Presented by Adelaide Youth Theatre
Reviewed Friday 27^th January 2012

Venue: ARTS Theatre, Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: Conluded
Duration: 2hrs 40min incl interval

Set in 1933 this popular 1977 Broadway musical is based on the long running comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, by Harold Gray (1894-1968). Annie was left at an orphanage by her parents when she was only a baby, with a note that said that they would return to collect her. She is now eleven years of age and is, optimistically, still waiting for their return. The feisty young redhead's arch-enemy is the alcoholic Miss Hannigan, who runs the orphanage where Annie and many other little girls are bullied and mistreated by her.

When the billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, send his assistant, Grace Farrell, to bring an orphan into his home for two weeks at Christmas she selects Annie, much to Miss Hannigan's chagrin. Warbucks is enchanted by Annie and plans to adopt her, until she says that the only present that she wants for Christmas is to be reunited with her parents. When Warbucks tries to find Annie's parents, offering a large sum of money to them if they come forward, Miss Hannigan's crooked brother 'Rooster' and his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, armed with intimate information about Annie that Miss Hannigan has given them, appear in disguise to claim Annie and the money.

Director, Nadine Wood, Musical Director, Deborah Brennan, and Choreographer, Lauren Dempsey took on a daunting task and accomplished great things. This production was put together in only ten days and featured a huge cast and a live orchestra. Each of the major characters has two people cast in the role, alternating with one another at each performance. All of the adult roles, except for 'Daddy' Warbucks, are played by young people, well below the stage age of their characters. This all adds extra difficulties. The set was smart and made excellent use of projected scenes to allow fast set changes and the costumes looked the part, too.

Annie was played, on the night that I attended, by Lauren Esposito, who was a real bundle of energy, ideally suiting the character. She gave Annie a sense of playful fun, as well as handling the moments of pathos beautifully. Her solos were delightfully sung and made the role her own.

Miss Hannigan was played by Naomi Crosby, who engaged in enormous amounts of physical comedy, generating equally enormous bouts of laughter. Her comic timing is spot on and she sings wonderfully, too. She is one to watch.

Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks was played by one of Adelaide audiences favourite performers, Adam Goodburn, who brought just the right blend of the emotionally remote, hard-working and efficient billionaire with widespread political influence and the lonely bachelor, who unexpectedly discovers his humanity again through the beguiling influence of Annie. Goodburn convincingly conveys the change from this cold businessman to a warm and loving step-father. This was another satisfying performance, showing why he is so popular.

Madeleine Russell played his secretary, Grace Farrell, with loads of warmth, charm, a nicely measured degree of sympathy and support, and a neatly underplayed indication that her interest in him and his welfare was rather more than that of an employee to an employer.

Buddy Dawson, as 'Rooster', and Tahlia Fantone, as Lily St. Regis, are a great double act as the conniving confidence tricksters, driving each other along at a great pace and, when joined by Naomi Crosby for the Easy Street number, the three brought the house down.

There was equally good work from all of those in the minor roles, far too many too mention individually, and also from the huge chorus. The big numbers, with the entire ensemble singing and dancing with unbridled enthusiasm, were amazing and drew plenty of applause.

Unfortunately, this production only ran for a few performances and is already concluded. Such a pity that it could not have run for another week, so that many more people could have had the enjoyment of seeing it.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Directed by Matthew Carey
Reviewed Saturday 14^th January 2012

http://www.cabaretconfessional.com/summerschool

Venue: The Promethean, 116 Grote Street, Adelaide
Season: One night only, two different performances, 5pm and 8pm
Duration: 100mins each performance

During the preceding week a group of fifteen cabaret enthusiasts took part in a series of teaching sessions and master classes under the guidance of Catherine Campbell and Matthew Carey, with extra classes with Libby O'Donovan, Sidonie Henbest and Michael Morley and some advice from Frank Ford. Some were people who have already performed in Fringe and Cabaret Fringe, seeking to hone their skills, and others were beginners looking for a solid foundation on which to build their futures. This all culminated in two performances, eight of the participants appearing at 5pm and the other seven at 8pm.

In the first performance were Carolyn Curtis, Shelley Dunstone, Nic Hurcombe, Alison Kimber, Annie Siegmann, Jade Kops, James McLean and Megan Humphries. In the second were Megan Doherty, Carla Conlin, Lindsay Prodea, Michelle Pearson, Jenny Wynter (who came down all the way from Brisbane especially to attend this course), Rosie Maeder and Harriett Allcroft.

Those taking part were an amazingly diverse group. The youngest participant was only just eighteen and the oldest was, well, somewhat more mature. One was giving her very first public performance and some have performed in the Fringe, Cabaret Fringe and Feast Festivals and also have shows in the forthcoming Fringe. There was also a massive range of themes for their various segments, each of which was around ten minutes and included three songs and linking patter. It also looked a little like a fashion parade, with some amazing outfits and accessories. The performers had pulled out all the stops. In spite of their diversity, they all showed equally enormous levels of enthusiasm and energy, with a lot of thought and rehearsal clearly having gone into their various presentations.

Both performances played to large audiences who obviously loved every one of the segments, with lots of laughter and applause throughout both performances. It was great to see that the performers had established such a good rapport during the week that those in one group were in the audience when the other group were performing, and that there was a lot of emotion as they were saying goodnight to one another at the end of the evening.

Speaking to those involved brought forth great praise and gratitude for being able to attend this course and for the opportunity to take it further to show their work to a real audience in a real venue. All attested to the fact that had learned an enormous amount during a packed week. This is only the second time this Cabaret Summer School has been run and, this time, had more people enrolled that the first time so, if you have any thoughts of taking part in 2013 make sure you book the moment that it is announced, as there is a limit to the number of places.

Congratulations must go to everybody involved, both the participants and the organisers and tutors, for the enormous amount of hard work that would have gone into the week to result in such a great evening of entertainment.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre in Association with Tim Lawson by special arrangement with John Breglio
Reviewed Tuesday 3^rd January 2012

http://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/?cat=3355%id=183662

Venue: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Season: to Sat 28th January 2012, various days and times, see the BASS web site for details
Duration: 2hrs 10min, no interval
Tickets: adult Premium $110, A Reserve $90, B Reserve $80, C Reserve $70/conc (C Reserve) $60/Child (C Reserve) $60/Family (C Reserve) $200/Groups 6+ $70/Green Room $45
Bookings: BASS 131 246 or http://www.bass.net.au

The famous 1975 multi award winning musical is about a group of 17 dancers auditioning for places in the chorus line of an upcoming Broadway show. The music is by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Edward Kleban, and the book is by James Kirkwood Jnr. and Nicholas Dante. The production is set on the bare stage of an empty theatre, where the auditioning dancers reveal their stories, tell what brought them to this point in their lives and why this audition is so important to them. We also discover a lot about the choreographer, Zach, as he and his assistant, Larry, conduct the auditions to select the final four male and four female dancers.

This production is based on the award winning 2006 Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by Baayork Lee, who played Connie in the original production. The superb documentary, Every Little Step, that was shown on television a few days ago, combined film of the auditions for that revival production with film of the original workshop process in the 1970s.

The set is black, with huge mirrors across the back, like those in a dance studio, that can be flown in and out giving the only set changes until the final bows. The dancers are dressed in a motley array of rehearsal clothes. The focus is, thus, entirely on the performance.

As the curtain rises, we see a large group of dancers working on a routine. The opening number expresses the universal desire to be chosen in, I Hope I Get It. Zach quickly cuts a number of them, who are clearly not coping, leaving the seventeen who we will see competing for the eight positions.

This is a particularly unusual work in that it asks the dancers to make deliberate mistakes and also make them appear believable which is, perhaps, more demanding than the usual requirements of individual accuracy and ensemble precision. It was also one of the earliest shows that expected each performer to not only dance brilliantly, but act and sing at an extremely high level as well, paving the way for so much of what we see today.

It was also ground-breaking in that it touched on so many rather taboo subjects. Child sexual abuse, homosexuality and transvestitism were not things that were spoken of openly in society or the theatre at that time and audiences were shocked by the these topics, and more, being discussed. That level of shock is no longer possible as those taboos have gone, but there is still plenty of power in the way with which they are dealt.

If this is starting to sound a little odd for a musical based in dance, that is because it is more than that. It is possible to describe it as a drama that includes singing and has dance as its foundation. It even won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Its lasting value is due to this strength in the writing added to the the the music and dance. It is a timeless piece.

This particular production is something very special; flawless, apart from an occasional solo voice getting lost under the chorus. The casting is perfect, with seventeen distinct individuals on stage for the entire performance, whether in the spotlight telling their story, or sitting to the side tying a shoe.

The characters that the nineteen performers create are fully developed and draw you ever deeper into their lives and the constricted world of the audition space. Joshua Horner gives us a Zach who is completely in control of the situation, who knows exactly what he is looking for and is determined to settle for nothing less. He drives the dancers, pushing them ever further, progressively bringing out more from them as the time goes by. Horner makes his presence felt strongly, even though he only appears on stage a few times, primarily only heard calling instructions. When he does take to the stage his dancing makes it clear that Zach is in charge for a good reason.

There is a fine blend of strength and grace in his work and that is well emulated by Gerard Carter, as Larry, Zach's right hand man. Carter does not have a lot to say as Larry, but it is Larry who teaches the dancers the routines and leads them through the rehearsal stage before the auditions and Carter is ideal in that role. Horner and Carter together form the driving force for the actions and reactions of the other seventeen.

There are so many great performances that it would be unfair to single out any of the performers, and to talk about each in turn would take pages. Anita Louise Combe must be mentioned as she plays the role of Cassie, who worked with Zach in the past. Hers is a more major role than some of the others and Combe does a fine job as the dancer who had escaped from the line into solo work for a while, but it dried up and she now wants to return to the line. She and Horner create some moving moments as their pasts and the present come together leading to a marvellous solos. Her rendition of The Music and the Mirror is stunning.

To top it off, the entire cast reappear for the bows dressed entirely in gold with a huge gold fan behind them.This particular production is something very special

Then there are the songs that have been sung by just about everybody, and most of them by Sammy Davis Jnr., who made a feature number of I Can Do That, and had a hit with What I Did For Love, the song the the cast sing after Zach asks them what they would do if they could no longer dance. And, of course, there is One (Singular Sensation), probably the best known song from the show and the one you will probably have in your head for at least a week after you see this production..

There is just so much to like about this production and a lot of great work is contributed by the unseen Adelaide Art Orchestra, under the direction of Timothy Sexton, and conducted in performance by the production's Musical Director, Paul White. As always, there is a superb balance and a marvellous clarity to their playing that gives all the support the actors could wish for.

There is much more that could be said but, basically, all that really remains to be said is that, if you do not already have a ticket, move quickly, because some who have already seen this terrific show are planning to buy more tickets and go again. You really do not want to miss this one.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed Friday 16^th December 2011

http://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/afc/whats-on/music-and-concerts/christmas-proms-2011.php

Venue: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Season: Two more performances, 2pm and 6:30pm Sat 17th December
Duration: 2hrs 35min incl interval
Tickets: Premium $50/adult $38/child $33/family [2+2] $110 and extra children $27.50 each
Bookings: BASS 131 246 or http://www.bass.net.au

The Adelaide Festival Centre's Christmas Proms have become a regular treat for many Adelaide families, couples and even individuals, and a packed Festival Theatre showed that this year is no exception. People of all ages filled the theatre and the sense of excited anticipation could be clearly felt. The audience did not have to wait long.

The concept this year was that we were on a world cruise, and the Adelaide Art Orchestra were dressed in white tee-shirts and sailors hats awaiting departure, with Captain Timothy Sexton ready at the helm. A motley crowd of noisy passengers arrived, quickly transforming into the Adelaide Vocal Project, and it was time to weigh anchor.

The Orchestra started the voyage with a great version of Cole Porter's Anything Goes, which described the rest of the programme rather well. It also included a rare moment for the bassoon to shine, with a short run of fast notes in the upper register. Alongside both religious and secular Christmas carols and songs was a real Christmas Mixture of music from around the world, as well as a number of pop, film and show tunes. Andrew Lloyd Webber featured, as did Rogers and Hammerstein, and even Tchaikovsky, with Lepak from his Nutcracker Ballet, a Christmas piece where inanimate objects magically come to life.

There were two guests this year, the ever popular soprano, Marina Prior, who is in constant demand for musical theatre roles, from Gilbert and Sullivan, to Cats, to Les Miserables, to Phantom of the Opera and, most recently, Mary Poppins, and the classically trained pianist, Bernard Walz, who crosses boundaries left, right and centre, embracing a vast range of music and investing it with his own vibrant personality.

Marina Prior was the first of the two soloists to appear, with a marvellous rendition of Almost Like Being in Love from Lerner and Loewe's 1947 show, Brigadoon (incorrectly attributed to Rogers and Hammerstein in the programme). Bernard Walz followed immediately with a virtuoso rendition of a couple of Irving Berlin's songs, I Love a Piano and Play a Simple Melody, with a brief interlude on Nola, by Felix Arndt. Individually, and together, these two great performers returned many more times to add their impressive talents to the evening, every number drawing huge applause.

Between numbers, Timothy Sexton injected plenty of humour, as he introduced each song in his own easy going manner that always endears him to audiences, even contributing a vocal or two of his own. The Adelaide Art Orchestra played superbly all evening and the Adelaide Vocal Project, a group of twelve of Adelaide's best singers, contributed some impressive harmonies, all, of course under the baton of Maestro, oops, Captain Sexton

The inimitable Dale Ringland joined in on piano for a few numbers, and the Festival Theatre Silver Jubilee Organ had a good workout under the fingers of Peter Kelsall, while the two clowns, Moose and Boppa, kept the laughs going. Santa, of course, put in an obligatory appearance to complete the cruise.

The audience had a chance to exercise their vocal chords, too, joining in on Joy to the World, The First Noel, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Jingle Bell Rock, Silent Night and, naturally, ending the night with The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Sadly, nothing good lasts forever, and this wonderful night drew to a close, sending a happy and smiling audience away filled with Christmas spirit. Next year there will be a few extra performances because the Proms will be held in the smaller Her Majesty's Theatre. As always, this is one to book for very early.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Christine Harris and HIT Productions in association with GFour Productions
Reviewed Wednesday 30^th November 2011

http://www.motherhoodthemusical.com.au/
http://www.hitproductions.com.au/

Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Season: 8pm nightly Thurs to Sat to 10^th December plus 2pm matinees both Saturdays
Duration: 1hr 30min incl interval
Tickets: General Admission – adult $59.50/conc $54.50/Group 10+ $54.50
Bookings: BASS 131 246 or http://www.bass.net.au

HIT Productions brought Menopause: the musical to Adelaide and now, following a similar formula, comes Motherhood: the musical, subtitled “the good, the bad…and the laundry”. It is a light-hearted and generally light-weight production, written by Sue Fabisch. There is nothing profound or heavy-going expressed in this piece, just loads of fun.

Amy is a wide-eyed and overly-enthusiastic first-time mother-to-be, but that is all about to change as three of her friends, all veterans of motherhood, host a baby shower for her. They are a diverse crowd, representing a range of parenting styles. Brooke is a career lawyer, who is rarely at home to spend time with her children, Trisha is a single, working mother, going through a divorce, and Barbara is an overworked and tired mother of five. In 90 minutes and 20 songs they tell of both the horrors and the joys of becoming and being a mother, and the many detrimental effects that pregnancy and birth have on a woman's body and mind along the way.

While listening to the music the word that springs quickly to mind is 'recycling'. Although written by Fabisch, the original music seems derivative. You almost, but not quite put your finger on a melody here and there. A couple of songs are existing works with new lyrics. The Way We Were, becomes How Great They Were, with 'memories' changed to 'mammaries', and Good Lovin' become Good Drugs, with reference to epidural injections.

Director, Terence O'Connell, has created a lively piece with plenty of pace and Amelia Christo, as Barbara, Ziggy Clements, as Brooke, Jacqueline Hoy, as Trisha, and Rebecca Moore, as Amy, make for a tight ensemble contributing plenty of enthusiasm and energy. Although the choreography is generally fairly basic, there is plenty of comedy and some good singing, as well as convincing acting. Each of the four brings out aspects of motherhood through their characterisations and we see that these women have complex relationships with their children and each has a different understanding of what motherhood means as well as considerable commonality. Through these similarities and differences, brought out through their strong performances, they are able to traverse a wide variety of comical and, occasionally, poignant situations.

The audience was a very varied group, male and female, young to old, with at least one obviously pregnant young woman that I noticed. She would, I am sure, have associated herself with the Amy character, but I wonder what she made of it all? The women in the audience seemed to be universally laughing at the performance but the men seemed divided, most laughing along with the women and a few straight-faced, presumably because they either didn't understand, or didn't want to.

The set was an adult sized, brightly coloured kindergarten playroom, with a table, chairs, illuminated wall panels and a few other odd items, a few trolleys or a wheelchair marking the location changes to a supermarket or a hospital. It follows the keep it simple principle, with an uncluttered set allowing plenty of performance space and freedom of movement, which the cast used to good effect.

This is a show for just about everybody, apart from those few men that would rather not know too much about this sort of 'secret women's business. It is only here for a short time and the Space Theatre is an intimate venue. The season has already added more performances, so be quick to book for this one, if you still can.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Feast and Nath Valvo
Reviewed Wednesday 23 November 2011

http://www.feast.org.au

Venue: The Lounge, Feast Hub, Light Square, Adelaide
Season: 23-26 November at 8.30pm
Duration: 60mins
Tickets: $22/conc $18
Bookings: FeasTix box office or www.feast.org.au

I'm informed the term "fag hag" is highly offensive to a minority group of overly sensitive whingers who think it can only be used by those who are one. One can only hope singer Lily Allen is one, as it's her song "Fag Hag" that accompanies the slide show to open this outrageously funny stand up comedy show.

Melbourne's Nath Valvo is most certainly not a fag hag, but an out and proud gay man who takes great pride and delight in his own sexuality and the friendships it allows.

His one-man show, Fag Hag, almost forgets its title however, concentrating the first thirty minutes on Valvo himself.

Like Rodney Rude's old routine, “You know what I hate?”, Valvo launches into a barrage of one liners beginning with “I'm so gay…”.

He goes on to reveal his own coming out story before listing the things his mum did to make sure he turned out gay. The photographic evidence seems undeniable!

When the conversation eventually turns to fag hags, Valvo quickly identifies those who fit the title in the audience before discussing fag hag denial, famous fag hags, how to spot a fag hag and finally, the results of his own survey of over a hundred self-confessed fag hags who answered questions like: "What is your relationship status?" (almost 50% were single); and "Are you comfortable being called a fag hag?" (68% said "yes").

The fag hags in the audience get to respond to the survey also, adding a final florish to one of this year's Feast comedy highlights.

If you haven't been offended by the 11 mentions of the show's title in this review, be sure to catch "Fag Hag" before it's limited run ends. Damn! Make that an even dozen.

Reviewed by Rod Lewis, Performing Arts Critic, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Feast
Reviewed Tuesday 22 November 2011

http://www.feast.org.au

Venue: The Ballroom, Feast Hub, Light Square, Adelaide
Season: 22 November at 7pm only
Duration: 90mins
Tickets: $20/conc $18
Bookings: FeasTix box office or www.feast.org.au

The theme of this year's Feast Festival is 'Coming Together', offering an ideal opportunity for six queer comedians to debate whether or not the gay community actually wants to come together as one. The question was posed: Do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, inter-sex and queer (LGBTIQ) people have enough in common? Do the sub cultures within the broader gay community even like each other?

Hosted by the divinely funny drag queen Malt Biscuit, the Feast Comedy Debate teamed two groups of three comedians, giving each only five minutes to convince us of their side of the argument. Add to this some general mayhem, bitchy interruptions met with biting comebacks, and several of unexpected surprises throughout the evening, and a night of comedic mayhem ensued.

Leading the "for" team with deadpan hilarity was fashion faux pas Geraldine Hickey, "the thinking crowd's crumpet" whose solo show, Turns Out I Do Like Sun Dried Tomatoes, is current showing at the Feast Hub on Light Square. Braving witty taunts from her colleagues, Hickey cited the success of events like Feast to demonstrate just how much the community comes together.

Local identity Hans, resplendent in a feathered hat and decorative jumpsuit, expounded the joys of social media and smart phone apps for gay men to bring people together, while Melbourne's Nath Valvo, here with his one man show, Fag Hag, stole some highlights from his show to tell an animated tale of his coming out and his introduction to gay nightlife.

The quick-witted Lori Bell, here with her show Up Late & Loose, led the "against" team by likening the diversity of the gay community to a dysfunctional family coming together once a year for Christmas.

San Francisco's Kimberly Dark, from Dykeotomy, used the gender debate of her show to highlight how gender divides people, and how it was the heterosexual community that boxed queer identity under a single label anyway. Beauty and the Bear's Nathan Little ended the individual debates by highlighting the different subcultures commonly expressed nowadays as the ever-growing acronym "LGBTIQ" community.

While there was plenty of camp, and a couple of obligatory lip syncing routines, the Comedy Debate proved itself to be a relatively focused evening of hard laughs with fresh twists from the usual jokes about gay culture.  The ability of the comedians to talk off the cuff with each other added immensely to their prepared debates and demonstrated just how funny these people really are.

Sadly, Feast's Comedy Debate is a one-night only gig, so do yourself a favour and jot down a reminder for next year festival now. If this year's debate is anything to go by, it should be at the top of your list, regardless of persuasion.

Reviewed by Rod Lewis, Performing Arts Critic, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Adelaide Duende Collective
Reviewed Saturday 26^th November 2011

http://www.bakehousetheatre.com/shows/2011/slicing-and-dicing

Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 9pm (note the late start) Wed to Sat to 3^rd December 2011
Duration: 1hr
Tickets: All tickets $20
Bookings: 8227 0505 or http://www.bakehousetheatre.com/shows/2011/slicing-and-dicing

This production, a surreal black comedy written by Alan Grace, directed by Peter Dunn and choreographed by Ruth Fallon, comes with an 18+ rating and just about every warning that you can imagine, except for the two warnings that most other productions have, smoking and strobe lighting.

You know that things are going to get messy when you see that the entire stage is covered in plastic, with protective coverings for the first four rows of the audience as well. The fetish nun, Lucy (Dee Easton), tied, gagged and strapped to an invertible table, whilst a character named Eli (Eddie Morrison), flanked by two tanned girls in gold bikinis (Laura Brenko and Amy Brooks), referencing the James Bond film, Goldfinger, gives his recipe for vegetarian lasagne as he viciously chops up a red cabbage with a tenon saw, and occasionally threatens the nun, is all a bit of a give-away that this is drawing on Antonin Artaud's concept of Theatre of Cruelty, escaping the 'tyranny of text' and creating its own language, as well as buying into Absurdist concepts.

It seems that we are probably in the studio, watching the making of some futuristic 'reality' television show, in which murder and dismemberment are all an accepted part of the entertainment. On this occasion though, something seems to be going very wrong. Eli and the girls depart and Bridge (Sam Calleja) and Kor (Eliot Howard) enter, seemingly to carry out the slicing and dicing on the nun. They do not, however, carry out the roles for which they are there, questioning what is going on. The attempts of Ben the director (Nic Krieg) to get things back on track go badly wrong for him and the prompter's (Peter Cortissos) attempts to help have little effect.

A cop (Nathan Porteus) bursts in and briefly takes charge, demanding a key that they have found, handing it to the dark man (Alan Grace), and then leaving. The terrifying Jezabel (Sara Lange) takes control and an audience member (Eugene Suleau) requests, and is given permission to do what he wished with the nun. What, you ask, is the dark man up to? His occasional entrances to apply pressure to a participant's shoulder suggests Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which would explain a lot about the behaviour of these people. Then again, it could all be in your own imagination, and maybe my interpretation of all of that has absolutely nothing to do with this play at all. The only certainty is that the live music is provided by Nick Russell and Cameron Sanderson, probably.

There is, however, loads of rather thin blood splattered around as cast members hack at one another with almost every weapon that you can imagine, decapitation, topless women, naked men, martial arts, a golden shower (that poor nun gets it again, now hanging upside down) and, well, yes, it is all a bit like one of Shakespeare's more bloodthirsty tragedies, but without all that dialogue getting in the way of the action. There are also a wealth of strong performances from all of the actors in their respective roles and some great ensemble work in this exceptionally thought-provoking work.

We are lucky in Adelaide that we do get see some new, experimental theatre such as this. Take notice of the 18+ rating and the assorted warnings and, if you are of a sensitive disposition, get a ticket so that you can complain to the papers about it. Duende would love the publicity. On the other hand, if you are interested in modern theatre and exciting new projects, then you probably have your tickets anyway, or have already seen it. If not, then you need to be quick to book, as it is an intimate venue and there are only a few performances.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Co-Opera: opera on the move
Reviewed Friday 25^th November 2011

http://www.co-opera.com.au/2011_taste_of_opera.htm

Venue: Thomas Edmonds Opera Studio (Adelaide Showground), Goodwood
Season: 7:30pm Sat 26^th and Tues 29th November 2011 (doors open 6:30pm, BYO drinks and supper)
Duration: 2hrs 30min plus interval
Tickets: adult $30/conc and Friends of Co-Opera $25
Bookings: Friends of Co-Opera 8233 6261

Venue: Buonasera Restaurant, Glen Osmond Road, Glenunga
Season: 7:30pm Mon 28^th November 2011 (doors open 6:00pm)
Duration: 2hrs 30min plus interval
Tickets: adult $60/conc and Friends of Co-Opera $55, includes 2 course meal)
Bookings: Friends of Co-Opera 8233 6261

Co-Opera have turned to Pyotr IllyichTchaikovsky for their latest production, an opera filled with beautiful music, much of which even those not familiar with opera will recognise, particularly the waltz and the polonaise, as they are often played in orchestral concerts. This choice of opera was clearly appreciated by the first night audience as it rarely performed in Adelaide and, consequently, drew a large crowd.

The Romantic lyric opera, Eugene Onegin Op. 24 (1879), is adapted from Alexander Pushkin's novel, with a libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky, the composer and his brother, Modest Tchaikovsky. Pushkin wrote the novel in verse, published in serial form between 1825 and 1832, with 389 stanzas in iambic tetrameter. Much of this poetry is maintained in the libretto, which is very close to the original story.

Under the Direction of Nicholas Cannon, who also sings the role of Onegin, and the Musical Direction of Brian Chatterton, this is a marvellous evening of opera, and pianist, Julie Sargeant, does a terrific job with the complex score.

Nicholas Cannon gives his Onegin a fine air of boredom and disinterest, remaining aloof and detached and showing little emotion, until circumstances force him to become involved. Onegin's final acknowledgement that he is in love with Tatyana, after she is married to the Prince and no longer available, and his desperate and unsuccessful appeal to her to leave her husband and run off with him, gives Cannon a chance to engage in some strongly dramatic material. His well-balanced performance in this section leaves the audience torn between sorrow for both Onegin and Tatyana, and feeling that he has got what he deserved for treating her so badly when she offered her love to him.

As Tatyana, Sara Lambert give an impassioned performance as she goes from the serious and quiet young lady, through the throes of love at first sight, to devastation when rejected out of hand, through to the mixed emotions of loyalty to her husband and residual love for Onegin. Lambert brings this wide range of emotions into her voice in a wonderfully moving performance that leaves the audience feeling for her.

Kate Bright plays her sister, Olga, who has a very different personality. While Tatyana is happy to sit reading romantic novels, Olga is the party girl. Bright's Olga is lively, energetic and filled with youthful exuberance. Olga's naivety and flirtatiousness, however, contribute to the tragedy that is to come and Bright conveys that sudden realisation of the consequences of her flirting with Onegin. She convincingly shows us her acceptance of her part in the ensuing tragedy, that leaves her distraught and alone, with a few well-timed facial expressions and body language.

Lensky, affianced to Olga, is sung by Ernst Ens in another superb characterisation, portraying a happy man who is clearly doting on the object of his affections. It is he that brings Onegin into this family circle, wanting to share his happiness with his friend. From a man in love, whose world is perfect, Ens changes his demeanour enoprmously as he is made jealous and then furious by Onegin and Olga dancing and smiling at one another.

Guila Tiver plays their mother, Lárina, with Deborah Johnson as their nanny, Fillipevna, and Jeremy Tatchell as Prince Gremin, who marries Tatyana. These three give equally fine performances in these smaller roles and the chorus, too, all create individual characters, some a little comical, all of which adds a lot to the performance.

This is another excellent production from Co-Opera, with all of their usual attention to such details as appropriate casting, tight direction and musical direction, and making sure that the acting and choreography is as good as the singing. Make this a unique Christmas treat for yourself and the whole family.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Presented by Gin & Vodka Productions
Reviewed Thursday 24^th November 2011

http://ginandvodka.com.au/gypsy/

Venue: Star Theatres, 145 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Hilton
Season: 8pm nightly Wed to Sat to Sat 2^nd and 2pm Sat 26^th December
Duration: 3hrs 10min incl interval
Tickets: adult $40/conc $30
Bookings: Dramatix https://www.dramatix.com.au/event/show/748

Based on her 1957 autobiography, Gypsy: A Memoir, this is the famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee's story of her life from childhood to stardom but, more so, this musical version is the story of the world's worst stage mother, Rose Hovick. She dragged her two daughters, June and Louise, across the United States, trying to make it big in Vaudeville, but it was the 1920s and Vaudeville was already dying.

Rose built a child act around Baby June, pushing the less talented Louise into the background. She continually pretended that the girls were much younger than they were in order to keep the child act going. June eloped at the age of fifteen and changed her surname to Havoc, first competing in lucrative dance competitions and then having a career as a minor film actress.

Rose then turned her attention to Louise, whose name was actually Rose Louise Hovick, but who was always known by her middle name. She tried to make Louise into a carbon copy of June, dressing her in a blonde wig and continuing with the same routine. As Vaudeville collapsed and it became obvious to everybody but Rose that the act was a dud, and that Louise was never going to be like June, they found themselves slipping down from the Vaudeville circuit into Burlesque theatres.

It was then that Rose, in desperation to still make her daughter a star, through whom she could live vicariously and in whose limelight she could bask, pushed Louise into stripping. As she became a star Louise pushed her mother out of her life. For the rest of her life Rose constantly placed demands on June and Louise for money.

Co-directed by Vince Fusco and Joshua Penley, who also plays Uncle Jocko, this production is filled with great performances. Musical Director, Jonathon Bligh, has assembled a fine large orchestra that, aside from some very noticeable intonation problems in the brass section, do a sterling job. Cherie Hill's choreography add plenty of excitement to the work as well.

April Stuart is sensational as the insensitive, overbearing egomaniac, Mamma Rose. She creates a bombastic horror of a mother whose children seem to mean nothing more to her than a couple of automatons that she can show off, to her own glory. There is little to like in the attention seeking Mamma Rose, but so much to like in Stuart's commanding performance.

Jessica Voivenel plays Louise, at first as a shy and ignored young girl, then attempting to live up to her mother's unrealistic expectations after June escapes. She is expected to suddenly take on the star role, for which she is ill-prepared and inadequate, but she is still the general dogsbody, sewing costumes and organising the other girls in the troupe. Next we see that transition as Louise is thrust into stripping and becomes Gypsy, discovering her inner strength and self-confidence and throwing off the shackles of her mother's ambition. Voivenel superbly covers all of these stages in Gypsy's growth in a beautifully measured performance.

June is played by Chloe Truehl, giving a bright and bubbly reading to the role of the rather spoiled sister, the apple of Rose's eye. Truehl puts lots of energy into her performance as June, belting out her songs and throwing herself into her dancing. There are some nice moments as she grows older and understands how her mother has been treating Louise and how she feels about being the neglected child.

Lindsay Dunn is Herbie, who is attracted to Rose and whom she convinces to become the agent for Baby June's act. He stays on until the bitter end, finally walking away when Rose pushes Louise into stripping, at which time he accepts that Rose is not going to change and that she is never going to give up show business to marry him. Dunn brings a nice warmth and gentility to the role entirely believable as the man who looked after everybody else at his own expense and ended up with nothing.

When they first perform in a Burlesque theatre they meet the three outrageous strippers, Tessie Tura, Mazeppa and Electra, played respectively by Amy Hutchinson, Nicole Christopoulos and Vanessa Shirley. These three provide a lot of humour through their petty squabbling and rivalry and bring the house down when they introduce themselves and explain their respective gimmicks in song.

There is much more great work from the rest of the cast and chorus, and some fine solo tap dancing from Todd Emmett as June's future husband, Tulsa. Chelsea McGinnes, and Sarah Baber, as Baby June and Baby Louise, are delightful, as are the members of the child ensemble.

Unfortunately the performers were subjected to sound problems. There was too many instances of microphones being turned on late, at one point we could hear a voice from backstage when the operator forgot to turn one off, Louise was left un-amplified for one number, there were several loud squawks in the second act, and levels were not always high enough, losing voices below the orchestra.

In the first act there was the occasional fall in energy levels and lack of pace, although it was better in second act, but all of the set changes took too long, causing loss of momentum. Jenny Baber's great costumes, the bright sets, and good lighting from Stephen Saba complemented the performances and the end result is a production that, with some improvement on the technical side, is a real winner.

You have several more chances to see this high energy and captivating production but it closes next Saturday, so do not leave it too late to book.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.