Director/designer:
Cate Clelland.
Musical
Director: Nicholas Griffin
Choreographer:
Lisa Irvine
Costume
Designer: Fiona Leach
Free-Rain
Theatre.
Courtyard
Studio – Canberra Theatre Centre. 31st November, 2015
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens.
The first of
two presentations under the Free-Rain Nightclub banner, “Buzzing Broadway” proved
to be a stylishly presented revue based around songs selected from shows
presented on Broadway over the last forty or so years. There was no obvious
connection between the songs, or to the shows from which they were chosen,
however the song selection provided an excellent showcase for the talents of
the seven members of the cast, and for musical director, Nicholas Griffin, who
accompanied the show seated at keyboards centre-stage.
The audience
were offered canapes and cheese as they entered Cate Clelland’s evocative
setting which saw the Courtyard Studio made-over to resemble a night club in
which some audience members seated cabaret –style at tables with others in
tiered seating.
The
sophisticated nightclub atmosphere continued through the show with the cast
performing their acts in neatly co-ordinated evening wear on a large stage
decorated with silver settees and black and gold balloons.
The show was
presented without an interval, with the songs given tightly scripted introductions
by various members of the cast.
Among the
highlights were Louiza Blomfield’s brilliant “Alto’s Lament” and her “Tear
Jerk” duet with Steve Amosa. However her “Whatever Happened To My Part”, though
excellently performed, suffered from lack of context.
Steve Amosa scored
with his smooth renditions of “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables” and “Music
of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”. Another song from this musical
allowed Kaitlin Nihill to impress with a sweet interpretation of “Wishing You
Were Somehow Here”.
Alexander
Clubb had his best moment in the duet “Lily’s Eyes” from “The Secret Garden”,
for which he was teamed with Steve Amosa, but his interpretation of “Broadway
Here I Come”, from the television series
“Smash”, didn’t reflect the drive indicated by the lyrics.
Similarly,
Cher Albrecht’s pleasantly sung version of “Movie In My Mind”, from “Miss
Saigon”, ignored the bitterness and despair inherent in this song.
“Someone
Like You” from “Jekyll and Hyde” was beautifully performed by Kirrah Amosa, who
also impressed again later in the show with her duet “For Good” from the
musical “Wicked” which she sang with Louiza Blomfield.
As well as providing
choreography elsewhere in the show, Lisa Irvine joined Kaitlin Nihill and Cher
Albrecht in a clever adaptation of Bob Fosse’s choreography for “Rich Man’s
Frug” from “Sweet Charity”. She also
danced “Mr Bojangles” to Steve Amosa’s gentle guitar accompaniment.
Apart from
the succession of solos and duets, “Buzzing Broadway” also contained some
excellent ensemble presentations, the most outstanding of which were the
excellently arranged “Jerry Herman Counterpoint Medley” and the “Webber Love
Trio”.
One problem
for a show based on Broadway songs is the assumption that the audience is
familiar with the shows from which the songs are taken. Stripped of their
context many of the songs make little sense, unless the performer is able to
create a context other than the one for which the song was written. There were
few examples in “Buzzing Broadway” where this was achieved.
That said, “Buzzing
Broadway” still succeeded in providing a very worthwhile and enjoyable evening
of polished entertainment, and a delightful showcase for its talented cast.
