Ghost: The Musical

Ghost: The Musical
Music & Lyrics by Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard. Book & Additional Lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin. Based upon the screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin. Directed by Matthew Warchus Festival Centre, Adelaide, January 9-31, 2016, then touring to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

When I told friends and acquaintances that my next assignment for Stage Whispers was covering the Australian Premiere of Ghost: The Musical, the typical reactions I received were guffaws of disbelief from those who regard the movie as a schmaltzy relic of a bygone era and indignant cries of “BUT HOW???” from the film’s diehard fans. This reaction is kind of understandable. Though the last fifteen years have seen a deluge of musicals based upon films hit Broadway and The West End, with some achieving a degree of success comparable to their cinematic source material (Hairspray and Billy Elliot spring to mind), Ghost doesn't seem the most obvious candidate to be adapted to the stage.

The events of the storyline present enormous technical challenges that push the limits of what live musical theatre is capable of. Ghost contains scenes of souls departing from bodies, ghosts walking through walls, poltergeists making objects fly through the air with the power of thought, spirits taking possession of human host bodies, one of the villains getting run over by a car and demons rising up from the depths of hell to claim evildoers. These are pivotal dramatic moments that, if not handled with impeccable precision, could’ve easily rendered Ghost a campy train wreck. So kudos to illusionist Paul Kieve, who together with lighting designer Hugh Vanstone and video-projection specialist Jon Driscoll ensure that each of these scenes come across with smooth technical panache, yet aren’t so overblown that they detract from the more intimate human drama surrounding them.

Though spectacular FX is clearly the selling point of a show like this, it does have some legitimate dramatic appeal as well. Mostly in the charismatic performances of the cast, who bring the best out of the infernally catchy and stylistically eclectic songs by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.

Rob Mills has a winning mix of brash goofball charm and romantic vulnerability as Sam, the “high flying yuppie with a heart” cut down in his prime. Mills’ wholesome yet assertive voice is a natural fit for his character’s soft rock solo numbers, such as “I Had A Life”. Jemma Rix portrays Sam’s bohemian artist girlfriend, Molly, with a surprisingly warm earthiness that prevents her character’s adult-contemporary ballads like “With You” and “Nothing Stops Another Day” from coming across as precious or maudlin. Together, Rix and Mills have a playfully sweet chemistry that is joyously expressed in the opening duet “Here Right Now”.

That said, the supporting cast constantly steal scenes with show-stopping pizazz and it’s their more idiosyncratic musical numbers that are the most memorable. Wendy Mae Brown’s commanding voice is reminiscent of Aretha Franklin in her prime, and she has spitfire sass to spare as Oda-Mae, the neurotic psychic who helps Sam establish contact with his lost love. Her anthemic, gospel-infused 11 o’clock number, “I’m Outta Here”, provoked ecstatic applause from the opening night audience, almost loud enough to raise the roof of the theatre.

Also making a strong impression in only a few scenes is David Denis, simultaneously menacing and pitiful as a temperamental poltergeist who haunts a subway train. The explosive hip-hop number, “Focus”, in which Denis ferociously raps about the injustices that lead to his death whilst channeling his frustration and rage into the telekinetic manipulation of various inanimate objects is a spine-chilling highlight.     

Alex Rathgeber makes for a disturbingly sexy villain as white-collar criminal Carl, oozing suave, bad boy charisma and provoking a great many appreciative gasps from the ladies in attendance with his shirtless scene. His slick, new-wave, synth-pop styled songs such as “More”, are just what you’d expect to be on Patrick Bateman’s playlist and Rathgeber delivers them with gusto.

Wisely, none of the cast imitate the iconic performers featured in the original movie, and its to their credit that they succeed so thoroughly in making the roles their own that they were treated to a standing ovation from the audience on opening night.

Though some of the dance numbers seem oddly stiff and robotic, most of the choreography is well thought out. It’s fair to say that the only real glaring defects this show has are inherited from the source material. In adapting his screenplay to the stage, Bruce Joel Rubin has made no attempt to tone down the excessive sentimentality that was present in the original film. Also, it is fair to say that in hopping back and forth between a variety of different genres – mystery, romance, comedy, horror – Ghost has always been rather a “Jack Of All Trades: Master Of None”. This is as true of the stage musical as it was of the film.

Ultimately, the most challenging aspect of this show for audiences will not be accepting the visual presentation of supernatural content, but their willingness to accept sudden tonal shifts in the narrative and their tolerance for heart-on-sleeve schmaltz. If you’re a fan of the movie, and are willing to go into it with an open mind, then chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Ghost: The Musical. But if you’re one of those cynics who found the original film to be a load of sentimental nonsense then you are best advised to look elsewhere for your evening entertainment.     

Benjamin Orchard

Photographer: Jeff Busby

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