With a list of hits longer than you would realise, The Carpenters have left a long-lasting impression on the music industry. Over a 14-year period, starting in 1969, the Carpenters released 10 albums, along with numerous singles, and appeared in several television specials. Though their personal stories are rather sad, their songs are often used to mark happy occasions, such as their 1970 hit Close To You regularly being used at weddings.
Meet Darren and Sharon Carpenter (Darren Makes and Debora Krizak), from Kempsey. Their lives were magically transformed the day they discovered the “other Carpenters”; not only did Darren and Sharon share a family name, but they looked similar as well! The Carpenters From Kempsey celebrates the iconic music of The Carpenters, but with a comic twist.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with both Darren and Debora to chat about the show, their careers, and I was particularly keen to find out what the Carpenters’music means to them and why it’s stood the test of time.
Deb:
“My folks, my Dad in particular, were massive fans. It was probably the only introduction to music I ever had as a kid via my father. In fact, Close To You was my wedding song for my Father/Daughter dance. I think it’s the simplicity of the music, with beautiful melodies. Musically it’s just lovely, and Karen’s voice is just incredible. It is liquid gold. There are no bells and whistles about it, it’s just well written music. We over complicate things musically these days and this just stands the test of time in that respect. It’s like ABBA – great tunes and great to listen to.”
Darren:
“Richard Carpenter’s strength was really the arrangements. They are quite clever. The biggest compliment we get after every show is usually, “I didn’t realise how many Carpenters songs I actually knew!”. People know the songs, but don’t necessarily realise they are Carpenters songs. Their music is in so many people’s DNA.”
Darren Mapes is one of Australia’s go-to vocal coaches for many musical theatre performers, band singers and recording artists. He is also a highly acclaimed accompanist and musical director for many artists, including Debora. Where it all started for Darren is a rather lovely, heart-warming story.
“My Grandmother was studying to be a concert pianist at the Conservatorium in Sydney when war broke out, so she had to go home. She ended up marrying a soldier, moving to a country town in QLD and having eight kids. She never had the opportunity to become a performer, and she was my inspiration when I was growing up. She was my mentor and the one I looked up to. I went to uni and studied music because of her. There are a lot of hardships that go with being in the arts, but I wouldn’t change it. Things have just happened. I have the philosophy that if you do a good enough job on something, something better will then come along.”
South Aussie Debora Krizak has had a string of successful appearances in musicals and cabaret performances around Australia. Her wicked sense of humour shone through many times as we spoke about where it all began for her.
“Where did it begin for me? Oh, that’s an open ended question. Overinflated ego, world recognition and domination, vanity….I’m kidding. Darren is a teacher, and he teaches or has taught just about every person in the industry, including young people who are coming into musical theatre. He is the go-to guy. You see them come in, and Darren often tells me, it’s in them. You cannot teach what they have. There is no particular time or moment for most people where they go, “I am going to be this”. You become interested in it. There are defining moments – my mum would take me to all the pantomimes and musicals at the Shelley Theatre, which is how I became involved in Northern Light Theatre Company. I would often sit there and think, “I would like to do that” which would open those conversations. A lot of it has been passed down, but for me it was wanting to dance. Mum put me into dance at the age of three and at 11 or 12 I got into singing as well. It was a natural thing for me. I didn’t know any other way. When I went to uni, I didn’t know what I wanted to study or be, so I auditioned for the dance degree because that’s all I ever knew. Sometimes I wished I had studied law or forensic science. I also auditioned for the SA band Chunky Custard, and I worked with them for a while as well. They say you can plan your whole life out, but everything I’ve ever planned for has never worked. What is meant to be has just happened and I’ve been very fortunate. I have a saying I share with people: Luck meets opportunity meets being prepared. You can have all the luck in the world and have a great opportunity thrown at you, but if you are not prepared, then the other two things mean nothing.”
Darren Mapes was involved with the creation of The Carpenters From Kempsey several years ago. However, the show originally started as a straight tribute show to The Carpenters.
“I’ve been doing this show for a while. A session singer in Sydney called Shirley Thomas sounded like Karen Carpenter, and she approached me to collaborate with her to put together a Carpenters tribute show. She sounded uncannily like Karen. We put together a show that was a direct tribute to them, but a lot of the material was a downer and sad. We would walk out in these ridiculous outfits and people would laugh at us but then we would tell this very sad story. I was never comfortable with it. Linda Nagle, who is a fantastic writer and writes for Rhonda Burchmore, was invited to come along and see the show and see how she could change it to be more appealing. She basically told us we needed to become the Carpenters From Kempsey, create the characters Darren and Sharon and see where that went. Once we established that that is what we were doing, the show was really easy to write. It got away from the sadness of the Karen and Richard story. People want to have a laugh. We still pay homage to them by doing their music authentically, but Darren and Sharon are fun characters and they have morphed and changed over the years. It’s just a feel-good night out. These movable, naive, country kids who love to dress up and sound like Richard and Karen Carpenter.”
On the 23rd of April, Darren and Debora will be bringing The Carpenters From Kempsey to The Regal Theatre for two shows, at 2.30pm and 8pm.
Darren:
“It’s a real bonus for Carpenters fans – they get to come along and hear the music but have the bonus of having a bit of a laugh as well. There’s the odd number in the show that isn’t Carpenter’s music but done in the way the Carpenters might have performed them.”
Deb:
“Musically, we honour it. We don’t send it up. The Carpenters fans that come along always love it.”
Join Darren and Sharon in concert, as they hit the road singing all your favourite Carpenters hits, including: Top of the World, Goodbye To Love, Yesterday Once More, A Kind Of Hush, Rainy Days and Mondays, Calling Occupants, Ticket To Ride, Close To You, Superstar, Mr Postman and many more.
The Carpenters From Kempsey will be performed at The Regal Theatre, Saturday April 23 at 2.30pm and 8pm Tickets available through https://markushamence.com/shows-and-events/
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
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