Jerry’s Girls

Celebrating the larger than life ladies of theatre launched by the show tunes of Jerry Herman, Jerry’s Girls packs a succession of great Broadway tunes into two hours.

This musical revue celebrates the showstoppers Herman composed for those classic, more mature, musical theatre leading ladies, Dolly Levi, Mame and the drag queen Za-Za / Albin (Hello, Dolly, Mame and La Cage aux Folles), together with often equally terrific songs written for his less successful shows.

It’s a great showcase for three of Bankstown Theatre Company’s leading ladies (supported by an ensemble of eight), in a smart, lively production, stylishly directed and choreographed by Edward Rooke.

Leading the ladies are Diane Wilson, Melissa Goman and Dale Selsby.

Diane is a splendid musical theatre comic actress and singer, with a commanding Broadway belt. Her broadly comic ‘Put it Back On’ in the show’s vaudeville sequence and hilarious ‘Gooch’s Song’ had me reaching back to her memorable debut in a leading role as Fanny Brice in Rockdale Musical Society’s still memorable Funny Girl four decades ago (about the time I joined the local musical society myself).

Melissa Goman’s rich, warm, mellow mezzo and the heartfelt conviction of her interpretations resonated beautifully in numbers like the touching ‘If He Walked Into My Life,’ the affecting duet of ‘Kiss Her Now’, with ensemble member Kellie Wilson, and her calmly assertive ‘I Am What I Am’.

Probably the more classically conventional ‘leading lady’ of the trio, Dale Selsby’s beautiful ‘Time Heals Everything’ and ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ were the kind of songs that truly tapped into her strengths.

The rapport between the three when they shared the stage in trios, duets and ensembles was obvious.

Ensemble choreography, and its stylish execution, was a special feature. Edward Rooke never neglected a single visible or semi-visible moment, down to the exit of the final dancer. While there was plenty of effective unison dancing, what pleased even more were the individual gestures and movements within ensemble work, part of a broader sense of personality and individuality with which the ensemble was endowed. Simple attractive patterns throughout added to the visual charm. Choreography was well tailored to the individual abilities of the ensemble, and effectively used the simply designed, uncluttered space.

From the stylish black frocks, and sparkling accessories, of the opening, through constantly changing costumes for each new number, Jerry’s Girls was varied, colourful and generally pleasing on the eye. Where humour was indicated, the costumes, too, got in on the gag.

An undetected onstage costume change by the entire ensemble, which caught us with delighted surprise, reinforced how splendidly the three experienced leads could draw total audience focus.

What a lesson in simple stagecraft!

But I’ll reveal no more, as I’d risk spoiling it for you.

Since moving into their new black-box theatre, Bankstown has made something of a house style of simple projections and animations, creating scenic variety within the limited facilities available. While they sometimes lacked stylistic unity, at their best they were commendable; a rising and falling red front-of-house curtain was my favourite.

The four-piece band led by Greg Crease, top professional accompanist and musical director, was exemplary. Backstage placement of the band assisted in achieving a comfortable sound balance, while a trouper like Diane Wilson could even land her songs without the assistance of a radio mic.

Recently I’ve enjoyed songbook shows celebrating the catalogues of up-and-coming Broadway writers, but for a classic Show Tune tragic like myself, it’s hard to beat a revue based on the songs of Jerry Herman, one of the great masters of the Broadway showstopper.

Neil Litchfield

Images (from top): Melissa Goman with ensemble; Diane Wilson, Dale Selsby and Melissa Goman, and ensemble.

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