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| Mikayla Williams as Elle Wood |
Free- Rain
Theatre
A.N.U Arts
Centre until July 27
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Omigod you
guys! What a triumph ! Presented in
Canberra so soon after the national tour, this challenging musical about a bright young woman with blonde
hair and a penchant for pink, who enrols into Harvard to win the man of her
dreams, receives an exuberant production by Free- Rain Theatre. Superbly cast and imaginatively staged by
director, Derek Walker, this high-energy production is a delight from start to
finish.
As the
delightful blonde, Elle Wood, Mikayla Williams is real star material. Her
singing, dancing and acting are exemplary, and it is difficult to look at
anyone else when she is on stage. She receives
great support from Dave Evans, excellent as Emmett,
Jenna Roberts, in an outstandingly comedic performance as the hairdresser,
Paulette, and Damon Grebert-Wade, a bit
colourless, but revealing a fine singing voice, as Warner. Brian Cavanagh
brings exactly the right authority to the sleazy lecturer, Callahan. Zack Drury
steals all his scenes as the guy with the box, and Vanessa de Jager, Laura
Dawson and Kirrah Amosa excel as the vivacious Greek chorus.
Michelle
Heine’s classy choreography is performed with confidence and panache by the
enthusiastic ensemble, who between them, outfitted in Fiona Leach’s excellent costumes;
provide the myriad of other characters who inhabit Steve and Susie Walsh’s
multi-level, free-flowing set, impressive with its colourful LED lighting.
Some un-solved
sound-balance problems meant that Nicholas Griffin’s excellent band often swamped
the singers on opening night. No doubt this will be corrected. Don’t miss this
one.
An edited version of this review was published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on July 5. It will also appear in the print version of CITY NEWS out on Wednesday July 9.
