FAME – The Musical

Over the past 7 years or so I have enjoyed every one of my reviewing assignments at Spotlight. The company always manages to deliver stellar community entertainment with an emphasis on energy and excellence. While Fame doesn’t quite match some of their more extraordinary productions in the past, there is still much to be proud of and plenty of enjoyment for the opening night audience. The dance numbers are perhaps the highlight of the production, with impressive dancing from the cast and great choreography from Dean Giltinan and Jam Mashall, and an ensemble that runs on high energy and youthful zest. They are all more than impressive. Matt Pearson leads a great band that works hard to imbue the less than average score with more credibility than it deserves. The set is impressively three dimensional and there are some stand out performances in the 25 strong cast.

Based very loosely on the 1980s film of the same name, Fame tells the story of a bunch of kids at Performing Arts High School. Though they come from different walks of life, they share the same hunger and dreams of success … the fame that will help them live forever.

Brock Drinkwater is a star in the making. At just 17 he understands the hunger in dyslexic Jack Zakowski and he has swag in spades. As a B boy he lacks the technique to be convincing in the classical ballet moments, but when set free in his element he is a pocket rocket fueled by charisma, and his own choreography is stunning. Andrew Kassab is an exciting talent full of brashness and stage presence whose charm manages to soften even the most blatantly crude and tacky business. He finds extra dimensions to Joe Vegas which may not be evident on the page and certainly not in the direction. Ty Jordan brings a wealth of experience and conviction to Nick Piazza. Some of his vocals were a little shaky on opening night, but there is no doubting his integrity as an actor.

Alannah Eyerich certainly looks stunning as Carmen Diaz and she sings and dances up a storm throughout, but hers is the only role with a genuine arc and a tragic journey that could have used a little extra conviction. I was unsure whether the loud brittleness was the actress’ choice or the result of insufficient work on character in rehearsals. Given the tight schedule it could well be the latter. There’s little time with such a huge cast to ponder the differences between what a character wants and needs, but she is certainly an actress to watch out for in the future.

Sophie Wilmott is enchanting as Iris and her work alongside Drinkwater is a delight to watch, yet there are some weird moments in the blocking. Why, when Jack storms out of the academy, does she not react in any way but stands at the foot of the stairs not even acknowledging him? After all, she is romantically involved with him but seemingly couldn’t care less. Inexperience or a directing fault? Either way, it’s a notable flaw in character progression, and a great pity.

In the interval a lovely older lady asked, while waiting in the Ladies queue, “Why are they all shouting?” - a question asked by many but unanswered. All the principals have radio mikes and yet lines are shouted at each other. Even in the songs there is a world of difference between “belt” and “yell”. It made much of the dialogue and lyrics impossible to understand.

These small quibbles aside, there’s far more to praise than to damn. What a delight to see Rowena Orcullo Ryan again. She is a presence to be reckoned with and I haven’t forgotten her wonderful performance in Next to Normal several years ago. Peter Maden brings his easy and naturalistic style to drama teacher Mr Myers and Xavier O’Brien gives just the right amount of angst and nervous  energy to Schlomo, whose dreams must take a back seat to those of his father. He, of all the cast, does find a deeper sense of character and is believable throughout.

With such a large cast, forgive me if I haven’t mentioned everyone by name. There wasn’t a bad performance throughout and this is surely another dead cert success for Spotlight.

This is my last review on The Gold Coast, but I will keep fond memories of every Spotlight production and that commitment to entertainment that is at the core of the production company. Thank you everyone.

Coral Drouyn