looks better than many Off Broadway or Off Off Broadway Theatres. 

They had the usual pre-show announcement but with a sound issue.  I really appreciated that not one mobile phone or iPAD or Tablet went flashing, buzzing or vibrating to distract our attention during the show.  I hope they make it a policy that people will be thrown out for doing so.  I pay good money to see shows and not be distracted by their "Twanking!"

As we sat waiting for the show to begin, the stage looked slick and inviting.  I do not think they have the capacity to have a fly tower like Second Stage's Theatre on 43rd St in New York.  The slide panels looked more professional than many other small scale shows both here and overseas.

"Sexercise - The musical" started promptly on time.  Patrons could take in their drinks as long as they were in plastic containers.

Book, music and lyrics by Derek Rowe are fun.  The book is quite tight though it needs another ensemble number in Act One to keep it moving and create links to the characters.  There are a few jarring moments in the story that require a segue to smooth out the jolts.  Yes, some of the lyrics are corny but so is the ridiculous fun nature of the show.

Story wise - the conflict between Sam and Joe are revealed in the first song.  It takes the whole of Act One to provide the back story of each character, which leads us to the set up of the obvious solution for Sam and Joe to try the "Sexercise" book and strategy.

The set design by Adrienne Chisholm was fresh and calming with the blue panels that slid to reveal an electronic screen for the visual sets.  It reminded me of David Atkins' version of "Hairspray" with the large television screens creating the set.  The pull-out bed and sofa are simple and a great use of space.  The scene with the bed upright reminds me of Graeme Murphy's "Poppy" choreographed for Sydney Dance Company in 1978.

The costumes by Adrienne Chisholm provide an instant identifiable visual image for each character.  I particularly loved the geometric dress for Sam as it was perfect for her character and also was a colour variation of the set design.  The Boy-Band costumes were so much fun and paid homage to many famous and infamous singers.  The bling for Andy's character was so appropriate for his over-the-top personality.

Choreography by Dana Jolly is adequate and slick.  I thought the finale could have been a bit more adventurous with more 'sexual position" jokes as was achieved in Sam and Joe's duet, "Work Out With Each Other" that opened Act Two.  Maybe they could incorporate the "Helicopter Move" for Sam and Joe to create more confronting hilarity!  This could also be a visual joke linking to the famous presage lift from "Dirty Dancing" , as they had the predictable flag waving move that is an in-joke from "Les Miserables."  If you do not know the "Helicopter Move" then you may wish to investigate in the privacy of your own home!

Staging and direction by Sara Grenfell is clever to create defined spaces and locations.  Sara has directed this fine ensemble of actors to create characters with clarity.  These characters have contrasting and recognisable personalities.  Sara has also ensured that the actors create relationships with each other and that they listen to each other in a way that some actors in some musicals do not. 

Continuity wise, when Shane goes to visit Rhonda,  the pull-out sofa did not define the waiting room area as in earlier scenes.  A few of the scenes were played in front of the stage with Tania and it worried me that those in the back rows may not be able to see.   We were in J row (by our choice) and could see easily.  Some of the entrances down the aisle are well timed and lots of fun, especially when Tania is going to her yoga class.

Lighting design by Jason Bovaird created supportive locations to the set design and to Sara's direction.  I really enjoyed looking up on to the theatre's ceiling and wonder if many people realised that the overhead lighting design illuminated creative patterns that supported different scenes.

Sound design by Your Show Pty Ltd may have been a little loud at times.  Not excessively loud but two of the radio mikes dropped out during some of the dialogue.  I think this was at the conclusion of a very physical number and the connection may have been slightly moved.  

I collect the different advertisements and articles for each show and file them with each program and have done so since 1966.  I am at odds why this show was not advertised more in the Herald Sun as they had a few full page advertisements in The Age and there is a higher readership in the Herald Sun.  I do not think there was enough general coverage for such a fine production.  Thankfully there were two really good articles in the Herald Sun on December 31st 2014 and March 3rd 2015.  I think this show could have tapped into the Group Booking crowds for Hen's nights and for similar audiences that saw "Motherhood - the musical" and "Menopause - the musical."

The thing that I really liked about this show was it was not just for females like some of the afore-mentioned musicals that poke fun at men. This show is great entertainment for both sexes.

Sam was played by Nicole Melloy.  She has a beautiful singing voice and created a credible character with her fastidious nature.  She worked their awkward relationship with her partner Joe played by Lyall Brooks.  He too created a credible character though in Act One he seemed either off pitch at times or discordant with the music.  By Act Two Lyall's his singing had changed for the better.

"Work Out With Each Other" by Sam and Joe opens Act Two in a climatic way!  These fine actors, Nicole Melloy and Lyall Brooks had the audience immediately in the palm of their hands.  We were impressed with their physical prowess and their ability to maintain a straight face during this fun number.  This song told a clear story with terrific lyrics and a great tune.

Rhonda, the therapist/counsellor played with such cheekiness by Fem Belling. .  Her character like Tania and Andy are more cartoon-esque and over-the-top personalities. Fem Belling's  Rhonda had the three sides to her personality which was so much fun to watch: her professional counsellor side, restrained researching side and her sexually wild side.

Tania played by Lulu McClatchy was channelling a lesbian version of Tracy Turnblad from "Hairspray" and Rebel Wilson.  Her entrance down the centre aisle was magic as she interacted with the audience.  Later her interactions with an audience member acting as her ex-girlfriend was even funnier.  Lulu McClatchy is a fine comedienne with exquisite timing and a choreographer's dream for any comedy moves.  During the yoga scene with Sam, Tania was "exerting" energy to create recognisable lazy versions of yoga moves.  Her "retires" were timely where she would lift her foot to quickly replace it or otherwise lose her balance was magnificent and under-stated.

Andy played by Cameron MacDonald was a sheer delight.  Cameron MacDonald played Andy with a sincere naivety and unaware campiness.  His mates accepted Andy for being himself and having a more feminine side to their masculinity.  Andy felt included and would sometimes cross the line totally oblivious to his own behaviour.  The bling in the Boy-Band sequence, "36 not 23" was a great addition to his costume.  Cameron MacDonald has not failed to impress me in the past twelve months for consistently keeping in his very well defined characters.  He is a musical theatre force to be reckoned with.

Kristin Holland played Shane with exuberance and sexiness. He could have made Shane more arrogant and lost our appeal but Kristin Holland plays Shane with the right amount of confidence.  His body type naturally fits this role and his skill as an actor and singer matches beautifully.  I loved the joke during the "sharing and honesty" revelation by Rhonda toward the end of the show.

They should have included an advertisement for the book "Sexercise" by Aleksander Vass, Jane Thornton and Kim Carter, as some people may have felt embarrassed to buy a copy at the theatre and preferred to be able to buy one via the post or online.  I could not find this version online to include as a link.  So if you want to buy a copy make sure you buy one which is on sale at the Alex Theatre.  Note there are other similar titled books online but are by different authors.

Overall, "Sexercise - The musical" was a fun show and great night of entertainment.  I look forward to more original works at the Alex Theatre and congratulate them on providing a superb venue for new works.

I gave "Sexercise - The musical"  a 7/10.