the wizard of oz – harvest rain theatre company

The Wizard of Oz

Harvest Rain Theatre Company

QPAC Playhouse

10.02.12 – 19.02.12

Image by Trent Rouillon

Tim O’Connor, CEO & Artistic Director of Harvest Rain Theatre Company and Director of their latest musical, The Wizard of Oz, wanted more than anything else, to put the classic (1939) film on the Playhouse stage. And I think he’s done it. This is a glorious production, of considerable scale, which far surpasses anything I’ve seen staged by Harvest Rain. I’ve noted previously that family entertainment is this company’s specialty and in this production we have it in abundance. The ideal choice for this group, showcasing all their strengths, O’Connor has assembled superb leads, a fabulous ensemble and an adorable children’s chorus. And then of course there’s the creative team, who have finally found a way to get the creative juices flowing in the same direction.

Even more impressive is that I attended the final preview performance before opening night. It was the slickest preview EVER. When a company’s history is a little hit and miss, and I’ve always been honest about their misses, I’ve gottta lay on the love when they get it right. So here’s a whole lotta love for a large-scale musical production that you really shouldn’t miss.

Image by Trent Rouillon

Over the years, Harvest Rain’s has become a tight-knit little creative team. They used to not play so well together and we would see conflicting or unfinished ideas instead of a completed, melded and polished product. Now I wouldn’t dream of separating them. A couple of them come and go (they are regularly invited to play with the big boys) and the experience must be informing what they’re doing when they return to Harvest Rain to work.

They are:

Tim O’Connor – Director/Producer

Callum Mansfield – Choreographer

Maitlohn Drew – Music Director

Josh McIntosh – Set & Costume Designer

Jason Glenwright – Lighting Designer

Reilly Case – Stage/Production Manager

Sophie Woodward – Vocal Director

The Wizard of Oz, based on Frank L. Baum’s book, with music and lyrics based on the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg (background music by Herbert Stothart) and adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, is truly timeless. O’Connor has imbued this production with his long-held love for the story, its characters and for that place beyond the rainbow.

McIntosh has designed starkly contrasting sets, complemented by Glenwright’s evocative lighting. The mood is set before we see any of it with the orchestra’s stirring overture. Under the competent baton of MD Drew, this old-school opening allows us to sit back and see our own images, our own memories of the much-loved film. Paired with the full sound of the orchestra, the vocal arrangements make this a nostalgic experience for the young at heart before the curtain is up.

It opens on the dreary, dusty hues of the Gale family’s Kansas farm (remember the first time you saw The Wizard of Oz and tried to fix the colour on the TV?) Far from the dull daily chores of rural life in Kansas, we are taken on a trip through a strange, strobe-lit twister moment; it’s a rather long one and it’s the only questionable moment in the entire show, all enormous flag waving, which doesn’t really work, however, I could feel that others in the audience, including the five year old, Poppy, enjoyed it, in an anticipatory, storm-comin’ kinda way. We are taken, with Dorothy Gale and little Toto (too cute) to a place beyond the rainbow and into Munchinland, complete with painted houses and the adorable children’s chorus as the inhabitants. The children do a terrific job as Munchkins. They are well rehearsed and present themselves confidently and professionally. And suddenly, it’s in Technicolor that we feel the show starts. Dana Musil warms on me and I try to ignore that somebody must have told her to be as Garland as she likes. It works for the singing (her singing is gorgeous) but not so much for her spoken lines, which might be lost at times to those unfamiliar with the script. I appreciate the efforts towards achieving a certain level of authenticity within the context but I need to hear clear speech. And, having noted the efforts towards “authenticity”, I would love to have seen an original take on Dorothy, as we saw with the travelling companions. We’ll get to them in a minute.

Image by Trent Rouillon

Angela Harding is a beautiful Glinda and presents as a possible Galinda, should the opportunity arise. The woman is versatile and I look forward to seeing her solo show later this year. Her antithesis and Dorothy’s nemesis, the Wicked Witch of the West, is Penny Farrow at her most diabolical. Maniacal cackles, well-timed one-liners and beautiful big movement give this witch the right balance of nasty and comedy. Having seen Wicked, Poppy reminded me that the green witch is not as nasty as everybody thinks but is misunderstood. She has been teased for so long that sometimes she just can’t help how she responds to people. Also, she doesn’t melt and die; she’s living with Fiyero in the field under the stage. For young Wicked fans, this show is indeed a sequel.

Image by Trent Rouillon

I hope for HR’s sake, the newcomers (and by newcomers I mean newcomers to HR, not to the stage), Dan Venz (the tap dancing, debonair Tinman) and Matty Johnson (Lion) have signed a contract to stay  – or at least to return whenever required – because these guys give wonderful performances that have helped to raise the standard of the show overall. If I Were King of the Forest is a song that, in the film, is misplaced and so slow I would rather skip it but Johnson performs it with a sassy Rum Tum Tugger type attitude to suit any cabaret club or morning television show (somebody tell DC)! He’s no Ray Bolger but Shaun Kolman is a delightful scarecrow, bringing lightness and tenderness to the character’s comedy and choreography. Steven Tandy is the wonderful Wizard of Oz and on stage, he certainly lives up to his character’s reputation, giving us a wonderful combination of emotions as the wise, lost man who is so very loved in a place he can’t call home. It’s a touching performance from one of our favourite Brisbane actor/directors. I’m enjoying working with Mr Tandy in Noosa, on David Williamson’s Travelling North, which opens in April.

Image by Trent Rouillon

Special mention must go to Grant Couchman, who is a firm Uncle Henry to Kathryn Dunstan’s gentle-ish Aunt Em. It’s as the Guard at the gate of the Emerald City that we enjoy Couchman’s easy comic ability and his is another performance you can look forward to.

With spot on vocals and energetic dance numbers, the 25 strong ensemble provides additional colour, energy and laughs. They are, thanks to McIntosh and a sizeable costume construction team, superbly dressed. In a scene that need only incorporate a sweeping staircase to be mistaken for the Folies Begere, we get a hint of the high fashion to come, admiring Dior inspired hats and reversible opera cloaks before getting the full picture, which is very Vogue indeed, inside the walls of the gloriously lit Emerald City.

By Trent Rouillon

The Wizard of Oz is a spectacular show that doesn’t disappoint and importantly for me, it’s the show that has earned Harvest Rain their place in the Playhouse. If you’ve not been a HR supporter before now, expect to be converted.

Image by Rebecca Green

 

A Very Potter Musical

A Very Potter Musical

Lost Boys Theatre Company

Metro Arts Studio

2^nd – 4^th February 2012

If you’ve seen on YouTube, A Very Potter Musical (Book & Score by Darren Criss & A.J. Holmes), you’re already either a big fan or a hater. Haters gonna’ hate, y’all. But the big fans got themselves and their friends along to Metro Arts on the weekend to see The Lost Boys Theatre Company’s stellar starter production. Yes, it was their debut on the Brisbane theatre scene. Yes, there are some things that will improve in future with a little more attention to detail across the board but this was a great, fun, free show, delivered confidently, by a new, fun-loving company who deserves our support.

The brainchild of Joshua Correa (Director) and Sarah Harvey (Producer), the Lost Boys are a group of very young, very talented performers who claim they are “not trying to be the BEST theatre company, just the COOLEST.” A few of the faces are familiar because, well, performers gonna’ perform, aren’t they?

This is not the production you’ll see online. Starkid Productions, a group of music, theatre and dance students from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, created a cheeky parody (for $150) for their families and friends, of J.K. Rowling’s successful stories about The Boy Who Lived and helped by other comedies such as Starship and Me and My Dick – I didn’t make that up – very quickly discovered a worldwide cult fan base of epic proportions. A Very Potter Musical Act 1 Scene 1 has over 8 million hits on YouTube!

If you’ve been living under a rock or at Pigfarts, on Mars, you might not know the story so here’s a brief synopsis. Reluctant kid wizard, Harry Potter (The Boy Who Lived), returns for a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his friends, Hermione and Ron, basically to study as little as possible and to kill Harry’s nemesis, Voldemort (The Dark Lord), who is living parasitically at the back of Professor Quirrell’s head. What the Lost Boys have done very well is to make this production their own and in doing so, they have improved on the original.

This Harry Potter is written as a self-absorbed, fame-affected prick and Dakota Striplin, last seen (with Tom Oliver and Emma Taviani) in Oscar Theatre Company’s Spring Awakening (2011), plays it to the hilt, as well as playing guitar throughout, which gives him a real rock star quality – including the unlikeable bits brought about by fame and fortune – lifting the game from the outset. Another notable improvement is that Clay English has choreographed where Starkid has not and despite seeing all of English’s best Broadway/YTT moves in the opening number, the energy and parody benefit.

The band was split, with the drummer on stage, and not just onstage but upstage dead centre, a spot that would otherwise have made a convenient entrance and exit. I hated seeing the tabs either side pushed aside to make way for the performers. The band is terrific (only Musical Director, Ben Murray, is credited in the program), however; early on they drown out unamplified voices. Now, in the small Studio space, the voices shouldn’t need amplification but if you’ve got a loud band and inexperienced singers without the vocal strength required to fill even that small space, do amplify them (or box your band)! Tough gig, Joel Redding (Sound Designer). A simple, open set serves the performers well (Set Designer Daniel Harvey) and, ably lit by Michael Rogerson (Lighting Designer), we focus on the characters and their ridiculous, OTT antics.

Emma Taviani is a sweet, book-hugging Hermione, The Bold and The Beautiful of this production, complete with fixed gazes out front prior to her exits. Tom Oliver is a continuously snacking, hilarious Ron Weasley. This role allows Oliver’s comic and vocal ability to come through in a most relaxed manner. As Severus Snape, Cameron Whitton is the ultimate sneering, gliding, glaring, suspicious professor, making the most of his sweeping and dramatic entrances and exits. In boxer shorts, blue cape and rainbow hat, is Robert Pigdon as Dumbledore, more oddball than endearing, with an odd NYC accent that seemed out of place (as it does in the original). I should mention at this point, in case you’re imagining that due to its British origin, this is a British story with British accents, the vast majority of characters speak (and sing) in American accents. Do the American accents make the show funnier? Not really, just more American. And which generation is enjoying the additional American-accented course language? I wonder. On the other hand, scene-stealer, Lauren Neilson, played pretty Draco Malfoy as the British snob that he is. Although Neilson seemed at first inexperienced or insecure, mimicking the original performance, she warmed to the role, rose to its challenges and ended up delivering a better version of it with some fabulous comedy, mostly in the form of completely over the top choreographed…well, everything! Her every line was supported by fluid and controlled athletic-balletic-Matrix moves that had the audience falling about laughing until we are crying. I would like to see even more time taken over these moves, now that the joke has been tried and tested in front of an audience (and executed with far greater competence than that which we see on YouTube). But sadly, the season is done. Neilson could not have executed many of her moves without the able assistance of her comical henchmen, Lachlan Geraghty (Crabbe) and Nic Mohr (Goyle). Some great character work there. Sally Lloyd was lovely as Ginny Weasely and would certainly develop vocal strength and greater confidence before the end of a longer run.

Together, Anthony Craig as Professor Quirrell and George Kennedy as Voldemort, were bosom buddies of the most bizarre kind. The cooperative work of this kooky couple was fantastic and Kennedy’s song and dance number a showstopper. The ensemble was complete with Dallin Williams (Cedric Diggory), Allison Nipperess (Neville Longbottom), Kristen Barros (Mrs Weasley/Pansy), Kelly Smith (Bellatrix Le’strange), Samantha Lan (Lavender Brown) and Lauren Jimmieson (Cho Chang).

A Very Potter Musical is a wonderfully, funny, quirky show, with catchy, toe-tapping tunes and politically incorrect jibes and in-jokes, which the true fans of Harry Potter must drink up just as easily as their butterbeer, which, strangely, was not available at the theatre, nor downstairs at Verve. An oversight? Too short a season to offer it? Not necessary? I’ve provided a recipe below so you may BYO (Brew Your Own) the next time this show comes to Brisbane. Despite the lack of butterbeer (or chocolate frogs for that matter), the diverse pool of talent involved in this production indicates that The Lost Boys Theatre Company is one to watch and this, their debut effort, performed for free, is one to applaud.

The Lost Boys had the kind support of Vast AV, Metro Arts, Elisabeth Harvey, Christian Aas

and Harvest Rain Theatre Company

Butterbeer recipe courtesy of misterhope.com

In the Wings With Naomi Price – Still Hurting

I recently asked a friend of mine, Naomi Price, to talk about a few things for BrizTix.

You are well known to Brisbane audiences and you wear so many hats – director, general manager as well as a whole host of others – is “Singer” your favourite role? Can you tell us why you always come back to performing? What is it about being on stage, as opposed to being at work behind the scenes, that keeps you coming back?

It’s so difficult to say what my favourite role is, because when I’m doing one, I miss the rest! I get so much fulfillment out of working in so many roles; I grew up knowing I just had to work in the theatre industry. Of course, I initially had grand aspirations to become a world-famous musical theatre performer but from doing the hard yards over the years, I’ve worked in so many other capacities and found so much joy in so many areas. The wonderful nature of my job is that it is ever-changing. One moment I will be waist-deep in budgets and cashflows, and the next I will be getting my script bound and frantically learning music. Variety is the spice of life! And I intend to keep mine continually spicy…!

I think I always come back to performing because it was my first love. There’s something about that – the first time you fall in love with something or someone. It always has that extra significance. Performing has been part of my life since I was five, and the times in my life where I have felt most lost or least like myself were the times I wasn’t performing. I often ponder the spiritual nature of performing – it helps to keep me communicating and sharing, and I believe it also connects me to a power greater than myself. Creativity seems to transcend humanity – I like to remember that I’m part of a bigger picture, that I can take the focus off myself for 90 minutes or so and concentrate on telling a good story. There’s something incredibly meaningful about performing for me; soulful, worshipful even. But I digress…

Can you tell us why you decided to go out on a limb and present your own cabaret show, which must be the most intimate and personal sort of show you could possibly stage?

I’m super passionate about cabaret as a performance genre, having seen some ridiculously talented artists perform in this setting in recent times. I get excited about the possibility of stripping back characters and personas and heightened projections of myself, and actually revealing something intimate and vulnerable. Perhaps it’s the exhibitionist in me?! I also find that I am continually drawn to these depressing, angsty songs and I never seem to have an outlet for them. I’m not a songwriter, and in some ways I am extremely glad about that! Other people seem to capture my thoughts and feelings perfectly, so I would much rather interpret existing work and explore emotions and concepts through these crazy songs than clumsily pen my own thoughts.

Can you comment on the current state of musical theatre and/or cabaret in Brisbane?

The current state of musical theatre in Brisbane is that it’s THRIVING! I am constantly amazed and encouraged by the sheer volume of work being produced here, it’s absolutely astonishing. I often wish I wasn’t so busy working on my own projects, because I want to be able to see all the great stuff being produced around the city. Eight years ago when I first moved to Brisbane from the UK, this really wasn’t the case. It makes me so excited to think that in less than a decade, Brisbane has literally exploded with new musical theatre companies and productions and performers. And what is fantastic, and lucky for all of us, is that the audience base has grown too. I think musical theatre is perceived less and less as light and fluffy – there have been some truly impacting productions staged since I’ve lived here, and I think that Queensland audiences are completely onboard. This excites me!

Can you talk about singing Jason Robert Brown’s music? Georgia Stitt’s? What are some other favourite songwriters and why?

Oh my goodness, singing Jason Robert Brown’s music is terrifying and satisfying at the same time! Sometimes I wonder if I was just programmed to explore his work, because I honestly can’t think of another composer who so consistently stimulates me emotionally and musically. Seeing him in concert in Brisbane was an absolute dream – talk about taking a trip down memory lane! I feel unbelievably grateful to have tackled some of his most challenging works over the years; I’ve felt like I’ve had a life-changing experience every time and that’s what excites me about really good theatre – it’s transformative power, for everyone involved in the shared experience from performer to writer to director to audience.

I love to ride the emotional wave of JRB’s work, there is something about the way he shapes and crafts the unraveling of his characters and narrative that I connect with. I often get surprised when I return to a particular song after a long time how ridiculously difficult it is! Most of his songs are like marathons, but I wouldn’t trade the sense of accomplishment at the finish line for anything.

I first became acquainted with Georgia Stitt’s music after hearing Shoshana Bean perform I Lay My Armour Down in concert last year at the Powerhouse. I remember this unbelievable tension in the air, there is something fiercely devastating about that song and I remember thinking about performing it myself at some stage. When Georgia came to Brisbane to conduct masterclasses and perform a concert of her work, I jumped at the chance to workshop this song with her. I completely underestimated how confronting it is to perform a song for the composer! But I also underestimated how easily I found a connection to the song – Georgia writes so well for women. It’s truthful, genuine, authentic. I found myself transported to the scenario of the song as I saw it, and for three minutes I caught a glimmer of that spiritual nature of really good writing. Getting feedback from Georgia was such a bonus – being able to unpack a composer’s original thoughts and dissect them, or elaborate on them, is just such a gift.

Other favourite songwriters – Scott Alan, a dear friend and incredibly gifted writer who I had the honour of performing with last year. Similarly, Scott writes songs that I feel like I just ‘get’. Going through his albums is like entering a cave of treasures – every single song is bejeweled and precious, and sparkles the more you look at it. Performing ‘And There It Is’ with him was rather incredible, I’d just finished three months of intensive performing and so I felt physically and vocally exhausted, but luckily my limitations were no match for his music! A great story comes through regardless of the vessel. I’m so drawn to his work and I can’t wait for him to finish his first musical. The world needs more of Scott Alan!

Sara Bareilles is a contemporary songwriter who I first discovered when I heard one of her songs on the American series of So You Think You Can Dance. Gravity is all about being in a destructive relationship, one that keeps you down and won’t release you. She released a new album last year calledKaleidoscope Heart and I remember poring over it for days after I first got it. There’s something raw and remarkably open about her lyrics, and musically she is just on another level. Look up her cover of Single Ladies – I don’t know anyone else who can turn a Beyonce hit into a honky tonk number and make it sound better than the original!

We are talking about songs that require a singer to draw on a deep pool of emotions. How do you access those emotions? How do you make sure the story, character and context are all coming across to your audiences in a believable way? Are there times when the technical overwhelms the emotional or vice versa?

Truth truth truth. Honesty at all costs. Whether you are speaking directly from your own personal experience or you are able to suspend your reality and absorb yourself in the given circumstance or situation, it must always be about truth. I find that as a singer, you have the added bonus of being able to ride the cadences and phrases of the music which help to shape your emotional interpretation – I absolutely will not fight the music but I am a big believer in starting with the lyrics. Everything comes from that – telling the story. Once you have that connection, everything else seems to fall into place. Accessing emotions in song never seems like a big push for me, I just feel moved by music. It’s something that punctuates every aspect of my life, every memory, every relationship.

Music takes me to another place, and once I have dipped into that I don’t feel like it’s a massive leap to find emotion. It just emerges naturally. Sometimes technical and emotional do wrestle, and again I just try to take it back to truth. Big belted moments need to have a reason – you don’t yell unless you’re furious, you don’t wail unless you’re wounded. Big moments come from a big release. And sometimes that release can certainly override your best laid plans to sing a phrase a certain way, but I tend to go with it, and rehearse it until it’s engrained in me. If you’ve chosen a song that is deeply significant to you and you can’t sing it without bawling your eyes out, then just do that. Allow yourself to feel that emotion, to release it – sing it a thousand times until you feel like you can harness that feeling and channel it into a well crafted performance. This is what I keep telling myself, anyway…

As a singer and singing teacher, are there particular things that you are super sensitive about, or that you have a heightened awareness of? Do you use your own performances as teaching examples?

Oh god yes! Anyone who has worked with me will tell you that I am ridiculously paranoid and sensitive about the way I perform, as I am sure most performers are! One of my greatest technical weaknesses is jaw tension and I have spent countless hours singing in front of the mirror trying to eradicate it. But sometimes, things just come to you over time. I used to be exceptionally hard on myself about it but really it just took a few years for me to mature as a performer and realize that there ARE other factors to the performance to be concerned with other than the relaxed nature of my jaw. Again, I find that connecting with the story and pushing for truth helps me to release my negativity and not focus so obsessively on perfection. I had a wonderful singing teacher in 2007 who graciously and kindly informed me that I am not Idina Menzel and that I never would be. Of course, I cried for days but I tell you what – finding peace about that has helped me to discover what is unique and entertaining and moving about my own voice. Ownership of both flaws and successes is a major part of who I am today.

Pet hates amongst students include superfluous use of American accents (find your own voice!), outrageous vowel modification (you don’t have to sing like you’re on Glee) and insincerity. There’s just no excuse for that last one, even if you’re playing a character who is insincere. Fantastic comedy comes from absolute truth – make that person the most sincerely insincere person ever and you’re onto a winner!

Sometimes we see that directors, who are performers themselves, have very specific ideas about how a role must be played. You’re directing Harvest Rain’s upcoming production of Grease. Are there any challenges there, in terms of interpretation? Are you happy in the Director’s chair and will we see you in it again?

I absolutely want to give my cast ultimate freedom to create the characters themselves, otherwise they are just playing out my fantasy world onstage and have no ownership over their own creation. I’m a Grease fanatic, I watched the movie avidly as a teenager and I definitely have my own ideas about the themes and concepts I want to explore. But in terms of how a role should be played – that’s the actor’s job. I just want to guide and shape. If I wasn’t such an old crumbly, I would love to have a crack at Rizzo – the next in a long line of sassy, troubled young women I have been lucky enough to play. But the fantastic thing about casting is finding the right person, and I couldn’t be more thrilled than the cast we’ve assembled.

It excites me to see ten bright young musical theatre performers on the cusp of greatness, and to be able to give them all such a valuable experience. I remember being in their shoes – I’m STILL in their shoes! I can’t accurately describe the rush I get from directing. I love to be entertained, I love to be moved, I love to feel that energy and passion bursting off the stage and into the audience. So I feel like I’m their biggest fan; I watch rehearsals with my eyes and mouth wide open. I get utterly delighted! I sound like I am over-enthusing, but the point is – I get really really proud. As a director, you share in the accomplishments of the entire cast and crew and in a show like Grease, that’s over 100 people which means that my experience as a director is at least 100 times deeper and greater than as a sole performer. If someone offers me the director’s chair again, I will jump at the chance. It’s one of my favourite places to sit.

Naomi’s debut album SPECTRUM is available on iTunes

 

 

STILL HURTING: AN EVENING WITH NAOMI PRICE

Season: 7 and 8 April
Venue: Mina Parade Warehouse
Bookings: 3103 7437 or book online at BrizTix

John Bucchino, Georgia Stitt & Friends in Concert

Lazy post disclaimer: in case you didn’t catch it over there, this is my Briz Tix review over here…

Featuring Marika Aubrey, Tod Strike, Andy Conaghan,

Angela Harding, Luke Kennedy and Madeline Cain

QLD Conservatorium Wednesday March 3^rd

Your Management International and Harvest Rain Theatre Company

It’s shaping up to be a big year for Brisbane’s musical theatre scene, especially for those ambitious (some might say crazy) souls whose only desire is to join the industry as a “triple-threat” performer. Finally, I can see that there are real opportunities beginning to be presented, for aspiring artists to train and acquire work (in their preferred industry) in Queensland. Finally – dare I say it – we seem to be approaching a phase of development and commitment from some of the major stakeholders, which means our talent can choose to stay here, make their base here, find work here and then choose to play here, there and everywhere! Now, I didn’t say it’s happened yet. But now I see that it will.

For example, by the end of their third busy day, Griffith’s Queensland Conservatorium’s first ever intake of Musical Theatre students, thanks to the enigmatic Paul Sabey, had worked with Lucy Durack, John Bucchino and Georgia Stitt. Next week, they have Jason Robert Brown and Rachael Beck in their midst. Before the end of their second week of tertiary study, these students will have rubbed shoulders with some of the very best in the industry, within the re-vamped Con. The once dowdy foyer space has been completely transformed and now looks the part, providing a world-class venue, befitting of acclaimed artists such as Stitt, Bucchino and Brown. Incredible! How lucky these students are!

And how lucky we are, to have been given a taste of the best in the business already, with Harvest Rain’s Broadway to Brisvegas series last year bringing to The Powerhouse, Scott Alan, James Sampliner and Shoshana Bean. This year, in association with the dynamic Jeremy Youett, of Your Management International, we are truly blessed to have, again, a little bit of Broadway magic come to Brisbane.

Having attended the master class on Tuesday night, I was looking forward to hearing some of the songs performed again, this time by seasoned performers, accompanied by the composers themselves, in a recital setting. Most were familiar faces and voices: Luke Kennedy, Angela Harding, Tod Strike, Madeline Cain, Andy Conaghan and Marika Aubrey.

The format of the evening was very simply a stand and deliver concert, with John Bucchino’s work showcased in the first half and Georgia Stitt’s in the second.

John Bucchino casts an imposing presence and reveals a gentle soul. He plays (and composes) by ear. Knowing this makes his talent all the more extraordinary. His music is complex, multi-layered; it is beautiful and joyous and delicious…and fierce and cheeky and fun! It is real and it reminds us that life is supposed to be fun. And challenging. And confusing. And in life, we will have happiness and hurt and forgiveness and love and laughter and therapy and tears and hope. It is sophisticated stuff. Bucchino’s songs are about such simple things but they demand the deep emotional reservoirs and excellent technique of singers who are comfortable enough in their own skins to make sense of the context, make the personal connections and then tell the stories simply, confidently and above all, truthfully.

Georgia Stitt is gorgeous, vibrant, exuding infectious energy and offering the warmth of her generous heart in every smile. There’s also something cheeky and lovely and relaxed about her performance style, opting to sing a couple of her own songs – these are obviously closest to her heart at the moment – and it was endearing to hear from her, “Susan (Egan) sings it better than me but I enjoy it!” Stitt is an amazing talent, comfortable and confident, exactly as she sings in The Me of the Moment. Is it any wonder that she found her bashert in the witty, crazy-talented Jason Robert Brown?! Talk about a Power Couple!

Stitt’s music, like Bucchino’s, offers many unexpected gifts to singers, leading them through the whole gamut of emotions (and quite often back again), allowing plenty of opportunity to play. How lucky these singers are, to have been given the opportunity to play with two amazing artists of this caliber!

Testament to this was Marika Aubrey’s gorgeous rendition of I Get to Show You the Ocean, which Stitt wrote for her eldest daughter and which, by the end of the first chorus, had me in tears because, clearly, really, she wrote this song for my daughter and I! And so says every mother after every show, I’m sure. In Stitt’s Big Wings, Aubrey let loose her big ol’ country belt voice that further demonstrated her ability to sell a strong character.

Madeline Cain treated us to two contrasting numbers from Stitt’s Alphabet City Cycle and The Song with the Violins (Bucchino) but my favourite was This Moment (Bucchino). Cain nailed it.

Brisbane has a true songbird in Angela Harding. Her interpretations seem genuine, she is present in every moment and her voice soars. Her comical ability comes through in the lighter numbers. I enjoyed a more mature interpretation of My Lifelong Love (Stitt) but for me, It Feels Like Home (Bucchino) was perfect.

Todd Strike took on the unenviable task of singing These Two, the song Stitt wrote as a wedding gift for her husband, giving it due respect and letting us in for half a moment, to catch the tiniest glimpse of the real, raw artist that likes to take refuge under that star quality exterior of his. I’m certain Strike has more to give.

Luke Kennedy is a bit of a darling on our Brisbane stages and I’m happy to say he did nothing to dent his reputation. Kennedy has an impressive vocal range and Bucchino’s Unexpressed was the perfect opening number. Stitt’s One Day More, no doubt won Kennedy a few new fans; these songs make it easy to fall in love with the singer and Kennedy plays the audience beautifully. Even as the married man of somewhat questionable behaviour (or perhaps because of it) in Platonic Affair (Stitt), he is irresistible.

Andy Conaghan is the consummate performer and in my opinion, brought to the stage a level of professionalism and self-confidence that put the final polish on the evening. His voice is superb and his easy manner completely charming. Bucchino’s Taking the Wheel and Grateful showed us two sides to Conaghan, while Stitt’s Air, if we were not already convinced, proved his technical ability and roguish, earnest appeal. I don’t mind making a big call and predicting that Andy Conaghan is going to be the Next Big Thing.

Until recently, it would have been unimaginable for Brisbane to be up to delivering anything like the Australian Concert and Master Class Series. The fact that it’s happening here, now, is testament to Brisbane’s determination to become a leading arts city in this country and indeed, its capacity to do so. What an exciting time to be a part of the performing arts industry here, when we are graced by the presence of the likes of Georgia Stitt and John Bucchino.

I can’t wait until next week. Bring on Jason Robert Brown and Rachael Beck!

Georgia Stitt and John Bucchino: Master Class

Hello, I’m Xanthe and it’s been a month since my last post. This is not because I have had nothing to say. I have, in fact, had a lot to say and I’ve said it via the social media channels or to people in actual conversations (remember those? You get more than 140 characters to explain what you mean) as well as within the pages of a little journal that Typo has pre-named for me, as per its pretty design: Pretty Birds. Now, don’t get me started on Typo. Or their Pretty Birds range. I will photograph and post the entire Pretty Birds range, which I actually do have, and by doing so, I will make my obsession real, and in acknowledging it, be on the road to recovery. Maybe. Or maybe it is a necessary obsession, feeding my soul and filling the well…

The real road to recovery this year is about the creative. And if, by mentioning the Morning Pages, you are prompted to smile or cringe or cry, then you are surely an artist and you know what I’ve been up to. I’ve been writing upon waking for about 30 mins every day, about whatever, in long-hand (YES! Using a PEN! On PAPER!) before The Editor in me wakes up, turns on and chips in about every little thing imaginable. And by every little thing, I mean YOU ARE NOT A WRITER. And all the rest of it, berating me for trying anything at all, including getting Poppy to school on time. You know that voice. Well, I’ve always known that it needs to say those things. It certainly needs an outlet. But I certainly don’t have to listen to it. I just have to let it go. In what Julia Cameron calls “blurts”. I invariably write about good stuff too. It’s just harder to come by, harder to recall. Isn’t it? See what’s happening? Rhetorical questions, stream of consciousness and because I’m allowing the flow, it might take a few additional thoughts to get to where we’re going. Brevity has never been my strong point. It’s okay, it’s all connected; John Bucchino even has his own version of the Morning Pages. It’s true! We’ll meander back to what I started out with in just a minute. Patience, Grasshopper.

The writing of the Morning Pages has been easy, committing the time to do them has not been; just like when I wrote all those journals right through high school. I would write pages and pages if I’d made the time to do them. I still have them somewhere. The English teachers had it right (Thank you, Jane Jensen, Rita Rainnie, et al)! But I’m so busy now! This intriguing, frustrating, liberating, creative daily task is an integral part of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, a journey of discovery and recovery of self, which my dear friend, a fabulous artist by the name of Denise Daffara (I’ve mentioned her before because when she’s painted you, you know you’ve made it), decided to embark upon. And upon which I decided to join her. I wasn’t feeling like I was doing anything else, despite how “busy” my life was…is! If you’re a creative type and you’re feeling like you’re not creating, I highly recommend it. Well, maybe not all of it; the God bit doesn’t do it for me and instead I think The Universe. Think whatever works.

The same applies to singing, songwriting, whatever. I’m starting at the end of the night. To finish up their incredible master class at the con last night (3 hours flew by), Georgia Stitt and John Bucchino welcomed questions from the floor and spoke about:

Auditions:

“We are SO rooting for you! We want you to be good! Then our job is done”

Interpretation:

Casting directors want to see that you have the skills and the colour palette to play the role. “Just make a choice”

Composition:

Every songwriter embraces a different process. Having been trained in classical music (she was going to be a concert pianist), Georgia’s approach is very mathematical and structured, literally; quite often starting with the actual structure of the song or, probably just as often, a lyrical idea and the music seems to come at the same time (and quite often, this will happen after 3 days of Facebook procrastination)! John, on the other hand, will take out a big sketch book and start to draw, write, scribble, doodle… anything! And, approaching a semblance of an idea in a round-a-bout way, invariably something takes form. His song structure is realised via the same, organic process; it just…kinda…happens. Such is the magic of musical theatre songwriting (and of the Morning Pages concept. Keep the Editor locked away so you can allow the work to happen).

Being a master class, the singers came prepared to work, not necessarily to perform. We knew we were present as observers as opposed to audience and as such, the notebooks and pens and iPhones were out, on laps, from the outset, none of us wanting to miss a tip or a trick!

Our local singers presented openly, earnestly and completely committed to the coaching process, which was gentle and direct. We heard even greater commitment – to each story, to the telling of each – after the first sing. Now, I love coaching but I also love watching great coaches do their thing, their way, in order to coax better, stronger, more focused and more authentic performances from singers and actors who are willing to take big, brave leaps and learn and apply as much as they can.

The process fascinates me.

We heard from:

Josh, who learned from John that it’s usually best to opt for doing less: “Less is really more. If you’re buying it, they’ll get it” It was important to John that Josh – and we, the listeners – know the more personal post script to this song’s sad story; that John had written it in 1992 while his brother was dying from AIDS. This new information informed the way Josh approached the song a second time, giving us less gesture and greater ownership and intent. (Not a Cloud in the Sky)

Emma, who discovered with Georgia the need to distinguish between the little girl and the grown up in the telling of the story. To remember how brave we are at 10 years of age and to realise that we might never be that bold again gave Emma a stronger, more personal connection to the lyric. (My Lifelong Love)

Naomi, who learned to look for the patterns, sing the arc of the song and to earn the belt. Start out at 3 so you’ve got somewhere to go before reaching 10. Know where 10 is (know the arrival). When you get there, “I don’t care if you belt it or you don’t belt it…but sometimes I do.” One well-known performer, when asked at an audition for a Broadway show, “Can you belt an F?” replied, “Have you got anything worth belting an F for?” Georgia says, “Earn the belt.” (I Lay My Armor Down)

Zac, who really started Taking the Wheel once he became specific about what he was singing. Because it’s repetitive, John asked, “How do you keep it interesting? Who are you singing it to?” Zac sang it to himself, about the different stages of his journey to get to where he is right now and it worked. “Doing less but feeling more resonates more.” (Taking the Wheel)

Henry, who worked out how to use the physicality of the song (breathe) to imbue meaning in Georgia’s song, Air (rather than do the “Jekyll and Hyde thing” with the duet, She); “The stakes have to be so high. Strip away the vague. Simplify. Clarify.” Specify. (Air)

Eloise, who also found the arc and the superb simplicity in John’s This Moment, which was cut from John’s Urban Myths because the director didn’t feel that a seventeen year old girl would sing such poetic, poignant words (John wrote another song in its place)! Again, for Eloise; simplify and strip away all of the gesture and just “Make the visceral connection. Show it in your eyes.” (This Moment)

Brad, who gleaned style and interpretation from Georgia: “What are you using the song to do?” Understand the style (does it have a groove)? Know the arrival. In good theatre writing, the music is speaking to the action. Brad had a lot of nervous energy and he didn’t mind jumping around a bit before and after he sang. Nor did we mind him jumping around; it was an endearing thing, keeping it real and reminding us at the end of the night that it is TERRIFYING singing and working on stuff with the people who wrote that stuff! Props to the singers and I hope we see them all again somewhere soon. Some of them were on Day 2 of the new Musical Theatre program so while they’re busy there, they might be a bit quiet outside of the walls but keep an eye out for this first class of graduates in a couple of years…

And to finish? “Know when to stop. Know when it’s good.” And keep doing it.

Tonight, more magic; with Georgia Stitt, John Bucchino and Friends, most of whom will be familiar faces for a Brisbane audience, as well as a special guest; the gorgeous Marika Aubrey. It’s for one night only, tonight at 7:30pm at The Con. Last minute tickets are still available.

 

 

Thanks to Your Management International and Harvest Rain Theatre Company, we can enjoy a little bit of Broadway, here, in Brisvegas.

BUT WAIT. THERE’S MORE.

NEXT WEEK: Jason Robert Brown comes to town!

Master Class and concert tickets still available. Don’t miss out!

 

Shoshana Bean and Stuff

Let me work backwards here. So much has happened over the last 24 hours, it’s the only way.

The amazing Scott Alan is heading this way in September, as Harvest Rain Theatre Company‘s second guest in their inspiring Broadway to Brisvegas series. I’m hoping he’ll bring with him the incomparable Natalie Weiss, who has already made many of his songs her own.

How AMAZING is she?! So it’s even more amazing (and terrifying and inspiring) that Australian singers are also being given the opportunity to audition for a coveted spot on The Brisbane Powerhouse stage with Scott. CAN YOU IMAGINE??? If you can’t, at least be supportive of your friends who are terrified and inspired and brave enough to be frantically downloading sheet music and rehearsing and recording their favourite Scott Alan song in order to be in the running for this genius competition. Can I say it (again)? GOTTA HAVE A GIMMICK. I mean that in the kindest way. I am almost ready to state that I am in awe of this theatre company’s awesome power of attraction. This is probably the most generous gimmick the company (and their guest artist) could possibly offer to young performers! Is it not? Am I just a musical theatre freak or is this not super exciting for this poor-country-cousin city of Brisvegas?

Speaking of gimmicks and of competitions and of Ms Natalie Weiss, it seems only fair to mention that she was one of four winners, in a similar competition devised by Jason Robert Brown (who is also rumoured to be appearing as part of the Broadway to Brisvegas series – but I didn’t tell you that).

You should just stop doing anything else for a moment and listen to this.

I was going to work completely chronologically backwards but I’m drained and now it seems I must mention Shoshana Bean.

Shoshana Bean‘s name is synonymous with the hit Broadway shows, Hairspray and Wicked (yes, I have given you the Australian production links. Cheeky, I know. Go see them). She was the second ever Elphie (after Stephanie J Block). For musical theatre freaks, like myself, this is just one of those things that you know, like those obscure questions in Trivial Pursuit that you kick yourself for not knowing in the heat of the moment.

For the musical theatre freaks, like myself, this was an event not to be missed! Actually, there appeared to be a few notables who missed it…where were you???

We wanted Shoshana to sing Home

We wanted her to sing Defying Gravity…like THIS

Or like THIS

And she did sing it. Sort of. A new, never-before-performed jazzy version. At the end, over the slightly hesitant applause, she told us it was “shit” and as we protested politely and loudly, though it was shit, she assured us that it WAS “shit” and that we, the forgiving and ever-loving audience, may elect the last number.

Well! What we really wanted her to sing was The Wizard and I.

And she did! Really! Now THAT’S what the Brisbane peeps wanted to hear!

There was an almost imperceptible sudden realisation from Shoshana herself that that was all the Brisbane peeps wanted to hear. I wanted to tell her after the show that she MUST keep doin’ her own thing (not that anybody could ever keep her from doin’ it)! Her own thing is pretty darn good, after all! But I didn’t tell her this because I already had the album and we had run into some long-lost friends and then we ran away back to the coast, as we so often do after a show these days. Sometimes it’s about getting the balance right; the balance between sustaining some sort of real life at home as well as keeping up with seeing the shows and making the appearances…more about that another time.

Shoshana’s roles-I’ll-never-play medley was priceless. I loved the power and pure joy and optimism of Goodbye Until Tomorrow, from JRB’s The Last Five Years and the great, jazzy opening numbers, including Down With Love…cute arrangement. In fact, I should mention that Shoshana’s musical director, James Sampliner, was also a pretty incredible performer (as well as a crazy-talented musician) . Without actually becoming part of the patter, as Billy Stritch, Todd Schroeder and others do (probably can’t resist, I suspect), Mr Sampliner was well and truly half of that show, with an abundance of high octane energy to feed off!

So this was going to be a short post, to give you a quick run down of the onslaught of momentous things that have happened in the last 24 hours…but too late. Ok, briefly, like, bullet points even:

• Shoshana Bean shared with Brisbane peeps just a little of what we knew of her already and a lot of what we didn’t. My guess is that there is a lot more to come.
• While Shoshana was onstage, Kevin Rudd politely offered to step out of the spotlight that has shone so briefly upon him and out of Julia Gillard’s way, as she was basically shoved in front of the country, in a role that, quite possibly, she hadn’t realised she would get to play quite so soon. I know. Sometimes it’s best not to question these things but the whole fiasco made me think of

1. They Both Reached for the Gun
2. Showgirls

YES the puppet master and NO, not really much of it but just the bit in Showgirls where the dancer is pushed down the stairs by the up and coming dancer (“There’s always somebody younger and thinner coming down the stairs behind you”) and another dancer defends her and says she saw it, it was an accident, it just happened, she FELL…and the dancer is crumpled at the bottom of the stairs until she is carried away…aaaaand back to the bullet points:

• Queensland Theatre Company announced (well, Anna Bligh announced it actually, but nobody noticed while the puppet masters were at work) that QTC had appointed as their new Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch; a brilliant, kinda brave and kinda obvious choice for the top job in Queensland theatre.
• And remember, we gained our first female prime minister without even having to elect her. How lucky are we?
• And I won tickets to see Luke Kennedy in Jesus Christ Superstar in August.
• And I won tickets to see Katie Noonan and the Captains at Joe’s Waterhole on Saturday night.

Ok. I think that’s all. Now I just have The Sunshine Coast Show and The Noosa Longweekend to catch up on…..guest bloggers? Anyone?