Bodytorque - DNA June 18 2014

Bodytorque - DNA June 18 2014

State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne.

This is the first time that the Australian Ballet has presented their Bodytorque season in Melbourne. The theme this year was DNA and five works were presented with varying degrees of success.

"CORPUS CALLOSUM" choreographed by Richard Cilli with music by James Wade and costumes by Monica Morales was easily the highlight of the evening.

This piece had the best flow and segues between movements.  Visually it made sense like an animated science explanation of DNA.  The groupings and relationships created a variety of shapes and images.  At times it was like we were looking under a microscope with the ripple effect of moves.

This work seemed to be the most polished of the evening with their precision and finish to the choreography. It did not appear to be just a series of impressive groupings or tricks but instead showed us a depth of choreographic understanding to keep the audience intrigued.

"I CANNOT KNOW" with  choreography and costume design by Joshua Consandine  and music by  George Lentz showcased an Alice In Wonderland style adventure.  Starting in silence before the main curtain our "Alice" type character reveals a galaxy of moving images.  They could be stars, moons or comets.  It was like a variation of the above animated science explanation of DNA, each moving in their own unique manner.

The dancers wore beautiful black and sparkling unitards which glistened against the blue lit back curtain.  These costumes made an instant impact that wanted you to watch these bodies move.

The choreography varied at times and really showcased the dancer's strengths.  This was evident in Chengwu Guo's brilliantly executed and explosive jetes and sautes.   Yes it made you sit up and take notice that he created dynamic shifts in attention but to the detriment that his impressive solos were jarring and incongruent to the rest of the choreography. 

I loved the partner work and worry there is not always a natural flow to create the final beautiful image of various challenging lifts.  Some of the lifts or images are created at the expense of the choreography.  What I really admire is the ability of Joshua Consandine to create such innovative lifts and images.

"SAME VEIN" choreography and costume design by Alice Topp with music by Sergei Rachmaninov began with a soloist toying with a pair of antlers and creating various images.

The media artist Brendan Harwood provided a swirling kaleidoscope of images.  This to me was where the real dancing occurred and distracted from the physical dancers.  I thought there was too much reliance on the multi media as at times it was hard to see the dancers against the rear backdrop and due to the lighting design.

The "fluffy" costumes were impracticable as "fluff "was falling off and could be dangerous if a dancer slipped on them.  These costumes were designed for impact and not for the rigours of dance wear.

The stillness moments or freezes were shaky and needed more composure.  This was the work that I thought needed more refinement to the choreography - when I  could see it against the competing multi-media backdrop.

Act Two began with "CONTROL" choreographed by Richard House and music by Gabriel Faure and costumes by Kat Chan.  This was supported by Graham Silver's lighting design of green spotlights and white fluorescent lights that created a pulse and a dance of images.

This work showed us variations of what is to be in control and when out of control.  It was like a visualisation of Martin Seligman's master work "What You Can Change and What You Can't."  I loved how one partner controlled the other in off-balance positions.  It showed the reliance on each of the dancers.  This was evident in the over-extended pointe-work and the exaggerated shifts in their centre of balance.

The men wore black shorts while the women wore black leotards with various designs. The most impressive costume was Ingrid Gow's costume that had a horizontal cream stripe across her upper chest and a stripe down the  side of her body. The choreography seemed to be made to highlight this costume superbly.  The most impressive image was when her stripes were highlighted in a seamless extension of her arabesque penche en-pointe.  They showed to great dramatic effect - either the strip on her chest or along her side depending on whether she was in epaulment or not.  The lines were perfect and the image is imbedded in my mind.  Even though the other women's costumes looked great, it was a shame that they did not create such a holistic image in concert with the choreography. 

I thought this piece was so well rehearsed and danced beautifully with poise, grace and respect for their partner.

"EXTRO" choreography and costume design by Timothy Harbour was danced to harpsichord music by Henrik Mikolaj Gorecki.   This work was like a ballet class with enchaiments joined together with some linking phrases. 

At times, due to some of the groupings, this reminded me of a ballet class version of the "Jets" and "Sharks" from "West Side Story."  Also with the repeated and explosive developpe with arms through fourth  reminded me of the opening sequence of the above movie.   This overused phrase had wrists flapping inconsistently with both the men and the women.

This piece was like a historical musical visualisation by Ruth St Dennis.  The men seemed to be like Ted Shawn with their crawling positions.  The men seemed to be the introverts when they were in the crouching and crawling positions similar to Hofesh Shechtor's "Political Mother."

The harpsichord music and the groupings reminded me both the music of Phillip Glass' and the frantic pace of Twyla Tharps' "In The Upper Room."

The finale image was powerful with the support of the focused triangular shaped lighting was like an advertisement for "So You Think You Can Dance Australia."

 I enjoyed this work though felt it could do with some refining and polish of some arm positions and purity of group line formations.

Overall, three out of five good works and two that need a bit of work. 

Let us hope that Bodytorque is a regular event that is shown in more cities annually.  This will give an opportunity for these new works to be seen by more audiences and give the dancers an opportunity to showcase new choreographers.  I think that Bodytorque should be a part of the Australian Ballet's season and would be the perfect vehicle for a second arm to their touring arm.

 

 

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.

Chroma Australian Ballet June 11 2014

Chroma Australian Ballet June 11 2014

I saw The Australian Ballet perform "Chroma" and must say it is one of the best contemporary mixed bills I have ever seen.  They danced the very difficult "Chroma" by Wayne McGregor with great skill and artistry.  The undulating ripples of the upper body puts a lot on the dancer's core.  Still in awe of their terrific agility and technique. 

Stephen Baynes' new work "Art To Sky" I felt paid homage to John Cranko because of his group formations and pas de deux.  The lighting plot was sensitive and highlighted his choreography without dominating.

Jiri Kylians' works never seem to fail and it was great to see "Petit Morte" and "Sechs Tanze" again.  The control and skill of the men with their swords was near perfection as they had to swing, roll and flip and  these inanimate partners. The "hide and seek" reveal of the black curtain exposed a few dancers and lost some of the magic when you know that it can be done seamlessly to appear like a magic trick.  The second time was better when the girls and the swords disappeared.  Not a quibble but admiration to show these dancers are creating magic with their dedication to their art.

"Sech Tanze" is such a fun work and they had the audience in the palm of their hand.

 The tallest male in "Petit Mort" who deserves special mention as his partnering skills were impeccable.  He had such control of his partner and handled her like a delicate rose as if he were not only the florist arranging her but also the vase to showcase her.  I think it is Charles Thompson but apologies as he was the tallest man in this ballet.  He is a male to watch in the future.  I hope he does not just get used for the huge "lugging and lifting" ballets were they need the strongest to carry the woman.  This young man deserves more than that with his magnificent technique.

Give me a contemporary mixed bill any time as you get more dancing per minute than a narrative ballet.  Congratulations to The Australian Ballet.  Hopefully you will bring back "Caravans" by Louise Falco and also pay homage to Ross Stretton, Gailene Stock and Kelvin Coe who danced it originally in Australia.

 

Pilobolus - Shadow Land

Pilobolus - Shadow Land

I saw "Shadow Land" by Pilobolus Dance Theater at The State Theatre on Saturday May 31st 2014 and loved it. For those who have not booked in other Australian cities I recommend it.

It was great to see such a diverse audience last night and they loved it.

What used to be Melbourne Festival fare has now educated audiences to have this as a mainstream dance event. Well done to the producers as I have waited since 1977 to see them live in Melbourne, and I was not disappointed.

This is the first full length work by Pilobolus.  They are an athletic group of dancers who combine so many elements of gymnastics, dance, theatre, shadow-play, and shadow puppetry to create a visual feast.  It is like a dance version of the "The Black Theatre of Prague" that I have seen three times. 

Forget the story as it is so basic and familiar to you already.  It is more like a dreamscape. Let the story wash over you like a hallucinogenic.  A teenage girl longs for her independence and prepares for bed.   She wakes to see her shadow and travels on a journey of discovery.  She turns into a Dog Girl.

If "Shadow Land" was produced in the late 1960s or early 1970s  it would have audiences synthetically marvelling as they did with the film "2001 A Space Odyssey."

I agree with Chloe Smethurst from The Age newspaper (May 31st 2014, page 39) who called the narrative "clunky."  Yes - so what?  Don't worry about the story - enjoy their skill and artistry to create a piece of physical theatre. It is like a bad nightmare. Nothing new here.  So what!

The skill and timing of the dancers is sublime.  Blink and you may miss a visual treat.  Sometimes I had to look twice to recognise some of the images, like those "perception tests" that can be used by Human Resources Departments.

I loved the variety of the segues between scenes.  They used fade- ins, framing techniques, rolling in and out, lighting techniques, screens revolving, and dance to seamlessly direct our attention where it should be.

The circus/freak-show sequence reminded me of a poor cousin to "Pippin" which is currently playing on Broadway (and should play here.)  What Pilobolus performed in this sequence was not the strongest choreographic aspect of the show.  It seemed like a string of tricks to showcase the individual performers that was in keeping with the story.

One of my favourite scenes was the Dog Girl riding in the car with the scenery passing before our eyes. Then they turned around they showed a different perspective of the same scene.  Always moving forward and not being static in their choreographic ideas.  I will not highlight each moment as that would spoil the fun of watching the hitchhiking Dog Girl's journey.

Watch the Dog Girl and how she uses her hands to create ears, tongues and other body parts.  It requires good balance and skill to also hold onto her swag and create two ears.  If she dropped that swag it would spoil the illusion.  Thankfully she does not spoil this illusion.

I loved the simple story and the transitions particularly in the opening sequences whereby we are educated as to how the effects and the shadow play will be produced.  They used two main screens with the larger screen being raised and lowered like a traditional theatre curtain while the smaller screen was wheeled forward and backwards and also used like a revolving stage set.  They also incorporate into the story a lesson in how the shadows are formed, and, how the dancers' location to the light source can determine the size and dynamics of the shadow.

They also used three mobile screens to create the illusion of the full moon passing and then the rising sun. The fluidity of the dancers carrying the  lights and the screens created another illusion of pure joy and simplicity.

The simple and effective use of two large cards to create V shape transitions was majestic.  I loved how you could see how the dancers created these illusions - if you knew where to look.  That is the secret - do not take your eyes off their every move.  Watch everything to see how the ensemble cast change roles from dancer to either puppeteer, lighting or props technician.

There were so many clever uses of lighting, props, staging and choreography.  The dancers were not only responsible to recreate the choreography of movement, but also of the entire set, costumes, props and lights.

The "steps over the backs of other dancers" sequence is such a cliche that was so often used by Sydney Dance Company and also very effectively with stools to climb mountains in "The Three Lives of Lucy Cabrol" (Theater de Complicite). But here we are witnessing one of the 20th Century originators/re-definers of the physical theatre.  Pilobolus are masters of the physical and pay homage to Balinese Shadow Puppets and also to Alwin Nikolais and his use of lights and costumes. ( I was so lucky to have witnessed Alwin Nikolais twice in 1986, and to now see his influence of dance and theatre on Pilobolus.)

I loved the sections broken up between the shadow theatre and the pure physical theatre.  This gave us a respite from just watching the shadow theatre so that we would appreciate their skill in bite size chunks.  They use the five second rule to their advantage.

The finale to the encore is obviously choreographed for each city that Pilobolus visits to the new anthem for New York City: "Empire State of Mind" by Alicia Keys.  It is a clever and memorable finish to personalise and to thank their host city.  It was great to see the cast spell out "Melbourne" with their bodies and hear a resounding cheer of recognition and appreciation from the audience.

I would love Pilobolus to create a short video of these "finale encores" of all of the cities they have visited.

It was  so refreshing to see a non-traditional-dance audience as the majority.  It seemed such a General Public audience and they loved it.  This goes to show that what was once avante-garde dance presented by the Melbourne Festival or Fringe Festival has paved the way to become standard programming fare. Television shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" have also educated audiences to what is possible in physical theatre. It also shows historically that Pilobolus have paved the way for other physical theatre companies like Cirque de Solei etc.

This show is now so accepted as mainstream fare and will hopefully pave the way for audiences to experiment and be tempted to see other contemporary dance companies and assist in the programming decisions at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

Bravo I say to Pilobolus for their dedication since 1971.

I hope you come back soon.

Check out Pilobolus website as they have an extensive touring programme and will be appearing at The Joyce Theater in NYC in July to August 10th 2014.

June 7 2014

"Strictly Ballroom" Review

"Strictly Ballroom" Review

Lyric Theatre Sydney

Thursday May 8th 2014

This review about "Strictly Ballroom" is more feedback about a quality work-in-progress musical than a review.  The reason is that the producers acknowledge that this is a journey in the making of a musical  and that they wish it to have international "legs".

I write this as feedback as I want this show to succeed internationally and appreciate that the producers work in a continuous improvement cycle.

"Strictly Ballroom" is one of my five favourite Australian movies and it is a brave venture to translate this into a full scale musical that completes a cycle of transformation from its origins at NIDA. I say brave as the film is so near perfection it is nearly sacrilege to want to taint its heart, soul and magic.

The story is the classic "Ugly Duckling" or "Cinderella" tale of transition from  ugly to beautiful, of non-acceptance to acceptance.  It is also about facing our fears and desires and treading the high wire in between.  The film is rich in characters that are larger than life and to translate these onto a stage to fill the back row of a 2000 seat theatre is a mammoth task.

I will highlight the aspects that I loved and those that I feel need more work.  As such an iconic film there are some magical moments that transfer to the large musical stage better than others.

This musical is an event.  The ushers in their exquisite uniforms looked straight out of a 1930s film.  This set the tone for a sense of occasion.

You entered the theatre to reveal a huge dance hall with walls full of the posters and banners from the ballroom dancing (dance sports) competition world.  This reminded me of the way that the original "The Rocky Horror Show "at the HSV Tele-theatre or "Follies" on Broadway created an atmosphere in the theatre.  The way the seats were colour coded into sections was a supreme effort of creating an event. Later we were to be cheering for our colour coded entrant on the stage.

The compere,  J.J.Silver was played with skill, humour and great timing by Mark Owen-Taylor.  He made announcements as the audience entered to take their seats.  This introduction created a genuine reality to a dance competition and allowed time for the audience to settle back into the mood and begin to concentrate on the show rather than be distracted by their mobile phones etc.  He immediately set the contractual relationship between the audience and the performers - an acknowledgment that the audience was present and going to witness a dance contest and that audience participation would be required at times.

I do feel that a "stooge" in each coloured area may have enhanced the experience of audience participation  as some sections of the audience were more reticent to get involved during the invited sections of the dance contests.  Maybe the audience could have had flags to raise or banners to raise at the appropriate times.

Make sure that you arrive early to the theatre to hear J.J.Silver's announcements.    

The opening sequence worked well and to establish what was to eventuate with Scott's non approved steps.  The major characters were all introduced to provide us a snapshot of what was to come. This created a build up and tension to Scott's illegal steps.

With television dance shows like  "So You Think You Can Dance" and other dance shows, audiences have been educated in thrilling and exciting choreography and dance acrobatics.  I would have liked the lighting to give more focus to Scott's unorthodox moves as they are not as spectacularly danced  as they were in the movie.  Scott played by Thomas Lacey has a superb singing voice and is an adequate dancer.   People will naturally compare him to Paul Mercurio and he looks the part.  At times his moves  appeared lacklustre and unimpressive rather than the dynamic and explosive, especially with the "rolling leaps" or "barrel turns".  By giving Scott the added support of the lighting will create the thrilling moment  as in the film.  (If in doubt compare these barrel turns to spectacular demonstrations by any of the finalists in "So You Think You Can Dance Australia). This enhancement is achieved in the finale when men carry him to create the famous slide from the film and again could do with some more lighting support.

The set up with Barrie Fife's entrance was timed with a good measure of both humour and terror, both musically and staging. I loved how the staging really sent itself up and was playful.

The set designs by Catherine Martin are magnificent and versatile. It reminded me of "Martin Guerre" in London but more clever in their execution as each time a truck was turned revealed another incantation of a possible set.  When I saw the cast move a truck three times showing three different angles to a location, and then remove the black glamorous  fabric I was in awe of the clever design.  The five trucks became one large set and then would later revolve or move up and downstage.  These trucks would become the interior and the exterior of the studio etc.  We would be given cinematic director angles of the dressing rooms, the doorways, stairs etc.

I loved how the musical sent itself up - particularly with the staging, choreography and dancing.  This was also supported by the costume designs that were either realistic, elegant or garish depending on the scenes and the characters.  The wigs were superbly cartoon-esque, especially for Barry Fife played by Robert Grubb.   Great design and construction to be able to endure eight shows a week.

I thought the Bob Baines as Les Kendall and Robert Grubb as Barry Fife honoured the film and created the larger-than-life characters.

The choreography by John O'Connell was creative and fun.  I felt the choreography was better than the execution by the dancers.  At times it looked as if the dancers were walking or "marking" through the routines.  By their tentative execution the dancers seemed not up to the task of the serious dance moves when required.  This was evident in the very unsynchronised and untidy six Russian men.  It did not support the dictator or military precision message in the "Dance To Win" number.  Also the Spanish postures were only obtained by about a third of the dancers in the finale to Act One.

Scott's mother, Shirley Hastings is played with great reverence by Heather Mitchell.  She has a great presence and her voice is congruent with the character. She manically performs  in the  "Happy Feet" sequence,  though I think her make-up is under done for the stage.  We should be able to see the cake layers and the powder should dust off her face. It should be tackier and heavier.  Her face is not craggy enough from L Row.

"Shooting Star" provides Scott the opportunity to show us his dedication to dance.  The sequence reminded me of "The Music and the Mirror" from "A Chorus Line."  Here I felt the lighting and the music supported Scott's dancing.  Thomas Lacey danced well in this sequence though he could show more texture in his light and shade of the choreography.

One of the most cherished sequences from the movie is "Time After Time" where Scott and Fran abandon to the rooftop to escape being seen by the father, Doug Hastings played admirably by Drew Forsyth.  Using the lyrics from the song  as a segue  into the melody was sublime.  This was poignantly counterpointed by Doug dancing solo in the studio below.  This was superbly designed with the set on the revolve.  The highlight to me was the sound design when the set would turn the sound would focus either on the rooftop or below in the studio.  A magical moment thankfully transported to the musical stage.  The song drifted off as it did in the film.  I did long for a more finite ending to give the audience a moment to really show our appreciation. I can understand by doing so the creative team did not want to block the flow of the story.

"The State Championships -Heavenly Pineapple"  sequence was too messy for my liking. The focus of the characters were not clearly delineated and the lighting and staging did not support this scene.   It seemed to jar too much with the previous sections of the show.  I liked the concept but the rhythms and lyrics jarred too much and it seemed like a rap song gone wrong with a mix of Gilbert Sullivan in a karaoke bar. It was corny and cute and I felt the audience cringe around me at this point and begin to turn off.  ( I equate this scene with the chase scene from "Newsies" as it was too quick in the musical version and did not give weight to the story as it did in the film.)

"Tina is Coming/Witches' Song" seemed messy and the lighting again did not support this scene to create a real sense of location.  The stage appeared flooded with light and Fran's exit should be humiliating .  Maybe a corridor of light for her exit could support this.  The two witches solos centre stage should be ditched or incorporated into the scene in the dressing room.  It was unnecessary as we know the three woman were all conspiring to prevent Fran from dancing with Scott.

When Fran played by Phoebe Panaretos  ran home she did not appear out of breath and her song seemed to be on one level - loud.  To me she did not appear upset, just yelling.  I wanted to hear more passion in her song.  She was growing in confidence from the earlier "Ugly Duckling" scenes but now the transition seemed too grating with her yelling her song.  There did not seem to be a build up of emotion as she could not have possibly been able to sing had she been running.  It lacked the credibility that Tara Morice had in this moment in the film.  This too me is one of the most important moments to recreate.

"A Life Lived in Fear" is an iconic moment that transferred beautifully on stage with the laughing at Scott's attempts at the Paso Doble.  Fran's father, Rico is played by Fernando Mira.  Here for the first time we see the finest display of dance in the musical. 

I am shocked that Antonio Vargas is cast as the understudy to the role of Rico.  I think it would be more respectful to have him credited as the alternate Rico.

A few of the dancers in this finale to Act One held the Spanish postures,  while others did not look proud, strong or authoritative enough with their chests, shoulders and arms.  Mike Snell as an ensemble member seemed to strike the strong Spanish posture.

We were  also introduced to Abuela played exquisitely by Natalie Gamsu.  Her voice was rich, melodic and passionate.

There was a degree of tension at the end of this act and more tension was required.

Act Two:

I particularly loved the opening of Act Two which I felt was a very simple and perfectly choreographed routine that had to balance the safety of two audience members with the entertainment value for the audience.  The way the dancers gently persuaded the two audience members was achieved with great skill, aplomb and communication.  The ballroom gown and the tail coat were a great addition.  John O'Connell achieved a visually entertaining and fool proof, riotously funny opener to Act Two. 

The staging of Scot's entrance as the audience members were ushered back to their seats was timed to perfection and respectfully.  As an audience we had time to pause and refocus on Scott. This was a great moment to transfer from a comedic moment to a more serious entrance.

"New Steps Nightmare" needs more re-working mainly with the lighting and sound to really establish the difference between reality and a nightmare. 

"Without a Fight"  was a blur and confusing as it seemed to merge into the nightmare.   I loved the "Les Miserables" moment with the flag waving and the triangular formation.  These in jokes help create the sense of fun and absurdity.

"Yesterday's Hero" and the use of the lyrics was skilfully written into the script.  We finally get to see Doug Hastings back story and his dance ability.  This was a fun routine and great theatre.

"The Chase, The Paso Doble" - when Scott chases Fran the stage was blanket lit and created no sense of space.    The use of the staircase moving on the revolve created a partial sense of location but needs lighting to enhance the corridor or backstage areas.

 "The Pan Pacific Finals" were well staged with the revolving back and front stage set.  There was the appropriate amount of tension and build up.   The entrance of Fran, Rico and Abuela through the audience gave credibility to the audience witnessing a "Dance Sports" event.  Scott being carried by the men during the Paso Doble was a terrific moment adapted to the stage.  This would be enhanced by lighting to emphasise  Scott.

Doug attempting to tell Scott the truth was interspersed with the announcement to introduce each pair of dance contestants.  This writing Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce was clever and created a sense of tension.  Great theatre and wonderfully staged.  It reminded me of "The Nance" starring Nathan Lane with the onstage and backstage actions.

I was worried about the "slow clap" by Doug Hastings would be spoiled by the audience getting too enthusiastic at the climax.  I was so pleased that the audience realised this was a crucial moment and stopped clapping to allow Doug Hastings this most important moment from the film.  The audience then joined in the slow clapping.  Great steely focus by Drew Forsythe to recreate this iconic moment to the musical stage. 

"Finale" I loved the dance of reconciliation between Shirley and Doug Hastings.  This was poignant and beautifully staged without getting soppy.  It showed a magnificent acceptance of self and others.  After the curtain calls there is a tag.

The tag in the movie where the audience also dances as the camera pulls away is courageously attempted on stage.  The audience is invited on to the stage to perform the iconic conga-line.  Three cast members singing and the audience continue to dance as the other cast members leave the stage.  This works well in the film but not so in this production as what should finish on a high blurs into oblivion.  The audience are thanked by J.J. Silver but are left with stage hands to return to their seats.  An audience member said it was "rude that the cast had left and the audience left to fend for themselves."  Maybe they could have some dancers in the audience dancing with the crowd or a conga-line out of the theatre.

Another audience member quoted about this tag,  "the three singers left on stage looked embarrassed as they tried to milk the audience to get involved."

Loved the set design - especially the use of the revolve.  There were a few cover ups by the cast when the curtains got caught and they exposed an entrance to exposed areas.  Great team work by ensemble members and obviously kinaesthetically aware of the staging.  I trust these minor adjustments will be sorted out in time with the cast and audience reporting hiccups.

Generally the lighting needs to be altered to create a sense of location, atmosphere and space.

Programme notes: I would like the scene's location added.

My main criticism is that the show is far too long.  The film is about 94 minutes and this was 2hours and 50 minutes or 170 minutes.  It needs to be snappier to keep that tighter feel that the film achieves.  Others I have spoken to agree that it needs to be about 20-30 minutes shorter.  We want to be left wanting more not the other way around!

If I have not mentioned a key moment from the film then it did not work as I tried to recall all of the key moments to savour the experience.

I did not get bored with this show even though it felt long.  Though I did cringe at the "tag" and felt the audience around me felt the same. 

Congratulations and I look forward to seeing it again when revisions are incorporated.  I also hope that the show is not Americanised as they did to "The Boy From Oz."  The Americans will get the jokes - keep it true to Australian culture.