Reviews

Ruthless! The Musical

Music: Marvin Laird. Book & Lyrics: Joel Paley. Direction: Richard Fitch. Music Direction: Gareth Valentine. Choreography: Rebecca Howell. Streaming on BroadwayHD

This video of Ruthless! The Musical springs from a West End production that played the Arts Theatre in 2018. Since it first opened Off-Broadway in 1992, where it won the ‘Best Off-Broadway Musical’ award from the NY Outer Critics Circle, it has become better known as the show where Natalie Portman and Britany Spears understudied the lead ingénue Tina. Laura Bell Bundy played the role and went on to Broadway glory in Legally Blonde.

The Merchant of Venice

By William Shakespeare. Streamed Shakespeare www.streamedshakespeare.com August 21 – 23, 2020

As Coronavirus struck Australia, closing theatres all around the country and in the process darkening the lives of all those involved in arts, actors, directors, creatives, technicians and administrators were suddenly out of work and facing an uncertain future. But hope and the possibilities of technology soon stirred creative minds, and a small wealth of theatrical ideas emerged.

Welcome to The Masque

Genevieve Lemmon and Max Lambert. Riverside Theatres Digital. August 23, 2020

Genevieve Lemon is our unsung National Treasure. There is very little she cannot do. People who know her from TV shows like Prisoner know she is a fine comic talent. If you’ve seen the film Sweetie you’ll see her amazing range as a film actress, and who could forget her great performance on stage in Billy Elliot.

Captain Moonlite

By Jye Bryant. Australian Premiere. Redcliffe Musical Theatre, Qld. Directed by Jacqueline Kerr. August 21 – August 30, 2020.

Gay bushranger Captain Moonlite (as he named himself) was an interesting man, eventually executed for his incompetent bushranging activities, terminated by his involvement in the death of a policeman. Born Andrew George Scott in Northern Ireland to a religious family, he moved firstly to New Zealand, then eventually to Australia. His life spiralled downhill into crime, though he maintained some ethical standards from his youth. When his “gang” went bush, some had not even ridden a horse. They were destined to fail.

Next to Normal

By Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Directed by Craig Griffen. Melville Theatre, WA. Aug 21 - Sep 5, 2020

One of very few musicals which will grace our community theatre stages in 2020, Next to Normal was originally slated for a May season. After an interrupted rehearsal period, it is performing to reduced audience numbers at Melville Theatre. This Pulitzer Prize winning musical is being very warmly received, and appreciated, with its hard hitting and poignant subject matter bringing many audience members to tears.

Switzerland

By Joanna Murray-Smith. Villanova Players. Director: Bruce Parr. Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills, Qld. 21-23 August 2020

In her advancing years, author Patricia Highsmith has retreated to her hideaway in the Swiss Alps. A notoriously difficult woman who rails at the New York literary establishment and most racist groups and religions, she’s an alcoholic, lesbian, and prone to withering put-downs.

Newsies

Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Jack Feldman. Book: Harvey Fierstein. Director: Jeff Calhoun. Musical Director: Michael Kosarin. Choreographer: Christopher Galletti Streaming at playbill.com. 21 August 2020, from 7.00pm ET US.

I defy anyone not to have a euphoric high after watching this video version of Newsies. The excitement of the performance simply jumps out of the screen making it the best musical theatre stage performance captured live.

The Merry Widow

Ballet by Robert Helpmann. Music: Franz Lehar, Based on the Operetta by Victor Leon & Leo Stein. Choreography: Ronald Hynd. Guest Repetiteurs: Mark Kay, Marilyn Rowe. Arranged & Orchestrated by John Lanchbery. Costume & Set design: Desmond Heeley. Australian Ballet. Streaming 6-20 August 2020

In 1975, The Merry Widow was the first full-length ballet commissioned by the Australian Ballet and was such a success it was seen in London, New York, Washington and Manila within its first eleven months. Since then it has been regularly revived, the last in 2011.

The Wholesome Hour

By PO PO MO CO (Kimberley Twiner, Lily Fish, Ell Sachs, Angela Fouhy & Jack Lewis). La Mama Children’s & PO PO MO CO. Streaming online at the La Mama Facebook page. 11 – 31 August 2020

Watch this with your kids.  Please.  Kids 5-10 (that’s the target) will love this fast mix of crazy, funny, silly, rude and rough; it has weird live humans, puppets, cartoons, crazy colourful costumes, and nutty songs, all zapping across the screen at blurring speed.  This isn’t just static filming of live performance; PO PO MO CO understand and make the online thing work.  A shout out to La Mama, sponsors and supporters for getting behind this and allowing PO PO MO CO to splash out on costumes, props, music, rehearsal time plus filming and edit.

SpongeBob SquarePants

Music & Lyrics: David Bowie, Cindi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, John Legend, Panic at the Disco, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Yolanda Adams, Lady Antebellum, They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, Plain White T’s, Tom Kitt and others. Book: Kyle Jarrow. Director: Tina Landau. Musical Director: Tom Kitt. Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli. Amazon Prime Video

This sensory and psychedelic overload of Nickelodeon’s monster hit animated cartoon series is a playful and imaginative romp through the underwater world of Bikini Bottom.

Designer David Zinn, who created the sets and costumes, splashes the stage with color to create the most fabulous watery three dimensional and theatrical wonderland, with pink plastic umbrella jelly-fish and dozens of lime green pool noodles that approximate sea kelp, amongst other ingenious inventions.

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