Presented by: Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre
Reviewed: 28 September, 2023
I saw A Chorus Line in 1976 when it opened at Drury Lane in the West End. It was the most talked-about show in theatrical circles, hailed as a new style of music theatre to replace all the big cast musicals which were suffering under the financial pressures of the times. Michael Bennett had gathered stories from his performing associates on and off Broadway at the time, recorded their stories and with the help of composer Marvin Hamlisch produced a show that revealed the stresses, strains and rigours of being a dancer and the rough road travelled by an artist who has a limited life. Dancers wear out! The show has won a Pulitzer Prize, several Tony and Drama Desk Awards, a couple of Laurence Olivier Awards and an Evening Standard award – the list goes on. Tonight, I witnessed another gold standard award winning performance by the graduating students of the Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre Course.
The course has developed an inspiring array of emerging talent over the last few years. Previous productions have been well worth the price of a ticket but you really shouldn’t miss this one if you’re a fan of musical theatre or indeed any theatre at all.
Director Matt Hyde has crafted an exceptional piece of original theatre out of this snapshot of theatre history in the 70’s. Hyde has coaxed some extraordinary work out of these students and not one of them would be out of place in a professional production. The work is gritty, funny, moving and the bar has been raised very high. Luke Alleva has ably assisted Hyde as Assistant Director and has choreographed some exceptional work for these graduates to get their feet into!
Ray Cullen leads the charge with Zac; his drive, edge and clarity of purpose with the character means you don’t for one minute doubt he is casting a show. The journey of his character and the drive it injects into the work means every other character on the stage has something to react with or to. It sets up the story told by every other character.
The ensemble work is flawless and the opening ensemble number I Hope I Get It really hit home. The harmonies and musicality of this bunch of young performers is joyous.
It’s hard to single anyone out as the overall standard of the work was outstanding. Max Walburn’s Mike doing I Can Do That, a strong and definite start to the show and oh so flexible. And… – Bobby (Ryan Murphy), Richie (Dhuruva Padmanabhan), Val (Gracie Rowland) and Judy (Josie Stanger-Jones) these four led the ensemble in an incisive version of this revealing back story for these characters.
Sheila (Cedar-Rose Russell) led Bebe (Phoebe Surman) and Maggie (Angelique Diko) into a beautifully orchestrated version of At the Ballet.
Kristine (Lilli De Nardi) ably assisted by Al (Declan Feldhusen) and the company made a really convincing job of Sing!
Montage Part 1: in the hands of Mark (Declan Ryan), Connie (Chloe Marlow) , and Company Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Lovewas complex and powerful.
Montage Part 2: gave Taylah Johns as Morales the stage solo for the first time, and she didn’t waste a moment of it with a powerful and emotionally charged rendition of Nothing.
Montage Part 3: Mother gave Don (Cooper Everett), Judy (Josie Stranger-Jones), Maggie (Angelique Diko) and the company some challenging and beautifully executed work.
Montage Part 4: Gimme the Ball gave Greg (Cobain Bradley), Richie (Dhuruva Padmanabhan) and Company the chance to show off a bit and Dhuruva Padmanabhan showed off some pretty impressive moves.
Dance: Ten; Looks: Three is always a crowd pleaser, and Val (Gracie Rowland) showed us just what an asset it is to buy those added extras that improve everything. This girl can act, sing and dance.
And then there’s Cassie (Sophie Tzioumis): it’s the character Michael Bennett crafted for his wife-to-be Donna McKechnie The Music and the Mirror is a performance piece to challenge any actor, singer and particularly dancer. Tzioumis gave us an outstanding performance and then some. The stamina alone needed for this number would put some actors in bed for a week. She made it look and sound easy.
Rounding out the iconic numbers from the show are What I did For Love led with great heart by Morales (Taylah Johnns) and an harmonically beautiful ensemble. And of course One. The shows golden, glittering Finale curtain call. Breathtaking.
Kieran Humphrey’s Paul was one of the acting highlights of the evening. As well as displaying some impressive dance moves Humphrey’s monologue about finding his way through life was a moving prelude to the ensuing events. Also Carolyn Crisp as Lori, Zac’s assistant displayed some impressive dance moves and turned in a very well placed character that moved the story along with just the right amount of influence.
Angela Chapman, Byron Fletcher, Jazz Garcia, Nam Hoang, Michele Kelsey, Mia Lipton, Madison Schubert, Ella Simpson and Jacinda Tsaklos completed the ensemble and added some small but pertinent character gems during the opening sequence and added texture to the ensemble vocals.
Musically there is nothing to fault in this show. Martin Cheney has stamped his mark on this cast and their work is of a standard that shows their talent to its fullest. His empathetic and precise musical direction is a joy. Jamie Mensforth’s sound design through Mosaic Audio Visual was crisp, clean and not a word was missed. This was not an easy job with that many people onstage and backstage all miked up. A special mention for Campbell Lawrence, mixing and blending all those voices with what appeared to be consummate ease. Finally, Chris Snape’s lighting design is the icing on the cake. It is colourful, precise, inventive and in itself another actor in the piece. The overall combination of creative talent that brough this show together was inspiring.
The final 15 minutes of the show is filled with some challenging moments both emotionally and physically; this talented ensemble handled it with flair and passion. They are a showcase for the Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre course which in the capable hands of George Torbay has proved we can turn out world class music theatre performers in Adelaide. I am sure that I have missed some names that should be mentioned but rest assured that you will witness an extraordinary and powerful performance of this timeless music theatre piece. Don’t miss it.
Reviewed by Adrian Barnes
Photo credit: Greg Balcombe
Venue: Scott Theatre University of Adelaide
Season: Until Saturday 30 September, 2023
Duration: 2 hours (no interval)
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1022595
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