The quintessential musical 42nd Street is the latest offering by Scotch College Performing Arts and comes on the back of a string of successful musical productions in recent years (Les Miserables, West Side Story, Pirates Of Penzance and Jesus Christ Superstar) shaped by the resident production team: Director Adam Goodburn, Choreographer Linda Williams, and Musical Director Antony Hubmayer.
Since coming together in 2012, this highly experienced team have demonstrated that they can coach their students into delivering quality full scale musical productions to critical acclaim:
On selecting 42nd Street as the 2016 musical, Adam and the team chose to discount the current flurry of new shows, hot off the professional circuit, arguing that there is still very much a place in theatre for quality classics such as this. Furthermore with consideration of the development of the young performers, 42nd Street ticked all the boxes.
Head of Performing Arts, Antony Hubmayer says the show is an “engaging and stylistic show that will extend our students across the full range of the arts, acting dancing and singing, and will appeal to our audience”. An attraction was also the different style and focus to musicals undertaken in recent years, with humour being a marked difference. Adding in the emphasis on the ensemble and several sub stories in the piece, the musical is sure to provide significant opportunities for the large cast.
42nd street is a musical within a musical. Set in the depression, a revered Broadway director, who falls on hard times, leads an ambitious final production before his retirement, with hilarious consequences. With many big well known numbers such as We’re in the Money, Dames and Lullaby of Broadway, it’s certainly big in entertainment value. A large stage band will bring to life the exciting, brassy score and is sure to immerse the audience in this celebration of all things Broadway.
Both Adam and Linda draw on previous experience of the show with the 1995 production by the Mayfair Theatre company. Applying contemporary production values, the team will nevertheless remain true to the period in their portrayal and we can expect the charming vintage feel and exciting tap routines which are a defining element of the musical.
As with all college musicals, there are significant challenges trying to showcase the talent of all the students involved and programming rehearsals around the many academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities of these ambitious young performers. Scotch adapt to the challenges accepting that having extremely talented students inevitably means they will be involved in many concurrent projects as they seek to gain the experience and skills they require. A long lead-in time and double casting where possible help overcome these issues as well as maximizing the opportunities provided.
Among the emerging stars in this year’s musical are Jordan Tomljenovic as male star of the show Billy Lawlor, Lachlan Williams as director Julian Marsh and Emily Goldsmith as aging prima donna Dorothy Brock. All have worked in the Adelaide youth and community theatre scene for many years.
Jordan has been dividing his time between 42nd Street and this year’s Class of Cabaret, which brings the brightest rising stars from secondary schools across South Australia to the Cabaret Festival.
Lachlan is juggling his role with performing with The 60 Four, a 60s tribute group and Unplugged, a popular cover band. He says playing Marsh is a challenge “to vary the emotion of his character to ensure he does not appear monotone”.
Emily is a proficient dancer, playing a character renowned for her lack of dance ability! She says this is her most vocally demanding role to date “Dorothy thinks the whole show is about her, she shows little soul and is a real drama queen. It’s a great acting role with some magnificent songs”.
All agree the musical is chorus led and regard the ensemble as the stars of the show, commending them on their efforts to master the tightly synchronised dance numbers.
Judging by previous Scotch productions, there is no doubt that Scotch will bring their own combination of verve and sparkle to this delightful show. For a night of all singing, all dancing nostalgia, and some of the best Broadway songs ever written, become reacquainted with this timeless classic.
42nd Street will be presented at Scotch College, Carruth Road, Torrens Park on Aug 4 at 11am, Aug 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 at 7pm. Tickets: Adults $30, Child/Conc $15
Bookings: Kate Crawshaw, 08 8274 4210 email: [email protected]
Watch out for Brian Godfrey’s upcoming interview with Jordan Tomljenovic
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