Flowerchildren

Magnormos' latest offering, Flowerchildren, written by Peter Fitzpatrick and directed by Aaron Joyner is a very, very good show.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m not a fan of bio-musicals or jukebox musicals.  With a couple of notable exceptions (Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!) I feel they are usually an exploitation of someone else’s talent strung together with lazy and often inane dialogue.  It angers me to see exceptionally talented people trying to find meaning and emotion in dross.

Of the many things to enjoy in Flowerchildren, one of the most enjoyable is the script.  Author Peter Fitzpatrick has gifted his actors with intelligent, witty and, at times, moving dialogue and this very talented cast appears to enjoy every minute of it.  This show is so well written, you could take the songs out of it and it would still stand up.  Try doing that with Dusty.

This is a chronological journey from the band’s inception in 1966, through their years of phenomenal success to their inevitable break-up just four short years later.

Of course the stars of the show are The Mamas and The Papas.  Casey Donovan as Mama Cass, Laura Fitzpatrick as Michelle Phillips, Matt Hetherington as John Phillips, and Dan Humphris as Denny Doherty all bring something very special to this production, not the least of which is their terrific voices.  Their perfect harmonies bring all the songs we know so well to life. The construct of the script gives each actor a chance to shine as they narrate the action in turn.

Because they are so uniformly terrific, I hesitate to single any one of them out but the casting of Casey Donovan as Mama Cass is an absolute coup for Magnormos.  Through her Australian Idol win, Donovan is almost a household name.  She will draw people to this production who would not normally attend musical theatre but she’s not there for her pulling power alone.  Donovan has embraced this part and is funny and sad and sings like an angel.

The “fab four” are more than ably assisted by the four member ensemble of Tim Carney, Jessica Featherby, Jack Feehan, and Zuleika Khan.  While this foursome lends great support to the harmonies of many of the well-known songs, I felt they were a bit underused. The program credits a choreographer but she wasn’t really in evidence and some smart chorey would have given this talented quartet more to work with.  Each of them has a distinct character to play and I must make special mention of Jessica Featherby as the very hard-done-by Jill Gibson.

The efforts of the exceptionally talented Musical Director, Sophie Thomas, are very much on display here.  The script makes constant reference to how difficult the harmonies of The Mamas and The Papas' songs are, but Sophie has drilled her charges beautifully and the blend of voices is never less than perfect.  She has also assembled a great band. Sophie, on keyboard, is joined by Mark George on guitar, Glen Scowen on bass, and Mal Fawcett, complete with John Lennon glasses, on drums.

Of the many musical highlights in this show my favourites were, strangely, not The Mamas and The Papas hits (although Ba Da, Ba Da Da Da did send me plummeting back to the 60s).  I really loved Casey’s rendition of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and Matt’s “San Francisco”.  As we find out in the show, John Phillips wrote the defining anthem of the 60s and then gave it to one-hit-wonder Scott McKenzie.

Apart from the choreography, the only aspect as the show that I felt was not up to standard was the design.  The set was, quite frankly, boring.  Flowerchildren is set slap bang in the middle of the Swinging Sixties and many of The Mamas and The Papas’ songs reference the culture of free love and drug experimentation.  I’ve never taken LSD so I don’t really know what colour you see things in, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t beige.  The costumes, while very authentic, were also mostly in tones of beige and brown so the overall effect was pretty uninspiring.  Future productions of this show (and I hope there will be) could do well to tap into the psychedelic theatrical opportunities that this era invites.

But any quibbles are minor.  This is a damn good night out.  Congratulations to Magnormos, to the wonderful cast and particularly to Peter Fitzpatrick. I’m sure future audiences will enjoy the show as much as we did on opening night.

Photos: Elise Beggs; Thumbnail photo: Darrell Jones