Post by Talissa on Feb 9, 2006 1:53:37 GMT 11
First of all, getting to the theatre in a rush never puts one in the best state of mind for seeing a show, so it took a little while for me to get into it, but I’m fairly certain that was just me, and my pulse trying to calm down after my run from Flinders. And the fact that I had seen a good portion of the material of The Virgin Wars twice before, which lessened the effect a bit, but it was still amusing. However, there was also a fair bit I hadn’t seen, and thoroughly enjoyed. After having twice seen that same segment, it was good to see the girls’ distinct characters and how it flows as a story.
Girl on the Screen was the second part, and I think my favourite. It had the most depth of the three and the plot flowed easily. I enjoyed the music, especially ‘Connect’, which I just love. Such unique subject matter for a show and a song, but it works so well. I’d like to see more of this piece. I doubt it would expand well to a full-length show, but I think there are still things to be explored.
Jumping the Q completed the flow nicely, combining the hilarity of The Virgin Wars with the depth of Girl on the Screen, and ending powerfully. There’s a good range of music, although it amused me how long it seemed to take most of the audience to realise what ‘Hope’ was about. Still, a nice twist on the Idol concept.
The costumes were simple, but very effective, especially in Jumping the Q, and wonderfully creative use was made of the performance space, with each of the three parts set up differently, keeping the audience on its toes, and giving people a chance to get a better view if they missed out in a previous section.
Amanda Levy was a centre of events in all three sections and pulled it off well, but I felt as though the one in which she really stood out was Girl on the Screen, when she got a chance to contrast with her less mature roles, as well as showing off her powerful voice.
Verity Hunt-Ballard also got plenty of chance to show of her voice, especially in Jumping the Q, in which she played the Colombian Coco, and sang Land Where Good Men Are, which I was glad to see had been brought back into the show, albeit with necessary alterations. Her arrogance as Coco never faltered, no matter where the spotlight was, and it gave stunning contrast to especially her role in The Virgin Wars, Cher.
Kellie Rode definitely managed to make the impression here that I had thought lacking in Mamma Mia, probably because of the length of the run. She was beautiful to watch, sang clearly, and switched effortlessly from wide-eyed earnestness to saucy master of ceremonies. Fantastic effort.
Rosemarie Harris slid wholly into each of her three rather different characters, making each one unique and utterly memorable. Along with this, she had plenty of opportunity to shine vocally, which she took.
Esther Hannaford completed the team with zest, acting and singing well, and playing the role of Alison in Girl on the Screen brilliantly.
And of course, a mention of the music itself and the band is needed. The harmonies were gorgeously written and performed, and the girls all balanced perfectly, making them a joy to listen to. The band was well used, especially Andrew Kroenert, who was skilfully integrated into the story as singer, MC and puppeteer when required, although with a puppet called Kate, it was hard not to think of Avenue Q.
Okay, apologies for being a bit all over the place, but I’m falling asleep. So hopefully it all made sense.
Girl on the Screen was the second part, and I think my favourite. It had the most depth of the three and the plot flowed easily. I enjoyed the music, especially ‘Connect’, which I just love. Such unique subject matter for a show and a song, but it works so well. I’d like to see more of this piece. I doubt it would expand well to a full-length show, but I think there are still things to be explored.
Jumping the Q completed the flow nicely, combining the hilarity of The Virgin Wars with the depth of Girl on the Screen, and ending powerfully. There’s a good range of music, although it amused me how long it seemed to take most of the audience to realise what ‘Hope’ was about. Still, a nice twist on the Idol concept.
The costumes were simple, but very effective, especially in Jumping the Q, and wonderfully creative use was made of the performance space, with each of the three parts set up differently, keeping the audience on its toes, and giving people a chance to get a better view if they missed out in a previous section.
Amanda Levy was a centre of events in all three sections and pulled it off well, but I felt as though the one in which she really stood out was Girl on the Screen, when she got a chance to contrast with her less mature roles, as well as showing off her powerful voice.
Verity Hunt-Ballard also got plenty of chance to show of her voice, especially in Jumping the Q, in which she played the Colombian Coco, and sang Land Where Good Men Are, which I was glad to see had been brought back into the show, albeit with necessary alterations. Her arrogance as Coco never faltered, no matter where the spotlight was, and it gave stunning contrast to especially her role in The Virgin Wars, Cher.
Kellie Rode definitely managed to make the impression here that I had thought lacking in Mamma Mia, probably because of the length of the run. She was beautiful to watch, sang clearly, and switched effortlessly from wide-eyed earnestness to saucy master of ceremonies. Fantastic effort.
Rosemarie Harris slid wholly into each of her three rather different characters, making each one unique and utterly memorable. Along with this, she had plenty of opportunity to shine vocally, which she took.
Esther Hannaford completed the team with zest, acting and singing well, and playing the role of Alison in Girl on the Screen brilliantly.
And of course, a mention of the music itself and the band is needed. The harmonies were gorgeously written and performed, and the girls all balanced perfectly, making them a joy to listen to. The band was well used, especially Andrew Kroenert, who was skilfully integrated into the story as singer, MC and puppeteer when required, although with a puppet called Kate, it was hard not to think of Avenue Q.
Okay, apologies for being a bit all over the place, but I’m falling asleep. So hopefully it all made sense.
