Goodbye, Dolly

I want to reflect on the last four months of my theatrical life.

I'm always asked by people on the final night of a show how I feel. My usual response is that it's always kind of mixed. On the one hand, it's nice to have my evenings back but on the other hand, I miss the people, I miss the friendships, I miss the sense of doing something that people enjoy doing and people enjoy watching.

In May I was faced with a choice. I was doing State Opera's Aida which would finish in August and then I had nothing lined up. It was a weird feeling so I thought about the shows that were coming up and I noticed that The Met was doing Hello Dolly so I thought I would audition. After viewing the film I realised that the only role I could realistically audition for was Rudolph- head waiter of the harmonium gardens. At info night the director, Hermonn, said he wanted someone in his late 40's. Well I'm old, but not THAT old. Then I thought well if I don't try out for it then I won't get the role full stop. To my surprise, I got the role!

That began something that has been a wonderful journey that I embarked upon. Yes there were hard times, a few cross words, some mumbled whisperings behind backs and a few clashes, but by and large it has been a really pleasant group of people to work with.

I think I have walked away from this having made some wonderful new friends who I will miss incredibly when I move. Some of the younger cast like Michaela and Sophia who always greeted me with a smile and a hug (except when Sophia "wasn't in a hugging mood") have always made me feel great. Guys like Brendan and Shay were great people to swap stories with and share a dressing room with. Truly great company. Gemma was the most gorgeous ball of energy who always greeted me with a loud "RODNEEEY!" and a back breaking hug. Lisa also became a good friend when I needed a little encouragement and help- another beautiful soul. It's also very hard to look past the other members of the ensemble like Victoria and Elle from the younger end of the cast to the more elder statesmen like Shirley, Nancy and Robert.

My dance partners Raelene, Courtney and especially Haidee showed tremendous patience and good humour when faced with my two left feet. Ah, how well I remember Raelene looking lovingly into my eyes whilst angrily gritting "left! left! left!" through her teeth. Poor Courtney never lost her smile despite going over one particular step with me more times then I care to remember and Haidee dealt with me by appealing to my twisted sense of humour and mentioned words like "scrotum" and "breasts" copiously.... All three are saints in my eyes.

Then there was the power coupling of Greg and Trish Hart. Never have I been so honored to share a stage with two of the finest performers I have ever worked with. Their professionalism, humour and ability were a credit to the production and a lesson to all the younger folks in the cast. I really hope they all learnt from the unspoken lessons they gave each and every rehearsal.

Behind the scenes I was actively encouraged once again by Carmel who managed to get me to look reasonably assured of my dancing (no small feat) and Hermonn who- German swear words aside- gave me enough wiggle room to fully explore this character I had. And then there was the Stefanoffs- MD Ben and his wife Kristin who not only welcomed me into the show but into their hearts as well. Two wonderful individuals (with a gorgeous puppy to boot).

Yes, I have made many wonderful relationships in this show.

As a final hoorah for me from Adelaide theatre it was more than I ever could have hoped for.

To all the wonderful people who made up the company from Dolly I leave you with the words of Stephen Schwarz from "Wicked"-

Who can say if I've been changed for the better,

but because I knew you I have been changed for good.

The World Goes 'Round, Arts Theatre, Marie Clark Musical Theatre

Marie Clark have gone a strange path for their second musical of the year. Instead of a traditional musical they have opted for a celebration of the wonderful body of work from collaborators John Kander and Fred Ebb. Kander and Ebb gave us some amazing shows like "Cabaret", "Chicago" and "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" amongst many others. Whilst these shows are represented, it's the other numbers in the show from their lesser known works that make this an entertaining evening.

Director Ben Saunders (who also designed the wonderfully versatile set) has assembled a cohesive and dedicated cast of performers who deliver many a wonderful performance. Musical director Gordon Combes has picked his soloists very carefully making sure the right people sing the right songs. Jenny Scarce-Tolley sings up a storm several times but never more so in the duet "The Grass Is Always Greener" (paired with the equally wonderful Maxine Morales). Nikki Gaertner-Eaton nearly manages to upstage her husband Chris Eaton (never an easy feat) in "Ring Them Bells" but the real standout is Omkar Nagesh who not only shows his serious side in "I Don't Remember You" but his humorous side in "Sara Lee".

Kylie Pedler's choreography works well for the most part even if the execution of the ensemble isn't as polished as it could be.

The band suffers from bad audio (always a problem when onstage). The drums couldn't be heard and there was practically no bass, whilst the acoustic instruments had intermittent tuning issues throughout the night. One suspects that with a few more performances under their belt, these problems will iron themselves out.

The sound mix was a little hit and miss on opening night and few lazy follow spots need to be tightened up. However, once these small issues are resolved this will be a very entertaining evening.

Auditions 101

You know I've sat in on so many auditions now I can't even begin to think of how many hours I've spent listening to potential wannabes.

There's something special about auditions...in fact, I think more people prepare for the audition than the role. With a new round of auditions starting the next few months I thought it might be an idea for me to give potential auditionees some vital tips on preparing an audition. If you want to study it further I'd heartily recommend Peter Mapleson's book "Auditioning For Musicals" (some of his song suggestions are a little out of date but the bulk of the book is timeless)

Song Choice

You've heard it mentioned on Idol/X-Factor many times, but song choice is critical. Many audition panels (especially for amateur groups) require you to sing a song from the show (usually one from the character you're auditioning for) so this eliminates the problem but if you are allowed to sing your own song then make sure it shows YOU off to the best of your abilities. To quote Geraldine Turner:

"Get songs that suit your voice, in at least three different styles and pay to have them well arranged and copied in your key. They should last you for twenty years of auditioning"

I'd also go on to add that the pianist is sight-reading so it's best to make sure your accompaniments are relatively simple. If you're not sure, ask someone that plays how hard the accompaniment is. If you really, REALLY want to do that fast piece of Sondheim then hire the services of a piano player to play for your audition (but always check with the company that it's ok to bring them along). I also want to re-iterate the point about the music being in your key! Sight-transposing is NEVER easy at the best of times let alone in the pressure-cooker that is an audition. It also is unnerving on YOU as a performer to have a piano part being lightly bashed and mutilated to within an inch of its life by some poor piano player who's struggling to remember what key they're in....been there, done that, bought the t-shirt....

Present! Present! Present!

"You audition proper begins the moment you enter the building and does not stop until you leave. The auditioners will be interested in you as a person as well as a performer" Derek Bowsill

One of my absolute PET HATES in auditions is people who are unprepared. People who rock up with no idea of the song they'll be singing, or the dialogue to be spoken. They look like they've just gotten out of bed (and dress accordingly) and spend the whole audition making excuses. I don't care how good you are, if you don't make the effort, neither will I. Dress appropriately, be well-groomed and polite the whole time...and this most importantly....NEVER say "sorry" in an audition. Don't make excuses about your voice, your cold, the lack of preparation because your pet bunny died etc. Let the panel judge you- don't give them a reason to reject you.

Be Open-Minded

You know, there's nothing wrong with chorus- or that small role with two lines of dialogue. Unless you're a top-line star you should never go in for only one role- always be open to a panel's suggestion for you to read for another role- or to be in chorus. But if you're insistent on only going for the one role then don't lie and say you'll take chorus- trust me, panels are like elephants when it comes to memory. they'll remember the people who said they'd be in chorus but then poo-pooed it when offered it.

Prepare Ye!

There are many excellent singing teachers out there. Go to one of them. My first singing teacher told me that everyone can sing- just some people need more coaxing and work than others. Do the effort and get lessons. take a drama course if you're so inclined (even take dance classes!). Trust me, the triple threat is more likely to get roles than not. If you're serious about strutting your stuff on stage then make it happen and put in the work!

Good Luck!

All Shook Up- Arts Theatre, Shedley Theatre, Chaffey Theatre- Matt Byrne Media

One thing that Matt Byrne can't be faulted on over the years is his ability to find obscure shows and put them on. In fact the current trend in Adelaide theatre to staging new shows is thanks in no small part to his willingness to give these shows a run for better or for worse.
A musical featuring a healthy serve of Elvis classics (and not-so classics) is almost guaranteed to get the crowds in and the vocal crowd at the start of the second week of shows at The Arts Theatre was testament to that. Early reviews indicated a number of technical glitches that dogged opening week. It's a credit to the technical crew that a lot of that has now been resolved. There are still a small number of incredibly slow scene changes and some bizarre lighting cues that spoil a couple of numbers and the chorus still struggles to be heard over the loud band and miked principals.
But another thing Matt Byrne always delivers is a dedicated cast, and this one is a beauty. Gavin Cianci struggles vocally against the might of The King and his pitching is an issue in places when singing (and he is not the only one), but his overall performance as roustabout Chad is a delight- full of swagger and cool (helped by his handsome looks and remarkable head of hair).
Melanie Smith is the pick of the singers- backing up her star turn in last years' "Hot Shoe Shuffle"- playing the role of lovelorn mechanic Natalie who becomes Ed- a male roustabout- in order to spend more time with Chad.
Dominic Hodges and Rebecca Plummer make cute couple as a pair of star-crossed young lovers whilst Gareth Wilkes takes the comedy trophy with his turn as nerdy Dennis. Heidi-Rae Abbey is wonderfully sexy as cougar Miss Sandra and Chris Bussey has a grand old time (and a helluva wedding dress) as Mayor Melinda.
But the absolute winners from this cast are Maggie Wood and Russell Ford as Sylvia and Jim. Wood gives us one of the best performances I've ever seen her in, full of sass, and full of heart with a wonderful act two solo whilst Ford times his role perfectly with the right amount of comic timing and tenderness.
Director Matt Byrne does his best to keep his mouth shut as Sheriff Earle but we all know that you can't fight fate....
The chorus are generally good although the male dancing is still very rough as guts in places. Sue Pole has done a great job yet again although some of the later routines lack the polish that the earlier ones do.
Mike Pitman's band has some balance issues with guitar and piano almost being drowned out by the brass section. Quite why Byrne decided they should be onstage is a puzzlement to me. They would be much better served in the pit where the singers can see the conductor and hear the band properly.
All in all though this is a fun night out with many wonderful tunes and some genuinely funny moments (although it must be said that writer Joe DiPetrio's script really gets bogged down in act two). The show could have probably stood to lose a couple of the act two ballads and some dialogue trimmed to make this an really exciting two and a half hour show instead of the almost three hours running time (not a fault of the production but more the original writers).
At a time when a lot of theatre is very dark and depressing it's always good to remember what theatre does best- makes us forget our troubles. This is one show that will do just that.

Author note: Full disclosure- I worked on this rehearsals of this show for approximately six weeks. This review was based wholly and soley on the performance given on the 13th of July at The Arts Theatre.

My Top Ten Songs

After my last blog, something a little lighter.... and totally inspired by Nicole Molloy's blog on the same topic (that's the sound of me being a sheep...)

I couldn't possibly find a proper order for these songs so I'll just list you ten of my favourite songs (click on the title for a youtube link to the song in question)

Burn- Deep Purple

After the departure of their most revered lead singer, Ian Gillan, and their brilliant bassist and songwriter Roger Glover, you could be forgiven for thinking that Deep Purple would just give up. Instead they hired David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes and kept right on going. The first song off of the first album with these two is quite simply one of the best songs DP ever did. The drums are like pounding cannons, Jon Lords throws in an amazing keyboard and Ritchie Blackmore, as per usual, blows the socks off of every other guitarist in the business. 6 minutes of white knuckle pounding rock...

Katie Melua- Thank You Stars

One of my most favourite love songs ever. Katie has a beautifully fragile voice here. The string arrangement is wonderful- and the addition of the mandolin inspired. But more than any of that, it's the beautiful and haunting lyrics that get me every time. This is a wedding song if I ever heard it.

Spandau Ballet- Gold

Oh yes. I'm going there. Have you ever sat down and listened to what this song is about? A father's final words to his daughter before she heads off. I always envisage he's alone and she's has turned up at his house and seen him by himself but instead of being downtrodden he gives her this beautiful piece of advice- always believe in your soul. There's nothing left for me to do, you're everything I had hoped you be. For a band in their mid twenties, this was remarkably mature writing. Tony Hadley has amazing vocal chops, his technique is flawless here (remember this is pre-Protools). Beautifully produced and performed.

Electric Light Orchestra- Mr. Blue Sky

There are so many ELO songs I could have listed here, but I'm going to go with this one, as it really is one their very, very best numbers. So bright, happy and catchy. You hear this once, you'll never forget it. This is the finale to side 3 of their "Out Of The Blue" album and it's the finale of their "Concerto For A Rainy Day". You can just hear the sunshine in every pore of this song.

Kate Miller-Heidke- Space They Cannot Touch

Haunting, evocative and so brilliantly underplayed. Anyone who has followed me on facebook will know how highly I regard Kate's music. This song- one of her earliest- is a great reason why. How do you describe that moment when you wake up next to the person you love? That moment when nothing else in the world matters- it's just you and them. Kate does an absolutely brilliant job of describing it.

Live- Lakini's Juice

This song is just one of my all time favourites. The lyrics make no sense at all, but in this case, who cares? This song has a brilliant vocal performance from Ed Kowalcyk on top of some outstanding playing from the rest of the band- added in to that is a great string arrangement. I just love the way it dips down quietly and then explodes out of the blocks with an almost primal scream. Crank this one loud and proud...

David Bowie- Life On Mars

Long before John Simm's series of the same name propelled this into the musical stratosphere it was one of my favourite Bowie numbers. What an amazing vocal performance (stretching nearly two octaves) and beautifully arranged, produced and performed. This was Bowie at his absolute creative and artistic peak.

Bon Jovi- Keep The Faith

This song is one of those numbers I loved the second I heard it. From the moment the bass kicks in with a brilliant riff this hooks you in. Jon delivers things with a powerful punch (as usual), Richie Sambora chugs along for most of the song and then nails a fantastic solo. This was a remarkably great period for Bon Jovi. The whole album is brilliant but the title track for me is one of their finest ever.

Queen- Princes Of The Universe

Again, so many Queen songs I could have picked, but it's this one that sneaks over the line. Why? Freddie Mercury proves why he is the greatest vocalist in rock history. Just an all out rock pounder. I swear Roger Taylor sounds like he's about to break cymbals during this one. Brian May is in outstanding form too. The production is brilliant as well. loved this song from the moment I heard it as well. Yes, THAT'S why I picked this one over the others...

Iron Maiden- Run To The Hills

Another rock classic that has embedded itself into my subconscious. The drums don't pound, they BATTER. Bruce Dickinson shows amazing vocal chops and it's all capped off with a brilliant guitar solo in the middle. This is a Maiden classic. And a fitting end to my top ten list.

Here comes that feeling again.....

This week I started planning my move to Melbourne. To be honest, I'm scared witless about the whole thing. Everyone keeps asking me if there is anyone I know over there- and yes there are a few friends that now live over there- but none I'd want to mooch off of for a few months while I find my feet.

But there's also someone else living there....

To tell this tale (probably one of the few deep regrets I have in my life) we have to go back to 1998. I was 24. I was the rehearsal pianist for Mayfair's brilliant production of "Sweeney Todd"- it was how I first met Tim Sexton. It was also where I first met Rochelle.

Originally she was just going to be in the chorus, but then our original Johanna had to pull out and Rochelle became the new one. She was inexperienced, an ok singer....and absolutely drop-dead, gob smackingly beautiful. Both physically and mentally.

Of course, being the rehearsal pianist I had to spend a lot of time with Rochelle while she learnt her part. Oh how I ached to hear the magic phrase from Tim- "Rochelle, let's work on your bits while we have a moment".

I should say that I was a total professional. I assumed she had some boyfriend tucked away somewhere so I just thought "Ok Rodney, read your music, do your job...it'll pass". It didn't. Then after one rehearsal she came over to me and hugged me and said "I'm glad you're playing". I was a jibbering mess. What I meant to say was "Why thanks Rochelle, that's really sweet of you". What came out was a new language- I think it was a hybrid of Swahili and Mandarin Chinese. She laughed. I laughed. She left. I had to start breathing again.

For the next two weeks or so I tried to be more social with her, all the while reminding myself that this woman was more than likely off the market, when during a conversation she casually mentioned that she hadn't had a boyfriend for a couple of years. That mysterious language I created? Yup, came back again.

Now before I continue on here, I should point out that I have never been that lucky with the ladies. I don't really know why. If I was being brutal to myself I could say it's because I'm a fat, ugly git. I don't think too many women think of me like that but I'm pretty certain none have seen me and immediately thought "hubba hubba" (or words to that effect). I have never found it easy to talk to attractive women. For some reason I get very self-conscious and as a result I probably come across as either a try-hard or desperate. Or both.

But with Rochelle it was different. I was worse. I seriously could not string two sentences together. I was so damn in love with this girl that it totally and utterly screwed with my mind. It was the first time I was truly in love. I didn't realise this until about halfway through the rehearsal period when I found myself watching her every move and just hoping and praying she would spend some time with me. It was pathetic.

I'm glad I don't have a TARDIS- or some other time travel device- because to see me act like that would be embarrassing. I honestly have no idea if the rest of the cast (which included her brother by the way) noticed it.

One night I had to ring her brother (honestly!) and she picked up the phone. We talked for over an hour. Anyone that has called me on the phone will know what an absolute miracle that was. I soon convinced myself that she was, at the very least, open to going out on a date with me. All I had to do was ask. So I started to psych myself up.

Days turned into weeks and soon the season was upon us. I could see the window of opportunity rapidly disappearing. Oh I'd love to tell you that I summoned up the courage to ask her out. But I didn't. The only thing we ever did together was go and see B*Witched together at the Saturn Nightclub (It was promo thing- I won two tickets on the radio). No dinner, no coffee afterwards. Just the show, a hug goodbye and that was it.

You sad, sad, sad, pathetic man.

But the worst was still to come for my already fragile psyche.

She auditioned for State Opera and didn't get in. I'll never forget the email she sent- "I didn't get in. that does it! I'm moving to Melbourne!". And she did.

"That's ok," thought I, "I'm sure she'll keep in contact". Well she did for a little while. And then she told me about her new boyfriend she met over there. My heart sank. The final nail came when I rang her and her boyfriend picked up the phone and hadn't realised it had connected to me- "It's Rodney" he said. "Oh...hmmm....he can leave a message" came her response. That was a conversation I wish I hadn't heard. I silently hung up the phone and slunk away to my bedroom. I listened to Mahler- as I often do when I'm depressed- and even the beauty and majesty of his music failed to lift my spirits. For a very long time I couldn't even bring myself to say her name for fear of losing it completely.

What if I'd actually grown a pair and asked this girl out? What if we'd become a couple? Would we have moved to Melbourne together? Would we have moved in together here? Marriage? Kids? God only knows.

I'd love to tell you all that I learnt from that experience but I really didn't. In fact I think it burnt it into my psyche that I'm simply not able to ask anyone out.

I don't have very many regrets in my life, but that is by far one of the biggest.

Somewhere in Melbourne she's living with her husband (yes she got married a few years later) and, presumably, kids. She probably doesn't even remember me now. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

I think it is....

Curtains for the Curtain Calls?

The recent announcement of nominees for this year's ATG Curtain Call awards has come out. Doubtless over the next few days there will be many a congratulatory message left on people's Facebook walls and a few grumbling ones in status updates. (There's already one in my news feed!). It's times like these that make me wonder if the awards are a good or bad thing for Adelaide Theatre. This is not a slap against the ATG (Adelaide Theatre Guide)- they created these awards with the absolute best and noble intentions (even if their categories leave a lot to be desired- I'll never forget at the first awards ceremony the bile I forced down my throat when I heard one of the reviewers for the ATG declare to all and sundry from the podium that it was the onstage performances people remember the most so that's what's being honoured and nothing else- hence the reason there was no backstage awards like Best Director, Best Costumes- now there are a few minor dribbles like "Best Technical"- but rather the mindset that turned us into competitive and slightly narky theatre folk.

It would be incredibly naive of me to think that the awards were the reason Adelaide Theatre has recently become more separated than what it was. This is not a fault of the companies but rather some of the individuals that populate them. Now they have a reason to get narky ("Oh the Joe Bloggs company got nominated yet again- ho hum- no surprise given that one of the reviewers is on their committee", "Oh gosh what a surprise to see Fred Nerk nominated yet again, seriously he's SO overrated"). Before, all the recognition the hard-working folk of Adelaide Theatre got was a good review and at the end of the year a paragraph in the Oscarts. Now there's a CEREMONY!!! and AWARD TROPHIES!!!! and CLAIRE HOOPER!!!!

I realize this probably comes across as sour grapes because none of the shows I was involved in got nominated, but to be honest when I see what these awards have done to us it makes me sad. I just don't think we're ready for these awards. There have been a lot of simmering tensions for a while (long before the awards started) but these seem to bring out the worst (and best) in us. When the inevitable winners are announced, there'll be lots of backslapping and faint praise I'm sure.

Actually I think one of my MD colleagues summed it up perfectly when he said "Nobody supports anyone else these days yet expects everyone to come and see their shows". He's right (and I'm as guilty as anyone- although I do try and make it to a large number of shows throughout the year).

There's a lot more I could say on where Adelaide Theatre is going wrong, but you know what? It's easy to bitch so how about I finish by saying a few nice things about recent Adelaide Theatre and the people that populate it?

What I AM loving about Adelaide Theatre now is the daring of companies to do more recent shows that haven't made it to Adelaide's theatres before. Shows like "Curtains", "Honk!", "Spamalot", "All Shook Up" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (that's just this year!) have proved a boom for performers and audiences alike. 8 years ago you would have said that Adelaide audiences don't embrace new things. The large crowds that attend these shows actually prove that they do! This can only be good. I'll also say that the level and quality of the productions are of a very high standard all round (both on and offstage). That's something I LOVE about Adelaide Theatre. So what if we have a budget of only $15,000? Let's stage Miss Saigon! That "can do" attitude of companies is a healthy and good thing to see. It's also good to see the immense pool of young talent we have (again, both on and offstage). I don't think Adelaide Theatre will ever have THAT particular well dry up.

Time for me to take my bow (and dodge a few rotten tomatoes).....