Wicked

Sometimes the line between a top community theatre production and a professional one can be very thin indeed, and that’s what we saw yesterday in Ipswich Musical Theatre’s production of Wicked. With so many pros on board behind-the-scenes and ex-Wicked Wiz Simon Gallagher stepping in as casting director, the result was pro-am musical theatre at its finest. The sets and costumes, built for CLOC Melbourne’s production, mirrored the Broadway originals and were stunningly spectacular, especially Glinda’s arrival in her glittering bubble and the blaze of the Emerald City awash with green.

Professional clout was also on show in the two leading performances of Elphaba and Glinda. Heidi Enchelmaier thrilled as the former delivering her vocals like a true Voice diva and bringing grit and pathos to her performance. The first act finale of “Defying Gravity” was as powerful as any I’ve seen, which deservedly resulted in thunderous applause. Annabelle Harbison’s Glinda ticked all the right boxes too, showing perky and ditzy along with an underlying insecurity, she worked the quirks of the character for maximum effect.

Fyero, the object of both women’s dreams, was insanely likeable in the hands of William Toft and with Enchelmier scored big-time with the show’s big-ballad, “As Long As You’re Mine.” Robert Shearer’s Wizard was ebullient, not too nasty when his evil intent had been revealed, and built “Wonderful” into a good old-fashioned musical-comedy showpiece.

Others to do good work included Lauren Roche (Nessarose), Justin Collier (Boq), Connor Clarke (Doctor Dillamond), and Susan Glosko (Madame Morrible).

Murry Keidge’s sound and Owen Forsythe’s lighting added professional sheen as did Simon Lind’s choreography. Astute direction by Robbie Parkin kept the show buoyant and on track with Robert Clark’s eighteen-piece keyboard heavy orchestra an overall dynamic presence.

If we’re giving awards for best production of the year then this has to be near the top. It was excellent community theatre.

Peter Pinne