Broadway Spectacular

Conductor Patrick Pickett’s ingratiating and jolly demeanour permeated this whole concert, making it a very folksy and warm program. The orchestra, which this year is celebrating its 30^th anniversary, was in fine form delivering songs from classic Broadway and more recent musicals, helped by the Vocal Manoeuvres choir, the Moreton Bay College Dancers, and two outstanding guest artists, Silvie Paladino and Kane Alexander.

As both guest artists had performed in Les Misérables in Australia and London, and although the songs from this show dominated, they nevertheless proved to be the highlights of the performance. Kane Alexander sang an impassioned “Stars” and “Bring Him Hone, whilst Silvie Paladino brought tearful emotion to “On My Own” and “I Dreamed a Dream”. Together they were magic on two of musical theatre’s greatest duets, “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera and the unknown (in Australia) “Wheels of a Dream” from Ragtime.

The orchestra shone on a medley from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, Kander and Ebb’s Chicago, and Gershwin’s “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess the latter with a beautiful Cor Anglais solo by guest musician, Sadah Webster.

The dancers in gold lame and the choir (all 100 of them) worked best of all in A Chorus Line’s “One”, whilst the Men’s Chorus and Kane Alexander made a meal of Miss Saigon’s “Bui Doi”. Charles Sayre’s orchestrations for the opening medley “Broadway Showstoppers” and “Gershwin in Concert” sounded dated, as if they had been written for an MGM orchestra of the 50s, but the more recent charts had a great contemporary sound, especially the “Jesus Christ Superstar” finale.

The orchestra know their audience and gave them what they wanted - big anthems (“You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Memory”), big voices (Silvie Paladino and Kane Alexander at the top of their game) and a generous and satisfying two and a half hour concert. They were rewarded with a standing ovation and deserved it.

Peter Pinne   

Images: Kane Alexander and Silvie Paladino.