Presented by Spark of Inspiration
Reviewed Saturday 15th June 2013
It’s always inspiring to see talented young performers take to the stage, and even better when they do so for a worthy cause. A Vision, produced and directed by Benji Riggs (pictured) with musical direction by Mark Stefanoff, is a hope-filled tribute to sufferers of Leukaemia and other cancers, featuring 16 brilliant young singers.
A Vision is the first part in a musical project, simply titled ‘The Big Project’, that aims to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. If this performance was anything to go by, ‘The Big Project’ is bound to be great.
The performance was quite impressive. I was blown away by some incredibly powerful voices that you would hardly expect to come from such young people. The range of songs was good, from Robbie Williams to Louise Armstrong, and each song perfectly suited the voice singing it. Some songs were sweet, some were emotional and some were exciting, but all contributed value to the show as a whole. Stefanoff’s music on the keyboard was basically flawless, and flowed between the different styles without missing a beat. It was obvious that a lot of hard work was put in during rehearsals and that each performer had a genuine passion for their craft. However, I would have liked to see a wider variety of instruments used, as the keyboard alone seemed to pale beneath the great voices.
Some performers did falter at times, which I attribute simply to nerves. This was most obvious during Riggs’ introductions and improvised comedy between songs, which ended up seeming a little awkward. Although there was bound to be some nerves among the young performers it was good to see them take on board the show’s message of hope and conquer any fears they might have had. The solo performances may not have been perfect, but when the 16 voices came together in chorus something special was created.
Displayed behind the singers throughout the show was the logo for A Vision, framed by fairy lights. Although it doesn’t seem worth mentioning at first, to see each singer step up and suddenly be given angel wings by the design of the logo was something I thought was a very nice touch. The Soul Box itself, however, is a small and rather intimate venue and so interruptions from the crowd were bound to happen. One boisterous audience member in particular made it difficult for the performers to keep their minds on the task. Never the less, they recovered well and continued on as if nothing had happened.
A Vision was a great show, which kept me rapt for the whole hour and made me excited for the next instalment in ‘The Big Project’. Although it was hardly an epic spectacle, it communicated its important message of hope in a fun and exuberant manner. I saw many heads bopping and heard a lot of singing along. You know it’s definitely a good show when you hear ‘wows’ of amazement from the audience.
Reviewed by James Rudd
Venue: The Soul Box, 252 Hindley St Adelaide
Season: 15th June
Duration: 1 hour
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