By
Present Tense
Theatreworks,
until Dec 1, 2012
Reviewer: Kate Herbert on Wed, Nov 21, 2012
Stars: 3&1/2
Published in Herald Sun on Friday, Nov 23, 2012
Who knew that diminutive,
Aussie icon, Margaret Fulton, lived a bohemian life amongst hookers and artists
in The Rocks in Sydney, and had a penchant for ‘decorative, elegant and
useless’ men?
Astonishingly, the life
of this pavlova queen has enough drama, romance and piles of sweetness to make
Doug Macleod and Yuri Worontschak’s funny, often cheesy musical, Margaret
Fulton: Queen of the Dessert, a success.
The formidably talented
Amy Lehpamer is warm, elegant, feisty and laconic as Margaret, although
significantly taller, and her passionate and skilful singing raises the roof.
MacLeod cherry-picks
episodes and characters from Fulton’s life in his biographical narrative, then
teases them into goofy scenes populated with clown-like caricatures.
MacLeod’s lyrics are witty
and Woronschak’s musical styles range from blues to pop and jazz to latin beats.
My personal musical faves
include the sassy, latin chorus number, La Vie Boheme, the funky tune, London
Swings, and a rousing anthem about Margaret’s cookbook.
The show is light and
fluffy as a souffle until Margaret finds ‘genuine emotion and serious devotion’
with her beloved, third husband, Michael, played sympathetically by Zoy Frangos
who shares the moving, love duet, Beautiful, with Lehpamer.
Josh Price is hilarious
as a parade of obnoxious men, including Margaret’s carousing, philandering
Irish husband, Laura Burzacott is bold and brassy as Bea, the big-hearted
Sydney hooker, and Zoe McDonald is the voice of reason as Margaret’s mother.
Directors, Bryce Ives and
Nathan Gilkes, keep the rhythm fast, the style broadly comical and the tone
respectful.
Margaret Fulton really is
the ‘Aussie icon, living national treasure’ and Queen of the Dessert, which is
why the crowd gave her a standing ovation opening night.
CAST
Amy Lehpamer, Laura Burzacott, Zoy Frangos, Josh Price, Zoe McDonald
Amy Lehpamer, Laura Burzacott, Zoy Frangos, Josh Price, Zoe McDonald
CREATIVE TEAM
Book & Lyrics, Doug MacLeod; Music,
Yuri Worontschak; Directors, Bryce Ives & Nathan Gilkes; Lighting Design,
Scott Allan
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