Cruisin'

I went to see Cruisin' ('The New 50s Rock 'n' Roll Musical') last night at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco.

The costumes, sets and band were very impressive. Definitely gave the overall vibe of a professional show.

The dancers were very tight, smiley and had high energy at all times - they are to be commended for bringing that true flavour of 50s 'peppiness' to the show! Special note must go to Ben Hamer as Neville - his energy and facial expressions were great to watch.

Katherine Jenkins, who played Rosa, was a breath of fresh air. Sensitive acting and a beautiful voice.

Tina Jackson, as Giovanna, was also very good. I read in the program she has played this role before and it's obviously paid off. Great characterisation and a lovely voice. Pity she didn't have more to sing.

Andre Ford as Vinnie did very well. Seems he's a newcomer to the theatre scene - so that made his performance even more impressive.

The Murphy brothers were well received, and Glen Shorrock is certainly a showman - he received some good laughs.

One of the main things that let this show down was the script. The dialogue is weak, rambling and characters sometimes sound like they're talking in circles. (I wasn't sure if this was due to lines being forgotten at times?)

A little more thought might also benefit the delivery of dialogue. At times some actors were delivering lines in a rambling fashion without, it seems, really realising the meaning behind them. Then when they suddenly became upset or angry - there seemed no real motivation for it.

The show dragged a little and I believe one of the main factors in this was that all the action/plot points happening in the first act. The second act was made up almost entirely of 'reaction songs' and associated dialogue. Ie: characters continuously asking eachother 'are you okay' and explaining through words or song why they are upset.

That might sound a bit of a strange complaint, but in script-writing is it essential that plot points must continue throughout to keep the story chugging along and motivate the next action etc etc. I realise this is of no fault of the actors last night, but it's still an important point when looking at the show as a whole, and may explain why Cruisin' has been a school production for many years. Naturally, there is a place for reaction songs, but they're better placed in a well-crafted denouement.

In the same regard, some scenes seemed unnecessary. The wedding scene and the streetscene would be examples of this. While they were probably enjoyable scenes to do - once again - every thing that happens on stage must happen for a plot-motivated reason (not just to cover set changes... as may have been the case for one of them).

The opening scene seemed a little awkward as well... perhaps something went wrong? I wasn't too sure what was going on...

I must admit that having paid over $70 (ticket plus booking fee) for this show, I feel cheated. If it had have been a bit cheaper, I would've been happier, but no matter whether the show is studded with 'pros' and 'Idols' that type of pricing must realistically equate to performance/show quality.

Nevertheless, congratulations to all for a very high energy effort. I am well aware of the trials and triumphs of putting on shows so well done and thanks for all your hard work.