Of course you're allowed to disagree. And I'm also sick of the argument that anonymity discredits your point of view. (As I've argued before, the anonymous viewpoint can often be more truthful). The only thing that ought to be argued is how well have you justified your comments, and whether they hold up to scrutiny. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and you're no doubt not alone in your view....but if the show really was one of the "worse" you've ever seen, I wonder if you've seen enough theatre?
However, I don't deny there were things that could be improved.
>>the songs were pretty average...
No less than 3 songs from the show have qualified as finalists in this year's upcoming WAM Awards. A lot of the soundtrack has had radio play, including nationally on Triple J.
In my opinion Andrew is a rather gifted songwriter. Lyrically the songs are very strong, and are fairly varied musically. Confessing to being quite naive in writing for theatre, he's since realised there were too many slow songs in the middle of the first act which made it drag a bit, and within songs they could be re-arranged to avoid repetitive choruses and instrumentals where nothing is progressing onstage. Opportunities were missed for harmonies, which could be improved next time.
>>...(when i could understand what the hell they were saying) and were way too low for everyone.
This was definitely unfortunate. The soundtrack was recorded a long time in advance, using popular local bands which were undeniably a drawcard in getting
radio coverage and audiences. Andrew wrote them in the key he sings them in his solo show, up close to a mic (ie not projecting). But when it was cast, it was going to be too expensive to transpose and rerecord the songs into higher keys, so the cast had to cope. It's hard enough to project when the song is slightly too low for you, and in the Rechabites the low frequencies just get even muddier. In the songs with 5 guys singing rapidfire lyrics, clarity and vocal precision was lost. Long phrases in ballads were hard to sustain.
Andrew underestimated the need for a musical director, at the audition stage, the arranging and recording stage, and the rehearsal stage. That the cast, myself included, could have delivered better is a valid observation.
Big kudos to the sound designer Alan Thompson & operator Dave Keys, for doing what I think was an almost impossible task in that theatre...the sound SHOULD have been a hell of a lot worse, but wasn't, thanks to them.
>>shocking choreography
>>Charisse Parnell and Ellen McCarthy’s choreography for the show is witty, with loads of tongue-in-cheek humour.
70% of the choreography was done by Andrew, actually. The choreographers were brought in for 4 songs and the rest was done by cast members.
>>shocking characters (haven't men evolved since prehistory?)
Did you not walk out of the theatre and pass any of the pubs in Northbridge?? Some of the strongest feedback we got was how much people recognised the characters, particularly the men. Yes, they were stereotypical, and deliberately one-dimensional ("Drug abuse, violence, low self esteem, and promiscuity...doesn't sound like anyone I know"). The shock factor, in this instance, was deliberate.
>>It is nice to see a positive review of this show after the poorly written and negative one in The West recently.
>>I disagree Labrug - the West's review was spot on, and was actually kind. You may know the performers and they may be good in other things, but not this.
You're entitled to your opinion about the performances. And Pier Leach from The West was entitled to give a negative review. But that doesn't alter the fact that it WAS poorly written.
I think she was confused at the start by assuming it was going to be a comic farce, and then complained that not everything was funny. Andrew was actually attempting a pretty even balance of drama, comedy and pathos.
She then gives just ONE sentence of her review to describe the actual performance she saw (fair enough, she hated it, but honestly I'd expect more REVIEWING), and the rest is a literary critique of Andrew's writing. She draws attention to a conclusion that she THINKS Andrew makes, ("...his suggestion that it can all be fixed with a night out camping...") without realising that that is exactly what he is NOT saying.
...And she says I was delivering my song with relish, when I prefer mustard.
In fact, my usual criticism of her reviews is that she simply regurgitates the plot and the press release...perhaps she was floundering this time because she didn't follow the plot enough to be able to restate it.
(Now this in itself would be a valid criticism of the show - if she couldn't follow the plot. But that is not what she expresses in the review...rather she gives me the impression that she lost the plot.)
The thing that surprised me about the West's review was that it gave no account of audience reaction, which on that particular night was extremely vocal and appreciative (the one night we had some of the audience standing to applaud!). Similarly Walter, you, and no doubt others, may have hated it, but you surely can't deny the audience in the main were laughing and enjoying themselves for a good part of the show. I heard them.
As a footnote, Stephen Bevis, arts editor of The West, came to see the show a few days later and made it known to us that he didn't agree with Pier Leach's review.
>>Gordon always gives a good review for every production
If you think that means his reviews are less valid, then you're welcome to dispute them as you did, with opinions of your own, and I'm interested to hear all feedback, good or bad. I don't condone overly-positive reviews any more than overly-negative ones...a review is good if it is honest and well-observed, and then well-expressed.
>>Sadly I'll miss the show
Grant, the show sold out before we started, which is why I didn't even bother listing it in the What's On page here. There were no tickets to sell, apart from the few Andrew personally held in reserve. The Blue Room closed the waiting list because it was too long. All 12 shows played to full capacity.
Regardless of whether you like his writing, directing, storytelling, composing, lyrics, comedy, choreography, or casting, you have to admire Andrew's ability to promote and sell out a brand new show.
Cheers,
Craig
P.S. And no, I don't breathe through my ears, but through the blowhole I had installed in 1989.
~<8>-/====\---------