The Sky’s The Limit

For the past four years QPAC has joined with the Queensland Conservatorium to present the annual 3^rd Year graduating students from the Batchelor of Musical Theatre course in a self-devised group cabaret performance. Mentored by musical theatre royalty in previous years, Patti LuPone, Liz Callaway and Ruthie Henshall, this year it’s Tony winner Faith Prince’s chance to disseminate her vast Broadway experience to the group. With New York musical director Alex Rybeck, assisted by Luke Volker on keys, and MTC’s Associate Director Dean Bryant directing, the result was one highly-skilled and satisfying show.

Standout performance for me was Jordan Twigg and Selin Doygun singing the Frank Sinatra standard “That’s Life”. Standing centre-stage, these two ladies belted it to the rafters with buckets of guts and raw energy.

Alastair Blake scored laughs and manically tap-danced, assisted by Maddison Price, Gabrielle Parkin and Jordanna Moradin, on Mean Girls’ cell-phone ode “Stop”.

Maddison Coleman also got giggles with her sexy take of Carousel’s “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” whilst Andrew Longo, Conor Putland and Trent Sinclair were an agreeable trio of naïve sailors on shore leave in On The Town’s’  “New York, New York”.

The ‘Villian Medley’ was fun, with Longo in heels as Rocky Horror’s “Sweet Transvestite” and Samantha Stratton as a mean and brassy Miss Hannigan on Annie’s “Little Girls”.

Zac Parkes, Putland and Sinclair did the gender switch version of Gypsy’s “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” and hit a bullseye, and it was nice to see two numbers from the new Australian musical My Brilliant Career, by director Bryant and his writing partner Matthew Frank, get an airing. Taylor Yost’s “In the Dark” was particularly impressive.

It was a great chance to see our future stars in the making. Congratulations and applause were earned and deserved!

Peter Pinne