The harbour city’s elegant Sydney Lyric theatre is currently home to DREAM LOVER THE BOBBY DARIN MUSICAL, a very impressive, brand new Australian musical. The journey of the legendary American entertainer proves to be different and strong enough to hold a full length show, and the song book is more than catchy.
These were ‘my favourite things’ from an uplifting night of musical theatre.
First, this show has some great numbers which an excellent cast perform with verve and panache.
Mac The Knife, what a great number to start a show with. David Campbell as Darin goes to town with it, and he is supported by some great young dancers dressed in cool black who do the whole soul/ razzamataz thing with plenty of hands and black hats flapping (choreographer Ellen Simpson).
Splish Splash gets a great treatment. Campbell comes out with a bevy of sexy ladies garbed in just a bath towel. Half way through the rocking number the towels come off and glittering costumes are revealed – a great coup-de-theatre.
The show features a few great rock and roll medleys/sets. Songs such Peggy Sue and The Wanderer were performed by Darin along with Frankie Avalon (Joshua Robson), Dion (Xander Ellis) and Buddy Holly (Tim Maddren).
Many might not know that Dream Lover strikes a very personal note for Campbell. In the show’s most powerful scene Darin is thunderstruck to find out that who he had understood to be his mother is actually his grandmother, and who he understood to be his sister was actually his mother. One hell of a shock. It is no wonder that Campbell plays the scene in a very sensitive manner.
There is good reason. Campbell himself experienced the same disturbing situation growing up and only found out the truth in young adulthood. As an aside, for followers of celebrities, Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson also experienced the same family deception.
David Campbell and Hannah Fredericksen as Sandra Dee – a lovely performance – sang a very tender version of the title song which beautifully took the show to interval.
Martin Crewes was a highlight playing Steve Blauner, Darin’s agent who goes so far above the call of duty and doesn’t always get the respect that he deserves, as was the always wonderful Caroline O’Connor playing both Bobby’s mum and Sandra Dee’s mum.
This was a show which put the Ensemble cast in the spotlight for a lot of the time. The talented young performers were outstanding.
A great 18 piece band – musical director Daniel Edmonds with assistant director Jack Earler ‘conducting’ from the keys- was in great form for the whole show.
Tim Chappel’s costumes contributed to depicting character, and the changing social mores that took place over the four decades which the show spans.
Veteran stage designer Brian Thomsen’s exciting design was a major part of the experience – a cyclorama enclosed in a series of arches which arc and centre around the characters in a lightbulb outlined cocoon. Thomson’s idea was that the world he created was very similar in appearance to the glitzy venues such as the Copacabana which Darin would have played in his prime.
These were some of my favourite things about this exciting new Australian musical. I had a great night. Now over to you! DREAM LOVER : THE BOBBY DARIN MUSICAL, directed by Simon Phillips, based on an original concept by and stage play by Frank and John Michael Howson and then adapted for the stage by Frank Howson with Simon Phillips and Carolyn Burns, is playing at Sydney Lyric Theatre, the Star until Sunday November 27.
All images by Ben Apfelbaum (c)
