Paris

Sat, 17 Nov 2007, 10:37 am

Jodie Hansen49 posts in thread

I went with friends to see the opening night of Murray Music and Drama Club's production of Paris last night. I've been waiting all year to see this production as it is one of my favourite rock operas. First nights are always twitchy and this was no exception. The biggest problem I had with the evening were the technical issues. The radio mikes had a variety of little issues - not on when they should have been, feedback, not working correctly, static, etc. Some of the mike volumes were also not balanced so that some lead players were much louder than others and, contrast that with the chorus, and it came across as a very distracting combination. The lighting was OK - a little slow in some spots and unfortunately when Menelaus was on top of one of the columns on the side of the stage, his face was mostly in shadow but his torso was well lit! Overall, considering the logistics of the technical side (including coordinating the soundtrack) they did a tolerable job which will hopefully become exceptional by the end of the run. Oh, one more thing - if you have having sound problems, please don't converse about them at the sound desk at the back of the auditorium during the show - VERY distracting not to mention a dead giveaway that something has gone wrong..... Now to the performance proper. Once again, overall a very entertaining show and please note that the opinion stated is my personal one and from a fan perspective of the musical. Helen - lovely voice and musical interpretation of the role. I expected a little more from the acting side but considering she spends most of the production in relative angst, it was a decent rendition. Your interaction with Paris was lovely and pretty much had me convinced that you pair were in love come hell or high water…. Paris - You already know all the good things that you can do, I felt that you needed a bit more acting and action. I didn’t feel that you had the best rapport with the rest of the cast. You were lovely with Helen but I felt that you kept your distance from everyone else. And your hair constantly over your face drove me NUTS! I really enjoyed your performance but kept thinking that if only he got a haircut..... Hector - Quite passable if a little unsure about your role. You warmed into the role as the evening went on and died an honourable death. Your scene just before going off to die was absolutely beautiful. Cassandra - Good rendition of the priestess; lovely voice. Only criticism would be a direction thing - hands and arms moving in what seemed to be random actions that were very distracting. Priam - maybe opening night nerves but timing for almost every song was off - keep a more watchful ear on the music. Hecuba - Very nice performance - I was very disappointed that you didn't get to do the song when Priam is killed - it has always been one of my personal favourites. Aeneas - A passable rendition of the friend and skipper. You could maybe look at showing a little more camaraderie with Paris otherwise I enjoyed it completely. Laoceon / Sinon - I much preferred you as Sinon which you pulled off very very well. One of the people I came with laughed constantly during your Outside/Inside trio and you did it extremely well. A very nice job. Agamemnon - Not what I was expecting at all. I wasn't totally convinced that you were a conniving rotten sod who started a war for the sake of starting a war. I felt that you portrayed him more as playing a game that didn't really matter and that you switched him on and off depending on when the attention would be on you. If I could make a constructive comment, get some singing lessons enough to feel completely comfortable with any song that you might be doing and relax into the character. He is great fun to play and you should be enjoying him through the singing as well. Menelaus - Another one that I didn't expect. A much younger Menelaus than I had anticipated but vocally you pulled it off extremely well. Even your high notes which I was originally concerned about were Extremely Well Done! A lovely job.... Ulysses / Helmsman - A great pity about the mike problems during a portion of your action. Otherwise you were fantastic and I really enjoyed your performance. Achilles - Not bad...a little pirate-like but not bad. I was disappointed that the opening song wasn't the one on the actual soundtrack because the one that was done was a little lack-lustre. Put yourself more into the shoes of the mighty warrior and you'll be exceptional by the last night. Patroclus - your mike was louder than pretty much anyone else's which was a little distracting but not your problem. You did very well as Achilles best friend and I really really enjoyed your performance. The chorus were fantastic - kudos to the vocal director and the quality of the chorus itself. A great pity that a lot of times you couldn’t hear them a great deal due to the mike issues (were the mikes having from the ceiling on at all??). The bits that you could hear were absolutely perfect. I only have a couple of criticisms â€“ the direction overall was a little bland. There didn’t seem to be the level of excitement that the dialogue / libretto indicated and the characters were walking slowly most of the time even when imminent danger was anticipated. The fight scenes were active enough (if a little over enthusiastically and unchoreographed) and were very entertaining but the rest of the time needed that same level of intensity so that there wasn’t an up and down feeling. However, very creditably done considering the large cast, the multiple action scenes and the subject matter. The other distraction was the determined applause from the back of the auditorium near the sound desk after each song by cast / crew. Sometimes, the song needed to end and go straight into the next bit of action â€“ applauding after each one is not necessary nor (from a performer’s perspective) wanted as it breaks the mood created. Since this was only the first night, there are little things to be sorted. The cast should be easing into their groove from now on. The technical things should be sorted as well. The show is very enjoyable and I had a wonderful time there. Go and see it because the music alone is worth the listen.

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Jodie HansenSat, 17 Nov 2007, 10:37 am

DazzaBMon, 26 Nov 2007, 10:04 am

Congrats

I saw Paris on Friday night of last week and I want to say congratulations to all the cast and crew. This was a HUGE undertaking for you all and I could tell that you had worked extremely hard to get this production together! As always, the sets and costumes produced by MMDC were of the highest quality. What I wouldn't give to have that production team wherever I go... I felt the techs weren't up to normal standard, but perhaps that was because Tracy was up on stage for a change (great to see Tracy *wink*). Also, staying afterwards, I got to hear how the music was all supposed to sound. Throughout the show I kept wishing the music levels would go up, but apparently there was a glitch in the programming - sigh... Don't we just love technology! I think the cast did a good job of some really difficult music. Anita Musca was the clear stand-out as Helen - wow, what a voice! When I found out that she was in Rosetta at the beginning of the year I kicked myself for missing it! I hope she stays around and keeps gifting us with her beautiful tones and near perfect Soprano register. Bravo! Jason Arrow gave a solid performace of Paris, but I have to say that I liked him better as Galileo in WWRY. He seemed to lack some of the energy he needed for Paris and his vocals were not as strong as they were during WWRY. That being said, Jason has one very good thing going in his favour - he looks really good on stage. There was a really lovely moment towards the end of the first act where he was standing under a spot and the light caught his hair just right and he just looked magical - you can't learn that! It makes me jealous *wink* I would like to specifically congratulate Russell Baxter for his Agamemnon. I have known Russell for a VERY long time and he has come so far as a performer. I always love to see the development of our local talent - Russell, you've gave a performance that you can be proud of! Sian Dhu's Cassandra was nicely developed and really showed the tragedy of the story. For those who don't know, Cassandra saw it all, and I think Sian captured that frustration that no-one would listen to her. As always, her vocals were strong and she harmonised very well. In particular, the A Capella harmony between Cassandra and Helen was simply stunning! Shem Le Scelle's Achilles seemed very similar to Brit from WWRY. I'm sorry to make comparisons, but unfortunately this is going to happen when you do such similar roles so close together. That being said, the rambunctious character Shem created worked for the role. I would have liked to have seen more connection to Patroclus though - Achilles had but one friend in the world... Snaps for your death scene - I really felt that release from Achilles that finally his curse of invulnerability was over - well acted. I could go on all day talking about the different characters, but unfortunately I have to get back to work - sigh... Congratulations to the cast and crew - you did a good job of an extremely difficult piece. To any who are going to see the show - if you don't know the story of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans - learn about it before you go. The story is difficult to follow from just the script (not MMDC's fault - that's a scripting issue). Alternatively, buy a program. They're only $2 and there's a good synopsis in it. Once again, well done to everyone involved, and CHOOKAS for the rest of the season :) Darren

Walter PlingeMon, 26 Nov 2007, 02:32 pm

A Rock Opera, or a Rock FLOPera?

I too saw the performance of Paris on Friday night, 23rd November 2007. I have to wonder if perhaps the Murray Music and Drama Club have two venues where the show was playing, as I completely disagree with what Darren above says. I felt this show was APALLING! My first point ladies and gentleman is that if you do not have the vocal talent to achieve a certain note then you simply should not be given the part! This was the case with many performers, but in particular, Jason Arrow as Paris, Gareth Jay as Menelaus, Damian Lalor as Hector, Russell Baxter as Agamemnon and Shem Le Scelle as Achilles. (Notice there are no females in this bunch - why is it that the girls are always better than the boys?) Although the worst note of the night MUST go to Gareth Jay - what a truly AWFUL sound you managed to produce while climbing the column; and then again while standing on top. I noticed a few people in the audience around me cringe at that moment - spectacularly bad! Next I would like to talk about the sound. (And please, do not offer excuses through people who are clearly members of your club about technological glitches - if you knew your equipment well enough, the glitches wouldn't occur.) In short, the music simply was not loud enough. With such powerful music, why would you have the volume down so low. And the sound operator needs to be told that pushing up the master volume is NOT a good idea. This only led to the actor's vocals being amplified beyond distortion point, it did not allow anyone to hear the music better. Did we do sound checks people? And how often do you have your microphones serviced? It was very off-putting to hear a microphone dropping in and out during a particular number - particularly when the two other people singing did not have the same problem. Your lighting design also left quite a bit to the imagination - and I mean literally. So often I saw peoples bodies but not their heads, so I had to imagine their expressions. You couldn't even produce a basic wash that lit the entire stage properly for the full cast numbers. And think about getting a competent follow-spot operator - anyone with half an eye for lighting would have noticed the numerous errors with the follow-spot - truly pathetic. Now, cast member by cast member: Anita Musca as Helen - actually, this girl was quite competent. Not brilliant, but clearly a stand out considering how bad most of the cast was. Jason Arrow as Paris - Uninspired. I did not believe this boy at any time. And I don't care how good you look under lights on stage, if you don't have the talent, get off. Also, Jason's voice was simply not up to the standard needed for this part. He did not have the notes he needed and stretched for them too often - this wasn't a pleasant sound. Damian Lalor as Hector - Where did you dig this one up from? He was atrocious. There was no evidence of musicality in his singing at all. His acting was stiff and almost painful to watch and there was absolutely no connection between him and anyone else on stage throughout the entire performance. Sian Dhu as Cassandra - A passable performance and a pleasant change from almost everything else that was occurring. Although I note that the director's surname is Dhu also. One has to wonder about the connection. Vocally one of the stronger members of the cast, but still falling short of what this show needed. Rod Mayes as Priam - Unanimated and completely unconnected to anyone onstage. His vocals had a nice tombre but other than that he was boring. Jeanette Southall as Hecuba - Passable. Garry Swindell as Aeneas - Once again, boring. Nothing about this performance leapt off the stage. Patrick Cole as Laoceon/Sinon - I figure from the first post that this was the drunk greek man. A truly streotypical presentation without the slightest element of original thought in the character construction. Admittedly, you do have some stage presence at least - try to think a bit more about what you're doing on stage, you have potential that is getting wasted in the stereotype. Russell Baxter as Agamemnon - Not the worst on stage, but his singing left a lot to be desired. Gareth Jay as Menelaus - The less said the better - STOP SINGING! You do not have a base register and I feel I must tell you that despite what you may think you certainly don't have the top register. Stop singing now! Sean Read as Ulysses/Helmsman - A generally solid performance except for one awful note at the end of your solo. Shem Le Scelle as Achilles - Can anyone say Captain Feathersword? What a charming re-creation of the beloved Wiggles character. I'm not sure it was quite right for this story though. You also need to stop singing - you can't! Whoever it was that said you could sing was lying. Patrick Kilcoyne as Patroclus - Nothing truly awful, but what is that accent? It really did not work for this character. The rest of the characters can consider themselves part of the chorus and are therefore subject to the following critique. Chorus - Overall, weak. The harmonics were not strong and chorus members clearly struggled without the leads to give strength in the larger numbers. Credit where it's due, certain chorus members at least gave the whole acting thing a go. Kudos to one young girl (quite tall with blonde hair) who drew my eye, particularly in a number towards the end of act I when you were standing in the down-stage-right corner. I felt the diction from the chorus was sloppy and their timing with the music bordered on ridiculous. However, this may have been because they couldn't hear it, I don't know. I have to question the decision to use backing tracks. I always think this is a mistake as live music provides so much energy. Although, apparently (according to the program) performing the show to the backing tracks was one of the selling points. But then again, given the rest of the direction maybe the director just like to take the easy way out. Overall, I felt that this show was well below the standard of community theatre in Western Australia. I don't think I will be heading to the country again anytime soon. *You've been STUNG*

Jodie HansenMon, 26 Nov 2007, 03:39 pm

Re being stung

Sting, a little harsh methinks? Telling people that they can't sing when they can is not a particularly nice thing to say. And "And please, do not offer excuses through people who are clearly members of your club about technological glitches - if you knew your equipment well enough, the glitches wouldn't occur" I trust that you didn't mean me because I am not a member of the club. I have to disagree with you regarding Menelaus as his voice was lovely when I saw the show on opening night. Yes, admittedly a strain on the top note but unless you sing rock as a profession it would be a difficult stretch. It may have been more prudent to have put something positive into your review. The whole show couldn't have been appalling surely? I notice that you are using a pseudonym and have not signed into the site. It maybe wise to think carefully about how you word unpleasant reviews as if they are voiced by an unverfied user, they do not tend to be taken that seriously because it sounds like sour grapes. Maybe you should create a userid. Be bold and sign in so everyone knows that you are a serious theatre-goer or participant. It isn't fair to slander a show and the cast and not give someone else the chance to do the same to one you're in......

DazzaBMon, 26 Nov 2007, 04:42 pm

Get a grip!

Woah! Sting, did you audition for this show and not get in or something?? I have to agree with Jodie (tohrukun) - this seems like a serious case of sour grapes dude! Get a grip! You know, what I think we have here is another example of my on-going opinion debate. I have to let you have our opinion, and I don't want to de-value it, because you are entitled to your opinion. And at least unlike some others (*coughs* bomber *coughs*) you have given some reasoning to your comments. But dude - the way you put things is just plain mean! I accept what you've said (although I totally disagree - that's MY opinion) but I know that how you've said it is wrong. We need to encourage people, not slag them off! How do you expect the talent in this area to develop if all you do is S**T on them?? Seriously man - that was totally uncalled for. Your comments are harsh, mean spirited and (IMHO) false! How dare you tell anyone to stop singing?? I hope Gareth and Shem completely ignore your bitter comments and keep working on doing their best each time they take the stage. I know it's an old anecdote - but I'd just LOVE to see you do any better - the compositions for this show were INSANE! Next, you say: "And please, do not offer excuses through people who are clearly members of your club about technological glitches - if you knew your equipment well enough, the glitches wouldn't occur." I'm guessing that's in reference to what I said in my review: "Also, staying afterwards, I got to hear how the music was all supposed to sound. Throughout the show I kept wishing the music levels would go up, but apparently there was a glitch in the programming - sigh... Don't we just love technology!" Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of the Murray Music and Drama Club - not because I don't want to be, but because life has never made it possible (sigh...). The reason I stayed behind is because I knew a few people involved. But tell me, does that mean I'm not qualified to write an un-biased review? If that's what you think, then I'm really quite offended! I have studied years and years in theatre and I pride myself on the fact that I'm always honest with people. I might not tell someone if I think something was bad - I don't see the need to focus on negatives unless they are ready to develop that part of themselves - but I NEVER say anything unless I mean it! If I say I thought something was good, then I honestly thought it was. Where do you get off?? Let's be honest here - Perth is a small place, I can't help but know lots of people from the theatrical community. And of course the Southwest is an even smaller place - it's virtually impossible for me to see a show down here that I don't at least know a couple of the people involved. And that leads me to my final point (one that Jodie also brought up) Who are you?? Huh?? Just like many people before you, you post under a pseudonym to say something harsh. Wow, brave man! Jodie said it well: "Be bold and sign in so everyone knows that you are a serious theatre-goer or participant. It isn't fair to slander a show and the cast and not give someone else the chance to do the same to one you're in......" I couldn't agree more! Or is it that you also know the people involved... There was a lot of the local theatre crew at the show on that night... I want the cast and crew of this show to know from Darren Bilston (so you all know who I am) that I thought your show was energetic and well done considering how difficult it was. Congratulations, and don't listen to what this person is saying unless they can give you some credential that prove they know what they're talking about! CHOOKAS Darren

Walter PlingeMon, 26 Nov 2007, 05:10 pm

Truth

Ah, the infamous DazzaB - defender of all things theatrical in the South West (that is unless you're from Rockingham Theatre Company of course) and the man who believes that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as long as you back it up and apparently now you have to say it nicely! Well Mr. Bilston, what I will say to you is that I have written a bit of truth on this website and if you think I'm wrong, well that's YOUR opinion isn't it. I was at the show and I know what I saw. And I certainly don't feel the need to reveal myself to you or anyone else who will just find out what I am doing next and write horrible things about it. I say, you've said your piece, let other people say theirs in the way that they want to! *You've been STUNG*

Walter PlingeMon, 26 Nov 2007, 10:15 pm

Balanced criticism

I'm going to watch the show this weekend so I'll be curious to see who is right. But as a non-theatre person I have to say to Sting....you are a bit off beam about the anonymity thing. When you are personally attacking people...and phrases like 'You also need to stop singing - you can't!' are personal attacks, not balanced criticism...then if you have any decency at all you would identify yourself. And as for you comment 'apparently now you have to say it nicely!' I have to ask, why not say it nicely? Or at least positively? This obviously suggests you feel the need to be vicious and I have to ask....why? And talking of a balanced critique, can you please explain your comment 'Kudos to one young girl (quite tall with blonde hair) who drew my eye, particularly in a number towards the end of act I when you were standing in the down-stage-right corner.'? Exactly what was it about her performance that drew your eye? The reason I ask is because my 14 year old niece is in the show and she is young, quite tall and has blonde hair. And to be honest your comment sounds like a 'Desperately Seeking - I saw you on the 57 bus. Me in blue jeans and a grey top' type comment. I certainly hope it was for theatrical reasons she drew your eye. Btw before you make comments about me having the same surname as Sean Read, he is my brother. But as you said his performance was solid so I'm certainly not feeling the need to defend him. Besides, he's old enough to do that himself. And I don't know any of the people you slagged off. I just can't see why this kind of critique is useful. I don't mind at all that you didn't like the show and you are certainly entitled to tell people who might be paying money to see it what you thought of it. But a lot of what you wrote is a personal attack which shows an obvious bias and therefore isn't of an value as a review. Oh one last thing...and I'm gonna get personal here...lose the *You've been STUNG* thing..it's just lame! Warren

Walter PlingeMon, 26 Nov 2007, 10:19 pm

Sting? Actually more like a little prick.

Sorry Sting, can't take you seriously. Every person in every cast knows that every show has room for improvement, but anyone who describes Anita Musca as only "quite competent" has lost all credibility for the rest of their comments - and you only got worse from there. I am not sure if your comments were made in jest (*you've been stung*)to stir up a reaction, but they are certainly either a joke, or a bad joke. You say that you won't reveal yourself because others with show up at your next show and write horrible things. I would love to go to your next show because you surely must be bloody good! Theatre is full of highs and lows - you lay yourself bare and have to let go of all fear of humiliation and failure to do it. Not for any money - just for a thrill and to entertain others, and make life interesting. Luckily the theatre audience is also full of positive people who are there, in part, to see others make that escape. Sadly, it throws up the occasional bitter and twisted individual who never dares to let go, and instead sits back ( usually anonymously ) and throws barbs at others. Try smiling occasionally and do some theatre for fun. It can't be easy being that angry all the time. ps you can dump all the crap you like on me if it helps - I just do it for fun and the sandwiches at interval. Cheers Sean "solid but awful last note" Read

Walter PlingeMon, 26 Nov 2007, 10:43 pm

I have not seen the show

But I had a chuckle reading Stings review - seriously hasnt anyone ever seen a show and talked like that about it on the drive home :) Come on guys - surely you dont want to read ten pages of "nice" reviews?

Jodie HansenTue, 27 Nov 2007, 06:46 am

"Nice reviews"

Hi Meercat - no, we don't want to see 10 pages of nice reviews. We also don't want to see a very large session of vitriol either. It is not particularly productive. Sting - "And I certainly don't feel the need to reveal myself to you or anyone else who will just find out what I am doing next and write horrible things about it". It doesn't necessarily mean that because you wrote something distasteful that people will automatically pan your performance. I for one would like to see something that you are in because I like to go to theatre and see something different with different people that I may be able to learn from. What I objected to in your review, was that it was so personal and unobjective. Mine referred to each character personally but in the terms of constructive not destructive criticism and on an impartial basis. That said, you have the right to say what you like but maybe think a little more about how you would feel if someone came to a show you were in and heaped that sort of criticism onto you and your performance. It would be nicer to know who didn't like it and possibly begin a dialogue with that person to find out exactly what they didn't like and why. It is alway nice to get an outsider's feedback but only if it is couched in a polite but honest way..... Also, I have to ask "the infamous DazzaB - defender of all things theatrical in the South West (that is unless you're from Rockingham Theatre Company of course" - are you maybe from Rockingham? Let me know (privately if you like) and I'll come and see your next show....

DazzaBTue, 27 Nov 2007, 09:51 am

Personal Attacks

Sting, It would appear that personal attacks are your modus of operation. I feel sad for you hey - if this is how you interact with people I imagine you are a very lonely person. I certainly hope you have more respect for people when they know who you are. I'm sorry you feel that I don't support Rockingham Theatre Company - I assure you that if someone wrote an out-and-out mean review like the one you wrote here about a Rockingham show I would have the same reaction. I try to keep things constructive - that's the way people develop - and I am always as un-biassed as I can be. I hope for your sake that you can move on from the bitter place you seem to be in life. Darren

RandomBoiTue, 27 Nov 2007, 10:35 am

WHAT THE?

Wow, and I thought I was a harsh reviewer!

I must say that this comes accross as quite juvenile. Your comments are not constructive, just mean. I very much doubt that someone who has been cast in a large role in a musical can't sing at all.

To be honest, I wasn't planning on seeing Paris - I don't know the show at all and there has been quite a lot of shows on at the moment and Pinjarra is quite a drive for me, but I think I will see if I can make it this closing weekend.

To the cast and crew, please do not let this negativity get you down. Break a leg for the remainder of your season.

Kyle

Walter PlingeTue, 27 Nov 2007, 11:22 am

Paris

Ok so I saw the show last weekend , and I have to fully agree with sting, here is the thing - Yes they were put VERY harshly and not nice at all , but after all it sounds like no one down there can take harsh comments without having to defend themselves and get all shirty about it all. Its about time someone gave a true opinion freely and honestly. And its also about time that certain people in that club take it on board and fix the issues - ESPECIALLY in the tech department. There is always excuses given and quite frankly its about time you stopped pussy footing around and fix it. I enjoyed it to a certain extent but in all honesty it wasn't what I was hoping for and I was rather dissapointed with the show. Sting has every right to say what was said and its just a honest outlook on the production. If you have to get family members to start an attack and beloved theatre friends who think they know everything in the down south region than you shouldnt be doing theatre because thats how it is.

DazzaBTue, 27 Nov 2007, 11:42 am

Un-Biassed Reviews

You say: "If you have to get family members to start an attack and beloved theatre friends who think they know everything in the down south region than you shouldnt be doing theatre because thats how it is." By this I'm guessing that you beleive I am incapable of giving an un-biassed review because I am friends with people in the cast. I disagree - read my review (not my response to Sting, my review) and you will see that it isn't all happiness and joy, there is constructive stuff there. Also, I don't think I know everything in the down south region - that's not what I said. I said I know a lot of people down here (having lived here for 26 years and been performing in the theatres down here for about 15). I'm the first to admit that I don't know everything there is to know about theatre and I crave constructive reviews that will help me to grow and develop as a performer - see my post in the "What goes on at and Audition - Inside and Out" thread. For anyone that has read this far - I am starting a thread in the green room gossip forum about whether you can review from an un-biassed perspective when you know someone in a show. I would love to get any comments on this. Darren

Walter PlingeTue, 27 Nov 2007, 01:29 pm

What's up your Sting?

All I have to say is thank you so much for your wonderfully put review Sting... I have to say i agree my voice may not have reached all the notes but can you honestly say that if you went from We Will Rock You playing Galileo, which even the proffesionals struggled with vocally. (which i'm guessing you saw and most probably harshly commented on), straight into a 2 and a half hour long full length Rock Opera singing some of the highest male notes around and not stuff it up a little...i'd like to see that. If you can do that my 'perfect' little friend that would be great. And before we start slamming other actors and singers how about we reveal ourselves and let it be known to the world who you actually are... or is that your to scared that people will not take you seriously because you don't have enough talent to back up your statements. I don't usually take critiscisms to heart but when it's aimed there what do you expect me to do. And for your information Gareth Jay is a brilliant actor and singer and if he didn't hit that note you so infamously speak of it's probably because that whole song is on his bridge i'm sorry but not everyone was a voice with no bridge, perfect pitch and 5 octave range like you my friend... but if you do have no talent then look on the bright side at least your personality makes up for it, right?... Right?? Oh and please i would absolutely love to hear what you think about We Will Rock You unless you were the one that slammed that to... Ohhh i think someones a little bit insecure and jealous. But you know this is just my opinion and i'm entitled to it. P.S. Although i must thank you for saying i look good under lights at least i did something for the audience. Oh and by the way... *You've been STUNG*

Walter PlingeTue, 27 Nov 2007, 02:03 pm

Interesting....

I must say I'm amused by the idea of someone with such a bee in his bonnet being called Sting... Then of course the rest of the review was just laughable. I'm sorry if you felt mine and others performances were not up to scratch for your obviously highly cultured taste. It is an unfortunate fact that you can never please everybody when you perform on stage, as you must obviously know being so knowledgable about stage-craft as you seem to claim. But whatever talent you must have on the stage doesn't pass into the ability to write reviews my friend.... or making friends on this board. I'm afraid I have to agree with Sean on this one and say it is difficult to take your comments seriously, mainly because it does come across as more of a personal attack rather than constructive criticism. Obviously I'm never going to please everyone but luckily I do please others, and I have had comments from people who have performed in professional musical theatre rave about my performance and the performances of the rest of the cast so I will take the good with the bad and simply decide to just keep doing my best. I may be wrong but from the way you spoke it sounds like you know me, so next time you have to play a role with a 3 octave range, please send me the dates of the show, I will be most interested in seeing how you wish such roles to be sung. Next time if you want to let your dissapointment in a show be known, try to word it so it sounds more believable and less like a personal attack on particular cast members. Its quite likely this wasn't the case, but you need to make sure it doesn't look this way. For what good is criticism if people ignore it? Believe me, I enjoy recieving constructive criticism, it helps me grow as a performer and a person, and believe me I am my own worse critic, that particular song you accused me of ruining has been the bane of me these last few months trying to sing on my bridge whilst maintaining a 3 octave range as well. But I can't take anything you said seriously I'm sorry. I hope next time you put a bit more thought into what your going to say when you want to improve everyones performances and abilities. Gareth "Stop singing now!" Jay Menelaus

Jodie HansenTue, 27 Nov 2007, 04:20 pm

Goodness Me!

I didn't think that by starting a review thread on this musical I'd start a war. But it doesn't look like my review actually began it..... Sting indeed has every right to say what he said - he has merely offended a lot of people by saying it..... Maybe it's time to calm down now and take it at face value - Sting hated the show and the cast and the crew as is his right. He has voiced his comments in an unfortunate manner. Let it lie at that. People tend to forget that this is community theatre and the cast is doing the best that they can with what they have. If Sting decides in future to come through with who he is, go and see his next show. Support all the local theatre that you can regardless of where it is (I travelled an hour and a quarter to see Paris) and give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism on the performance otherwise it is like whinging about a problem but not attempting to find a solution....

Walter PlingeTue, 27 Nov 2007, 05:26 pm

paris

ok.. well another comment on your last one, yes I totally agree with your last comments towards sting and the other reviewers and performers themselves and yes it is community theatre , but what I think is that if a community theatre club doesnt have the ability or strengths to pull of such a massive task then don't do it. Because although your giving it your best, the community come to pay to see a show , and it should be as good as a show can be for local theatre. Just because They were able to pull off Les Miserables does not neccesaraliy mean they can pull off this one. Yes its community theatre , but there are some levels of expectation - especially coming from Mandurah and Pinjarra. I know for a fact alot of the people around that area are not strong singers at all , and are flat or out of key , but yet get the roles because of who they are. People should start being casted on their ability not their connections. And the tech stuff really needs to get its act together, every show down there has major tech trouble and Music Man was just as shocking !!!

Jodie HansenTue, 27 Nov 2007, 05:39 pm

Hi Big B

I didn't see Music Man - I only discovered that Murray Music & Drama existed because I saw their audition notice for Paris. And yes, I agree that people should be cast on their talents not because of who they are. I just disagree with Sting's comments as they were unjustifiably caustic which was unwarranted. Then again, he may have caught them on a bad night (which would be at odds with Dazza's review) but it is his opinion. Are you perhaps involved in the theatre? Could I maybe come and see you in your next production? I'm always interested in seeing new people.......

jeffhansenTue, 27 Nov 2007, 05:54 pm

A Short review

1 - I don't have any family/friends in the show. 2 - I'm not now, nor have I ever been a member of MMDC. 3 - Here is my photo 4 - This is my real name I saw the show on opening night, and travelled from Perth to do so. I found it to be an enjoyable night out - it was great to be able to bring a picnic basket and have a few quiet drinks during the show. The show itself had its good and bad points. Helen and Paris were great. Ulysses was well cast and believable in the role. Oh, look, I thought the show was OK - the cast, in the most part, were good to great, with an exception or two. The tech stuff let it down i.e.-microphones. I hope they got it sorted out, as it was very distracting. Was it rubbish - no it wasn't. The earlier reviewer who shall not be named obviously saw a different show or has a whole other level of expectation/talent/insight than I. This is an awfully worded review. I give it 3 out of 10 (the review, not the show) Jeff

TaureanWed, 28 Nov 2007, 06:58 pm

Any Publicity is good publicity

OK... War over???

At first glance, I was under the impression that "Sting" was our old friend and prolific reviewer "Stinger" but obviously this is not the case.

It does seem however that "Stings" ideals of amatuer theatre as much the same as mine.

We both seem to firmly believe that the ONLY distinction between "amatuer" theatre and "professional" theatre is that community theatre players do it for LOVE rather than for the money.

With regard to his(?) supposedly harsh comments about the cast and crew of "Paris" ... in some cases I agree.... YES the sound tech SHOULD have known his equiptment and it's capabilities better.... YES ... some of the cast could have identified more with thier roles.... Yes... there were some really bad notes hit....but when you are working with volunteeers, can you really expect more than they are able to give or do you spend God knows how long auditioning for the perfect cast and crew?

On the other hand, I disagree entirely with his comments about the lighting... MM&D were clearly hampered by an INCREDIBLE lack of lighting equiptment...which is usually the case when budgetary constraints and "rented" venues are a consideration... This was performined in a "Civic Centre" ... not MANPAC..... They were simply doing the best they could with what they had....ONE solitary FOH lighting bar and a few floods to act behind the PROS arch.... (about twelve lights, and a follow spot)

For what they have, I thought they did bloody well to mount a musical of ANY nature!!

Come on "Sting"...you must have been in the situation yourself, on or off the stage... and you must be aware of how frustrating it can be having to settle for what you know is "not exactly what you want".

Give these guys a break!!

Are you familiar with this musical??

They have mounted SUCCESSFULLY a production that the Australian Light Opera Company abondoned because they couldn't handle it!

Musically SavageThu, 29 Nov 2007, 02:02 am

Sting, or Stinger, a rather nuclear missile...

Wow. Wonderfully helpful critique Sting. One would hope we all seriously think through the flaws of a play as we drive home and sift through it all to find the positives to add to our own performances. Gotta keep growing. It's easier to keep friends if you keep them to yrself though! What did Na say on another thread? Feed them a way to improve as well... (Unless your in Chile where if your talentless and don't stop performing they beat you up.) All such performances are subject by who's willing to volunteer at the time (actors & techs). You always pray a little that the theatre chimes will ring true for each production. It's the AD/MD/Choreo responsibility to mold the company into the best according to how talented the directors are too. And another thing. This is Am theatre. These guys do not have the luxury of living off theatre. I'm always aware (& this is the 1st time I've voiced the thought) at theatre rehearsals the standard (musically) of the cast. I'm preparing for a national tour with 'Thrust' next week, and there is a chasm between the abilities. Am theatre is just not about professionalism. It should always aspire towards it, but never bagged for not reaching it. Even in the pro world we realize and appreciate the differences in artists performances, whilst recognizing abilities and/or limits. Dear Sting, pull the rafter out of your eye first so that you may clearly see how to remove it from your brother's eye... Also... Come do a show with me. I would rather enjoy pushing you to your limits. Now I shall have to see the play in question. I do hope it's a good night. An hour & a half drive home can be a tad too long to have songs imbedded in my head... ... my shoes are tied too tight... Luke

Walter PlingeThu, 29 Nov 2007, 02:09 pm

The sting, the bomber, and the whole damn Paris

Heya! 1. Shem Le Scelle 2. Yes, I was in the play Now that that is out of the way, many thanks to the many people who have traveled out to Pinjarrah to come see our show. You have to admit, its one hell of a rock opera to attempt, and a very large congratulations to the theatre for giving us the opportunity to present it! To quickly put past the parts that everyones expecting the cast to comment on: "Sting". I have to thank you greatly. Not sure if it was your intention, but by writing such a harsh review, it has caused many people to put up their ideas on the show who probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise. It was an ...interesting review to say at least, but I have conclude that you are indeed the infamous "bomber". I have been likened to Captain Feathersword only once before, so you caught be at that line. The fact that you came from another country I do believe you must be American, where you judge such productions so harshly with little in the way of reasoning mainly because people rarely actually want to read the reasoning behind, just get straight to point of what people thought. Unfortunately, I do take the review as a compliment. Captain Feathersword? Very pleased with that! :D I have to say I have seen him live and he was very entertaining, so to be likened to such a role model is an unintentional compliment. What can I say? I make the most of what I am given. I do have to apologize to the audience, I cant actually sing. I suck at it. I have no range, but I can do a grungy voice which very few professional singers do because it kills your voice. Because Achilles needed such a gruff voice, and a large amount of sword play, that is where I step in. I can kill my voice so the actually great singers can do their starring roles such as Paris and Menelaus. But seeing as I cant sing, I wont pretend to be able to. I stick with my fight scenes, where I choose to pride myself, particularly the death scene. Have to say, I do have a lot of fun at that point :) Never-the-less, it does become apparent that either you do dislike us, or you have an exceptionally high standard. I'm not sure whether you have this standard because you yourself carry a large amount of talent and experience, or because you are a well known reviewer back in your homeland, but I do hope it is the former. But having such a high standard means that people are going to be expecting great things from you, as I am now. If you do end up reading this, I hope you can provide us with some details of your upcoming productions because now I am really interested in seeing you perform. I wouldn't judge you based off what you have said to us, but I would judge you based off the expectations that have been made surrounding your criticisms. However, "sting/bomber" has had enough coverage lately. He does a very Paris Hilton technique by managing to stay in the news by consistently using bad news. On to the audience! I have to say, they have bared with many things throughout this show. We've had a small venue, high temperatures, incomplete sets ups, technical problems, and such but still they have supported us the whole way through and let their imaginations be swept up in the show :) I don't believe a show is successful unless it manages to entertain an audience, whether its through the singing, acting, action or entertainment, but I think we've managed to create a balance between all four. On to the cast! Wow! You guys have really outdone yourselves incredibly! Having never worked with this theatre before, I have to say that you guys have amazed me from the word go! I heard that you haven't actually done a show with such intense combat moments, but you have managed to take up the shield and sword and come out (relatively) unscathed :) I really have to thank you all for your patience and tolerance with us new additions to your theatre, thank you for putting up with us this whole way through. With the last two shows coming up, I will really miss this cast, we have shared many moments, both professional and personal, and I have made friends what have left footprints in my heart :) Unfortunately, this is a review section, so I should probably wrap this up! Sorry for a long winded rant, but thats for bearing with this pirate!! Shem "You also need to stop singing - you cant!!!" Le Scelle Achilles PS: On the bright side, if anyone does 'Pirates of Pensance' anytime soon, I think I'm set! :D

Laurence WilliamsThu, 29 Nov 2007, 02:20 pm

Mr Sting... or whatever

Mr Sting, You raise some valid points I have to agree with you there. I did not see the show but I thought I need to reply to your review. I am not too sure if I know you or not (your too gutless to actually put a real name) throughout the local community theatre group, but you seem like the type of person that would put together the best show ever to be shown in community theatre. Having worked in community theatre you should know that you cast what you get. And make do with what you get, you can not have a lot of fabulously talented actors and singers rock up on every audtion. I am sure Carole made the best with what she had, as she had done every time. You seem to know, or think you know what you are talking about. Which is good, but you should also know that writing a review is not about personally attacking someones performance. A review can still be too the point but constructive at the same time. I would love to come and watch and review one of your shows at some stage. I am sure you will not be nearly as good as some people that were in the Paris cast. I often wonder about people like you who sit in the audience and do not appreciate the hard work and effort that some of these people put into the productions. What exaclty were you expecting by the way? After all it is community theatre and not everyone is blessed with an overwhelming talent but they still try 100% on stage and have fun. And if you are expecting a Burswood type performance, I am sorry Mr Sting but you are nothing but a fool. If you know all the proffesional sides to theatre I am thinking that your review would have taken a more professional apprach, and your personal attacks on some of these people has me wondering... are you an angry little theatre reject? It sure sounds like it. You remind me of a person that would not have a lot of friends in life and gets their kicks out of writing something stupid like you did. A true professional would leave their name also. Funny you act as if you not scared to tell the truth but you hide behind a false name. So Mr sting, put you money where your mouth is and tell us all where your next show is, I will be happy to come review that with some members of the newspaper. And next time you want to personally attack these hard workers, grow some balls to show your name. I hope you have fun sitting in your room, thinking that your better then everyone else. If you don't it like stay out of their theatres I am sure they actually don't want you there any way. Laurence I

Walter PlingeThu, 29 Nov 2007, 03:05 pm

Who's been stung?

No professional, unbiased reviewer would ever unleash a vitriolic tirade like the one you posted here, Mr Sting. And they definitely would not do so without leaving their real name. Thankfully, the other contributors seem to have seen right through your sour grapes. Come back with something constructive next time.

jadeylilSun, 2 Dec 2007, 09:27 am

Paris

A friend and I went down to Pinjarra last night to see the final performance of Paris. After reading the above I really didn't know what to expect but I am so glad I ignored the comments made by Sting and made the effort to see it. Congratulations to Carole and the cast! We thoroughly enjoyed the show and had a great night and judging by the comments from people around us we weren't the only ones. There were so many highlights. I loved Anita as Helen, what a talent she is! I also loved the performances of Jason Arrow (Paris) and Gareth Jay (Menaleus). Gareth in particular had great characterisation and was very believable in the role. Jeannette Southall as Paris's mother was also a standout. I also loved the dynamic fight scene between Hector and Achilles and the death scene. That was awesome guys, well done! Well done also to Patrick, Jim and Graham on your Inside, Outside scene. You 3 stole the show and had the whole audience in stitches! Overall a very difficult but great show! You all should be proud! Janine Bramall

Musically SavageMon, 3 Dec 2007, 01:09 am

The Right of Will?

Yo harsh critics me matey's. Right of opinion. That's a grey area. Don't confuse freewill with abuse of it. You have the freedom to smoke, drink excessively, drive recklessly, continually speed and post harsh comments. But the moment you do results in you losing your freewill over to the vice. (And perhaps the consequences of it) A comment to all actors & MD's. A pro muso/singer should carefully keep just below his limit of ability when performing. He pushes boundaries in private or rehearsals only. When a listener is aware of the limits of a performer it takes away the bliss. Had the listener not heard that bung note they would still be of the opinion that this singer is GREAT, able to achieve all manner of feats in their eyes. And as a result keeping the magic of the performance alive. Holding that ever-sort-after feeling that the audience member would want to be on stage doing the very same thing. That conveyed feeling is ultimate success. Local actors take a leaf out of their book. And MD's, a month before opening is the end of helping a singers voice to grow. Re-work melody lines to be back in the actors range. It's rather pointless to let them sound bad on stage when the fix is an easy one. So what if the melody alters slightly. Much less distracting than the alternative. Is this a secret? ... Dance lightly my friend, but carry a big stick... Luke

Walter PlingeTue, 4 Dec 2007, 09:39 am

Stop

i enjoyed paris thoroughly and watched it 2 times. I would love to get a tape from the lovely young girl who taped it that many times. Good Job to everybody! thanks for a great night out!

Walter PlingeTue, 4 Dec 2007, 09:42 am

Stop dissing Paris

I loved Paris So much! Jason and Anita were fantastic and should enter Australian Idol! great voices! Cast were fantastic and the chorus sounded beautiful! Loved the show and cant wait for many more to come!

Walter PlingeTue, 4 Dec 2007, 12:13 pm

As usual, it appears that

As usual, it appears that people from the southwest are unable to take on board the fact that someone didn't think their show was fantastic. You really are a tight knit bunch, always leaping to each other's (and your own) defence. I always thought that if you had faith in your work there was no need to defend it from people like me. Does that mean that some of the things I said actually rang true then? I think so. To answer a few questions/queries: To Laurence Williams - You didn't see the show, I hardly see how you are in any position to write anything about this show. Oh, that's right, you didn't write about the show did you? Just another southwest local who can't help but stick their nose in. To Warren Read - Please rest assured that I do not have designs upon your neice. I merely thought she stood out as one of the few people on stage who put some life into her performance. To Jason Arrow - I never said that I have a voice with no bridge, perfect pitch and a 5 octave range, I said that Gareth Jay did not hit those notes. Anyone with half an ear for pitch would have heard that. Personally, I do not take on a role that I can't achieve, I feel that's something we all need to learn at some stage - maybe it's time for you to take that lesson on board. And to DazzaB - Is someone feeling a little threatened then? I think so; you started a whole new thread about your reviewing style. Well well well, perhaps you will start to think a little bit more before posting reviews about how fabulous your friends are in the future. I stand by my initial critique of the show - I felt it was far below the standard that I have come to expect from COMMUNITY THEATRE in Perth. And yes, I do mean community theatre - companies like Yellowglass Entertainment and Playlovers are producing shows of a much higher quality than what I saw when watching Paris. I also know that MMDC won the Finley awards with their production of Les Miserables a few years back - as such, I was expecting their production of Paris to be of a Finley Award contending standard - however it most certainly was not. *You've been STUNG*

Musically SavageTue, 4 Dec 2007, 11:21 pm

Please...

Please don't encourage anyone to enter Aussie Idol... It's whole another forum topic (or even better yet - let's not speak of it again!) It causes me pain. No, I won't get into it... Restrain me. ... sing coz yr happy... Luke

Jodie HansenWed, 5 Dec 2007, 07:10 am

Sting! You've returned!

And I would still like to see a show that you are involved in - it would be interesting to meet you.

Walter PlingeWed, 5 Dec 2007, 02:33 pm

cant get enough of paris

I love paris and am sad that it has ended. sorry for writing about Australian Idol.I am new to this forum so i didnt know.

Walter PlingeWed, 5 Dec 2007, 03:34 pm

thankyou !!!

Sting !!!! Thankyou so much ... Its about time the southwest people realised that it isn't as great as everyone makes out down there and that they realised exactly where they stand in comparison to the rest of the world. Perth Local Companies such as ones you mentioned and even a few others in mind are far more ahead of mmdc and even MPAC to some degree, because they great thing is about mpac is they have the money for great sets and lighting , which distracts the audience from the people playing the characters and half the time its ALWAYS the same people and people who cant sing or dance for that matter. Beauty and The Beast would have flunken if it wasnt for the lavish sets and costumes that were brought over from the eastern states and minus the girl who played Belle and the wardrobe everyone else pretty much sucked. They cover it up by using other forms. And MMDC , well its just a old company that needs to learn to be fresh , get their act together and actually pick the right people for the right roles half the time , and not just stick amungst their little old time friends. Im talking in general towards this whole topic , not just Paris . Sting , I am on your side , and yes you did come across very harshly , but people ... WAKE UP !! and welcome to the real world of performing arts. People say what they think , and if you suck you will be told . If you cant hack it , and have defend yourself on here , then clearly you have issues because you shouldnt let one harsh critic get to your bones to the point there is now a war on a thread that was MEANT TO BE REVIEWS !!!!!! it doesnt say at the top " NICE PARIS REVIEWS" now does it ...

NaWed, 5 Dec 2007, 03:37 pm

Best use of sarcasm in a

:rofl: Best use of sarcasm in a review ever Sticky Apple Legs www.thepromptcopy.com/sal Puppets in Melbourne www.puppetsinmelbourne.com.au My puppets www.collectzing.com/collection/137/

Walter PlingeWed, 5 Dec 2007, 04:16 pm

Quick question Sting... Now

Quick question Sting... Now i'm sure your well aware that amtuer theatre generally doesn't attract many performers especially if the show is all the way down in Pinjarra. Now bearing all that in mind you basically said that we (the southwest amatuers) need to pick people more suited to the roles and people that can hit the notes... yeah ok fair enough maybe i didn't hit all my notes and what not but there was only about 8 other guys who showed up to the audition half of them were over 40 and the others looked to old to play the part of paris. So how exactly then are we meant to find the right people to play these parts if no one shows up? I only went for paris mearly because i was the only one who audtioned that looked (and actually was)close enough to the age needed for paris. Now based on that do i honestly deserve harsh comments and unsupported criticing from someone i've never even met before. Bascially amatuer theatre is you get what your given... You know what i don't even care anymore, and i really don't care what you think Sting i will take what you said on board about choosing roles that suit me, but thats as far as i'll go, because in all honesty the people around me that i care about are the only opinions i really listen to. So now i am going on a 6 month break to get singing training (which i was planning to do even before you posted your review.) and hopefully when i get back from it i can live up to your stndards... cause you do seem.. SEEEEEMMM to know what your talking about. P.S. I'm interested to see what roles you think would suit me... wait let me guess Chorus right.. or is that still to much of a challenge for me? haha. just kidding. If i want to go for a role i will and if i get it then it's quite simple don't...come...and...see...it. Anyway see ya buddy, hope to work with you some day (i'm being serious). *You've been Arrowed*

Walter PlingeWed, 5 Dec 2007, 04:49 pm

We're Learning :)

Mr. Arrow - you have impressed me! When I began to read your latest post I lamented that once again you were simply becoming defensive and angry, then you surprised me at the end. Let's look at what you had to say. "So how exactly then are we meant to find the right people to play these parts if no one shows up?" The point is (and this is certainly no fault of yours) the talent base in the southwest region is simply not up to the standards of a show like Paris - therefore MMDC should not have done it. If you do not get someone who is right for the role at the audition, then don't cast it - do something else! (And before there is an outcry - yes, I know, that is easier said than done. There is a whole new discussion here around script selection.) "do i honestly deserve harsh comments and unsupported criticing from someone i've never even met before." As I've said - if you put yourself out there for the world to see, you are also opening yourself up to what they have to say! I believe you need to be more choosy about your parts - find the right part and you reduce the opportunities for harsh critique because you will be able to achieve what you need to. "P.S. I'm interested to see what roles you think would suit me... wait let me guess Chorus right.. or is that still to much of a challenge for me?" No, you definately have more potential than chorus. I believe you would play a good Motel in Fiddler on the Roof or Tony in West Side Story. From what I can tell about your vocal and acting ability (and I have only seen this one performance by you) these parts are where your talent is at for the moment. Furthering your training is a very sensible idea - I attend lessons in both singing, acting and dancing still - I will never be good enough for my standards! And to Big B - I'm sorry, this will disappoint you, but I have to disagree with you. I felt that MPAC's Beauty and the Beast was actually quite good. While the Beast and Cogsworth were weak vocally, Lumiere was a touch uncontrolled in his acting and Babette was nigh-on un-intelligable, the rest of the cast were spectacular and I felt it was a well rounded, energetic and highly polished production. I may be one of the few to attack a southwest show when it is sub-par, but credit where it is due! And as for MMDC - a production will NOT win a Finley if it is not up to standard - their Les Mis won. I dis-liked Paris, not their shows in general - I have only seen Paris, I can't really comment on any others. And yet I do stand by the idea that the southwest won't accept that someone did not think their work was fantastic. Learn to deal with people saying nasty things - you're putting yourself out there, it's bound to happen. Toughen up and look for the reasons behind what nasty, horrible people like me say. Sting

Ian BlackWed, 5 Dec 2007, 09:56 pm

Oh Dear Me

Oooppss Silly me i thought i clicked on the REVIEW FORUM

Walter PlingeThu, 6 Dec 2007, 12:09 am

Keep hiding behind that

Keep hiding behind that curtain of yours Sting. Stings next role will be the Lion in The Wizard Of Oz....

DazzaBThu, 6 Dec 2007, 08:23 am

huh?

I certainly hope you are not insinuating that I'm Sting... I'll be appearing as the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz in January, but I promise you, the way Sting works is certainly not my style. Darren

stingerThu, 6 Dec 2007, 09:58 am

I AM NOT "STING"

Thanks very much!!! Ssstinger>>>

MeercatThu, 6 Dec 2007, 01:03 pm

Come on!

Sting posted a review - and now this has become a review on them! Leave it alone already, if they didnt like it you cant MAKE them like it or change their way of expressing their opinion! WWS!!

Walter PlingeThu, 6 Dec 2007, 05:12 pm

No no. Sorry Darren.

No no. Sorry Darren. I think Sting would do well at playing the cowardly lion. He could do with some courage to write a review as himself.

Walter PlingeThu, 6 Dec 2007, 05:25 pm

My thoughts

Hi everyone, Anita Musca here or aka Helen in the production"Paris"! I have been reading this forum for a few weeks now and finally thought i might as well say something. I would firstly like to say. The show was awesome, yes we had so so so many mix ups but the cast took it and soldiered through every time. I would like to say, I have not done alot of theatre before, but for my first lead role i could not have asked for a better person to be working along side of me, then Jason Arrow. Jason Arrow, untrained yet absolutley amazing. I can not believe the voice on you, you worked so well and your acting is at a high standard. I teach singing at schools in Mandurah and i would like to say for someone who has never been taught to sing, you have a huge, awesome and raw voice! I loved working along side such a professional on and off stage. I have so much respect for this guy.. Gareth Jay I feel like just screaming out to everyone "WAKE UP" becuase your voice is awesome, this music is out of your field. Like myself Gareth is classically trained and it is hard to sing rock, when we have been trained in technique and taught not to strain. Like Gareth i found singing this style a huge challenge. I believe Gareth's voice is absolutley amazing, his acting was clearly the best in the whole production and i am so glad to have worked with him. Shaun Read!!! I must say that this man's voice in Les Miserables' made me cry from the minute he sang the first note. Shaun in "Paris" was in a role which suited him very well. His voice is always on pitch and always at full capacity. I love hearing him sing and working with him has been a absolute pleasure. Shem Le Scelle!!! Shem overcomes all his vocal obstacles, with stage presence and character :) Shem works the audience and all i have heard since the production from my own family and work collegues (who are all music tutors and performing arts teachers) that they could not get over him and his character. The sword fighting was crazy which Gareth is also to be commended for and it was just so effective, as i watched it on stage i was freaking out most of the time... I guess in theatre we are never going to please everyone. Which if u ask me is fine :) It is the audience who come and appreciate what effort and talent is at work on the stage, that we are there for. They are the ones we need to remember, they are the ones who make us get up on stage every night. Not everyone is going to enjoy what we do, but as long as we all put in our best effort and do all that we can for the audience, then what more can be asked of us? I thoroughly enjoyed working with MMDC and the cast of "Paris" I would love to work with them all again in the future :-) Anita Musca

Carol LewisMon, 10 Dec 2007, 11:54 am

Paris

Playlovers xmas show at Hackett Hall Featured Gareth Jay singing with Jennifer Wickham. Gareths singing was great and got the loudest applause each night. He also performed in a Sculley Mulder skit with Jennifer which was a great piece of acting. Well done to both of you . you were both outstanding, I look forward to seeing Jen in The wizard of Oz at Manpac. Also congratulations to all the cast at Playlovers for a great night out. As for Gareths role in Paris he did a wonderful job singing a 3 octave range it was hard work and stirling effort on his part.

Walter PlingeMon, 10 Dec 2007, 10:58 pm

Don't Drop the Ball

I like that people are so passionate about their theatre. And this is a good thing. I would just like to remind people that seem to be judging and criticizing that we are talking about community theatre groups. People getting together to have fun and do something that they love in a club atmosphere. And I mean CLUB. Being part of a club is about supporting each other, working together and socializing together. Whether that be kicking a ball around or doing theatre. By saying this I am not discrediting the performances in Paris as I did see it and I had a lot of fun watching. I also got a kick out of seeing friends performing and having a good time. You do theatre because you like to do it. You don't stop playing football because you drop the ball on occasion or miss a goal. Who cares what this Sting person thinks. Or anyone else for that matter. (Obviously not a supporter of community theatre. Just one of those people that get their jollies from tearing other peoples efforts apart. Probably one of those people that thinks that they are really good but are completely talent less). Theatre people, this is not what you have chosen for your profession it is what you have chosen to do in your leisure time. It is not about bums on seats or dollars. It is about what you want out of it. Whether that be fun, socializing, challenges etc. Just enjoy.

Walter PlingeTue, 11 Dec 2007, 01:18 pm

Hear hear!

Well said, Loveyourwork! Hey all, my name's Patrick Cole - yes, I was in Paris, I played Sinon (the drunk soldier) Sting, your review seems to have sparked quite a bit of debate :P. I've got nothing against what you said as much as how you said it... every participant in community theatre actively seeks to enhance their skills and accept audience feedback - though, as Anita said, you can't please everyone. Personally, I hope for nothing more than to think we've given the audience a good night out. I think that most of the audience enjoyed Paris, which is all we onstage intended :). I'm with Sean, the free sandwiches at interval and the opportunity to work with such a fantastic group of people are all part of why we get up and give it our all! And ok, let's face it, who DOESN'T like being in a show with an enormous wooden horse, wineskins, and the ability to beat people senseless with swords? :) Sting - I would also like the opportunity to work with you someday, hopefully we both have some experiences we could share. While I don't agree with all of your feedback, I accept you're entitled to your opinion and if that's how you felt, well... yeah. Perhaps to avoid this sort of war next time, you could say 'I found your voice a little hard to hear, perhaps with some vocal training you will absolutely blow me away' as opposed to 'Stop singing now you can't sing you have no register you suck stop singing'. Just my opinion :) I think most of the audience enjoyed it (despite some technical difficulties - which, I must say, I've seen shows where the mics have failed and the cast has stopped and looked dumbfounded - we plowed on! Hooray for us!) and we aim to please as many as we can :). And thanks for saying I've got stage presence :) Have a merry christmas all! Patrick Cole

Walter PlingeFri, 21 Dec 2007, 11:04 am

Paris - My verdict

Hi to everyone. I saw Paris on it's opening weekend. I would give the show overall a 5 out of 10. I would say that it was a sound and very brave attempt by all those involved in this production. I think it is fair to say this one would have been very difficult to pull off. My honest opinion, it sadly wasn't. Props go to everyone, as I say again - for a good attempt to tackle one of the most demanding community theatre productions I have seen. I do believe the cast tried their best. I think people need to expect no more than that. So, well done. Let's face it - the performance from the tech department was disastrous. You can't hide away from that fact. This, in turn, also affected my and I'm sure other audience member's final thoughts on the overall show. I think it's important now to have a tech department which matches up to the challenges of theatre you are trying to tackle. A good solid sound department gives a feeling of professionalism to audience members. And let's face it - it is the most noticeable flaw to audience members if something goes wrong with it. To the actor's and actresses involved, I guess it was easy to tell that you struggled with the vocal. Yes, it was a good attempt to try and pull it off, but it didn't really come close. With the exception of one or two cast members, that is something that is needed to be improved, either through choosing an easier key for certain songs which need alterations, or choosing cast members to fit certain roles more appropriately. There were some moments in there that showed flashes of brilliance and there were other not so good moments(which unfortunately were more so it outweighed the brilliance), which made all audience members cringe in their seats. The acting was sound, and most of the cast seemed to put a nice amount of energy into their performance and seemed to fit their character well. The poor vocal unfortunately pulled the acting down too, since the whole show was sung. The nice comedic scene invloving the 3 (or 4) drunkards (can't remember), was a nice fun few minutes which made a nice change from the seriousness of the whole storyline and stage performance. The characterisation in this scene was good, but a little stereotypical. Costumes good, lighting could have been better, the venue didn't really do the show any justice and the atmosphere during the evening was a little lifeless. A good attempt, a few things to iron out for your future shows, but I wish you well for the future. Thank you.

Mr.FlipSat, 29 Dec 2007, 11:12 am

I FEEL SORRY FOR STING

Sting... my child... i am 16 years old and i was in Paris. Well, what can i say? I Truely do feel for you... the only reason you'd complain about how crap our show was is if you were a perfect performer yourself.... and your not How do i know? OMG!!!! i know a lot of things... like how you feel secretly lonely inside and you wished your mommy had spent more time with you as a kid... or that daddy would still let you climb onto his shoulders... or that your friends would invite you along without you having to ask them to... ah yes my friend, the sorrow of being a loner Im not going to tell you to GROW UP... as im only 16 and as i havent quite yet grown enough, im not going to tell anyone else to... coz thats what we humans call being polite: WHEN YOUR PERFECT, THEN YOU CAN PREACH And if you really wanted to waste all your effort on that pittiful excuse for a review, thats your choice, but then bagging out the people who replied? low. And you know that you are wrong my child... you know. If you truely believed in what you wrote... then you wouldnt hide behind a childish name like Sting (great singer...) but we both know your real name and ... WE BOTH KNOW THAT YOUR EXTREEMLY CHILDISH AND RUDE REVIEW ABOUT HOW TALANTLESS WE ALL ARE AND HOW WE SHOULD ALL QUITE THEATRE SIMPLY TRANSLATES TO ONE SIMPLE SENTENCE!!! "GREAT SHOW GUYS... I ONLY WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN APART OF IT' omg sting... you've been Flipped

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