Reviews

After the headline talent, commercial run of Tony Award winning Avenue Q at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne CBD (closed only 16 August), you might think it’s crazy brave of little, amateur Beaumaris Theatre to mount their production so soon – and you might expect some disappointment.  Not at all.  This is a vibrant, energetic production that delivers all the humour, cheerful cynicism, energy and poignancy – and professionalism - required.

ICW’s Oliver! has high production values, is well produced and nicely polished. It is being very warmly received by large audiences.

Conor Lowe and Lukas Steinwandel share the titular role. Lukas, on opening night, sported a gorgeous choir-boy voice, which compliments an angelic face. He was always in the moment, and handled this major role with apparent ease.

The Secret Garden, this year’s main-stage production by Griffith Musical Theatre’s graduating class was exquisite musical theatre. With fine and robust performances, striking set and costume design, and an orchestra that brought depth and subtlety to Lucy Simon’s score, it was worthy of Broadway. In actual fact I enjoyed it better than the original Broadway production because Ian Good’s direction clarified the rambling narrative and brought a warmth to the piece that I found missing in the original.

You know the lovely emotional piano riff that used to introduce Australian Story? That was originally part of a larger piece written by Jan Preston, who nowadays has a huge following in jazz and folk circuits as Australia’s Queen of Boogie Woogie. Adventures in Pianoland tells the story of how Ms Preston went from being a classically trained pianist of noted talent, to finding that very specific counter-culture niche. Jan Preston’s lifelong obsession with the piano has led her to some wild and sometimes difficult places.