Hats Off to a comedy of errors

[jackjackjack]

Now before anybody thinks I'm going to slag off Hats Off, I'm not. Yes, I lost weight I can't afford to sitting in that sauna, and it was almost impossible to concentrate in that heat for that amount of time, but it was a good show.

I have a story to tell about the events immediately after the show.

At intermission, I had had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Sally and Julia and their friend whose name I can't remember. There were vague comments about having a chat after the show, but none of us knew at that time just how late that would be. In fact, my parents had their car in a car park that was open til 12, and that had well passed.

Being the youngest person there with a drivers license, I was nominated to save the car from an overnight stay. It must have been the first time that someone sitting in the front row of a theatre was second out the door. A short dash to the car park, and I found a very bored looking guy who was clearly nearing the end of a very long shift in a car park. I negotiated for the release of my parents car, and went back to meet them half way.

Now they would have taken me back to my place, but it was out of their way and I knew my dad had to be up in just a few short hours. Besides that, the car park guy wasn't going to wait forever and I desperately needed to pee (since the show had been so long) and to pour some form of cold liquid down my throat (since it had been so hot).

"No," I said in a moment of stupidity, "I can still get a tram."

So the first thing was first, the toilet. Back to the theatre, I saw Sally on the way in, but there was no time to stop. You understand. I achieved relief. Then for the liquid refreshment. About the same time as my mum was looking for her parking ticket and blaming me (I'm still not sure if she found it), I was working out that I didn't have any money. Well, I had about 35 cents. No worries. If I remembered correcty I was not far from that street where there's shops and bars. Surely an ATM also.

Well, I wouldn't exactly say I remembered correctly. It was not quite as close as I remembered.

Now, having cash, it dawned on me that my last opportunity for a tram was approaching. Yes, there was still a tram to go. I knew there was. I know this public transport system like... You idiot. Sure there's a tram, but by the time that one gets to the city, there's not going to be any left going out of the city.

Now that my brain was active again, I resigned myself to the status of cab passenger and figured I might as well stroll back to the theatre to see if the girls were crazy enough to hang around.

I got back just in time to see them get on a tram. It was about this time that I remembered how thirsty I was and set of to find a drink, in the wrong direction.

Ah, if only I'd been drunk.

James

"I see someone running I just assume they're a loser."
"Unless they're a runner."
"No even then. Especially then."
Dead Like Me - Hurry

[Buff]

Very impressive - sounds like the kind of thing I'd do!

Buff

[Talissa]

Sounds awfully familiar. Our other friend, Li Min, had to be on a tram that must have gone past the moment before we got out of the theatre, so we had to sort something else out. We ended up catching that tram and trying to find one somewhere that would still be running into the city, but no luck. So Sally was able to pretty much get home, but we still had to get Li Min home, so I ended up having to get a taxi with her and crash with another friend who lives in her building, since Li Min was planning to spend the rest of the night studying! Thank goodness my other friend keeps crazy hours

But yes, the length of that was a major issue, and something that has to be looked at in future. No, there weren't really many more songs than last year, but last year it went straight from song to song most of the way through. There was just too much chatter in this. And some things could have been done without. But it's done now. Just so long as it doesn't happen again.

Still, it was great to meet you, James! Did you have far to go to get home?

[Sally]

That was more fun to read than a review of the show itself I suppose I definitely came off the lightest...I easily could have walked home from where tram #1 dumped us because it was the stop nearest my high school so I've done it plenty of times.

But it was 1am and my feet were hurting, so I called my mum

I saw you dashing about like a madman afterwards, James. Well, I saw you go back *into* the theatre, but not come out

Safe to say that this Hats Off was the longest show I've ever been at. Even longer than Julia's last show ( ) and my previous oh-my-god-that-was-long evening, the Katrina Benefit in NYC back in Sep (a two hour act 1, then someone realised the time and squished act 2 into one hour) - at least we definitely got our money's worth ;D And showcasing all the new/previously unheard in public stuff was a terrific idea. I'm stoked that we're going to be able to see Sideshow Alley one day after all!

[jackjackjack]

The funny thing. Those two boys had that joke in their German song about cutting short acceptance speeches.

The Oscars won't know what a speech is until they get music theatre people in to talk about their unproduced shows.

I didn't have too far to go. I've had cab rides twice as long, but a least I actually got home. I hope your friend had a comfy bed for you.

And yes Sally you had it easy. Bludger.

Now tomorrow, I pick up the greatest film musical ever on DVD...... The Muppet Movie! ;D ;D

James

[ozziechick]

So what was the concert like? Any reviews? (Apart from it obviously being ridiculously hot and way too long!) Who was good? Who was bad?

[Talissa]

Okay, my highlights. I don't think I'll find time to write a proper review. Not for something that length

Loved the Lion King cast's 'We Dance'. Thought that was a perfect choice for them, and so much energy for such awful performance circumstances. It'd be great to see Once On This Island produced here, but I know what the chances of that are like

Robyn Arthur and Anne Wood's 'The Good Old Days' was a good bit of fun. Perhaps not strictly necessary, but it was worth it

The Metro Street segment... Well, you'll never catch me complaining about anything to do with that show. And it was fantastic to hear two more songs I hadn't heard before. Oh, and Lucy Durack's red dress? The most gorgeous thing ever.

The Virgin Wars segment was fun, and good publicity for their Malthouse season next Jan.

It was great to see the audience get so involved with Queenie van der Zandt's segment. We were a little way back, and saw all the arms moving in front of us I love theatre crowds.

Jarrod Carland did a gorgeous What Kind of Fool am I. Great to have him back in the country.

I think those are probably my main highlights. It's hard to remember everyone, though

[pinkus]

I missed the show because of exams. Did Marty Fields do a good job hosting? I heard he also launched a song from his new musical, Halo. Was it good? I heard him speaking at college about the creative process of Halo, which he's been doing for five years under the radar. He has Matt Hetherington, Grant Piro and Marinoa Prior on board to do it at the Maj in 2007 as well as a season at the SATC then a tour.

[Talissa]

I'll have to say that Marty's jokes have much more effect when it isn't the second time you've heard them in a fortnight It was mostly the same material he'd used at the Stacey Night at the Festival. That aside, though, he's always a fun host.

And I was quite pleasantly surprised by the song from Halo. I'd had no idea he'd been writing it, and I'm really quite intrigued about it now that I've heard the plot and one of the songs. I hope he does end up putting it on in 2007. I'd definitely go to see it.

[pinkus]

Yeah, it's a great idea for a show based in a casino. And something about the seven deadly sins. Shame he did the same material as the Stacey night, although maybe he figured they'd be a different crowd? I'd hate to be a comedian. If you're a songwriter and you write a good song, people will want to hear you do ti a thousand times, but if you're a comedian and you write a good joke, you only get to do it once. It's not fair. Did he do the chicken song? I heard that at the Stacey night this year and nearly spoiled my shorts. Hillarious.

[Talissa]

He did, but a cappella, which just made it sound shaky, which was a shame.

And it was definitely fair enough to do the same material, but at least it was good material if you hadn't just heard it

If I remember correctly, the idea with Halo was that the man who ran the casino was agoraphobic, so his main social contact was by watching people go through the casino on the security cameras, and on this particular night he's tracking seven people who each represent one of the seven deadly sins.

[Sally]

Personal favourites...I'll keep it down to a top 5:

Kaye Tuckerman. Hee, THE song from Sydney. Which was infinitely more hilarious in Sydney when I didn't know what was coming, but it was fabulous to hear it again.

Jarrod Carland (and I suddenly realised, I think the song is from Stop the World I Want to Get Off?) - gorgeous voice

Queenie van de Zandt - absolutely had me in tears, hysterical. Well worth the price of admission for her alone.

Metro Street segment - yay for more new songs! I am loving everything I am hearing.

Chloe Dallimore - she did one of my favourite songs (A Little Brains, a Little Talent) and she has the voice to pull it off.

Oh and yes, Marty Fields did the chicken song ;D He's a fantastic host.

[jackjackjack]

tamsinann said:

Jarrod Carland (and I suddenly realised, I think the song is from Stop the World I Want to Get Off?)

That sound right, even though I can't actually remember what song he sung and my program is at my parents place.

tamsinann said:

Queenie van de Zandt - absolutely had me in tears, hysterical. Well worth the price of admission for her alone.

Yes, let's make in jokes so that those who haven't seen it get annoyed and confused.

James

[Talissa]

Jarrod's song was What Kind of Fool Am I?

And what was that about in-jokes?

[jackjackjack]

Oh, I don't know. Throw in the odd "My Public", or "No wire coathangers...ever" reference, and wait for people to look like this:

James