The Wizard of Oz, Regent Theatre, Thursday May 31st 2018

The Wizard of Oz, Regent Theatre, Thursday May 31st 2018

Andrew Lloyd Webber's New Production of "The Wizard of Oz" was presented at Regent Theatre, Thursday May 31st 2018 by John Frost and Suzanne Jones.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. 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 write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

There are aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber's New Production of "The Wizard of Oz" presented at Regent Theatre that resemble the London Palladium Production.  Then again on page three of the programme states, "This production is closely based on the one seen at The Palladium." But it is not "close" if you use the dictionary definition.  They are stretching the standard deviation of the word "close". 

The movie and even the most awful amateur versions of this iconic musical have had some emotional heart.  The script is foolproof to tug at the heart-strings.  The new additions to the script and extra songs give some back story to some characters but bog the flow of the show.  Yes, we get to see some sensational performers sing these new songs, as the audience ho-hummed in their seats.  The applause was very lukewarm with even the big well known songs.

Choreography was by Arlene Phillips.  The big production numbers were well executed and each of the support performers created defined characterisations.

Sadly, the most famous choreography for the "We're Off To See The Wizard" was so poorly executed and the staging was even worse due to the scenic design.  This alerted me to remembering the staging I had seen of the London Palladium production was significantly robust in the progression of the characters' journey.  I remembered they had a stage revolve or a treadmill in London.  No revolve or treadmill was used here. It looked like they use a hydraulic lift in the centre of the stage in the London production.  Marking out steps on the spot was executed worse than any amateur production I have ever seen.

I recalled seeing Poppies in the video shorts of the London Palladium production.  The 1991 production at the State Theatre, Melbourne made great use of the poppies with a poppy ballet by Leigh Rowles.

The staging most of the time was poor and showed the original staging had been massively compromised to tour the production.  Direction by Jeremy Sams was awkward in both the staging of many numbers and sequences.  Plus the relationships between the characters were so two dimensional.  I have been in tears many times watching far worse staged versions, but they had the essence of the material.  Here, I was very disappointed that I was not flowing with tears at key moments in the show.

The sets were rolled out for the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion while in London they had the massive revolve and substantial movement to discover each of these characters.  This is one of the most important moments in the show.  Well, the audience in Melbourne were not amused.  Yes they clapped and the response was very ho-hum.

I preferred the Munchkins in the 1991 production at the State Theatre, Melbourne.  Here the choreography was well executed, but it did not have the same impact here with the performers stooping down rather than the fun of the performers on their knees in the 1991 production.

Yes, the performers sent themselves up.  Well, camped it up.

The stand out for me was John Xintavelonis as the Lion, who captured the heart of the show.  His performance was consummate in style and honoured the book and movie.

Dorothy played by Samantha Dodemaide was way too old for the role and her voice was not pure enough with the vibrato.  More legato was required in her singing. The inter-relationships with each character needed more connection.

  

Anthony Warlow gave a great performance as the Wizard with his wonderfully versatile voice.  The added song did not add to the show.

Lucy Durack as Glinda the Good was a clever piece of casting as she had appeared in the same role in the Australian production of "Wicked".  I loved how she sent herself up as the ditsy "Legally Blonde" version of Glinda.  Usually this role is so purely performed, and I liked Lucy Durack's touches paying homage to her other roles.

Jemma Rix had also been in the Australian production of "Wicked", and played the same roles as both Miss Bulch and The Wicked Witch of the West.  The new song for her was "Red Shoes Blues" which I felt did add to the story.  Her performance was exceptional and the set looked terrific.  Her melting scene was one of the scenes that was well staged.

When the Wicked Witch of the West melts, one of the Winkie steps forward using a Russian accent, while the other Winkies stepped forward using a range of other accents.  It just lost me.  I cringed as I thought I was watching a High School version. Have them all play the Russian accent, or, any accent; but please use the same accent for the Winkies.

Costume Design by Robert Jones varied in quality.  The green shoes could use a good repaint and clean in the Emerald City number.  The scuffs and varying patch colours detracted from the sharpness of the costumes.  The farm characters' costumes did not have the worn look of working people and looked like costumes.  Yes, I know it is stylised, but ironed clothes for people working in the fields does not ring true - even in a musical.

Set Designs, also by Robert Jones were flashy and cartoon-esque.  The sets jarred at times because we only received half of the production design - by not having the revolve and the added lighting etc.  So therefore some aspects hit you with the wow factor, while others made you question that something was missing and made the staging awkward.

The Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone was also half realised as per the set design.  The lighting was effective at times, while at other times was overwhelming as it did not balance with the set.  Whereas in the London Palladium production, from the videos and promotions looked more balanced and polished.

The Video Design by Jon Driscoll did not work as effectively from the second row, and I suspect would have looked better further back.

Musically, the ensemble numbers with their rich harmonies was a highlight.  The orchestra led by Laura Tipoki was also one of the few highs.

I wrote the following on Facebook after seeing the show:

I was very disappointed in "The Wizard of Oz" as I was expecting it to be the Palladium of London production. The programme notes say "This production is closely based on the one seen at the London Palladium....". Yeah sure. Check out the footage on Youtube and the differences are obvious. It is a very underwhelming production with no revolve etc. I could go into a lot of detail but at $119.90 a ticket for the "New production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz". - it was not what I had seen of the London production. I have copies of the ads with dates. I would say "it had aspects or inspired by the London production". The production at The State Theatre in about February 1991 left me glowing. This, well......

I would have preferred to buy a dvd of the Palladium production.

This Australian touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's New Production of "The Wizard of Oz" received a very generous 6.5/10.

The Bodyguard - The Musical, Regent Theatre, Wednesday September 6th 2017

"The Bodyguard", Regent Theatre, Wednesday September 6th 2017"

"The Bodyguard" The Musical" played at the Regent Theatre on Wednesday September 6th 2017"  

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. 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 write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

"The Bodyguard" The Musical" adapted from the Warner Brothers movie played at the Regent Theatre  and we saw a performance on Wednesday September 6th 2017"  

Paulini Curunavuli as Rachel  Marron sings well and pays homage to Whitney Houston.  Some of her notes were a bit wonky at times but she created the essence of the diva superstar role.  Her acting was wooden but under the circumstances created the diva distance.    Paulini Curunavuli sounded tired.  Her acting was wooden but she sang quite well.

Kip Gamblin as the Frank Farmer/bodyguard role is dry and understated.  His is an underestimated role as he has to always make sure he is making Rachel Marron look good.  His best moment is his relationship and interaction with Rachel's son Fletcher played by one of the children.

The other standout performance was Prinnie Stevens as Rachel's sister Nicki Marron as her singing was more in tune but sadly lacked the diction of Paulini Curunavuli.

The ensemble singing was ordinary with harmonies of a fair quality.  There was nothing to get excited about and say you must see this show.

The staging was high school drama quality with some very basic blocking.

The drama by exposing "The Stalker" in the programme notes, and by revealing his face on stage reduced any potential drama.  Had we not seen his face would have had the audience more on edge and attentive.

The ending was satisfyingly succinct with the Frank Farmer slightly upstage right of Rachel Marron.  I thought this worked better than the film to create a polished ending.

The Lighting Design by Mark Hendersen has the obligatory simple facade of flashiness to be able to transport quickly between cities.  What it lacks is the ability to rev up an audience with anticipation and a sense of an event.

The opening scene reminded me of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard" with the famous chase scene and the shadows.  It was a good strong opening with the jump-out-of-your-seat gunshot as it blasting through the theatre. This gunshot certainly gained our attention.  "The Bodyguard - the musical" has one of the strongest openings of a musical.  Sadly this standard was not to continue.

The Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley is adequate and functional.   The best part is the venetian blind effect of transitions.  The framing technique to create various locations worked most of the time, but needed more support from the direction and the lighting design to complete the process.  The best set design was the log cabin scene as it framed the scene well and created visual and dramatic tension to the story line.  The curtain with horizontal lines framed the set by continuing the lines of horizontal log exterior and created a ceiling line for the cabin to both heighten the tension and create a sense of realism. Easily the best set design.

The first act was very stilted.  The stalker should not have been revealed on the screen or by revealing his face from underneath his hoodie.  This reveal reduced any potential tension in the story-line.

The choreography by Karen Bruce was was ordinary to say the least but adequate.  Sadly, only the girls were up to Karen Bruce's choreographic realisation.  The dancing by the girls was slicker than the guys.  The men were beefed up and some porgy and puffed up to the point that they could not dance.  Yes, the men could move and had reasonable bodies with their six packs but should learn how to support a partner with a plie and preparation.  The men's pirouettes were off and any extensions were either nonexistent or choreography absent.  One man "marked" or "walked" the entire show without any sign of effort or excitement.  The back roll needs work or you will damage both your bodies!  These men may have reasonably good bodies and move well but few of them could really dance well.

Half of the dancers when hitting their marks or spots for positions in the choreography were sloppy.  The dance captain needs to discipline them while the Bodyguard is present!

I can understand why this show has never reached Broadway.  It reminds me of "Ghost - the musical' which died a death on Broadway but has been touring the world for years to recoup costs with a reduced touring set and lighting design.

The scene when Frank Farmer enters the rehearsal is contrived and looks like an amateur High School musical director has blocked the scene.  It lacked any truth to what happened with the business and excitement in the movie .  This scene lost the opportunity to make a first impression on Rachel Marron with blocking and lighting.

I lent my young neighbour my programme before the show started.  As the show began she tried to hide her phone under her coat for her texting addiction.  I had to use my programme as a shield to hide the light.  At interval, I asked her not to turn on her phone and text as it was distracting.  Her mother said "I told you so and you would not listen..."  I thought she was young and excited to see the show, so I took some leeway and thought my offering her a loan of my programme may appease her.  No, sadly a feral!

"The Bodyguard" The Musical" obtained a generous 6/10.  My partner wanted to leave at interval and gave it 4/10 only because the second half was better than the first act. 

Circus 1903, Regent Theatre, Thursday January 12th 2017

Circus 1903, Regent Theatre, Thursday January 12th 2017

"Circus 1903" was presented at the historic Regent Theatre on Thursday January 12th 2017.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. 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 write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

"Circus 1903" was presented by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson for The Works Entertainment prior to a twenty week tour of the USA.  This show world premiered in Canberra and then played Sydney prior to the short season in Melbourne.

Programmes were a great buy at $10.  Maybe the price was reduced as the show was about to close in Melbourne.  Either way theatre managements could learn from the Getty Museum concept of the entry fee encourages patrons to purchase other items such as food, gifts and souvenirs.  This is the first show I have been to in a long time to see so many patrons buying a programme.  It is a great quality programme with the history of the circus and the biographies of the performers and creative staff.  What is lacking is the dates of the Australian tour in the programme from a historical perspective and the accurate name of the circus skills/acts.  For example acrobatics is too general when describing some acts. The Flying Finns are accurately described for their Teeterboard skills/act.

"Circus 1903" has acts that would have appeared in 1903 as well as the side show scene which was reminiscent of the TV show "Carnivale".

The Welcome by the Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade played by David Williamson was terrific to ready the audience for the show.  The popcorn antics were fun and allowed audience members to turn off their mobile phones in readiness for the show.  David Williamson is one of the main reasons for the success of this show as he links the history of the circus and the training required without being didactic.

The cast are The Roustabouts who prepare the setting and the tent.  We see behind the scenes antics. Maybe a clown should be included as the warm up.

The Flying Finns perform a lively seesaw act including tumbling and use buckets and sledge hammers to ensure the mood of 1903.  A few slips here and there that could have been made theatrical for us to ooh and ahh and capture our engagement.

The Bold Balancing by The Sensational Sozonov was mesmerising but a little ho-hum for some of the audience.  The ta-dah lady needed to rev the audience up more.  His final 360 turn balancing on about 6 levels was terrific.

The Cycling Cyclone (Florian Blummel) was a ballet on wheels performed with such skill and daring. Again a bit more enticing and teasing the audience is required to engage more with the audience.

The segue to the contortionist was a side-show with lots of examples of the scams that you would see at the Royal Melbourne Show down side-show alley back in the 1960s.  It was fun seeing the quick examples of the bearded lady and the man-eating-chicken.  Fun and a little bit risque without being crude and dirty.  This sequence was fun and was a great summary of the side-shows from "Carnivale".

The Elastic Dislocationist is a very agile performer.  I hope she has not read Gary Jennings' book "Spangle"!  She was exquisite in her performance in a beautiful and magical costume.  Her routine was terrific, but needed to be more enticing and engaging and alluring with the audience.  I know she has to warm up for an hour before each show as I have read articles to be informed.  Her tricks are gut wrenching and stomach churning for the audience.

The Perilous Perigo with his knife throwing antics was full of danger and the entrance was terrific with his whip snapping.  The build up to his final fire throwing trick was good but again lacked the engagement with the audience.

The Duo Flash displayed their balancing, strength and acrobatic skill.  Again they needed to tease and engage with the audience more.

The segue to the Aerial Ballet showed Lucky Moon in her caravan preparing for her act.  Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade told us about the commitment and the practise required without being preachy.  The lighting and her entrance was beautiful.  A great segue as her caravan was closed up as she entered the circus arena.

The Aerial Ballet by Lucky Moon was magical, beautiful and lyrical. Her act built up in difficulty and tension, though she could engage more with the audience as she returns to earth.  Her act was more polished and stood up by itself.

The elephants were a highlight and there was a build up to their entrance.  Queenie and the young elephant calf, Karanga are puppets by the same team who created "Warhorse".  The elephants were magical with the superb technology and skill of the puppeteers that made them appear simpler than they actually were.  The elephant puppets are brilliantly design and manipulated by the puppeteers.

The Act One Finale was in the style of an old fashioned circus and a good segue to Act Two.

The second half of the show works better than the first due to the acts and builds up to a crescendo by the artists.

The Grand Glorious Parade was lack lustre and could have at least paraded to the central aisle, made a cross over and returned to the stage.

Where Angels Fear to Tread, a ball balancing act by The Incredibles segued into the juggling act. Eight or nine large exercise balls were positioned in a semi circle to create a circus ring which was a subtle touch.  A few drops of the spinning balls occurred, but done with such aplomb and skill the duo carried on.  This duo finely balanced a difficult act with grace.  As they were so far downstage and the act was mainly on floor level, it was difficult for some audience members to see the act.  This act needed to be on a rostrum for all the audience to be able to see their full act.  Here more engagement with the audience would not go astray, but I think it was mainly due to being so low on the stage.

The Juggling Juggernaut is The Great Gaston (Francois Borie) is the French juggler who really showed us what engagement with the audience was about.  He was the first act to really lure, tease and engage with us.  At last!  He obtained requisite applause due to his skill, sequence of increasing difficulty but most importantly his ability to engage with the audience.

The Icarian Acrobats by the Fratelli Rossi took engagement to the next level with the sex appeal and their teasing of the audience.  Yes a slip up occurred and this is what we needed more of.  We needed the old one, two, three and yes they did it.  Yes it is cliched but I thought it would have been more included into more acts.  These guys really captured the essence of involvement and made us sit up in our seats and hold our breath.  At last we were transported back in time.

The Training of Wild Animals is one of the most poignant aspects of the show.  Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade is brilliantly played by David Williamson.  He asks for four young volunteers from the audience and is so terrific with the children.  One child cannot be understood (maybe due to his young Australian accent) and David calls him Bowtie Bobby.

He introduces each child and gives them their moment in the spotlight.  One child says she is six and a half years old.  He wants someone who is seven and he asks her again.  It is a terrific old fashioned routine that still works.  We are laughing so hard and these children's parents and families must be bursting at the seams with how much they make the show work.  David Williamson is such a fine professional and has us eating out of his hand with his sincerity.  David Williamson does a USA dollar coin trick with each of the children and it is classical old fashioned fun.

David introduces a raccoon in a cage.  It is puppet and he deftly handles it.  He has one young lady engage with a card trick.  It is so much fun watching the old fashioned manipulation.

One child gets a little flustered and David Williamson has a back up plan.  The child receives an elephant balloon and the applause of the audience.  It is done with such grace and dignity.

A replacement child appears and assumes the requisite position.  The audience roar with laughter.

The routine goes awry.  Maybe it is meant to.  Who knows and who cares as it works.  They would have worked out many versions of what to do under various circumstances.  It is brilliant theatre.

Each child is given a thank you token of appreciation and the recognition with our applause and cheers.

One final young lady stands alone on stage expecting her token of appreciation.  What is scripted here is absolutely magical and I had tears rolling down my face.  I will not reveal it as it was my favourite part of the show.  What he says and does is absolutely magnificent. It will not be forgotten as it is so special and beautiful.  This moment was so honest, caring and heart warming in this over-produced technological age. Pure magic!

The High Wire routine by Los Lopez is a trio with two men walking the high wire and also on a jumping a skipping rope on the wire.  The first bicycle fell and was collected by one of the Roustabouts.  More needed to be done to engage with the audience when a fall or mistake occurred. This act has its build up finale but needed more engagement with the audience.

The Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade told us the show had ended.  It was too abrupt an ending. The finale lacked pizzazz and the parade feel.  Capes or some more dazzle was required rather than a line up of calling each act for their curtain call.

The transitions and segues between acts varied in complexity and use of distraction techniques.  The lighting was well used to guide our eye.  What was more interesting at times was watching the behind the scenes set up for the next scene.  The stage hands should have been dressed in period costume to blend into the show more.

Costumes by Angela Aaron created an historic accurate version of the costumes with modern durable fabrics to last for rigorous wear and tear.

The choreography in the opening Building the Canvas City segment was the most choreographed section of the show.  "King Kong" the musical had better choreography for this type of build up scene.

The acts were good but could have made themselves look even better with a bit more spit and polish and flair.

The best acts engaged with the audience in teasing us with their daredevil antics.  Many people can see tricks on the internet and it is the engagement which really captured the spirit of 1903.

David Williamson is absolutely brilliant as the Ringmaster.

Overall I gave this performance of "Circus 1903" a 7.5/10.

Note:  I am not going to compare the acts to other circus acts but I have worked with circus performers and saw their acts and the way they engaged with audiences.

We Will Rock You, Regent Theatre, Thursday September 15th 2016

We Will Rock You, Regent Theatre, Thursday September 15th 2016

"We Will Rock You" was presented at the Regent Theatre , Thursday September 15th 2016

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. 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 write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

"We Will Rock You" with music by Queen and a book by Ben Elton is produced by John Frost in association with Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and Tribeca Theatrical Productions.

The Regent Theatre is a huge venue and perfectly suited for this musical.

"We Will Rock You" is a "Juke-Box Rock and Roll Pantomime" as it is more than a juke-box musical as it hams up the traditional Christmas pantomime in structure, story line and characters.

At this performance the role of Khasoggi was ably played by the understudy Paul Watson.

The best part of the show was the band - the music and more of the band.  The other best part was the performances of Jaz Flowers as Oz and Casey Donovan as the Killer Queen.

I had seen the original Australian production of ""We Will Rock You" and was looking forward to seeing this new 2016 version. Act One was better than the original and sadly Act Two died a death.  It seemed as if all of the energy and thought had gone into Act One with the staging, lighting and choreography.

The singing in the first half was better than the original, while the second act petered out.   I questioned whether it was the same cast that was in Act One.   Act Two needs tightening and the layering of Britney and Oz to counterpoint the Galileo and Scaramouche relationship.

Lighting Design by Willie Williams was good but could have been improved with so many lost opportunities.  For example in the finale the audience wanted the iconic image of the under the chin lighting effect.  This could have been achieved by torches or side lighting etc.  Act Two had very disappointing lighting.

Original Production Design and Video Direction was by Mark Fisher with Willie Williams as Lighting Designer and Video Director were quite effective with lots of pop culture references. Though the David Atkins' version of "Hairspray" used video and projections more effectively.

Choreography by Arlene Phillips was crisp and punchy for "Radio Ga Ga" while "Another One Bites the Dust" was fun and appropriate.  The Killer Queen sequence with the fans paid tribute to the musical "Chicago" and to the Busby Berkeley movies.

One young lady displayed the requisite energy for the dance numbers while highlighting how the others appeared to be walking the choreography.  She was on stage right in "Radio Ga Ga" and her hip pumping was lively compared to the reserved genteel hip thrusts of the other dancers.

Act Two needs more lighting focus when the guitar is found and then played.  Yes it does have a dazzling short lived lighting trick to introduce the lost guitar.but needs a spotlight to really bring out the excitement of the guitar sequence more.  The audience were begging for more excitement for this moment.  It was addressed in the finale when the guitarist made a centre entrance to rapturous applause.

The jokes and book are stronger in Act One.  It is as if there was a different writer for Act Two.  This second act dragged and had two significant holes that need to be filled (see resolution below)

The best part was the tribute to the dead rock and roll legends. (Was this "No-One But You"?)

Of course the finale works!  Who does not want to hear "Bohemian Rhapsody" - even it is was sang badly?!  The audience will join in irrespective.

Casey Donovan was sensational as the Killer Queen with her pantomime style baddie.  Her characterisation was well defined - physically and vocally.  A pity that other performers did not match her clear definition and exuberance.

Jaz Flower as Oz sang consistently well.  She brought out poignancy in her rendition of "No-One But You".  Her emotional connection to the song resonated with those sitting near me as they effected by her generously revealing performance.

Sadly the two leads were a disappointment.  Gareth Keagan as Galileo was better in Act One. Erin Clare played Scaramouche and her diction had the audience reaching to each to ask "what did she say?"  Act Two had them both singing so out of tune it was as if we were watching a karaoke night on a bigger stage.  Not good value at about $100 a ticket!

Costumes by Tim Goodchild are fun especially for the Bohemians and the Killer Queen.  His costumes for the Ga Ga Kids paid homage to the 1960s and girl bands.

There is a very wishy-washy resolution  between the "twankers" and the Bohemians.  This is where pantomimes are usually stronger in structure by having a succinct final message.

Ben Elton needs to increase the tension between the "twankers" (Ga Ga Kids and Yuppies) and the "Bohemians". Call the manufactured group the "twankers" as they cannot turn off their artificial digital lives and are self absorbed!  The heart of the Bohemians' message is lost  a little. They need to emphasise what Rock and Roll taught the Bohemians - respect for self and others opinion and musical taste.  Also how Rock and Roll could sharpen the message of being connected with other people and not as disengaged and self absorbed as the "twankers" without losing your individuality.

"We Are The Champions" could be heightened more to show how Rock and Roll taught the Bohemians general respect for other humans.  More specifically to respect each other's taste in music, to use technology to assist rather than be dictated by technology and to engage with people.

The concept of streaming music could have been included as the original show was futuristic and this show did not explore the future as much as I had hoped.  So many corny sci-fi films would end with "The End......Or is it?" Here we could have another question posed: What will the future for delivering music to the public - telepathic?

Maybe a brief version of "Safe Me" could have been included for the Bohemians wanting relief from the "twankers" (manufacture music).  Or "It's  A Beautiful Day" or "Good Company" to bring some resolution between the two groups.

Overall this production received a 6/10 while my partner gave it a 4/10.

Wicked Review June 5 2014

Wicked Review June 5 2014

We saw "Wicked" at the Regent Theatre on Thursday June 5 2014 and loved it. Jemma Rix is sensational as Elphaba and Lucy Durack is superb as the ditzy blonde Galinda/Glinda. I thought it was better than when I originally saw it in 2008.

It was also good to hear a few cast members who were flat in other musicals in the last twelve months, were in tune last night. You have to give them credit with eight shows a week they looked fresh.

Maggie Kirkpatrick as Madame Morrible is pointed and authorative.

Edward Grey plays an admirable Boq without any of the Australian Idol fanfare.  This is in total contrast to his very camp hairdresser from "Legally Blonde."

Reg Livermore played the Wizard with agility of body and with a more aged voice.

Emily Cascarino played Nessarone with a lovely pure voice that brought out her coldness.

Steve Danielsen played Flyero with aplomb but I wanted more stillness in his confidence.  Though the duet "As Long As Your Mine" with Jemma Rix was sublime.

Nathan Carter as Doctor Dillamond was played with the right amount of caper and lovely control of his bleating.

Matt Holly played Chistery with agility and assurance of character. This may appear a thankless role but he played Gregory Maguire's intent magnificently.

The ensemble singing and dancing was confident and assured. 

If you have not read the book then I do recommend reading anything by Gregory Maguire. He is such a wordsmith and I am in awe at his skill. How the creators condensed his book into such a fine musical is beyond me. Congratulations on a good show.