Ah September that wonderful time of year when the sun begins to shine and my endorphins are at a good level. My favourite things about Setember (my birth month) are the sounds of Spring. For me, it is reassuring to hear the "King tides" of an evening accompanying the Spring equinox. The crash of the waves at night is the best possible soundtrack for a great nights sleep, and despite the Ocean-shore being over 500 metres away, they sound so close.This transports me back to childhood memories of being suggled in bed in our beach house nestled on the sand dunes of the 'back' beach. Our fence-line was our entry to the National Park and our beach access. The house was designed by an aviation engineer and structurally swayed during high winds. For guests it was very disconcerting, especially when the movement was coupled with the crashing wave soundscape!
But for me it was (and is) my spiritual home.
So now these equinoxial gales bring memories of relaxation away from the stresses of the city.
And speaking of the stresses of the city and September soundscapes, nothing can compare with the hush over the MCG for the National Anthem on Grand Final day and the gargantuan wave of 100,000 voices' unified cheer to drown out the last stanzas before the ball is bounced.
They seem such simple pleasures from 'the olden days'... yet there is always more beneath the surface with fond memories.
I can't say I was ever from a wealthy family, we were most probably 'comfortably well off' and able to experience these two soundscapes annually. This Septemeber, however, I have had it reinforced that I am no longer 'comfortably well off'. Despite the best efforts of my son and his father, plus the generosity of the federal tax commissioner even $2,000 could not assure me of both locales. A drawn Grand Final for my beloved Pies definitely put paid to the hope of hearing the cheers of the black and white faithful at 'The G' this coming Saturday.
I have a friend who's son is an MCC member, yet he is definitely not approachable to queue for MCC reserve seats, nor would he be open for an acquaintance offering to queue for him, to obtain one ticket to the much prized event! And they wonder why the crowd in the Southern Stand ritualisticaly boo the Members stand during the Mexican Wave!
It is with gratitude however, that an AFL silver member offered to purchase a ticket for me... but guess what, all Collingwood, St Kilda and AFL reserve seating has sold out their allocations within several hours. By my best calculation that still only accounts for around 60% of the seating capacity... so where are the remaining seats, at what price and who can afford them, let alone how does one get them?
My answer to this musing was found last night, and in the what I had mistakenly thought of as the least likely place.
I attended the opening night of the Production Company's last in their season of musicals, Sugar at the State Theatre.
That' s who have all the tickets, the glitteratti and corporates! Everyone I spoke to was going and very few were actual supporters of the teams playing off. So much for Collingwood President, Eddie Maguire saying that this would be 'the people's Grand Final'.
Only certain people Ed! And you know who they all are.
This evening brought back many memories of feeling like an outsider. I used to attend the opening nights in my professional capacity as theatre reviewer in years gone by (20 plus)and could watch the glitteratti air kissing with amusement.
When one is not 'of the in crowd' it becomes quite an ethnographic study!
What came flooding back to me was the sheer number of 'opening night groupies and hangers on' that are invited to these events, and their behaviour is decidedly questionable. One man who shall remain nameless spoke loudly throughout the entire welcome by the Dircetor of the Board and the General Manager as they thinked sponsors and introduced the Company. How rude. He always was... so I had to move just to hear.
hese are the freeloaders of the worst kind, bitching about the dress and cosmetic surgery needs of the upper classes. Many are there simply to be seen. Seen by whom I ask? No-one outside this small clique know or care who you are (and I doubt they even care... your connections or dollars have bought your entry!)
These people are always condescending about the performers on stage whilst flirting with the pretty young members of the ensemble. Everywhere there are eyes scanning the room instead of focusing on their conversation partner. It is horrid. It always has been and still is for those of us outside this coterie. I'm sort of glad I'm on the outside in a way. Yet by going am I tarred with the same brush?
But opening nights perforamances (and closing nights) can be very special. There is a nervous energy and adrenaline that often clicks and these nights become memorable for the experience of being in that audience. This feeling cannot be replicated even on the best nights during the run. That frissom of excitement is not there, that tightrope walking across the emotional space beyond the fourth wall.
How wonderful to see productions featuring Australia's brightest and most talented performers alongside the old troupers and up and comers... but why are these nights SO DEADLY! Here I have to thank an old friend who enabled me to attend the after party as it would have been wonderful to catch up with the magnificent Dennis Olsen.
I worked at the State Theatre Company of South Australia in the late seventies when Deniis was one of the core ensemble cast for numerous seasons. His acting ability and superb musical training ensured the role of Osgood lll, was given the full throttle. So big, bold and over the top... absolutely magical performance. Thank you Dennis.
For those who are in the dark, Sugar is the Broadway musical based upon the film Some Like it Hot. Apparently the decision to stage this production came after Jean Pratt had a conversation with Tony Curtis who expressed his interest in playing the role of Osgood in and Australian production. How wonderul that the Production Company has stayed true to its mission to showcase the best Australian talent. To cast such a 'bankable' star would have been sooooo tempting.
This casting imperative has seen some of the best stage and screen performers gracing the boards at the State Theatre annually since 2000. It was with much pleasure last night seeing Mitchell Butel cast as 'Jerry/Daphne' in Sugar.
It was his name alone that made me purchase my ticket.
I became enamoured with Mitchell in the MTC's Tomfoolery. He is a star, there is no question about that, as can be attested by the audiences for Avenue Q, Urinetown, and other Production Company pieces, Little Me, Oklahoma and Hair.
It is always difficult for a stunning young 'leading lady', Christie Whelan to receive the applause duly deserved when her curtain call follows the ovation for a crowd pleaser such as Mitchell. As Sugar Kane, she was delightful. What is to be admired is that she played the role of dumb blonde avoiding too broad brush strokes and a reliance on a Marilyn impersonation. She was reminiscent of Marilyn with the jaunty beauty spot, but her performance was definitely Christie. Well done young woman.
In a similar position was Matt Hetherington, whose role 'Joe/Josephine' , the straight man to Butel's character. Also the leading man role in many older-style musicals is so two dimensional. He must sing well, look good and generally play second banana for the jokes and showcase the 'star' (Sugar). We could not have had a better performance, but again the curtain call has him 'shadowed' by Mitchell.
I had one small disappointment. I am a huge Melissa Langton fan yet her Miss Sue was a fraction over-sung last night. She has the BIG voice needed but I would have appreciated a little more shade so that when she let the audience HAVE IT... it would have been phenomenal. That's not Melissa fault however.... I would assume the director or MD is responsible.
With the highly balanced audio systems now we no longer need to belt, Merman-style for the 'Gods'.
Could this be because the director hails from the straight theatre (despite impecable credentials)? One Opera does not a music theatre director make! Nor (do I suggest) does NIDA ensure the best suitability for the job despite the Industry still being Sydney-centric in this country. After all some of our best and brightest young musical stars are being nurtured by WAAPA.
Could it also be that the MD is similarly steeped in the classical tradition and concert stages that when relying on amplification for productions the subtleties are lost. Funny, he also hails from the Emerald City. Don't we have local MDs in Melbourne? Peter Casey's arrangements of the Jule Styne score are fantastic.
The ensemble is yet again fabulous. What we lack in numbers is compensated by versatility and energy. Well done to the entire ensemble (particularly our 'violinist' from the Syncopaters... yes we could tell you were playing. Ken MF didn't have to tell the observant amongst us). The tap routines were great but often the applause was cut short by the pace of the show cutting too abruptly into 'the book' again. I felt so sorry for Alan Brough. His role is so minor one can't even describe it correctly as a cameo... but hey I want to see him again on stage so my curiosity is piqued.
This brings me to the style of musical. I used to adore ALL musicals, now age and cynicism has brought a jaundiced eye (and ear). I now want more from the book, thanks to the transition from musical comedy to music theatre over the last decades of the C20th. Luckily, for me Sugar stands up to the test. Not because the book is good... indeed the plot is ludicrous and requiring just so much suspension of disbelief... what makes it work is the old ( and yes crass sexist) jokes well placed within the narrative and paced perfectly for the desired comedic effect.
This is often not the case in many musical comedies of days gone by. I would have to say that Pajama Game, Music Man and the Boyfriend, look dated rather than period.
They do not seem to work for a modern audience, brought up on fast repartee on stage, television and cinema screen. It is not that we need the whizz bang technical wizardry of the Lloyd Webbers and Macintosh extravanganzas... but we do need tighter and more nuanced productions when re-staging the oldies.
I have been thinking about this a lot over the last weeks, trying to see why my prediction of an early sell out for the return season of Boy from Oz is yet to come to fruition. After seeing the production, it is spectacular and crowd pleasing with a tour de force performance by Todd McKenny. So why are there still tickets for a two week January run? I had assumed it would sell out, be extended and demand a national tour. How am I so out of sync with the audiences after all these years?
Yes, I adored Mary Poppins, had a nice plasing night at Mamma Mia, and unexpectedly loved Jersey Boys. I had felt that I shared a common appreciation and theatrical taste with the Melbourne audiences.
It can't be the venue. I know the State theatre can appear intimidating in size... but hold on... what about The Regent. The houses for Wicked proved that large shows can sell well.
Is it that we need good old 'family musicals'? If so how to explain the Les Mis/Phantom phenomena.
My concern is that the Production Company just aren't tapping into the audience that used to attend the Victoria State Opera/Arts Centre Trust summer musicals. It can't be simply a matter of ticket prices. Boy from Oz top price is $109 yet Mary Poppins Premium ticket is $155.
Would I be wrong to suggest that when a Company has a loyal group of corprate supporters and sponsors there exists a feeling that 'give them the product' and the masses will come, as long as we wine and dine our VIPs. Well looking around at the VIPs last night, there is a decided skewing in age demographics. I have not seen as many grey heads apart from at the Opera and the MSO!
There were very few of the fashionable glitzy pretty young things and soapie stars, and they would all be in town for the 'footy' and 'races'. We needed arc lights in St Kilda road, lots of photographers snapping paparazzi style, a red carpet and watchers... not the sedate photographers gently accompanying Lillian amongst the guests inside the foyer space. By the time the who's who shots make the weekend magazine editions the show will be virtually over!
That is one thing the Williamson and Edgely's knew; how to make glitz and glamour.
I would say the Mariner organisation and Mike Walsh still get it SOOOO right.
How strange my focus is now so solidly on the marketing and business side of 'show business'. Me... the critic and reviewer is still there but it's no good having a great product if very few people put their money on the line to see it.
I guess my biggest feeling after coming away from this show is that maybe the true musical lovers just can't dredge up enough money for all that is on in September. We also had the school holidays and the Royal Melbourne Show (let alone the footy finals). Even with the best budgeting I doubt if I could have stretched my wages this far.
How nice it would be to be 'comfortably well off' again and it not to be such a big outing to drive up to town from my beachside haven on more occasions.
Oh yeah... I must aspire to more gold bling for these opening nights! You should have heard the clinking in the stalls!
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