Tuedsay tune: Ireland

In the spirit of St Patrick’s Day a song celebrating all those great things about Ireland: Enya, red-headed sailors named Brendan, bagpipes…. ah yeah. Well close enough. Give me love to the Leprechauns.

(from Legally Blonde The Musical)

Shane Warne The Musical

With a week to go until it closes, and February sales down, tickets for this show were half price so on rather short notice we got tickets for the Saturday afternoon session. Unfortunately we didn’t get Eddie Perfect in the lead role, but Matt Hetherington was fine in his place and sold the part of Shane Warne well.

In many ways, including Mike McLeish’s appearance in the cast, and the small on-stage band, the show reminded me of Keating in its take on modern Australian history and the variety of song styles. I did enjoy this show more though. It was funny but they oversold the “musical for people who don’t like musicals” thing. The audience was very small, less than half the theatre, so there was a bit of a lack of atmosphere.

Eddie’s absence also brought into the show another swing, Adam Lubicz who backfilled some of Hetherington ’s places. And he was totally gorgeous and even better got to feel up on stage the sexy Jolyon James. Can’t complain about that spectacle, but I did have trouble keeping my eyes off Adam most times he was on stage.

Zanna Don’t

I had planned to go see Zanna, Don’t! on Sunday night but on a whim I decided to go tonight instead. But the website wouldn’t allow me to buy tickets for tonight’s session!

A quick phone call to the Chapel Off Chapel and I had a ticket purchased and off I went.

It was a great show, I loved the songs, I loved the cast, I loved the dancing, I love the eyecandy.

I started to wonder if it would be one act as the intermission seemed to come quite late. Intermission would have been my least favourite part as they ushered all the audience out of the theatre.

The ending left me a bit conflicted though and the more I think about it the more conflicted I get.

I am so glad I didn’t go tomorrow night since the venue’s airconn wasn’t really coping tonight, tomorrow would have been much worse.

Showqueen

Showqueen was my first show of Midsumma, and it was a good one.

Transplanted from Sydney where it’s a regular Sunday night show, it worked well with a enthusiastic audience.

Basically it was a bunch of musical theatre performers singing a couple of songs each cabaret style with a little monologue work.

Some of the songs where from musicals, some were original and a couple of pop songs got in there too, and there was a naughty sense of humour running through it.

Lucinda Shaw repeated her performance of “Find Your Grail” from Spamalot to acclaim. Avigail Herman’s jazz performance was pretty amazing. Trevor Ashley hosted and performed in a very hilarious camp manner.

Cute Matthew Robinson and totally loveable David Harris were also highlights, particularly Matthew’s closing song (which I guess was from Altar Boys and made me wish I’d seen Altar Boys).

Musicals

Inspired by crossoverman, here’s a list of the musicals I’ve seen on stage. Although I’m a bit of a late-bloomer to musical theatre, my overdose in New York last May has given me a real taste.

Recent additions, since April 2008, in bold

On the stage:

Altar Boyz (Off Broadway)
South Pacific (Off Broadway)
Happiness (Off Broadway)
Rock of Ages (Broadway)
Hair (Broadway)
9 to 5 (Broadway)
Shrek the Musical (Broadway)
In The Heights (Broadway)
Zanna, Don’t!
• Wicked (again!)
• Wicked (again)
• The Rocky Horror Show
• Wicked
• Billy Elliot
• Aida
• The Last Five Years
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Keating!
• Spamalot
• Curtains (Broadway)
• Tarzan (Broadway)
• Spring Awakening (Broadway)
• Mary Poppins (Broadway)
• Avenue Q (Broadway)
• Legally Blonde (Broadway)
• Les Miserables (Broadway)
• The Phantom of the Opera (Las Vegas version)
• The Lion King
• The Boy From Oz (Hugh Jackman)
• The Producers
• Grease (High school)
• The Pyjama Game (High school)
• Damn Yankees (High school)
• Oliver! (High school)
• Joseph and Technicolour Dreamcoat (Primary school)

On film:

• Mamma Mia
• Sweeney Todd
• Across the Universe
• Rent
• The Producers
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Dreamgirls
• Hairspray
• Chicago
• Moulin Rouge
• Jesus Christ Superstar (DVD)
• Romance & Cigarettes (on TV)
• My Fair Lady (on TV)
• The Sound of Music (on TV)
• Carousel (on TV)