Reviews

Black Box’s second production, Bring It On, is a cheerleading musical with a large cast and bucketloads of enthusiasm and team spirit. Black Box is a youth focused theatre company and the cast range from 12 to 18.

Central character Campbell becomes cheer captain at Truman High School and has a good chance to lead them to Nationals, until she is unexpectedly “redistricted” and sent to poorer Jackson High.

Katie Price (Campbell) is an outstanding leading lady with lovely depth, who sings beautifully and a delight to watch. 

This sultry performance by writer and performer Christopher Fieldus is evocative of a bygone era of cabaret performance. Accompanied by the talented cellist Claire Abougelis, Ms CeCe tells the tale of Cecilia’s tragic experience of love and loss. The story is woven through an eclectic collection of narrative, poetry and song and produces a highly nostalgic and melancholic mood.

Ego Jacket will give you a powerful beyond belief performance. It is an actual purchasable jacket. And it is eponymous with Ego Jacket, a solo energy driven show by Phillip Lee Curtis; a great title and a fascinating cathartic rock infused cabaret show that leaves you in awe of Curtis. It is enthralling to watch; such a deluge of psychological emotions. He is a twenty something struggling with some deep seeded issues in his life.

This show celebrates LGBTI composers and musicians through a musical response to life in all its pain and absurdity. Miranda Hill programmed a moving and effectively balanced concert. It ranged from Threnody for Carlos Chavez with Gamelan DanAnda and viola to a premier performance of a piece for solo double bass by Andrew Aronowicz by way of a mini opera “Stubble” and Jesus Erbame Dich by Claude Vivier sung by the Consort of Melbourne.