Post by Talissa on Jun 22, 2006 21:26:27 GMT 11
While the rest of the Melbourne theatre community last night was at the Concert Hall (Old habits, you know the saying) seeing the wonderful Mandy Patinkin do his thing, I was across the river at the Maj seeing Mr Topol do his own thing. Oh, and there were thirty five or so others on that stage, too.
Don’t worry, I’m not about to go and neglect the fine talent of this country, but I have to say that this was an audience there to see one person, and not one of ours. This was evident from the hearty applause the moment he stepped under the lights, through to the curtain calls, when the applause, though enthusiastic, barely rippled when the principals took their bows, but grew into a roar when the leading man appeared.
Yes, he deserves the acclaim. This is a role he’s been playing on and off for thirty nine years, and his performance shows that through every one of those years he’s been learning. His performance wasn’t tired, as could be expected, and as I’ve seen in far shorter runs, nor was it much affected by age, as I’d feared and half-expected. His voice has lost agility and clarity, but his performance was every bit as energetic and charismatic as could be hoped, and it was evident the years had taught him well exactly what works and what doesn’t in this mammoth of a role.
Before I move on to other cast, I have to praise one piece of staging which proved to be my most memorable moment of the evening. Usually, the ‘Sabbath Prayer’ is a scene which is lovely and touching, but forgettable. This, though, was a jewel. The kaleidoscope effect of the light and dark surrounding the central scene was just magical, utterly surreal. It has to be seen to be appreciated, and once it’s seen, it won’t be quickly forgotten.
As for cast, though, it was a cast which admirably displayed the talent and spirit of the performers of this country, especially some of the younger ones with bright futures in store. The one who really stood out for me, though, was Shaun Rennie in the role of Fyedka. I’ll admit I hadn’t seen or heard anything of his until I stepped into that auditiorium, but from that first note he sings in ‘To Life’, I was won over, and the rest of his performance had the strength to match. Praise also goes to the Russians, who were a wonderful contrast to the Jews, and were stunningly choreographed.
David Harris and Tim Wright were both spot on in their respective roles of Perchik and Motel, wonderfully contrasting with roles I’d seen them play in the past, always a pleasure, and I look forward to the next time I see them on stage, so I can see just how far their diversity goes.
The three older daughters, Louise Kelly, Laura Fitzpatrick and Emily Green were all beautifully portrayed, but special kudos go to Emily, who is making a wonderful start to her musical theatre career with her sweet portrayal of Chava. Well done also to Jessica and Nicole Gulasekharam, who completed this very believable family, though I’m sure it helps that these two actually are sisters. It really is a delight, though, to see a stage family which is so credible.
Really, the entire cast was strong, right down to the solos in ‘The Rumour’, every person strong and sure of his or her role. Beautiful sets, and I can’t even begin to imagine how long those backdrops took to paint, but they were well worth the effort. Admittedly, I don’t expect to see sound or lighting winning any awards, and of course the show wasn’t perfect, but the strengths of the show made it well worth seeing. And remembering.
Don’t worry, I’m not about to go and neglect the fine talent of this country, but I have to say that this was an audience there to see one person, and not one of ours. This was evident from the hearty applause the moment he stepped under the lights, through to the curtain calls, when the applause, though enthusiastic, barely rippled when the principals took their bows, but grew into a roar when the leading man appeared.
Yes, he deserves the acclaim. This is a role he’s been playing on and off for thirty nine years, and his performance shows that through every one of those years he’s been learning. His performance wasn’t tired, as could be expected, and as I’ve seen in far shorter runs, nor was it much affected by age, as I’d feared and half-expected. His voice has lost agility and clarity, but his performance was every bit as energetic and charismatic as could be hoped, and it was evident the years had taught him well exactly what works and what doesn’t in this mammoth of a role.
Before I move on to other cast, I have to praise one piece of staging which proved to be my most memorable moment of the evening. Usually, the ‘Sabbath Prayer’ is a scene which is lovely and touching, but forgettable. This, though, was a jewel. The kaleidoscope effect of the light and dark surrounding the central scene was just magical, utterly surreal. It has to be seen to be appreciated, and once it’s seen, it won’t be quickly forgotten.
As for cast, though, it was a cast which admirably displayed the talent and spirit of the performers of this country, especially some of the younger ones with bright futures in store. The one who really stood out for me, though, was Shaun Rennie in the role of Fyedka. I’ll admit I hadn’t seen or heard anything of his until I stepped into that auditiorium, but from that first note he sings in ‘To Life’, I was won over, and the rest of his performance had the strength to match. Praise also goes to the Russians, who were a wonderful contrast to the Jews, and were stunningly choreographed.
David Harris and Tim Wright were both spot on in their respective roles of Perchik and Motel, wonderfully contrasting with roles I’d seen them play in the past, always a pleasure, and I look forward to the next time I see them on stage, so I can see just how far their diversity goes.
The three older daughters, Louise Kelly, Laura Fitzpatrick and Emily Green were all beautifully portrayed, but special kudos go to Emily, who is making a wonderful start to her musical theatre career with her sweet portrayal of Chava. Well done also to Jessica and Nicole Gulasekharam, who completed this very believable family, though I’m sure it helps that these two actually are sisters. It really is a delight, though, to see a stage family which is so credible.
Really, the entire cast was strong, right down to the solos in ‘The Rumour’, every person strong and sure of his or her role. Beautiful sets, and I can’t even begin to imagine how long those backdrops took to paint, but they were well worth the effort. Admittedly, I don’t expect to see sound or lighting winning any awards, and of course the show wasn’t perfect, but the strengths of the show made it well worth seeing. And remembering.
