WE WILL ROCK YOU
Sun, 2 Sept 2007, 11:59 amjeffhansen33 posts in thread
WE WILL ROCK YOU
Sun, 2 Sept 2007, 11:59 amKwinana Arts Centre 1/9/07
The time is the future. Live music has been banned. Globalsoft Computers generate all authorised music and dance steps to go with them....
Actually, go here for the synopsis..
http://www.theatre.asn.au/billboard_bulletins/we_will_rock_you_opens_this_week_end
No need for me to go through all that.
A disclaimer before I start - My brother Scott is in the show.
Firstly, it was a very enjoyable evening of escapism and a "Best of Queen" soundtrack.
The band were excellent, and considering they worked from a Piano/Vocal score, with no instrument scoring, a very creditable performance.
Congrats to the production team for what was a well put together show. A huge cast like that, multi venue performances - it must be a nightmare.
Chorus were excellent. It was great to see the chorus members as individual characters, which they are able to carry throught the performance. I wonder what Russell Baxters reaction was when he saw his Madonna costume? Also liked Monique Ashby as Charlotte 'Friggin' Church, and Cail Bennetts Cliff Richard - "Don't worry about Cliff. He's indestructible".
Great work from the chorus, both dramatically and vocally.
A show like this stands or falls on the strength of it's leads.
Jason Arrow as Gallileo was fantastic - great voice and could have carried the show on his own.
Ali Hill showed off her vocal talent as Meat - a much different character from when I last saw her as Sandy in Grease.
Scott Hansen as Pop was channeling Neil from 'The Young Ones' all night. A fun role which the audience appreciated.
Sky Ogier as Scaramouche ia a great actor, has a strong voice, but did struggle with her upper register and was not always on key.
I felt the other leads struggled vocally, and this did detract from an otherwise enjoyable evening.
One more thing - MICROPHONES MICROPHONES MICROPHONES!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!
Mics not working, interference, actors having to use handhelds because their mics failed during the perfomance,
It really detracted from the whole show. It must be soul destroying to put in all that work, and have it go up in smoke because of technical hitches.
All in all, fifteen dollars well spent (and no booking agency fee!!)
It's on next weekend in Mandurah.
Congratulations
Wed, 19 Sept 2007, 12:19 pmJust wanted to give the name of the guy that played Cliff Richard. It was Cail Bennett. He had only a couple of lines (although in many scenes) but his character was fantastic. Just goes to show that one doesn't need to be a Lead actors to shine. You can shine no matter how small the role.
I would like to say a big congratulations to the chorus who always seem to be forgotten in reviews. You were amazing. The dancing was brilliant, the energy exhausting and exhilarating. I was informed after the show that they were plagued with injury and illness (food poisoning, flu, knee, back and ankle problems). I would never have suspected by their performance. Apparently there were only a handful of trained dancers among the 45 chorus members. And they weren't all young. The average age was 17 to 26 and 40 to 58 and they all danced fantastically. Again Congrats to the chorus.
Jasper