Reviews

The Brisbane Music Festival has been appearing in a range of large and small venues across Brisbane – and online – since February 2021. And, like other creative companies, the festival is taking advantage of the wealth of world-class talent that would normally be on tour, but is staying close to home in Queensland. Artistic Director, Alex Raineri, has put together a wonderful programme with a variety of performers and different music styles. As befitting our times, the festival also includes some exclusively digital performances.

It’s hard to believe that when West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957 it only received two Tony Awards, one for Jerome Robbins’ Choreography and one for Oliver Smith’s set design. Running for only 734 performances, audiences were uncomfortable with the subject matter (street-gang warfare), as they were in Australia in 1960 when it was first produced here. It wasn’t until the 1961 movie version that West Side Story was acknowledged as the groundbreaker that it was.

Bursting onto the stage at Spotlight, the Priscilla bus erupted in a giant wave of glitz, colour, fabulous costumes and brilliant performances from the extremely talented cast led by Dean Giltinan – Tick / Mitzi Mitosis, David Valks – Bernadette and Brin Jenke – Adam / Feliciajollygoodfellow.

Director/Choreographer Jamie Watt, Musical Director Peter Laughton and Associate Choreographers Jackson Kook and Jessica Ng have presented an outstanding production which rivals the professional show.

With a knowing wink and its tongue firmly set in its cheek, Schmigadoon! is a satirical spin on Broadway’s ‘Golden Age’ musicals. An ‘A’ list cast - Kristen Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Jane Krakowski, Ariana Dubose, Alan Cumming, Martin Short and Dove Cameron - do justice to this enjoyable spoof now streaming on Apple TV+.