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Singing in a Musical?!?
31st July, 2008
by
Angie Bedford
Did you know people did that? Angie Bedford finds out why Old
Paradians like to sing
Sometimes I think there are moments where words are just not enough.
Sometimes breaking into a soliloquy seems so right… why can’t the
musical world fit into the every day more often?
I
Sing
tackles these moments, and explores the trial and tribulations of
love, life and music. I Sing opens next week as the debut
show from the Old Paradian Theatre Company.
I
Sing
was penned in 2001 by college graduates Eli Bolin (Music) and Sam
Forman (Lyrics). I Sing is entirely sung and tells the
intertwining stories of three guys and two girls living in New
York. I was fortunate to sit in on a rehearsal, and could easily
see how I Sing has been described as ‘Sex and the City
meet Friends set to music’ - it is both entertaining and
topical, with a remarkable score to match.
 It
is another Monday night rehearsal for the I Sing cast,
gathered on the stage at the Rivergum Theatre at Parade College,
making last minute costume alterations and warming up their voices
before a full run of the show. There is a relatively small team
involved, but the energy is infectious and evident as soon as the
cast of five belt out the opening number. I manage to steal away
some of the key players, to get the inside information on the show.
Reardon Jones is the Producer of I Sing, as well as the
founder of the Old Paradian Theatre Company. So what comes first,
the company or the show? For Reardon, he was inspired by the
theatrical pursuits of a number of Parade College alumni, and
developed the idea for the OPTC some time ago. The recent opening of
the Rivergum Theatre at
Parade
College provided a ‘home’ for the group, so the OPTC was formed.
Reardon had seen I Sing before, and even as a self-confessed
‘techie’ was “blown away by the show. The show relates
contemporarily, as the characters struggle with relationships,
family and jobs. You just get it”. Reardon also acknowledges the
importance of a strong team, with David Barclay at the helm as
Director and Musical Director.
 I
asked David how he was managing the dual role of Director / MD – “I
guess I don’t see it as a dual role. For a show titled “I Sing!” It
seems a little redundant to separate the roles in the first place.
The music drives the action and the story influences the music,
lyrically and emotionally. With such an intimate show and small cast
it could be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, or an
example of my control freaky-ness. Either way the ability to direct
not only the action on stage but how it’s expressed musically is
integral.” David is supported by Assistant Director Nic Kaschke and
band leader Luigi Lucente. Along with David they understand that
“the intricacies of “I Sing!” lie not in grand moments and show
stopping numbers, but rather in the interaction between the
characters and the subtleties of their relationships – not to say
that the grand showstoppers aren’t there, on the contrary, they just
serve a dramatic purpose.” The design of the show also reflects
this, and does not “detract from the important stuff – the people”.
I
Sing
is brought to life by a talented cast of five singer - actors. David
Peake plays lovesick Alan, and sees himself in his character - “I am
different to Alan in that I’m not Jewish. That’s about it. Alan is
very me.” Andy McDougall plays Charlie, who he describes as “a
confused gay man in love with his female housemate, but the idea is
more appealing than the reality”. Charlie’s housemate is Diana
Perini’s Pepper, and she relishes playing the “saucy vixen”. That
leaves Tyson Legg as Investment bank worker Nicky and Lauren Seymour
as the sweet and dedicated Heidi whose love lives take a different
turn, as Alan pursues Heidi, and Nicky goes after Pepper, while
Charlie tackles his sexuality. I probed the cast for some
highlights, and am bombarded with a mixture of poignant, humorous
and show stopping numbers – I guess you’ll have to find out for
yourselves!
  So
why should Theatre People readers see I Sing? For David
Barclay, “youth theatre is so important in my
eyes, especially for the current generation where the word
‘expression’ is mostly classified as a saying of some sort. Mostly
it’s a quote from something else shared via a text message. It is
young people that still have a passion for truth and the courage to
indulge their imaginations. Theatre doesn’t deserve any less. In the
same way that hype can destroy a movie, experience and cynicism can
mask the realness of a play.
And with a show such as ours, specifically representing the current
‘why?’ generation in its fairly confused state, it’s imperative to
have young characters being portrayed by actors acting their age.
Can’t wait to see what OPTC does next, because this one’s been a
hoot.”
I
Sing
opens Wednesday August 6th at the Rivergum Theatre at
Parade College. See What’s On
for details.
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