Ryan Gonzalez and band transform favourites from ‘Oliver’
Toby Francis and band deliver a punk version ‘Les Miserables’
The chameleon Trevor Ashley as Shirley Bassey
Olivia Vasquez performs Rogers and Hammerstein classics
The Hayes Theatre Company is set to reopen next month with a performance of Young Frankenstein. Their Sydney Festival romp, Rewired : Musicals Reimagined was a showcase for the regular creatives and versatile vocal and acting talent connected with the Hayes.
Its fresh take on established musical theatre favourites sets our regular theatre-going sensibilities on fire. The amazing moments of musical transformation via huge makeovers are stunning new strains for us to cherish.
Neil Gooding and Packemin Productions have brought a sensational version of this ‘rock opera’ to Parramatta Riverside Theatres. The strong, powerful production is fresh and vibrant and simultaneously full of great attention to detail and yes respectful too even though perhaps a touch controversial in a couple of aspects. Continue reading JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR @ RIVERSIDE THEATRES PARRAMATTA→
This image: Joe Kalou as Jesus and Toby Francis as Judas Featured image: Brittanie Shipway as Mary
In a rare treat for our readers, Sydney Arts Guide was invited into the rehearsal room for the first full run-through of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, produced by Packemin and directed by Neil Gooding. Escorted by the disarmingly chatty and vibrant Brittanie Shipway, who plays Mary Magdalene, assisted by the completely charming Toby Francis, taking on the role of Judas, I had a production desk seat for a thrilling evening of unburnished performance excellence from the full cast of nearly 70.
Flouro lights above, only a piano, bass and drums, no mics, a no-set flat floor and a Green Room in the carpark, not to mention a Quidditch T Shirt in the crowd, the noise and pre-rehearsal hubbub hit a peak with a whole cast warm up to Calvin Harris’ ‘We’ll Be Coming Back’. Then that mysterious thing happened with one bar … just one bar … of an electric guitar wail as an ensemble of superior focus transmogrified the place and time. Continue reading JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. REHEARSAL VISIT AND INTERVIEW WITH MARY→
Teagan Wouters and Toby Francis in HIGH FIDELITY Production Images: Robert Catto
HIGH FIDELITY is playing the Hayes Theatre and spins the platters to give a very entertaining night out. Drawn from the movie of the same name from the book of the same name, it has a slightly overachieving pedigree. Nick Hornby (Fever Pitch, About A Boy) wrote the novel. The book of the musical is by David Lindsay-Abaire (Pultizer for Rabbit Hole), lyrics are by Amanda Green (Bring It On and the Jonathan Larson Award) and music by Tom Kitt (Pultitzer for Next to Normal). Why then did HIGH FIDELITY fail so spectacularly on The Great White Way? Continue reading HIGH FIDELITY SPINS A HIGHLY ENJOYABLE NIGHT OUT→
‘The most beautiful thing in the world is a shoe’ .
Shoes can be art, lovingly crafted sculpture.
Kinky Boots has bounced into Sydney! Price and Son have taken over the Capitol to screams of delight from shoe people.
This bright bold and colourful musical with a huge heart will have you dancing in the aisles. It is often joyous , sexy and exuberant yet also deals with underlying darker issues. It is a story about self-acceptance, personal growth, prejudice and the acceptance of outsiders .
The cast of a a new musical featuring the songs of Tim Freedman and THE WHITLAMS
Everyone who adores the music of Tim Freedman and The Whitlams, should see this new musical with a strong autobiographical bent: TRUTH, BEAUTY AND A PICTURE OF YOU.
The long anticipated musical, TRUTH, BEAUTY AND A PICTURE OF YOU, is now on stage in its World Premiere. Directed and produced by Neil Gooding, and stars Ian Stenlake (Guys and Dolls, Sea Patrol), Erica Lovell (Little Women, Spring Awakening), Scott Irwin, Toby Francis and Ross Chisari, and is inspired by and based on the song characters, stories and lyrics, of one of Australia’s greatest singer-songwriters, Tim Freedman.
On 4th December 2011, I saw the one workshop presentation of this new Australian musical at the Fusebox in Marrickville. The very early beginnings of TRUTH, BEAUTY AND A PICTURE OF YOU, was part of a New Musicals Australia Workshop Presentation, and this new musical had a very limited seven day rehearsal process, with a full professional cast and production team.
Based on an original story idea by Alex Broun, Tim Freedman’s classic songs have been cleverly crafted into an original storyline and very moving drama. Many years ago, all the band members were legends living in three blocks in the inner-west. Tightly paced, the story quickly moves backwards and forwards through time, as seen through the eyes of Tom, the 20 year old son of a former band member, and his Mosman girlfriend, whilst revealing all about the life-long friendships of his Dad’s Newtown band and the band mates’ lost youth, and the son finally discovers the whole truth about his father. In the words of Alex Broun, “Tim’s music and lyrics have always captured a timeless essence of human interaction – love, longing, loneliness.”
Highly Recommended, a great nights entertainment as this extraordinary cast of Sydney’s finest musical theatre talent, showcase THE WHITLAMS’ biggest hits from their four platinum albums, and their lyrics quickly move the story forward, and include: You Gotta Love This City, Laugh in their Faces, God Drinks at the Sando (yes The Sando has gone, so these days the “Botany View Hotel”), Buy Now Pay Later, Beauty in Me, No Aphrodisiac, Blow up the Pokies, Fall for You, Charlie No.1, Keep the Light On and Best Work.
Directed and Produced by Neil Gooding
Musical Direction by Andrew Worboys
Music and Lyrics by Tim Freedman
Book by Alex Broun and Tim Freedman
Based on an idea by Alex Broun
Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point
9 May 2014 until 1 June 2014
http://www.hayestheatre.com.au/
This show contains some coarse language and sexual references. May not be suitable for children under 13.
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