Cheers For Musicals From Oz
The Age
Thursday November 20, 2008
OZMADE MUSICALS
Compered by Tony Sheldon, directed by Aaron Joyner. Athenaeum Theatre, November 17. Running time: 160minutes WITH its sixth annual staging, the Magnormos initiative OzMade Musicals, promoting Australian music theatre, including unproduced works, has become a firm fixture on the local scene. And it seems to get better every year.With the ineffably affable Tony Sheldon as MC, this year's concert presented excerpts from three promising contenders in the "on the drawing board" category of new shows. Life's a Circus (book, music and lyrics by Anthony Costanzo, and shortlisted for this year's Pratt Prize) tells of a romantic triangle between three performers in a circus company. It featured striking harmonies in songs in which the characters had strong interaction.Pink (book, music and lyrics by Joanna White, in her first stab at music theatre) captured the emotional element in a story of a girl's reunion with her father.Better than Broadway (book and lyrics by Melvyn Morrow and David Mitchell, co-authors of Dusty and Shout, with music by the late Ray Cook) drew big laughs with its informed send-up of amateur theatre - a sort of musical Waiting for Guffman.The splendid casts in these showcases included Anne Wood, Don Bridges, Jane Badler, Chris Parker, Laura Fitzpatrick, Shaun Murphy, Cameron MacDonald, Emily Doran, Anne Phelan, Erin Cornell and Greg Ross.The formidable talents of Toni Lamond, Chelsea Plumley and Michael Cormick presented songs from past Australian musicals.Students from the University of Ballarat Arts Academy delivered a rousing chorus from Lola Montez to mark the 50th anniversary of that show. It was as entertaining a night of music theatre as anyone could wish for.
© 2008 The Age