CHECKOUT! THE MUSICAL

CHECKOUT! THE MUSICAL by Jane Raitt and Ethan Tomas “The show is just a big ball of fun,” writer, director and cast member of CHECKOUT-THE MUSICAL Jane Raitt is quoted as saying in her program biography. After attending the show last night, Wednesday 21st June, I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with the show’s co-creator. A lightweight musical black comedy, with an original script by Raitt and original songs by Ethan Tomas, it is CHECKOUT’s overriding sense of fun and splendid cast that combine to make an amusing and enjoyable evening of theatre. The musical is set in a Rockingham supermarket, on a Monday morning in December following the staff Christmas party. An assorted bunch of employees arrive to find their boss, store manager Yasmine, has been murdered. The rest of the story unfolds in a series of musical flashbacks, as the employees are questioned by the disturbingly gung-ho Agent Gully. The cast boasted an assembly of fine actors and singers, who worked well both individually and as an ensemble, delivering the material with gusto. Rebecca Fiorentino scored the lion’s share of the evening’s laughs playing Concetta Maria Giusapina, an Italian checkout girl who enjoys frequent visits to the confectionary aisle. Impeccable comic timing and razor-sharp delivery, as well as her well-observed embodiment of ethnic stereotypes, made her performance incredibly enjoyable to watch, and one of the evening’s highlights. Rhoda Lopez, last seen electrifying audiences as Mimi in yellowglass theatre’s production of RENT, delivered another sterling performance here as the bitchy Tiffany. Her characterization was consistent throughout the show, whether she was out front-and-centre in the spotlight, or providing back-up in the chorus line. Her vocals were dazzling as always…strong, clear and suitably fierce in her one solo number. Ms Lopez truly is a constant delight to watch onstage, and this performance is no exception. Shane Adamczak’s nerdy, awkward Rhys provided another highlight, his quirky onstage mannerisms well-suited to a bizarre and intriguing character. His physical characterization was excellent, and his two numbers delivered well. Lisa Knight’s excessive cheerfulness as store manager Yasmine was a source of constant hilarity, especially as events within the Super Savings store grew out-of-hand and pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She delivered a polished, well-judged performance and demonstrated a fine voice that gave real life to her numbers. Raechelle Lee continued the complete madness as the uncouth and ever-so-slightly canine Agent Gully. Her performance was fierce and funny, and her presence between flashbacks kept the narrative clear and on track. And I can’t complete this review without mentioning Jane Raitt’s zany vegetarian Wendy Honey-Babe, whose song contesting the slaughter of animals for food was two minutes of comic genius, as well as her burly would-be Romeo, Vince, played by Paul Grabovac and finally, Ethan Tomas’ energetic Russian immigrant Alexei. Oh, and the offstage voice of Happy Uncle played to ominous perfection by Mark McAullay. The opening ten minutes of the show were a little slow, to be honest, with some of the exposition and the sporadic transitions into verses of song seeming awkward. This may have been due to the lack of a real show-stopping opening number. However, once the murder of store manager Yasmine was announced, the show launched into full-gear, and the ensuing hilarity was more than entertaining enough to counter the slightly stilted nature of the first scene. As the story kicked in, so did the musical numbers. Tomas’ songs, performed with utter sincerity by the talented cast, were suitably goofy and always engaging. From sentimental, albeit tongue-in-cheek, ballads, for example, Vince’s expression of love for Wendy which turns into an earnestly-sung and absolutely hilarious trio between Grabovac, Fiorentino and Raitt; to rock’n’roll pastiche in the case of Rhys’ side-splitting tribute to his made-up girlfriend; meeting some 80s pop along the way, Tomas displayed a strong awareness of musical theatre conventions, inviting other styles in but keeping the insanity firmly in the realm of musical comedy. The score is more than deserving of a live band, which unfortunately wasn’t provided in this case, but the vocal performances of the principals gave enough life to the numbers for this to not be a major issue. Raitt’s book is offbeat yet charming. At first I was a little puzzled at the general unpleasantness of the characters, finding there was no real protagonist to relate to and cheer for…yet as the evening progressed, I found myself drawn to this absurd, vulgar and oddly endearing bunch of misfit employees. Underneath the snarling, and the name-calling, and the bitch-fights, and the piercing voices, these characters actually possessed heart! It is a testament to Raitt’s abilities as a writer that these characters, born from all manner of supermarket stereotypes, should be so outlandish yet seem genuine enough to warrant audience affection. Raitt’s dialogue was sharp and often funny, and I absolutely loved the absence of a happy Broadway ending. The show remained true to its black comic style, and as such there was no grinning kickline, no resolution to Vince’s unrequited love for Wendy and no real justice for Yasmine’s killer…a decision I applaud. To summarise, CHECKOUT! THE MUSICAL was the “big ball of fun” promised me by Jane Raitt’s program biography. A hilarious, entertaining, and best of all, ORIGINAL musical by two extremely talented creators, brought to life by a fantastic cast and easily providing an evening of supreme amusement and enjoyment to the theatregoer. Highly recommended. Show closes on June 24th, Bookings through BOCS (www.bocs.com.au). -- Tyler Jones Any comments or feedback please PM or email to tyler-j-jones@hotmail.com!!!