Gilligan's Island, Humdrum Comedy and Left Bauer Productions, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday March 3rd 2018

Gilligan's Island, Humdrum Comedy and Left Bauer Productions, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday March 3rd 2018

"Gilligan's Island The Musical" was presented by Humdrum Comedy and Left Bauer Productions at Chapel Off Chapel on Saturday March 3rd 2018.

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.

"Gilligan's Island The Musical" created the atmosphere of the iconic television show as soon as you entered Chapel Off Chapel.  The stall for programmes was attended to by a couple sporting Hawaiian leis.  On their table was a large book containing cut-outs that appeared to be a copy of the programme.  The programme cost $5.00 and was exceptional value and other theatre companies' should take note of both the price and quality of the programme.  The inside cover states the full date of the season, including the year 2018.  So many other companies' do not put the year which can be off putting.  Notice how few of the posters in the Chapel Off Chapel foyer actually state the year of their production.

Entering the theatre was a joyous welcoming experience.  "The Skipper" (full name: Jonas 'The Skipper' Grumby) was played by Sam Marzden welcomed and directed patrons to their correct aisle.  Other cast members acted as ushers to direct patrons to their seats.  This was all improvised in character and developed an atmosphere of fun.

As "Gilligan's Island The Musical" was about to begin the cast assembled on the makeshift stage.  "The Skipper" graciously asked that audience members who wanted to take photos do so now and then to turn off their phones.  He also requested that there be no photographs or recording during the performance.  The cast struck poses and allowed about two minutes for photos to be taken.  Then the show began.

The opening number was well staged and slick.  Sadly a rude woman in C Row held her phone up recording and blocked people's views.  I hopped out of my seat and asked her to turn it off.  A few people were aghast, but my partner told me after the show that another man jumped out of his seat and did the same thing on audience right.  By turning off your phone is showing respect to the  performers and other audience members. More people need to call out this rude and selfish behaviour.  (At "American Idiot" on Thursday someone called out "Turn off your phones").  We do not pay good money to watch or be distracted by screens, phones and other devices!

"Gilligan's Island The Musical" pays homage to the iconic television show, "Gilligan's Island" and is a fun dinner theatre style show.  It is a perfect vehicle as a sing-a-long for the opening and closing numbers.  The show is light and fluffy with lots of double meanings.  The cast made the most of the material and thin plot.  The cast are better than the actual material.

Gilligan played by Riley Nottingham with requisite panache and vaudevillian interaction with "The Skipper".  Physically he was not skinny enough with his muscular frame, but more importantly he captured the spirit and essence of Bob Denver's Gilligan.  Riley Nottingham has a good voice and charismatic presence and he is a performer to watch in the future.  The traditional coda scenes, where "The Skipper" and Gilligan bed down for the night, were staged simply and effectively.  Standing up sleeping gave us the illusion of a plan-view that was used in Sydney Dance Company's  "Poppy" and  the musical version of "Hairspray".  As each performer held the top of the hammock above their heads the sense of  swinging was immediate.  Riley Nottingham's timing was terrific particularly when leaning on the bench and sliding forward.

Sam Marzden was terrific as "The Skipper" and paid homage to Alan Hale Jnr with his moves and facial expressions and vaudevillian antics.  At times his voice sounded similar, and his characterisation was not an impersonation but an honest portrayal of the essence of "The Skipper".  His performance was beautifully understated as it could have been hammed up.

At first I thought that Thurston Howel the Third and Mrs Lovey Howell played by Joshua Monaghan and Lauren Jimmieson were too young for the roles.  They are twenty to thirty years too young for the roles, but wow they both did a terrific job of capturing these wonderfully flamboyant characters.  Sadly the costumes for them did not do their performances justice as the costumes lacked the classiness of their characters.  In particular the yellow dress and green stockings for Mrs Lovey Howell looked ridiculous and tacky.  Joshua Monaghan was cartoon-esque with his make-up, but his facial expressions, twitches and tones channeled the immortal Jim Backus.  His soft shoe dance was a bit heavy and needs more vaudevillian lightness and ease.  Lauren Jimmieson captured the glamorous spirit of Natalie Schafer.

The movie star, Ginger Grant played Alexia Brinsley captured the essence with her moves, though her vocals lacked the huskiness of Tina Louise.  Her audience participation was terrific.

Kaya Byrne captured the pedantic nature as the Professor Roy Hinkley.  Upon entering the theatre he remained focused on the stage correcting items rather than interacting with the audience which was a fabulous touch. He channeled Russell Johnson throughout, and his song "The Professor's Lament" was a fine solo where he resisted hamming up.
  

Molly Fisher as farm girl, Mary Ann Summers not only looked like Dawn Wells but sang like an angel.  Her duet with Gilligan was terrific as they captured the innocence of the 1960's youth.  Molly Fisher's characterisation was sincere, honest and solid. Her exit trying to emulate Ginger Grant's swaying hips was awkward, and hilariously funny.  She absolutely nailed this role and won so many hearts.

Director, James Cutler achieved a good job from this fine cast as they captured the essence of the television show and 1960's.  The quick sand antics were well staged, as was the sense of distances beyond.  James Cutler should be proud that he elicited so many fine performances from such average material.

Sadly some of the costumes by Jodi Hope did not work for the Howells as they lacked sophistication and class, while those for Ginger and Mary Ann were sensational as they differentiated the types of characters.  The costumes for the other cast members worked well.  

Musical Direction by Xavier McGettigan led a competent band.  Some of the individual singing was a little off at times and was not disconcerting as they nailed the essence of each character.  The harmonies were basic and generated a sing-a-long atmosphere.

Choreography by Kai Mann-Robertson was fun and particularly strong in the opening sequence.  The "Hieroglyphics" trio with Gilligan, "The Skipper" and Professor in Act One was fabulous, though some moves lacked definition and could have been executed with more precision.   "Gilligan's Island The Musical" originated in a demo-recording 1980 and preceded the stage musical version of "Mary Poppins the muscial" that included a similar gestural showstopper  "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".

Lighting Design by Rob Sowinski created definite locations and atmospheres.  He captured the moods of the television show and transported us back in time.

Set and Props Design by Adam (Gus) Powers was terrific, as he created that knock-about-quality of make-shift improvisation that were functional and effective.   The bamboo stage reminded me of the Hamlet episode from the television show.   Memories of that theatrical episode flooded back upon entering the theatre.  To have a stage upon a stage was a clever move as it highlighted the switching mediums of stage musical from a television show.   My favourites included the vaudevillian signage, the hammocks and back-scratcher hand. The classic prop of using sheets used as curtains still makes me laugh as to why a three hour cruise would carry so many items.  This was pure simple genius that captured the simplicity of the television show.  The suitcases could have looked a bit more battered around but that also adds to the ridiculousness of the show.  I really look forward to watching the career of this fine designer, and remember his name: Adam (Gus) Powers!

The cast and crew of  "Gilligan's Island The Musical" should be very proud of their efforts as they worked wonders with some very ordinary material.

This company should consider other iconic television show musicals as in "Beverly Hillbillies The Musical" by Theatre at the Centre that premiered in Munster, Indiana in August 2014.

"Gilligan's Island The Musical" obtained a 6.5/10.

Reefer Madness, RL Productions, Chapel Off Chapel, Tuesday November 29th 2016

"Reefer Madness",  RL Productions, Chapel Off Chapel, Tuesday November 29th 2016

"Reefer Madness" was presented at Chapel Off Chapel by RL Productions.  We saw the Tuesday November 29th 2016 performance.

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.

Buying tickets for "Reefer Madness"via the Chapel Off Chapel website was easy enough.  They offer good value tickets for lesser known works and usually with reasonable quality casts.

The programme for "Reefer Madness" was $5.00 and very good value.  I am impressed that they are one of the few shows at Chapel Off Chapel to heed my feedback and print the year of the show on the cover of their programme.  The song list is laid out in a legible font.  Some of the cast and crew biographies need to be edited to provide a more mature outline of their experience.

Sadly there is only one small paragraph that mentions RL Productions.  I found their website and Facebook page.  We had seen their production of "Crossroads" and were very impressed with it.

Stephen Wheat directed "Reefer Madness" and at times it shone.  Otherwise, it dragged and was not as funny as it could have been.  The humour was laboured and very cartoon-esque with no resemblance of any movie characters from the 1930's.  The cast tried too hard with the material.

My favourite moments were the Placard Girl played by Priscilla Stavou as this was the role that was most in keeping with the era.  Sometimes the placards were shown in such a fleeting or brief fashion and were missed by some members of the audience. I loved how she was shy in her delivery and this could have been developed to show her aspirations to become a a Follies girl, or more vaudevillian in their delivery.  I yearned for more "Follies" or vaudevillian delivery.  (Think "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Ziegfeld Girl" movies!)

My other favourite aspect was the choreography by Yvette Lee.  There was a lot of work involved and the cast moved with precision and accuracy.  The opening of Act Two was particularly strong choreographically with the various modes of transport incorporated into the movements: driving, running, sailing, train, flying etc.  This was assisted by the cartoon-cut-out props to add to the humour. The quick scene with the rickshaw was a highlight, particularly with Ed Deganos doing the hard leg work.  This whole scene reminded me of "She's a nut" from "On the 20th Century".

I also loved the "Dick Tracy" style poses with the performers in their trench-coats.  Yvette Lee is a choreographer to watch in the future with her eye for detail and her ability to train all the performers to a very slick and competent level.

Yvette Lee has choreographed one of the tightest ensembles I have seen in years for a musical.

Singing varied in ability.  The two leads let us down with the flat singing during the Act One final duet of "Reefer Madness".

The ensemble finale was the richest harmonies heard.  Sadly we did not hear enough of these harmonies.

The transitions between scenes were laboured and needed to be snappy.

Lighting Design by Jason Bovaird captured the essence of the show.  His lighting was most effective in the chase scene using the strobe effects.  It is a shame that the staging during the strobe sequence did not maximise the effect by slowing down the action a bit more to enhance the humour of a silent movie. At times I was frustrated that the lighting design was marred by the lateness of some of the lighting cues.  I do not think this was intentional.  I am curious if the first entrance of Jimmy Harper missing his spot was intentional.  I admired Ben Adams who played Jimmy Harper for holding his stance - so forthright during the Lecturer's introductions as it set the tone for his character.

The sound at times was clunky with the cues not being picked up and we heard a few words at normal volume before the microphones kicked in.

The band played well under the direction of David Wisken, but sounded very electronic.  It would have been good to have more of a 1930's sound.

It was a fun night but could have been funnier.  The cast and director need to watch more 1930's films to capture the honesty and naivety of their performances to capture the era, rather than trying to send it up.  I have watched many 1930's films and can be instantly transported to a time and place.  Here it was as if I was watching a group of very talented performers trying way too hard to be funny.

The actors needed to find sincerity and a connection with their characters rather than playing two dimensional solo performances.  This would have made it funnier.

There were no bad performances, but there were stand out moments.  I felt there was a lack of connection between many of the characters.  The show seemed to be an array of many soloists showcasing their moments - except during the choreographed dance sequences where they came together as an ensemble.

Jimmy Harper was played by Ben Adams as the young man who becomes addicted to marijuana.  He played many levels of his mania and mostly sang well.  His character was the most believable from a 1930's film perspective, though I would have liked more connection with the other characters.

Mary Lane played by Grace O'Donnell-Clancy as a larger than life character.  Though cartoon-esque in style both the main leads needed more realism to make it funnier.

The Act One final duet between which was flat by both.

Sally played by Phoebe Coupe, reminded me a little of Bette Davis from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" or Gloria Swanson as  Norma Desmond from "Sunset Boulevard".

The "Spaghetti Western" delayed violence between Jack Stone (Jared Bryan) and Mae (Rosa McCarty) obtained consistent laughs.  Sadly this type of delayed sequence was not used during other opportunities to provide for more sight gags by other characters.

Stephen McDowell ably played Ralph.  His simple make-up and physicality gave his character more realism.

Sally's Baby was brilliantly sung and acted by Alex Thompson.

James Cutler as the Lecturer played many small roles throughout.  The opening sequence sets the tone for the show, though it needs some tweaking to maximise the effect.  He grew as a performer with his other characters.  James Cutler  sang well and channelled Robert Preston as Harold Hill warning students with "The Truth".  Some may question the relevance with the conman antics of Harold Hill warning residents with the song "Trouble" from "The Music Man".

Ed Deganos as Jesus was hanging on a crucifix attached to a removalist's trolley.  Visually a strong joke and he made the most of it.

Seth Drury as an ensemble member channelled the Keystone Cops with his height and dead pan gaze. More could have been done to channel the movement of the Keystone Cops during chase scene.

The costumes were fun, particularly the men's jacquard socks and v-neck vest looked terrific to capture the 1930's, the ladies' costumes were a little too contemporary but still gave the impression it was a high school production.

Set design by Simon Coleman was simple and effective allowing for the dual role of being a High School production -  and a show within a show.  The little touches of the red curtain not fully closing and the window shutters not closing fully may not have been intentional - but they worked to highlight the high school set construction.

There were so many contemporary references made within Yvette Lee's choreography.  I liked the Matthew Bourne "Swan Lake" triangle in the finale and the Bob Fosse hands from "Pippin" when the reefers were all presented through the red curtain.  The zombie type characters referenced all of the sci-fi television shows and had aspects of "Carrie" the musical.

Sadly the sight lines in Row F impede the view in the downstage area.  There needs to be a metre gap between the front row and the stage to allow for a better view.  It is not just me as two couples behind me had to move to empty side seats for a better view!

"Reefer Madness" was written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney and preceded the brilliant "Heathers"  which has a book by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe.  It was terrific to see this earlier work to compare how the writing had grown musically and dramatically.

I look forward to seeing more work from this company.  It excites me to see so much talent in Melbourne presenting so many rare works.

Overall this production obtains a 6.5/10.

Titanic - The Musical, Stage Art, Chapel Off Chapel, Sunday July 10th 2016

Titanic - The Musical, Stage Art, Chapel Off Chapel, Sunday July 10th 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.

James Cutler the director has created a superb version of "Titanic - The Musical" by Stage Art, at Chapel Off Chapel.  "Titanic" was the 1997 Tony Award winning Broadway musical.  I had tickets when it was being staged in Melbourne after its Sydney season did not tour.  I have seen footage of the opening number on Broadway and was eager to see how they would stage this musical with a reduced cast playing multiple roles.

Well I came home and bought tickets for another viewing it was so good.  My comments of the second viewing are at the end of this review.

The set was a raked stage with an ocean of space to allow for entrances and exits.  The chairs were brought on in the first scene and placed on either side as in a Greek chorus.  We too are the voyeurs and observers of this tragedy. Set design by Simon Coleman, Robbie Carmellotti and James Cutler provided us a floating stage to create depth for both the different class of passengers and when required for the ocean.

The main thing I did not like was the lack of clarity in the projections.  These projections reminded me of the entrance hall to the "Titanic" exhibition both in Melbourne and to a lesser extent the shorter hallway used in the Las Vegas version.  In these exhibitions there was clarity with the projections and the times but in the theatre they were sometimes hard to see against the white outline of the ship's portholes etc.  The second viewing consolidated these thoughts.

The lighting by Giancarlo Salamanca created the haunting effects required to build the tension.  The blasts were simple and effective.  The second viewing confirmed the simplicity of the lighting design to emphasise the emotional tragedy.

Sound Design by Marcello Lo Ricco created such realistic sound effects and reminded me of "Sensurround" used first in the movie "Earthquake" in 1974.  The first time the sound effects are used made the audience all sit up and take note, as they did on the second viewing.

Costume design by Lucy Laurtia imbued the period, though some of the characters did not look as polished as they should - with some ill-fitting uniforms for the male cast.  The ill fitting uniforms were more noticeable on the second viewing and detracted from the quality performers ability to hold their credibility.

I had tears rolling down my face during the farewells and loading of the first class passengers scene.  The truth and sincerity of these actors was breathtaking.  See below for my note on the second viewing.

Musical direction by Kent Ross was terrific.  The singing was melodious and rich as the band played superbly.  There was maybe one or two bung notes in this hugely sung through musical.  The harmonies were sensational and when the whole cast sang - the harmonies were rich and sublime.

The opening number had the passengers come in via the aisles.  This created a sense of excitement as we could only just see them, as they were trying to see this new liner.  Plus the aisles were dressed with ropes and luggage to provide the audience the experience of boarding the liner too.

The hitting of the iceberg left me with a shudder.   The second viewing had me watching how the cast created this moment. 

The "Wake up" announcement to each class of passengers was stirring - with  Henry Etches (Christopher Southall) and Adam Di Martino as a Bellboy on either side of the stage moving to each cabin.  Their door knocking did not have the humour of "The Book of Mormon"!  These superb performers were doing their duty to rouse passengers and also to keep calm.  Their disquiet created superb tension.  This built the tension for the final farewell hug with the captain.

The Third Class (or rats) were caged animals and the use of cast to create a barrier both physically and with four chairs was visually confronting.  The second viewing had my attention more as how the director drew our attention so quickly from the First Class passengers to the Third Class.  This was such a clever and simple transition that has me in awe of James Cutler's skill.

Some of the chairs were used to create the lifeboats.  I had tears rolling down my face during the farewells and  loading of the first class passengers onto the life boats during "To the lifeboats/We'll meet tomorrow".  There was honesty in the depth of respect for these characters by the actors.  The truth and sincerity of these actors was breathtaking.

The boats were lowered.  The wailing and crying was truly disturbing.  The lifeboat sailed away by means of the actors carrying their chairs and solemnly filing across downstage and out into the foyer. Another simple and powerful device to transport us back in time to these historic events.

Three men were left standing on deck.    There was so much happening in this silence and stillness  It is probably the most powerful silence I have ever seen staged in over 51 years of attending theatre - you could hear a pin drop.  The stillness went on for a long period of time and the pauses between the three men's short dialogues were palpable.  They created an honest sense of futility and despair.  The cigarette smoking and trying to make sense of their final hours was gut wrenching.  My heart was pounding at these three men realising and contemplating their fate.

The (deck) chairs falling overboard into the moat around the stage created a sense of realism. The sliding and scrambling up the raked stage was so simple and desperate.  The hanging on to the sides of the ship and each passenger losing their grip and falling into the Atlantic was so simple and so effective.  It goes to show that good theatre does not always need expensive and flashy sets.

Choreography by Rhys Velasquez created a feel for the 1912 era with the dance exhibition/class and more attention to social etiquette of the period was needed.  The second viewing shows how appropriate Rhys Velasquez choreographed this sequence.  I still agree that some of the social manners needed refinement.

The acting and singing overall varied, which highlighted those who had a more detailed characterisation.   One of the stand out performances included Don Winsor as Thomas Andrews the engineer who commanded our attention.  

Casey Withoos as Alice Beane desperately wanted to be in First Class while embarrassing her husband Edgar Beane played by Harley Morrison.  Both these fine actors worked well to create tension in their relationship, including their separation.

Henry Etches was played superbly by Christopher Southall.  He was respectful of his duties and his position to the end.  

Joel Granger as Harold Bride, the radio operator was sensational in his portrayal of the various dramatic levels of this role.

Paul Batey as the Captain E.J. Smith sang with his rich baritone voice though need more physical authority in his demeanour.  Sadly his uniform was ill fitting which is unforgivable by the costume department.

The three Kate's worked well together and provided lush female harmonies during "Ladies Maid".   They emphasised the hopes and dreams of new immigrants with sincerity and no hint of sycophancy. Their honesty highlighted the complex contemporary issues of boat people. 

Adam Di Martino as a Bellboy sang beautifully during "Wake Up, Wake Up" with Henry Etches played superbly by Christopher Southall.  His farewell hug with the captain left me with a lump in my throat at both performances highlighting the fragility of youth.

James Brown made a marked impression as William Murdoch.  His final scene was simple and theatrically strong with the use of the chairs to make a sound effect and the illusion was stylistically disturbing. His exit was into the lit aisle - as if meeting his maker.

Sam Bennet provided depth to his performance by visually and vocally differentiating his various characterisations.  His attention to characterisation detail is admirable.

Some of the characters were two dimensional for example Lady Caroline played by Greta Sherriff as she was too busy physically. This stood out against her lower class boyfriend who appeared more physically First Class with his stature and demeanour.  If the director chose this clashing of cultural backgrounds - I am afraid it did not work.  The Lady Caroline character needed more stillness.  The second viewing saw a more composed Lady Caroline.

Some of the posturing prior to beginning a song was a little contrived rather than characters physically flowing into songs.  There is a marked difference with those characters who needed to physically prepare a singer's stance rather than using their character's physicality.  This was less so on the second viewing.

There were very few props with the luggage, trunks and cases carried on and left upstage to create a sense of atmosphere.  A bell was used while a turned up suitcase was used for the Marconi morse code radio machine. .  All other props were mimed - of which some made sense but there needed more attention to detail when glasses or canapes were on one tray, and how glasses suddenly disappeared.  Some of the miming was clear and at other times bizarre and weird.  For example all of a sudden a glass would disappear and not be put down.  More attention was needed.

An odd choice was the use of four different angles for the radio/telegraph room.   Firstly, we were introduced to Harold Bride played by Joel Granger  using two trunks to create a desk en-face. Secondly he was sitting with the two trunks sideways to the audience covering his left ear.  Thirdly during the look-out scene Harold Bride was singing a duet downstage centre with Frederick Fleet played sensationally by Alex Thomson. Finally Harold Bride was sitting in the moat on stage right with a spotlight focused on him.  Maybe this choice was to show his position compared to where the captain was located.  But here he was lost amongst the action - albeit I am grateful for the spotlight as I was searching for him during this scene.  I would be interested to see the later three scenes using the same two trunks en-face perspective for clarity and consistency.

The second viewing emphasised the side on perspective highlighted the listing of the liner.

The rich anthem "Godspeed Titanic" is reprised during the finale with marvellous harmonies.  The curtain calls were simple and very enthusiastically cheered and applauded by the appreciative audience.   Sadly a few front row audience members could not wait for the cast to clear the aisle before they left.  Thankfully the second viewing had a more respectful audience.

I was disappointed that a young man in the centre of D Row turned on his mobile phone while the band were finishing the show in darkness.  This was not only a d lighting distraction but this young man missed the poignancy and accuracy of this immortalised band - playing to their death.

I wrote the following on my Facebook page immediately after the first viewing:

We saw "Titanic - the musical" and have waited since 1997 to see a production in Melbourne.  It is so good we are going again.  Already booked our tickets.  The staging is so simple and effective with the small orchestra placed in the centre of the raked stage .  The raked stage is haunting as we know how it all ends.  The way they use the chairs is like how they used them so creatively in "The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol" by Theatre de Complicite.  Terrific singing, acting and staging.  A highlight for the 2016 theatre season.

Our second viewing:  "Titanic - The Musical" , Stage Art, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday July 23rd 2016 we had exactly the same seats.  Overall watching the musical again gave an opportunity to savour the good aspects of this production.  The particularly clever aspect was watching the use of the chairs in every scene that made more sense.  I think some reviewers need to see a show a second time in order to understand the depth of thought that went into the use of these chairs.  

Sadly during the long opening a man in F Row on the aisle kept playing with his mobile phone.  It was so distracting from my peripheral vision I jumped out of my seat at the end of the opening and signalled to him to turn it off.  The audience members gasped that I did this but I am sure were appreciative that he would no longer be flashing his large screen.

Another sad moment was the falling down the stairs of Casey Withoos who played Alice Beane opposite Harley Morrison as Edgar Beane.  They had just completed an emotionally charged scene with sincerity and poignancy.  Her fall down the stage right stairs added to the drama.  The stage manager called "Stop" and they checked on Casey Withoos to see that she was all right physically and emotionally to continue.  Casey Withoos was embarrassed and curtsied acknowledgement and thanks to the thunderous round of applause. This fall shows the potential danger that performers are subject to at every performance and the potential distractions of mobile phones flashing in the audience.  I do hope that Casey Withoos is physically and emotionally okay as she gave a terrific performance on both viewings.

Lady Caroline was played Greta Sherriff with less posturing physically and more naturally a First Class passenger travelling in Second Class.  Charles Clarke was played by Mathew Hyde with at least three different accents at this viewing.

The final scene with Isidor and Ida Straus was played more tenderly and affectionately by and Barry Mitchell and Amanda Stevenson.  This time they had more connection to their 40 year relationship and I had tears rolling down my eyes at their honest love and concern for each other.  Their final interaction with the stoic Etches was played reliably and consistently by the Christopher Southall. This young man is a force to be reckoned with and I look forward to seeing more of his artistry.

The loading of passengers onto the life boats was equally moving as the first viewing, but I winced to try to work out what was different this time.  I thought there was one man short on the life boat and I think J. Bruce Ismay played by Jon Sebastian missed this life boat as I recall thinking "Where is Ismay?"  My partner had the same thought when we debriefed after the show.

The couple's farewell with the baby was very moving.  This was played as well on both occasions by Alex Thompson and Rosabelle Elliott.  I remember the cries and despair of the cast - especially the wails of Molly Fisher  as Kate Murphy and the desperation of Alice Beane played by Casey Withoos. Very moving.

On this second viewing I grew to like the various locations of the radio room as when the ship was listing, the sideways perspective added to the visual tension of the Titanic sinking.

Paul Batey played the Captain E.J. Smith with more authority on this viewing.  The ill fitting uniform for the Captain took away from his authority.  Though Paul Batey is not physically accurate to the more rotund actual person he sang with great aplomb.

Overall I thought the second viewing provided an opportunity to see how robust the staging stood.  I do not think that James Cutler the director wasted a moment of directional opportunities given the designs.

The first viewing received a 9/10 while the second viewing received an 8.5/10 due to few inconsistent performances.

Note to Stage Art producers:  Please honour the discounted offer to "The Colour Purple' for all performances as the card had no restrictions on dates.  Next time please make sure you put restrictions on any advanced booking offers handed out by the ushers.

Parade, 45 Downstairs, Thursday September 25th 2014

Parade, 45 Downstairs, Thursday September 25th 2014

"The Collective" is a new theatre company that presented the Jason Robert Brown award winning musical "Parade" at "fortyfive downstairs" theatre.

For those new to my blog, I pay for my own seats and I do not retell the story. If you want the story click on one of the links to the title.  I write from a holistic experience of attending the theatre. I also provide lots of links for you to follow if you want further information. Some of the links may appear to be same but there could be a different link for example "Parade" may direct you to the Broadway site or to another site.

Congratulations to the company for presenting this rarely performed work and marking its Australian professional premiere.  We have just come back from seeing 16 shows in Chicago and New York and my partner thought this was the best of all of the shows he had seen this year.

"Parade"  is a thought provoking work that is based on true events of 1913 and these themes are as relevant today and,  sadly, will be relevant in the future.

This ensemble cast of 14 bring to live the story through their commitment to story telling and their skill as performers.

The traverse stage had the audience sitting in four long rows on opposite sides of the central stage.  This type of staging worked very well except for the four columns supporting the building which impeded our view.  Sitting in the back row centre had a good view of the central area, but it was particularly annoying as the columns blocked our view of the two ends of the staging area.  The traverse stage worked well to create the sense of a street and we were watching a parade go by. At one end there was a raised area with the Confederate Flag  hanging.  While at the other end loomed the ominous tree that Leo Frank would be strung from.

Queuing up, (or rather down) the stairs is so much like attending an Off Broadway show in the Lower East Side of New York.  This venue has safer stairs and more toilets than in most Off or Off/Off Broadway Theatres.

The bar was decorated with the Confederate Flag to continue the theme.

What I did not like was not being able to buy a programme and read it prior to the show.  Yes, they had one hanging at the ends of a row of seats and one posted on wall.  But it got crowded trying to read the programme on the wall.  I had to wait until I got home to print up my own copy and it did not look as good as if it were professionally printed and bound.

The story has many parallels with Jesus Christ which was also made into the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar."  There appeared at times to be similarities with the persecution of Leo Frank to Jesus Christ and other characters were similar to the Pontius Pilot and Herod characters.

"Parade" is so rich in many layers of story telling and I would thoroughly recommend adding the cd to your collection.  The actual Parade is meant to occur three times to juxtapose the story.  I thought the visual parade was only clear at the start.  The memorial parades are meant as a counter point to the tragic story and are also meant to serve as a release of the tension to allow the slow build up to the climatic conclusion.

Direction by James Cutler was so focused and rich in developing the story.  He also provided us with so many wonderfully seamless transitions between scenes.  This no doubt was a collaborative effort with the designers and choreographer David Harford.  It did not feel like "and this is the dance part" of the show.  The movement and dances were in keeping with the period and David integrated these into the musical.  Not being perfectly danced added to the honesty of the performances.

With a reduced cast of 14, playing multiple characters caused a bit of confusion with the audience at times.  Clearer delineation of characterisations and costumes, posture and voice would solve this.

Musical direction by Cameron Thomas led his orchestra to play this magnificent score with the right amount of balance to juxtapose between the sombre and the celebratory.

I cannot applaud this production highly enough.  Though I would be remiss in not mentioning some key performances:

Luigi Lucente as Leo Frank was sublime.  I do not say this lightly.  His commitment to the character of Leo Frank transported us into his nightmare journey.  Vocally rich and emotionally connected at all times to his character.  He was Leo Frank. 

Laura Fitzpatrick as Lucille Frank pursued an honesty with her stressful situation to support her husband.  Her connection with Leo allowed us into both of their inner turmoils surrounding their tragic situation. You cannot separate the connection between their union.

Cameron Macdonald was sheer magic as the journalist Britt Craig.  He had made solid and defined choices about his character and these could carry in a huge 2000 seat theatre.   Though  I felt Cameron's brilliant performance needed a bit more support with costume or colour changes to differentiate between his Britt Craig and Governor Jack Slaton character (as some people thought Britt Craig had been promoted to Governor.)  I think they should have had two actors playing these two important roles as in the original Broadway cast.

Luigi Lucente and Cameron Macdonald's characterisation and immersion in their roles are some of the best I have seen this year other than Dave Thomas Brown in "Heathers."

Congratulations for presenting this fine work with such a talented cast.  I look forward to supporting your ventures in the future.