THE BOY FROM OZ

 

The Boy From Oz 

Based on the biography of Peter Allen by Stephen Maclean. Book by Nick Enright. Lyrics and music by Peter Allen. Directed by Kristy Griffin. Produced by Anne Somes. Musical director Callum Tolhurst Close.. Choreographer James Tolhurst Close and Kristy Griffin. Set design Kristy Griffin and Matthew Ovenell. Costume  design  Fiona Leach. Lighting design Zac Harvey, Sound design Telia Jansen. Conductor Ian Maclean AM CSC. Associate director Emily Appleton. The Q Theatre. October 1-20 2024. Bookings 62856290

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Jared Newall as Peter Allen

       

It is a brave pro-am theatre company that decides to stage The Boy From Oz. This is especially the case when the story of entertainer Peter Allen (Jared Newall) also includes two other iconic entertainers of the twentieth century, the legendary Judy Garland (Meaghan Stewart) and her daughter, the luminescent Liza Minelli (Stephanie Bailey) But then producer Anne Somes is no shrinking violet when it comes to producing the big musicals with her Free Rain Theatre Company. Her previous successes include such musical theatre hits as Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid and The Phantom of the Opera. But The Boy From Oz is different. This is a musical account of the lives of real people who for a time shone brilliantly in the artistic firmament or lived within Allen’s world such as his mother Marion Woolnough (Janie Lawson), his grandfather George Woolnough, the Tenterfield Saddler (Dick Goldberg), his father Dick Woolnough (Jong Windsor) his lover Greg Connell (Lachlan Elderton) and the young Peter (Mitchell Clement).

Although the programme notes describe The Boy From Oz as a jukebox musical, it is much more. Allen’s songs describe the cycle of life from Allen’s early beginnings as a child entertainer in the local country pub to his half of the Allen Brothers to his meeting with Judy Garland, his marriage to Liza, his rise to fame, his hard times and his love for Connell and eventual death in 1992 from AIDS. Free Rain Theatre Company has produced a musical that touches the heart and reaches into the very soul as a celebration of love, of talent and of Life. 

Free Rain Theatre’s production lifts the spirits. It is a celebration of remarkable people, simple country folk as well as glittering celebrities. From the rousing affirmation of being special ( Not The Boy Next Door) to the sumptuous Finale of Rio the songs of Peter Allen carry us along on waves of sentiment, nostalgia and the human experience. Every aspect of the production has been meticulously planned from Zac Harvey’s lighting, Fiona Leach’s costume designs. Kristy Griffin and Matthew Ovenell’s set design shifts from cabaret to modest rural home. It is simple, allowing for easy transitions and a steady flow from one number to the next.  

The success of this production can be easily attributed to director Kristy Griffin’s casting of the principals and it attests to the talent in Canberra that she has drawn on a local cast to play the roles of the key characters in the musical. Central to the success of the show is the role of Peter Allen, who also provides the narrative journey in Nick Enright’s book. As Allen Jared Newall exudes a relaxed charm with a winning smile and an easy camp rapport with the audience. Vocally he is in total command of the numbers from the sentimental There’s a Lady on Stage to the tender I honestly love You, the affectionate ballad Tenterfield Saddler and the rousing Rio. Meaghan Stewart’s Judy Garland is extraordinary. Stewart embodies the irracsibility and vulnerability of the aging star and brings the house down with her rendition of All I wanted was the Dream. 

 

 

 

Stephanie Bailey as Liza Minelli

Stephanie Bailey’s Liza is every bit her mother’s daughter. This is a captivating portrayal of the enigmatic Minelli. Other performances that deserve special mention are young star in the making Mitchell Clement as the Young Peter Allen. Janie Lawson’s Marion Woolnough is a perfectly captured impression of the devoted mother, weathering the joys and challenges of life with the strength and resilience of the country woman. Veteran Canberra actor Dick Goldberg gives an idiosyncratic performance as agent Dee Anthony and doubles as the gentle unassuming grandfather and saddler. Lachlan Elderton plays the perfect foil to Newell’s Allen – steadfast, devoted and pragmatic. His performance as the tragically afflicted AIDS sufferer evokes the fear that was rampant amongst the gay community of the time.

 Allen’s backing Trio of Bianca Lawson, Sophie Parnham and Isabella Fraser provide beautiful vocal support (Bicoastal) and there is excellent comedic performance from Kara Sellars as the pub owner and Dee Anthony’s giggling wife. A jubilant ensemble of singers and dancers pumps up the energy level and exuberance of this show with the aid of the orchestra who provide the perfect accompaniment under Ian McLean’s baton.

The Boy From Oz offers a night of top-notch entertainment from the Rockette routine to a jubilant Rio  and the iconic I still call Australia Home to bring a tear to every eye.  Fans of Peter Allen will revel in a night of nostalgia as they trip down memory lane to the Eighties and the life of an unique and charismatic entertainer. With only three performances left this is one celebration of the Peter Allen story that you won’t want to miss.

Photos by Janelle McMenamin