Electric Dreams

Here is a new Australian musical – even if it’s set in San Francisco in 1984 – mounted by the thoroughly professional Music Theatre Melbourne.  Nerdy but nice architect Miles (Tom Green) moves into a new apartment.  Guided by his more sophisticated buddy/mentor Frank (Stephen Mahy), Miles gets one of these new-fangled (to him) computers.  He names it ‘Edgar’ (its voice is Owen James), and it acquires more features than Miles expected let alone understands.  Beautiful cellist Madeleine (Madeleine Featherby), nursing a broken heart, come to San Francisco to join the orchestra, moves in next door.  What ensues is a love triangle with a twist: Madeleine falls for Miles when Edgar the computer joins her in a duet.  She thinks Miles is musical after all – but Edgar falls in love with Madeleine too…  Misunderstandings and conflicts arise.  At the orchestra, violinist lothario Bill (Anthony Scundi) makes a move on Madeleine and is rebuffed.  Meanwhile, Miles’ pal Frank is hijacked by uninhibited Millie (Angela Scundi), and their lack of complications is a hot contrast to clutzy Miles and wary nice girl Madeleine. 

In other words, the rom-com plot is pretty simple and predictable.  The claim that the show takes us back to the 1980s and pays tribute to that era is very dubious, and 

the 1980s computer jokes might be lost on the younger audience.  So why would a classy outfit like Music Theatre Melbourne want to do this show?  Because it’s funny and it’s fun. 

Director and Choreographer Roman Berry, assisted by Sarah Davies, moves things along with pace and energy.  The choreography may be a little cheesy, but it’s period appropriate (echoes of Bob Fosse) and done with focussed energy and style.  Lachie McFarlane gives us Edgar’s computer screen with that 1980s font and graphics, and his stage design is uncluttered and functional.  Drew Lane is his own Musical Director and he gets a big, bouncy sound out his eight-piece band. 

But what really lifts the show is the professionalism and pizazz of the cast.  A mere four ensemble players – Zak Brown, Sophie Loughran, Aidan Niarros and Courtney Smyth – play multiple roles and are clearly different and entertaining in each.  (Mr Niarros in particular manages to be detailed and funny without drawing attention from the main game.  When is this man going to get a lead?)  Anthony Scundi as sleazy charmer Bill is suitably sleazy and charming, suggesting a conceit no resistance can ruffle.  Angela Scundi (fresh from The Production Company’s Thoroughly Modern Millie) stands out too: she has the energy and commitment to be the sexy firecracker but who also can deliver sensitivity when her friend Madeleine is in trouble.  Stephen Mahy’s smooth Frank is used to success but can still give us rather sweet and innocent surprise when Millie jumps his bones.  Perhaps the leads, Madeleine Featherby and Tom Green, are hemmed in by the stereotypical nature of their characters, but that doesn’t stop them giving those characters all they’ve got.  

The show is based on a 1984 movie, Electric Dreams (Steve Barron 1984), written by Rusty Lemonrande – and the text here is mostly his. The movie was not a huge box-office success, but it had – and has - its devotees.  Drew Lane saw it when he was eight – and it stuck.  He’s smoothed out the plot and added twenty-two songs of his own.  They do have a certain music-theatre-now familiarity with those opportunities for belting, and you won’t leave the theatre humming the tunes, but they are bright and varied.  In fact, there’s great enjoyment in the show treading such a genre path and the opening night audience was all smiles by the curtain call.

Michael Brindley