Reviews

It’s hard to believe that when West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957 it only received two Tony Awards, one for Jerome Robbins’ Choreography and one for Oliver Smith’s set design. Running for only 734 performances, audiences were uncomfortable with the subject matter (street-gang warfare), as they were in Australia in 1960 when it was first produced here. It wasn’t until the 1961 movie version that West Side Story was acknowledged as the groundbreaker that it was.

Bursting onto the stage at Spotlight, the Priscilla bus erupted in a giant wave of glitz, colour, fabulous costumes and brilliant performances from the extremely talented cast led by Dean Giltinan – Tick / Mitzi Mitosis, David Valks – Bernadette and Brin Jenke – Adam / Feliciajollygoodfellow.

Director/Choreographer Jamie Watt, Musical Director Peter Laughton and Associate Choreographers Jackson Kook and Jessica Ng have presented an outstanding production which rivals the professional show.

With a knowing wink and its tongue firmly set in its cheek, Schmigadoon! is a satirical spin on Broadway’s ‘Golden Age’ musicals. An ‘A’ list cast - Kristen Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Jane Krakowski, Ariana Dubose, Alan Cumming, Martin Short and Dove Cameron - do justice to this enjoyable spoof now streaming on Apple TV+.

It is more than 20 years since I last saw April de Angelis’ all female play about the very first actresses in London’s 17th century Restoration period. Brash and bawdy, the play is set in a playhouse that was formerly a bear pit. Its feminist message shows that, for women in any time period, freedom is mythological – there’s always a man somewhere pulling the strings and deciding our fate. A depressing thought but nonetheless beautifully masked in what is, after all, a comedy, albeit one with a poignant heart.