Bare - Playlovers November 2008
Sun, 16 Nov 2008, 11:41 pmDon Allen19 posts in thread
Bare - Playlovers November 2008
Sun, 16 Nov 2008, 11:41 pmLets start by saying I am affiliated with a lot of theatre groups and organisations in Perth, including Playlovers.
Went and saw Bare at Playlovers Friday night and would recommend it as a production well worth seeing, and with a bit of work, well worth hearing.
I sat in the front row, with an elderly group of Playlovers regulars, so can give a joint revue. I know everyone says this is a young peoples play, but it also entertains an elderly audience.
The show is confrontational, but very well presented by a young and enthusiastic cast that includes some very talented people.
Before the show, the ladies next to me commented that we were next to the band and perhaps they should move to the back of the hall, but the band, who are very talented, managed to keep a reasonable balance apart from the drummer finally letting loose at the end of one song. The band is basically a rock band but the flute and keyboard give some nice hauting accompanyment to some of the songs.
we all agreed that the swearing, semi nudity, homosexuality and drugs all fitted naturally into the play and the entertainment value of the production was up to Playlovers higher standards.
Kristen wanted a dark feeling to the show, which has been excellently executed by John Woolrich with his lighting design. It makes a welcome change to the average amateur musical that has bright lights blasting from the front and removing any form of character.
The set is simple but effective with several levels for the actors to work on and to allow the isolation of individuals. This meant very short scene changes so the show flowed along. The stained glass window makes a very effective centre piece.
The one dissapointment with this production is the sound. Sitting in the front row, we were not able to make out a lot of the dialoge. The solo performaces were well mic'd but as soon as any chorus or ensemble started up, the male voices were lost in a basy muddy quagmire. Even with the dissapointing sound in the front row, this was still an excellent production. I would expect a lot of this will be resolved before next wednesday.
The highlight for me was Sister Chatelle and the Angels, their vocals were great, sound was fine on this one, the choreography was dynamic, costumes were colourful and they injected some humour to lighten up what could be a very dark show.
Don AllenSun, 16 Nov 2008, 11:41 pm
Lets start by saying I am affiliated with a lot of theatre groups and organisations in Perth, including Playlovers.
Went and saw Bare at Playlovers Friday night and would recommend it as a production well worth seeing, and with a bit of work, well worth hearing.
I sat in the front row, with an elderly group of Playlovers regulars, so can give a joint revue. I know everyone says this is a young peoples play, but it also entertains an elderly audience.
The show is confrontational, but very well presented by a young and enthusiastic cast that includes some very talented people.
Before the show, the ladies next to me commented that we were next to the band and perhaps they should move to the back of the hall, but the band, who are very talented, managed to keep a reasonable balance apart from the drummer finally letting loose at the end of one song. The band is basically a rock band but the flute and keyboard give some nice hauting accompanyment to some of the songs.
we all agreed that the swearing, semi nudity, homosexuality and drugs all fitted naturally into the play and the entertainment value of the production was up to Playlovers higher standards.
Kristen wanted a dark feeling to the show, which has been excellently executed by John Woolrich with his lighting design. It makes a welcome change to the average amateur musical that has bright lights blasting from the front and removing any form of character.
The set is simple but effective with several levels for the actors to work on and to allow the isolation of individuals. This meant very short scene changes so the show flowed along. The stained glass window makes a very effective centre piece.
The one dissapointment with this production is the sound. Sitting in the front row, we were not able to make out a lot of the dialoge. The solo performaces were well mic'd but as soon as any chorus or ensemble started up, the male voices were lost in a basy muddy quagmire. Even with the dissapointing sound in the front row, this was still an excellent production. I would expect a lot of this will be resolved before next wednesday.
The highlight for me was Sister Chatelle and the Angels, their vocals were great, sound was fine on this one, the choreography was dynamic, costumes were colourful and they injected some humour to lighten up what could be a very dark show.
Walter PlingeMon, 17 Nov 2008, 02:31 am
Personally I thought the
Personally I thought the young lad playing Jason was the shining star of the show with the actress taking on sister Chantelle running a close second. Though the production overall was well worthwhile. Thumbs up to Kirsten and playlovers.
Walter PlingeMon, 17 Nov 2008, 08:59 pm
Great job!
I was front row on opening night also and agree that this is a very high standard, enjoyable show with a very talented cast. Well done to all involved and hopefully those slight sound problems have been ironed out so you have a wonderful season.
Can't wait to see it again and take some friends!
NaWed, 19 Nov 2008, 04:37 pm
Apologies: I just
Apologies: I just accidentally marked someone's comment as spam. Sorry; whoever it was, please contact Grant to have it placed back in the thread (I can't do it myself and don't know what the comment was or who wrote it).
Round head foam puppet pattern at
Puppets in Melbourne
Gordon the OptomThu, 20 Nov 2008, 08:17 am
bring on the angels
‘Bare’ is an American teenage pop musical, directed by Kristen Twynam-Perkins, showing at the Hackett Hall in Draper Street, Floreat each evening at 8.00 pm until 6th December.
At St Cecelia’s co-ed Catholic College all of the upper-school girls idolise Jason (Joshua Brant), but there again so does Peter (Tyler Jones). Jason’s sister Nadia (Rebecca Griffiths) shares a dormitory with Ivy (Gemma Sharpe) Jason’s current girlfriend.
Sister Chantelle (Rhoda Lopez) is the drama teacher and is trying to get a cast together for ‘Romeo and Juliet’, but confusions of love almost bring the show to a grinding halt.
In a dream sequence, Peter sees Sister Chantelle, in a scene reminiscent of ‘Sister Act’, dancing with three Angels (Tamara Woolrych, Cassandra Kotchie, and Deborah Rogers) in answer to his prayer for help.
How will family and friends accept the situation? Will the love be reciprocated?
The topic of this eight-year old play is now a little dated but Kristen, the director, has done a magnificent job of handling a very large, but highly talented cast. There is plenty of movement, well choreographed numbers (the director and Tamara Woolrych), superbly performed with confidence and fun. With a couple of dozen songs, varying from the short phrase almost spoken pop numbers, to a sensitive madrigal and a rousing final chorus, the musical directors (Jacob Latter and Andrew Dobosz) are to be congratulated.
The live music was well arranged and enhanced the magnificent singing. not a weak link in the whole cast.
A minor problem was the headset mics, which were inactive on a couple of lead players for several songs and speeches.
Poor storyline, but an energy filled show well worth seeing.
clayboyThu, 20 Nov 2008, 11:06 am
BARE ROCKS!
I have not stop thinking and talking about this production and I only walked out of Hackett Hall 12 hours ago!
Well Done to all of those involoved - this is a great production and has Finlay Award Nominee stamped all over it!
I went into the performance not really knowing anything about this musical and came out wanting to know everything! (PS - its really hard to track down a copy of the soundtrack...if anyone has any suggestions!)
I was really impressed with Becky Griffiths portrayal of the acidic twin sister, Nadia. Her comic timing was hilarious (Plain Jane Fat Ass was a dynamic performance) and her beautiful voice brought a tenderness to her plight. Rhoda Lopez stole every scene she appeared in with her over the top portrayal of Sister Chantelle - a nun in the know, and who certainly got her groove on! Her two numbers were highlights of the show. I have been a fan of Cynthia Fenton since her role in Assassins and was so happy to see her on the Playlovers stage again - her gorgeous song Warning brought tears to my eyes with its beautiful simplicity and gut wrenching emotion. The lead males - Joshua Brant and Tyler Jones were a perfect coupling with a highly believeable chemistry - I had to ask afterwards if they actually were a couple! To add to the package, their beautiful voices brought pain and tenderness to each of their songs, especially the ones with each other. I wish that the character of Matt played a larger role, as David Gray did a wonderful job of this character and would have been nice to see more of him. The character of Ivy annoyed me to start off, but Gemma Sharpe's emotionally charged portrayal of her in the second act had me feeling her pain.
The production wasn't without its faults - the sound and some of the head mics let down the performance and it was disappointing to be able to see so many of the scene changes being completed in full light by the stage crew, but these are minor things and did not affect my enjoyment of this production.
Well done to Kristen, Andrew, Jake and the cast and crew of BARE. I thoroughly recommend this performance and encourage you to get along to Hackett HAll to see another triumphant Playlover's Production.
BRAVO!
Walter PlingeFri, 21 Nov 2008, 09:57 am
SPELL IT RIGHT!!
It is Finley, NOT Finlay OR Findlay.
I see it time and time again.
It also saddens me that in theatre there are so many people who have such poor literacy a skills in an area that demands it.
Walter PlingeFri, 21 Nov 2008, 10:20 am
Bloody Finley's
What saddens me is that people think the Finley Awards are the be all and end all of Perth Community Theatre. It is 4 peoples opinion for goodness sake. Get over it and move on. Community Theatre is for the love of it, not for the love of an award.
jeffhansenFri, 21 Nov 2008, 12:10 pm
Grammar Police.......you
Grammar Police.......you might want to check your post, then go polish the windows of your glass house.
www.meltheco.org.au
LabrugFri, 21 Nov 2008, 12:38 pm
Demand Shemand
Bit a bold statement that - Theatre demands good literacy? Hardly. Sure you need to be able to read, but most often scripts are written as spoke and often we need to apply a liberal does of colloquial accents within which bad literacy is key.
Besides, no-one goes looking for missing commas, apostrophes, spelling, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera when you are talking, unless you are hand signing.
If I may equate with a comparable example from the world of music, does a Jazz Player need to know how to read sheet music to play a piano? No. Nor any other instrument for that matter.
Additionally, having good literacy skills (believe it or not) often has very little to do with good theatre. You can be the most well read and grammatically correct person on the planet, yet still be crap on-stage.
Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)
Jeff Watkins - biting every now and then. Keeps the teeth sharp.
deadFri, 21 Nov 2008, 02:13 pm
Mmmmm not really
I went and saw this show on Wednesday after all the hype and comments made and came out thinking 'mmmmm not really'.
I feel that it lacked direction and depth. Spent most of the show skipping across the surface rather than tackling the real issues. The cast certainly looked and gave the impression that they were confident in what they were doing (some over confident!) but because of the lack of direction failed to cause an emotional or thought provoking connection.
If you looking to get your money's worth I would suggest 'The Sound of Music' @ Roleystone or 'Broom, Broom' at Subiaco Arts Centre.
Looking forward to seeing '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' - next year; hopefully with Kim back in the driving seat the journey will be smoother (if not a little predictable!)
Warmest
DW
Walter PlingeSun, 23 Nov 2008, 02:27 am
Too DM . . .
Too DM . . .
Sound Of Music!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?
Here is a show that has never been done and you are talking about a show that has been over done a thousand times.
I'm sure that Rolyestone has done a fine job, don't get me wrong but you mentioned "real issues" um . . . Hello . . . Rogers & Hemmerstein . . . what real issues exist in there shows!
I'm sorry to say bit your comments don't seem very open minded. Which I'm sorry to say makes you sound a bit clueless . . .
Walter PlingeSun, 23 Nov 2008, 06:20 pm
A good show
I went and sawthis production on Wednesday night with my partner.
Overall impression is that I really enjoyed this production. I do not have the programme with me but the two lead guys were of a high standard.
The highlight for me was the nun role; musical numbers were spot on and she was captivating in every scene.
The chorus girls were excellent however I felt the chorus men lacked in certain areas.
Disappointing was the priest; a weaklink in the main ensemble as I felt he truly did not know his motivation on stage.
The direction was generally good although there were a few moments in theproduction I could notsee the actors due to them sitting on the step of the stage.
Costumes were also effective and portrayed the characters.
Sound was a problem especially in the first half. I could not even hear one of the actors/singers speak and he was one of the main characters.
Set was simple and effective. Lighting suited the mood and atmosphere.
I must admit I did shed a tear however the storyline I felt was nothing new although the music was really good.
I wish them well for the rest of the season. Would recommend everyone too see it. thank you Playlovers for generally another good production.
fsb
Walter PlingeMon, 24 Nov 2008, 02:02 pm
Bare vs SoM
"... Rogers & Hemmerstein . . . what real issues exist in there shows!"
Oh, you have got to be kidding me, you didn't really just say that did you!!!
Of the 6 big R&H musicals...
2 are biographical & 2 are loosely based on real events...
R&H were the first team to use the American Musical Theatre to tackle some of the big Social Issues (well... since Showboat, but Hammerstein was involved in that one too)
South Pacific was almost pulled because of its anti-racism message...
Scratch the surface of an R&H just a little and you see the powerful social commentary lying JUST underneath the surface.
In this I would say that Bare is, if anything, a Grandchild (or maybe Great-Grandchild) of R&H, and are closer than you probably imagine...
Besides, I bet you that Will & Grace, the directors of "Sound of Music" and "Bare" respectively, are probably wetting themselves over peoples attempts to play one show off the other...
KimberleyMon, 24 Nov 2008, 04:35 pm
Do you want a perfect apple
Do you want a perfect apple pie or an excellent schnitzel?
Walter PlingeThu, 4 Dec 2008, 02:22 pm
Fantastic!
I was truly surprised to learn what I did at the end of the night - that this was an amateur production! I went along with my wife last night, the 3rd with no former knowledge of this venue, this show or even this company. I must say I find it remarkable what can be achieved when you have a great young cast such as this one and what a cast they were! Mr Brant and Mr Jones the two young male leads, had great believable chemistry together and were equally fine in their individual roles. I overheard the lady sitting next to me comment on how unbelievable it was that they did this four to five times a week and still had such voices and I couldn't agree more.
Other highlights for me included Ms Fenton cameo as the despairing mother and Ms Lopez as the irrepressible nun with a heart both phenomenal and hilarious or heartbreaking respectively.
The rest of the ensemble cast were almost just as impressive and I'm agreeing with fsb that the only weak link I could find was the priest whose acting appeared a little stilted and wooden. Still a great overall achievement and good luck to this young talented cast for the rest of their run!!
alanmThu, 4 Dec 2008, 06:12 pm
Thoroughly Enjoyable
I saw the show Wed night.
Points to ponder were, I never noticed the seats (everyone seems to think they were uncomfortable), time went very quickly, I didn't want to applaud very often as I thought it would break the spell, I suppose I'm trying to say that I was enthralled and entertained and didn't find my mind wandering, as can be the case, sometimes.
It's very easy to find fault in anything, this show was entertaining, not so sure it was confrontational, it had some really great bits, the emotion was strong, very well done and it was worth $25 for a seat.
Loved the musicians, they were superb
Walter PlingeWed, 14 Jan 2009, 01:50 pm
MR BRANT AND MR JONES HAVE
MR BRANT AND MR JONES HAVE CHEMISTRY BECAUSE THEY ARE DATING/SLEEPING TOGETHER SO YOU WOULD HOPE THEY HAD CHEMISTRY