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Stephen Schwartz and Friends – Cabaret Festival

Stephen Schwartz Cabaret FestivalPresented by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Reviewed Wed 23rd June 2010

http://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: finished, one night only
Duration: advertised as 90mins but ran to 2hrs
Bookings for all Cabaret Festival shows: BASS 131 241 or http://www.bass.net.au

Stephen Schwartz is the man of the moment in musical theatre circles, with his 2003 blockbuster show, Wicked, still breaking box office records to critical and audience acclaim wherever it plays. He has won just about every award that there is for his work over the years, including three Oscars, three Grammys, four Drama Desk Awards, one Golden Globe Award. He has written for stage and film and television and has even written a book for children, as well as his autobiography. His early shows, Godspell and Pippin, are still regularly performed and moviegoers would have heard his work in such animated feature films as Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He has even ventured into opera, writing Séance on a Wet Afternoon, based on the 1964 British film of that name and adapted from Mark McShane’s novel. This had its premiere last year and will be coming to Opera Queensland in 2012.

Stephen Schwartz was interviewed about his extensive career by Cabaret Festival Artistic Director, David Campbell as the basis for this performance. Schwartz and a selection of singers, most of whom have their own shows running during the Festival, illuminated this conversation with a wide range of examples of his work.

Such is his standing in the world of music that it was inevitable that many of the Cabaret Festival performers were willing to take time out from the short leisure time between their own shows to be a part of this performance. There were a couple of surprises, too. Ali McGregor had flown in to sing the operatic numbers and English cabaret star, Carrie Rawlings, was also on hand, as was New York singer, Michael Rose. Marika Aubrey, David Harris, Mitchell Butel, and the wonderful Liz Callaway, who just about stopped the show with her rendition of Defying Gravity, from Wicked, turned this into what could easily have been billed as a second Variety Gala Performance.

Throughout, though, it was the incredibly diverse range of superb music, almost unbelievably written by just one man, that the audience had come to hear. Musical director, Darryl Wallace provided the piano accompaniment, and an extremely fine musician he is, too. Schwartz, of course, is not only a composer and so we also had the pleasure of hearing him sing some of the songs, accompanying himself at the piano.

This was all linked by the interview in which Campbell’s well-chosen questions brought forth insights into Schwartz’s method of working and career highlights, along with numerous fascinating anecdotes. This was an absorbing performance and the time just flew past, with the audience still wanting more.

Perhaps it was the excitement of having so many terrific performers singing his songs, or the overwhelming response from the audience but, whatever the cause, Schwartz accidentally let slip the news that Wicked will be coming to Adelaide. The audience went into an uproar of delight at the news. It closes soon in Sydney and then moves to Brisbane. Following its run there it will come here, in April next year. The official announcement was made at noon the next day, as reported elsewhere on the Glam Adelaide site.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor Glam Adelaide.

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