The Boy From Oz

Babirra’s production of The Boy From Oz was a triumph. Of course the show lives and dies on the ability of the inhabitant of the title role, and Jonathon Guthrie-Jones met every challenge. He was a bit too good-looking for this role, but we soon forgot that as he delved into the depths of this complex character.

I have encountered Jonathon in a number of roles in the past and admired his comedic, dancing and vocal skills, but I have never seen him stretched this far. Apart from the highs, Peter Allen had many lows, and Jonathon made us feel his pain. In many places the show felt just like a Peter Allen concert, and Jonathon was constantly interacting with the audience, never dropping character.

But this was no one-man show, and others took their opportunities to shine. Caleb Waterworth, as the young Peter Allen, displayed an excellent voice and strong dancing and acting skills. As his mother, Gabrielle O’Brien was a constant presence and then sang a poignant “Don’t Cry Out Loud” to her young son after her husband’s suicide.

Melanie Ott was a vulnerable Liza Minnelli, who gained in confidence through the show and sang extraordinarily well. Adrienne George was her over-the-top mother, Judy Garland, who took Peter under her wing. Shaun Kingma was Peter’s brooding partner, who sang a heartfelt “I Honestly Love You”.

Verity Brown, Bianca Bruce and Nicole Kapiniaris were an excellent trio of backing singers, though their microphones were often turned up too high. The ensemble singing was excellent.

The production was minimalist, with a walkway high up at the back and furniture rolled on for different scenes. A small white grand piano with lights on all edges was often central. The lighting was extraordinary, and that was the main topic of conversation at interval.

The Sold Out sign said it all, and there will be many Melbourne theatregoers who rue missing the opportunity to see this marvelous production.

Graham Ford

Images (from top) Bianca Bruce, Verity Brown, Nicole Kapiniaris. Bottom Jonathan Guthrie-Jones and Company; top Melanie Ott as Liza Minnelli, then from L to R, Bianca Bruce, Jonathan Guthrie-Jones, Verity Brown and Nicole Kapiniaris; Keshia Contini, Emma Uphill, Kristy Griffin, Tailem Tynan, Jonathan Guthrie-Jones, & L to R, Bianca Bruce, Aryna Pavlovych, Jonathan Jonathan Guthrie-Jones, James Kaiser and Nicole Kapiniaris. Photos by Gavin D Andrew.