Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical, Her Majesty's Theatre, Saturday January 2nd 2016

Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical, Her Majesty's Theatre, Saturday January 2nd 2016

We saw "Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical" at Her Majesty's Theatre on Saturday January 2nd 2016 and it is such a good show.  I have never seen so many people emotionally affected by a musical for years. This cast had the audience in the "palm of their hands" especially with the Sidney Myer Music Bowl sequence. People were swaying and humming along with the songs. It is a terrific juke box musical.  The four leads took me back to the mid 1960s as they look and sound terrific.   Congratulations as this took the audience on the known story of  The Seekers with a roller coaster of emotions.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I also mainly write for my memories of what I have seen.

Congratulations to the generation of civilised audience members who had the decency to turn off their mobile phones and not destroy the show.  The quality of the pre show announcements is much better than the Arts Centre Melbourne.

Oh yes and the show started promptly at 8.00 pm which is unheard of at some other theatres.  The staff at Her Majesty's are excellent, though an additional bar attendant in the Dress Circle bar was required at 7.30 pm as the queue for drinks grew.

After entering the theatre the set with the piano sitting centre stage reminded me of the opening set from "Beautiful"  (the Carol King musical).

The emotional connection to the story was very strong with audience members weeping or sobbing or gasping.  And these reactions were to a well known and published sequence of events!   "Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical" captured the 1960s era with stylised aplomb as I was transported back to the mid sixties which I fondly and vividly remember.

The singing by the entire cast is terrific.  More so, the sound by the four leads was scary as they sounded so much like The Seekers.

The book by Patrick Edgeworth is pretty tight.  Patrick Edgeworth has not only told the story of The Seekers but more importantly captured the soul and emotion of their relationship to the world. Here Patrick Edgeworth uses less words to create some very funny lines, especially the jokes about Paul Simon.

The direction by Gary Young captures the essence of the 1960s and The Seekers' internal struggles with sincerity and heart.  The greatest compliment is the emotional connection relayed from the book via the direction of the fine actors.

The staging and direction is slick.  There are two minor holes in Act One with transitions between scenes that could be tightened up with lighting, music or staging. Act Two has four minor holes that were laboured and need tightening.  They require the same treatment to make the transitions slicker and more polished.  I am not complaining as this show is less than two weeks old and is in far better shape than many which have been running for years.

Set Design by Shaun Gurton reminded me of "Memphis" and "Beautiful" and "Motown" and co-incidentally they all had recording sessions scenes.   The use of the television cameras has been used in so many of the above mentioned musicals. "Hairspray" and "Dusty - The Original Pop Diva" also had television scenes where the actors would play to the cameras.  In "Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical" the cameras captured the spirit of the wholesomeness of "The Seekers" with their minimalist movements. Shaun Gurton has created a functional set with sliding screen doors and regular doors.  The split level set and the multiple entrances provide opportunities to direct the audience's focus.

The choreography by Michael Ralph had good staging and groupings, though the actual choreography was not authentic 1960s enough for me.  I preferred Ross Coleman's choreography in  "Dusty - The Original Pop Diva" which used so many historically accurate moves.  "Georgy Girl - the Seekers Musical" needed more than flashes of the 1960s moves as many audience members were of that generation.

A fun highlight was The Seeker's arrival in London with the parade of business men sporting bowler hats and the policeman (bobby) contrasted the emerging groovy moves.  With more research and some minor alterations Michael Ralph could improve his choreography and take it to a new level.   I look forward to seeing Michael Ralph's career progression.

The Oscars sequence for a song nomination "Georgy Girl" was well done though not a reproduction of the original choreography.  Mitzi Gaynor and the backing dancers had the requisite over-the-top smiles and cheesy grins.

The Act Two opening paid homage to Tom Jones and the use of "Momma's Got the Blues" moved the story along without me spoiling how this was done.

The scene between the two sisters, Beverly and Judith was one of my highlights due to their sisterly love and connection.  Beverly was played by Sophie Carter and sang magnificently.  Yes it was me who hooted you on your curtain calls as you, yes you Sophie Carter were sensational capturing sisterly support and maternal instincts with a hint of spoon playing hill-billy.  Sophie Carter played this with sincerity and honesty.

Act Two felt a bit clunky at times.  Though the narrator Ron Edgeworth played by Adam Murphy did explain that they could not tell everything about The Seekers' story.

The reunion scene between Judith Durham and the men was touching and well written.  More so it was directed and played with sincerity and the pause was palpable.  The audience were on the edge of their seats awaiting one response.  I hope they keep this moment fresh and honest as it was magical.
You could hear people's breathing stop and the heart beats in the audience.  As I type this, my eyes well with tears recalling this moment.  Great theatre to move us so honestly.

The wedding scene is simple.  Listen carefully to hear the underscoring of a Seeker's song mixed in with the orchestration.  Well done to the Musical Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Amos as the music is beautifully played without the deafening volumes of some musicals.  Stephen Amos has created the sound of The Seekers with the terrific band.

Lighting Design by Trudy Dalgleish created transitions between time and space.  Using her expertise there are opportunities to tighten and polish four transitions in Act Two.  I especially liked Trudy Dalgleish's use of the expanding lit area to create a sense of perspective and location.  The venetian-blind lighting effect reminded me of "Ghost -the musical" (and that the lighting was the best part of that show!)

With the semi-transparent set we could see the hospital bed being wheeled into place well before the entrance of bed ridden Judith.  A lighting change or a timing change could reduce this distraction and provide the requisite surprise element.

Projections provided a backdrop in the upper half of the stage.  There are wallpapers for living rooms, posters for a theatrical manager's office, Union Jack for UK, Big Ben for London, Vietnam jungle, psychedelic patterns etc.  Each projection provided a sense of time, space and occasion.  The most significant projection was the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and this created a new level of silence from the audience.  I was curious if any of the  audience members may have been at that famous concert.  Nearly fifty years on and I too could have been a child at that concert.  It was like yesterday and I had heart thumping memories.

My favourite moments included the "Myra" song as it flooded back so many memories of the 1960s. The truth versus fantasy sequences of "Morningtown Ride" captured the essence of this beautiful song and used as a lullaby.  The audience were swaying and singing quietly along.  Normally this would be annoying but it is a real sing-a-long type show.  Then, the audience were jolted to reality with the twists of the scene, and relished being taken on this subliminal train ride.

One of the most gut wrenching moments will mean naught to others.  I share it as it was so poignant and I hope that they do not cut this scene.  An Australian soldier is in Vietnam and writes a fan letter to Judith Durham.  As the Vietnam War was the first war to be screened live into living rooms each night on the news (rather than the newsreels of WW11) as a child these memories are strong.  I was in Grade Four and had written to a soldier in Vietnam who subsequently was killed.  How is this relevant?  I sat there thinking "I wonder if Judith Durham  ever received that specific letter?"  I am sure she received many letters from Vietnam and this scene was representative of an era.  But if this scene touched me so deeply, I am sure it will touch others for their personal reasons.

The finale with the magnificent anthem "I Am Australian" shows how stirring this song is to lift the spirits and be proud to be Australian.  Juxtaposed was the tragedy that Judith Durham's private suffering.  It was like being knifed in the back twice with contrasting emotions - gut wrenching and uplifting.  It was like the release of Ron Edgeworth to the heavens.  We, as an audience could also let go emotionally.

The whole cast are terrific and play as a true ensemble cast.  There is not a weak link in this cast.
I enjoyed Ian Stenlake as John Ashby with his smooth manners and his rich voice.  Stephen Wheat plays the manager with his reliable credibility.  Cameron MacDonald as Graham Kennedy has next to no time to create a short cameo role and does so with his reliable characterisation.

The four leads playing The Seekers  are superb.  As I closed my eyes occasionally these four performers transported me back 50 years and to simpler times.  Pippa Grandison  paid homage honoured our memory of Judith Durham.  She did not mimic Judith Durham  but allowed her character to live within and channel her.  Glaston Toft as Athol Guy, Mike McLeish as Bruce Woodley and Phillip Lowe as Keith Potger also honoured the real male characters and allowed their spirit to overcome their characterisations.  I cannot praise these four enough for their honest and sincere performance and hope that they continue to trust their instincts.

I cannot extol my praises enough as they sounded so much like The Seekers  and,  more so, they channelled their characters.

The merchandise stalls display their wares with flare and the prices are reasonable except for the t- shirts which I felt were a tad expensive at $40.00.

I listened to the CD twice on Sunday January 3rd 2016 to relive the memories.  It is not the Original Cast Album with lyrics and notes but a recording of songs by some of the cast before the premiere of the show.  It is a fine recording and I hope they do a full Original Cast Album in the future.

I could see this show again and not feel as if my memories would be tainted.  Where as other shows I do not want to see them again as I have been disappointed.

Overall my partner scored this a 7/10 and I gave it a 7.5/10.

Dirty Dancing, Princess Theatre, Thursday April 16th 2015

Dirty Dancing, Princess Theatre, Thursday April 16th 2015

This is the return season of "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage" the musical after ten years at the Princess Theatre.

For those new to my blog, I do not retell the story and I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  If you want further information I provide various links.  I try to find different and appropriate links that I feel are relevant to give you further information.

"Dirty Dancing" the musical is based on the movie of the same name. 

Buying tickets was easy and the Ticketmaster service was good.

Arriving at the Princess Theatre the staff greeted you with courtesy when buying a programme or cloaking my coat.

"Dirty Dancing" is a fool proof musical theatre as they have a captured audience of devotees of the movie.  I remember very clearly the excitement of the women and girls in the audience in Melbourne 2005.  In 2015 the pre-show excitement or anticipation was dissipated by the use of mobile phones, iPADS, tablets and other gadgets.  So many TWANKERS were not talking to their family or friends, but fidgeting with their devices!

I am saddened that my original 2004/2005 programme with all of my cuttings from newspapers and magazines was lent to someone, who gave it away by accident.  Hence, I cannot compare my notes and can only do so from my memories.

I must say that I preferred the original production of 2004/2005 for a number of reasons.  One is the excitement of seeing a new show and the anticipation that goes with that.  It is not necessarily fair to compare performers or performances but to make observations.  It looked as if there were about two or four less people in this production than during some of the ensemble numbers in the 2004/2005 production.

An original cast recording was made of the original Australian cast in 2004/2005.  There are 33 credited "Live track" members on this recording compared to 26 cast members in the 2015 programme.  Admittedly, they do sometimes pad out recordings with session singers but usually they are given separate credits.  I feel my recollection of a larger cast size in 2004/2005 is accurate and worked better.

I am still in awe of the staging with the revolve and the mechanics to slide forward the largest set piece.  This suddenly struck me that the Gail Edwards' version of "Aspects of Love" had such an impact or influence on the central set design. With the combination of the revolve and the louvered screens this paid homage to Roger Kirk's set design of the revolve and the flowing curtains in "Aspects of Love."

The director, James Powell has used the short filmic scenes which require quick changes of locations. Various staging devices are used to some degree of success.  There are four short scenes, including the opening scene that do not work if you are sitting outside the boundaries of the proscenium arch.  We sat in Dress Circle A30 and 31 and you could not see the opening upstage left action due to the speakers.  Nor could you fully see the two  "fridge scenes" properly.  Plus you could barely see the red head come on for a revealing "caught" moment.  Heaven forbid if the people further to my right would not have seen any of this, nor would the audience members on the extreme left of the theatre.  I had to lean to my left at times to try to see what was happening.

A simple solution is for the director to check sight lines from various major locations in the venue.  Two, bring in the action from the wings one metre and presto you have a more visible solution.  Or the least favourable option is to reduce the ticket prices for these restricted views.  You should only charge full price if you can see all of the stage all of the time!

There are a few scenes that end with a dead spot rather than transitioning smoothly into the next scene.  These could be overcome by a simple lighting change to shift the focus of the audience.

The set design by Stephen Brimson Lewis is clever and simple, particularly the use of the revolve and the louvered screens to reveal both the action and the orchestra.  The video and production design by Jon Driscoll supported the set design by creating wonderful iconic images from the movie.  These images transported us immediately to the location.  Greatly effective.

The costume designs by Jennifer Irwin create a 1963 feel. 

Visually the creative team do their job to create a "magic moment" for their audience.

Choreography by Michele Lynch was too modern for my liking.  It had Pilates-exercise in-jokes and other tricks that were not in keeping with the period of 1963.  The showy gymnastic flips look out of place.  I much preferred the original choreography by Kate Champion.

Some of the choreography also paid homage to "Strictly Ballroom." The slides heightened my disappointment that they were not used as effectively in "Strictly Ballroom" the musical.  So congratulations for incorporating these slides for excitement and dramatic impact.

The execution of the choreography was mainly performed with gusto.  A few dancers looked like they were marking their moves as they did not have full extensions or the definition required of some moves.  Maybe there were a few swings replacing regular cast members and I observed some wrong footwork.  I will not know as I could not see a cast change board, nor replacements announced. (Note that these observations were not during the dance lesson scenes.)

There are a few awkward changes between scenes with some dead spots that could do with a lighting change to segue to the next scene.  Lighting by Tim Mitchell was effective though there are a few opportunities to improve the flow.

Sound design by Bobby Aitken was balanced but a little too loud on occasions.  The band played well as lead by David Skelton.

Singing wise there is not much to sing about. It is your classic juke box musical with lots of songs or parts of songs to recall.  The harmonies were good.  The lead singer Mark Vincent as Billy Kostecki was my saving grace with his rich voice and his soaring falsetto notes.  I apologise to the female singer who sang the duet "The Time of Our Lives" as I cannot find her credited in the programme.  (I know it is old fashioned to list the characters who sing various songs but it would help to congratulate her!)

"Dirty Dancing" is not your usual musical where the leads do not sing.   Kirby Burgess did a fine interpretation as Frances "Baby" Houseman.  I particularly like her transformation from the mousey ugly duckling to the assertive and strong swan.

I found it more confusing this time with the dancing version of Frances "Baby" Houseman as it did not resonate with me as coherently as in the original 2004/2005 production.

Kurt Phelan as Johnny Castle did an adequate job dancing this role, while his acting was more memorable than the original production.  You need a reliable partnership to reproduce this iconic presage lift eight shows a week.  Plus you need a performer who will captivate the audience with the requisite anticipation for recreating this essential moment from the film.   Kurt Phelan performed the famous presage lift with trust, assurance and aplomb. 

Mr Schumacher needs to be memorable for the storyline.  Barry Mitchell played this small but pivotal role in a charismatic and engaging way, with the requisite suspicious twist.

Teagan Wouters played Francis "Baby" Houseman's sister, Lisa Houseman with genuine rapport to both the audience and the actors she played opposite.

Adam Murphy as the father, Dr Jake Houseman had a quiet composure and I particularly liked his relationships to his daughters, wife, Johnny and Penny Johnson.

Penny Johnson played by Maddie Peat showcased her Radio City Rockette shapely legs.  She is a fine dancer but it worried me that her back bends would snap.  There is a difference between control and showmanship and danger. Choreographic demands are tested on her every move, to be spectacular for eight shows a week.  With your natural flexibility, please ensure you support your core to the fullest - I am not saying you did not, but I want to see your superb dancing for many years to come!

The final entrance of Johnny was not as spectacular as in 2004/2005 with him coming from the back of the stalls.  I can understand why they changed this final entrance to the left side of the audience for more people to see.  But that thrill of looking around and seeing him running down the aisle was lost.  The females (and some men) were panting in anticipation during the Melbourne 2005 performance.  Here the audience cheered but not like watching all the heads turn and the Dress Circle and Upper Circle craning their heads to see his elongated arrival.  The 2004/2005 final entrance had the audience more vocally appreciative.  The inappropriate behaviour of the middle-aged woman in Stalls C12 (approximate seat) took away the thrill of this moment.

The audience around this rude Stalls C12 woman had the front two rows of the Dress Circle watching her TWANKING antics with her phone or iPAD or tablet.  It was so distracting that I pity those sitting next to, or behind her.  Holding up her device so high caught our attention with the lights that we missed moments on stage.  Thankfully the two ushers used their torches to ask her to stop her rude and distracting behaviour.  This inconsiderate woman should apologise to the audience and to the performers for trying to photograph their "copy write" protected work.

I was so pleased that I later learned the ushers managed to get this rude woman to delete the photographs.  So my heartiest congratulations to the ushers for their dedication to respect all theatre goers.

I long for the day when it is illegal to use phones or cameras in the theatres as it is illegal in New York (even though they still get used there too.)  It is about mutual respect for all audience members.  Some people save for months to see a show and it is not fair to destroy other audience member's nights.

Overall I gave this production a 6/10.