Groundhog Day, the Musical REVIEW 1 Feb 2024 *****

 MUSICAL THEATRE

Book by Danny Rubin, Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

At Princess Theatre Melbourne until 7 April 2024

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

 Stars: ***** (5)

 This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 10 Feb 2024. KH

 

Andy Karl, Aust. prod Groundhog Day The Musical. Photo Jeff Busby.

 

Groundhog Day the Musical is an ebullient, frenetically paced, madly entertaining and funny musical adaptation of the classic 1993 movie starring Bill Murray. Every component in this production is inspired: from Tim Minchin’s songs, to Danny Rubin’s book, Matthew Warchus’s direction, the lead actors and support cast.

 

Andy Karl is exceptional in every way in the role of Phil Connors, the cynical and egotistical TV weatherman who resents his assignment to cover the eccentric Groundhog Day in the backwoods town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every year, on February 2^nd, these folksy townspeople celebrate the appearance of a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. If Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.

 

When a blizzard travels off its expected path into Punxsutawney and closes all the highways,  Connors and his hopeful, cheerful producer, Rita (played with warmth and humour by Elise McCann), and cameraman, Larry (Kaya Byrne), are stuck in Punxsutawney overnight. Here begins Phil’s hellish reliving of that same day for months, perhaps even years. It is a splendidly absurd concept.

 

The repetition become comical, then desperate, fraught and nightmarish, but Phil still manages to remain a conniving jackass who abuses, cheats, ridicules and sneers at everyone, and uses his foreknowledge of the day’s events and people’s needs to take advantage of people and manipulate them, particularly Rita. 

 

It’s odd to think of a story advancing when it is built on the repetition of the same day. Repetition is often criticised in stage productions, apart from reprises of songs. However, in this instance, it is the genius of the show; music, lyrics, story, stage action, choreography, dialogue, character interactions and the banal detail of Phil’s repeated day all cohere to create an effervescent, thrilling episodic narrative in which we witness Phil evolve from total jerk into a genuine and caring member of this simple community. This morality tale forces Phil to repeat his 24 hours until he becomes the man he never was.

 

Minchin's music is celebratory and eclectic, and his songs cleverly advance the story, illuminate characters and develop relationships. His lyrics are infused with black humour as is Danny Rubin’s dialogue in this narrative that is cunningly constructed for the stage. (Song list below)

 

Matthew Warchus's direction is remarkable, assured and always surprising. He dovetails vibrant pageantry and effusive choreography (Lizzi Gee) with comical, dialogue-based scenes, poignant character vignettes, quirky visual design (Rob Howell) that incorporates the cunning use of a miniature landscape and a flying car chase through suspended snow-covered houses. One remarkable element is the startling illusions by Paul Kieve in which Karl, as Phil, disappears and reappears in his repeated ‘suicide’ attempts.

 

Go see Groundhog Day the Musical, even if you are not familiar with the movie. It’s a rollicking, fun show with heart and a simple message: be kind.

 

By: Kate Herbert.

 

Cast

Andy Karl - Phil Connors

Elise McCann - Rita Hanson

Lays Byrne - Larry

Alison Whyte- Mrs Lancaster

Tim Wright - Ned Ryerson

Ashleigh Rubenaxch - Nancy

Conor Naylon - Gus

Connor Sweeney - Ralph

Matthew Hamilton - Sheriff

Afua Adjel - Debbie

 

Creative Team

Danny Rubin - Book

Tim Minchin -Music and Lyrics

Matthew Warchus- Director

Rob Howell - Scenic & Costume Design

Lizzi Gee - Choreography

Christopher Nightingale - music supervision orchestrations

Hugh Vanstone  - Lighting Design

Simon Baker - Sound Design

Paul Kieve- Illusions

Andrzej Goulding- Video & Animation

Finn Campbell- additional movement

Campbell Young Assoc- Hair, Wigs & Make-up

Warwick Griffin - Assoc Director

 

SONG LIST

ACT ONE

• There Will Be Sun - Company
• Small Town, U.S.A. (Day 1) - Phil and Company
• February 2nd/There Will Be Sun - Rita and Company
• Small Town, U.S.A. (Day 2) - Phil and Company
• Punxsutawney Phil - Company
• February 2nd/ There Will Be Sun - Rita and Company
• Small Town, U.S.A. (Day 3) - Phil and Company
• Stuck - Phil and Healers
• Nobody Cares - Gus, Ralph, Phil and Company
• Philandering - Company
• One Day - Rita, Phil and Company

ACT TWO

• Playing Nancy - Nancy
• Hope - Phil and Company
• Everything About You - Phil
• If I Had My Time Again - Rita, Phil and Company
• Everything About You (Reprise) - Phil
• Philosopher - Phil and Company
• Night Will Come - Ned
• Philanthropy - Phli and Company
• Punxsutawney Rock - Piano Teacher and Company
• Seeing You - Phil, Rita and Company
• Dawn - Company

 

Seventeen REVIEW MTC 19 Jan 2024 ***1/2

 

THEATRE

 by Matthew Whittet, Melbourne Theatre Company

At  Sumner, Southbank Theatre until 17 Feb 2024

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:***1/2

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on a Sat in early Feb 2023. KH

RIchard Piper, Robert Menzies, George Shvetsov, Pamela Rabe,Genevieve Picot, photo Pia Johnson

It is a delicious treat and a privilege to see a cast of such exceptional, older, local actors on stage together and, it must be said, the performances are the major highlight of Seventeen by Matthew Whittet and directed by Matt Edgerton.

 

The team of stellar stalwarts includes Robert Menzies (Tom), Genevieve Picot (Emilia), Richard Piper (Mike), Pamela Rabe (Jess), and George Shevtsov (Ronny), all of whom play 17-year-olds celebrating the end of their school days by getting plastered in a children’s playground. As they imbibe more, their defences crumble, they confront their muddled thoughts about their uncertain futures, and each reveals a closely guarded secret. In a peculiar twist, the wisest words emanate from Mike’s party-crashing, 14-year-old younger sister, Lizzy (Fiona Choi).

 

Their last night together as school pals or colleagues deteriorates into drunken clashes and stumbles, both physical and verbal. Whittet’s play evolves in a series of episodes, some involving the whole group and others focusing more intimately on pairs.

 

As the scenes ebb and flow, so do the relationships and alliances, with friends discovering long-held secrets about each other, losing faith, feeling betrayed or confessing their love.

 

Although they are playing 17-year-olds, some of the dialogue and direction makes them seem like a much younger cohort – but perhaps that is a symptom of school-leavers carrying their child selves with them into the brave new world of adulthood. There is some imbalance between the adolescent banter and bickering, and the individuals’ revelatory monologues about themselves and their view of the world.

Menzies is sympathetic as Tom, capturing his introverted, genuine and caring nature, Picot finds vulnerability in the brittle and awkward Emilia, Piper makes the extroverted, good-looking Mike the focus of the group, Rabe is compelling as the audacious and popular Jess, Shevtsov is poignant and sad as “weirdo”  outsider, Ronny, while Choi vividly portrays the vivacious Lizzy, a younger teen who is yet to feel the others’ sense of the impending doom of adulthood.

 

Watching these older actors playing teens allows us to see into the characters’ futures. As they muse about their hopes, dreams and fears about becoming an adult or growing old, we see, in the image of the actors, the actuality of later middle-age for each of the characters.

Seventeen is both joyful and moving and its significant draw card is the exceptional cast.

 

By Kate Herbert

 

Cast

Fiona Choi, Robert Menzies, Genevieve Picot, Richard Piper, Pamela Rabe and George Shevtsov

 

Director Matt Edgerton
Set & Costume Designer Christina Smith
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson

Composer & Sound Designer Joe Paradise Lui

Movement Director Vincent Crowley
Assistant Director Tasnim Hossain
Intimacy Coordinator Amy Cater

The Choir of Man REVIEW 5 Jan 2024 ****1/2

MUSICAL THEATRE

Created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay

At Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne until 11 Feb 2024

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ****1/2 (4.5)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat in early Feb 2024. KH

NB: I've fixed a couple of misspellings. Apologies to those who I wrongly named. K

Cast-The Choir Of Man_Melbourne-pic Danysha Harriott

The Choir of Man is a rollicking night of singin’, talkin’, dancin’ and drinkin’ in a local pub and it is ideal entertainment for this lazy holiday period before the year starts making its demands on us.

 

Nic Doodson’s vivacious, uplifting and celebratory 90-minute production is set in an old-fashioned, English pub called The Jungle in which nine multi-talented blokes – AKA The Choir of Man – dance, spin yarns and sing an eclectic repertoire of pop songs, rock anthems, pub and folk tunes.

 

Accompanied by a tight, on-stage band, the performers fill the theatre with thrilling harmonies and a cappella singing, inspired musical arrangements (Jack Blume) of instruments including guitar, piano, banjo, trumpet, clarinet and violin, as well as the foot-stomping, percussive rhythms of a tap-dancing Handyman (Ethan Vijn).

 

The audience is encouraged to participate by singing along to songs such as a raucous rendition of The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles and a rousing You’re the Voice (Tom Brandon) that sends the Farnham-loving Melbourne crowd into vocal paroxysms of delight.

 

Some lucky audience members are invited on stage to drink beer, and on opening night, one saucy minx was a blazing hit, gesturing and flirting shamelessly with the Beast (Rob Godfrey) while he serenaded her with Teenage Dream.

 

There’s the Irish, piano-playing Maestro (Matthew Campbell), the guitar-wielding Godfrey, a perky Barman (Nathaniel Morrison), the Bore who has a velvety, Welsh bass baritone voice (Aled Pennock), the lovelorn Romantic (Bradley Walwyn) and the practical Joker (Christian Tyler-Wood).

 

This joyous show has many highlights, including a soaring and moving rendition of Adele’s anthemic song, Hello, a raunchy version of Queen’s Somebody to Love and an a cappella version of Sia’s Chandelier.

 

The nine men display their musical versatility in an instrumental number, three men sing a goofy trio standing at a urinal, and Higgins delivers the poignant melody, Dance With My Father and their finale is a moving Irish (or is it Scottish?) folk tune, The Parting Glass.

 

Doodson’s direction is inventive, assured, complex and seamless, while the poetic, social commentary (Ben Norris) spoken by the charming narrator, Alistair Higgins, laments the loss of pubs to luxury apartments – ‘the easy casualties of time’ – and encourages us to value community and communication.

 

However, do not expect a dramatic arc or a storyline. This piece might have explored more deeply the narrative of the fall of the local pub and the rise of shiny new towers, but it dodges that line and continues merrily as a musical miscellany.

 

The Choir of Man is a vibrant production that not only entertains but also urges us to preserve the spirit of those close-knit communities that meet at their local for a few brews and some yarn-spinning – until developers buy the block!

 

By Kate Herbert

 

CAST
Maestro -Matthew Campbell

Beast - Rob Godfrey

Barman -Nathaniel Morrison

Bore - Aled Pennock

Handyman- Ethan Vijn

Hardman -Tom Brandon

Joker -Christian Tyler-Wood

Poet -Alistair Higgins 5 Jan

Romantic -Bradley Walwyn 5 Jan

 

BAND

Craig Newman- Bass & Band Leader

Angus Burchall -Drums

Marcus Kurban- Guitar

Kyla Matsuura-Miller -Violin

 

Creators -Nic Doodson & Andrew Kay

Musical Supervisor etc Jack Blume

Choreographer- Freddie Huddleston

Monologues Writer- Ben Norris

Scenic Designer- Oli Townsend

Costume -Verity Sadler

Lighting -Richard Dinnen

Sound Design -Sten Severson

 

SONGS & MONOLOGUES LIST

 

1.     WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

(Intro Scene)

2.     SAVE TONIGHT

3.     TEENAGE DREAM

4.     THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

5.     50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER

(“Pubs” Speech)

6.     HELLO

7.     YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME

8.     PIÑA COLADA

9.     500 MILES

10.  UNDER THE BRIDGE

11.  CHANDELIER

1.     HOMESPEECH

2.     JUNGLESTOMP

3.     BRINGTOMORROWON

4.     DANCEWITHMYFATHER

12.  SOMEBODY TO LOVE

13.  YOU’RE THE VOICE

14.  SOME NIGHTS

a. SOME NIGHTS REPRISE

(Goodbye Speech) 15. THE PARTING GLASS

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream COMMENT 29 Dec 2023

 

OUTDOOR THEATRE

Written by William Shakespeare

Australian Shakespeare Company

At  Botanical Gardens, Southern Cross Lawn, until 11 Feb 20224

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: NA

NB: Apologies to the company but I had to leave the performance early due to unforeseen circumstances. For this reason, the following is an observation rather than a full review of the production. 

I’ll present a radio comment on Arts Weekly on 3MBS When we restart in early Feb 2024. KH

K

Fletcher O'Leary, Hugh Sexton, Cameron Shook and Syd Brisbane_Credit Ben Fon

Glenn Elston’s 35th production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream under the stars is playful, youthful and irreverent, cheekily incorporating contemporary language, attitudes and references to update Shakespeare’s text and appeal to audiences unfamiliar with the Bard.

 

The Mechanicals are like a clutch of tittering, testosterone-soaked teenage boys who would hear sexual innuendo in a teacup. Syd Brisbane’s Puck has a devilish attitude and a primate-like gait and he compels his two acrobatic fairies (Fletcher O’Leary, Cierra Shook) to do his and Oberon’s bidding.

 

There are some notable performances, including the impressive Larissa Teale as Helena; Teale adroitly penetrates the poetic text, creating a credible and comprehensible Helena and giving the audience access to Shakespeare. Hugh Sexton is, as always, a treat to watch; he is dignified as Theseus and compelling as Oberon, the Fairy King.

 

As ever, the exquisite Botanical Gardens and its resident wildlife provide an evocative environmental backdrop to the simple staging.

 

Get out there with our picnic and see this celebratory and entertaining summer delight.

 

by Kate Herbert

 

CAST

TITANIA | HIPPOLYTA Nicole Nabout

OBERON | THESEUS Hugh Sexton

PUCK | PHILOSTRATE Syd Brisbane

HELENA | COBWEB Larissa Teale

HERMIA | FAIRY Olivia McLeod

DEMETRIUS | ROBIN STARVELING Tane Williams

LYSANDER | TOM SNOUT Alex Cooper

BOTTOM Elizabeth Brennan
PETER QUINCE | MUSTARDSEED Madeleine Somers

FRANCIS FLUTE Jackson McGovern

SNUG | FAIRY Henny Walters

PEASEBLOSSOM Fletcher O’Leary

MOTH Claire Duncan

PUCK’S ASSISTANT Cierra Shook

KateHerbert ArtsWeekly 3MBS Sat9DEC2023

In this last Arts Weekly 3MBS radio spot for 2023, I review Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Red Stitch and Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill by MTC with Zahra Newman as Billie Holiday.