Curtains

"We can’t picture being anything but show people", and what a show it was!

                            

                        

The UMMTA (University of Melbourne Music Theatre Association) production of Kander and Ebb’s Curtains: The Musical is the company's18^th production and also the show’s Melbourne premiere, so I was eagerly anticipating what UMMTA had produced in only seven weeks!

Beginning with a closed curtain and a fitting traditional overture the show opens with the cast performing "Wide Open Spaces" from the musical within a musical Robbin’ Hood on its opening night.  Robbin’ Hood’s lead actress Jessica Cranshaw (Grace Agnew in a wonderful cameo) is murdered during curtain call and this leads to a succession of other murders as a police detective tries to solve the mystery of ‘who killed who’ and the shortcomings of Robbin’ Hood on its road to Broadway.

Written as a delightful throwback to the musical comedies of the 1950’s and ‘whodunit’ murder mysteries, the production captures these elements beautifully, keeping the audience engaged and entertained throughout. However there were some issues that held the show back from reaching its full potential.

General sound problems and microphone issues were constant throughout, mainly during dialogue as mics dropped in and out, or static was prominent. During one scene cast members backstage could still be heard through their microphones. These issues were distracting and will hopefully be ironed out shortly as they do take away from the overall impact.

The staging of some musical numbers was questionable, in particular those which involved the leads, such as "What Kind of Man" and "It’s A Business". Due to the small cast involved in these numbers, they were each staged almost identically: downstage with minimal movement and static blocking. This meant they didn’t stay in the audience’s mind when they are actually two of the funniest numbers in the show and a lot more could have been done with them.

Comic timing is crucial to this show’s success, and unfortunately it was hit and miss throughout. This was usually due to long awkward pauses during dialogue which may have been intentional but didn’t appear to be. This was a little disappointing because when the actors hit their mark it made for some great comedy, especially with the cracking one-liners in the show. Hopefully this can be sorted out in time for the second week of the season.

Having said all of that, the characters and musical numbers in this show are what makes it entertaining, and thankfully Curtains has a brilliant cast.

Anna Charalambous (as the ballsy and determined producer Carmen Bernstein) has good energy on stage and, despite wavering on some of her big notes, she was perfectly suited to the role.

Nicola Guzzardi (as songwriter then leading lady Georgia Hendricks) has a great voice and portrayed a refreshing and original take on her character that made her endearing to the audience.

Henry Brett (as composer Aaron Fox) injects just the right amount of melancholy and heart into his performance, and has a wonderful voice which was best heard in 'I Miss the Music".

Grant Buse proved to be a fantastic dancer in the role of Bobby Pepper the choreographer and leading man. I’m sure we’ll be seeing lots more of him onstage in his new home of Melbourne.

There were a few performances I’d like to make particular mention of. Emma Hoy (in the role of Niki Harris) had great comedic timing and a solid soprano vocal. She kept up the audience’s suspicion of her character right through to the final reveal and was a real standout.

David Miles as flamboyant British director Christopher Belling was an absolute hoot from start to finish. Although at times he lost his accent, the sheer energy and consistency in his performance were outstanding -- in particular his delivery of dialogue and comic timing. He definitely made the most of every moment that he was on stage.

Last but definitely not least, Josiah Lulham (as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi) was the perfect leading man, combining the charm and humour of his character in an engaging performance.

Each and every ensemble member was fantastic -- always in character when on stage, sounding brilliant when singing in unison. It was obvious from the get-go that they were having fun on stage, and each of them was committed to their characters and giving it one hundred per cent.

A particular highlight was the opening of Act Two, where the ensemble members stood on opposite ends of the audience with torches announcing (through song) "The Man Is Dead." This lead into "He Did It" with the torches being used as the only lighting source on the entire stage. It was an innovative staging of both numbers and added to the humour, drawing the audience straight back into the story.

The vocals and music are a definite highlight. Musical director Anthony Cardamone has done a cracker of a job assembling a great orchestra and bringing out the absolute best sound from the cast.

Whether you’re a Kander and Ebb fanatic, UMMTA regular, or just love great musical comedies, get yourself along to UMMTA’s Curtains. I’m amazed at how much they’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. The performances from the entire cast are well worth seeing and I guarantee you’ll leave feeling entertained and exhausted from laughing!!

Nathan has completed performance training with Cait Harris at Sydney’s Globe Shakespeare Centre, at First Impressions Youth Theatre under the artistic direction of VCA graduate Martin White, and as part of Theatrica’s 2007 Broadway tour. His previous musical theatre credits include Snowboy in ARC’s West Side Story, Jerome in Merrily We Roll Along (OPTC), Assistant Director of ARC’s Hello Dolly and Babirra Music Theatre’s Sweet Charity, and most recently he performed the role of Lysander in STAG’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other credits include Peter Quince in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, co-creating and performing in Plastic Palace Alice’s ''Empire Falls’' music video, and the 2006 Short and Sweet Festival in Hunterville.