Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, Sydney
March 2013

By Nicole Saleh.

What began as an idea penned on a napkin 12 months ago, The Tap Pack came to life and premiered as part of the annual Dance Bites season at the Riverside Theatre, Western Sydney, in a fun, stylish and energy packed hour long show.

Created by seasoned Australian performers Jesse Rasmussen (Tap Dogs, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Happy Feet and So You Think You Can Dance), Thomas J Egan (Fame, Tap Dogs, The Boy From Oz) and Jordan Pollard (Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, The Addams Family), and inspired by the original ‘Rat Pack’ of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr, the Tap Pack’s group of five classy guys in their suits and ties took to the stage with the same sense of cool confidence as  their predecessors.

With a loose storyline, narrated by performer Dion Bilios, we followed the journey of five very different characters performed by Rohan Browne, Kuki Tipoki and creators Jesse and Thomas, who worked through their own personal struggles, addictions, and strained friendships in their quest to get their show picked up by a Las Vegas producer.

Backed by The Tap Pack Bandits, a strong six piece band of drums, horns and keys, led by Musical Director Chris King, the five guys crooned classic big band numbers including  ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right’ and ‘Lady is a Tramp’ but also added a contemporary twist with Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’. Comedic humour was threaded throughout the show with some cliché jokes and slapstick gags that had the audience amused and laughing out loud.

The definite highlight of the show, as its title suggests, is the tap dancing which was fast, intricate, rhythmical and entertaining. Whether it was creating beats as background music to their dialogue, or the challenging routines using pool cue sticks instead of canes, all five performers did a fantastic job of delivering complex cross rhythms and showcasing the creativity of this art form.

In a strong solo performance, Thomas wowed the audience with his acapella tapping and the ease in which he delivered difficult tricks with his fast footwork. His rhythms were smooth and his turning combination had speed and clarity. Jesse Rasmussen also delivered a memorable solo paying homage to the tap legends who have gone before; Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire and Jimmy Slyde.

Overall, all five performers delivered charismatic performances and finished the show on a fun note, dressed in leopard print shirts for the big tap finale. This show has great potential and gave audiences a taste of what The Tap Pack is all about.

How strong is your Broadway Brain? Test your knowledge of the world’s greatest musicals.

By Rain Francis.

Jersey Boys is a documentary-style musical based on the story of which band?

a) The Who

b) The Four Seasons

c) The Four Tops

d) One Direction

What is the longest-running show on Broadway?

a) Cats

b) Les Miserables

c) The Phantom of the Opera

d) Wicked

Which of the following was NOT based on a film?

a) The Lion King

b) Chicago

c) Saturday Night Fever

d) Sweet Charity

What do Movin’ Out, Moonshadow and Mamma Mia have in common (besides all starting with M)?

a) They were all directed originally by Bill T. Jones

b) They were all adapted from novels

c) They are all ‘jukebox’ musicals

d) They were all choreographed by Twyla Tharp

True or false: Grease the movie came before Grease the musical?

Cabaret was based on a book by which author?

a) Christopher Isherwood

b) Emily Bronte

c) Charles Dickens

d) William S. Burroughs

Which of the following is NOT a character from Annie?

a) Miss Hannigan

b) Rooster

c) Molly

d) Annie Oakley

In which musical would you find Peggy Sawyer, Dorothy Brock and Julian Marsh?

a) The Producers

b) Hello, Dolly!

c) My Fair Lady

d) 42^nd Street

Who choreographed Gypsy, West Side Story and On The Town, among many others?

a) Bob Fosse

b) Jerome Robbins

c) Twyla Tharp

d) Steven Sondheim

Which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is derived from poems by T. S. Eliot?

a) Cats

b) Starlight Express

c) Evita

d) Jesus Christ Superstar

ANSWERS:
1 – b; 2 – c; 3 – b; 4 – c; 5 – False; 6 – a; 7 – d; 8 – d; 9 – b; 10 – a

Top photo: West Side Story. Photo by David Wyatt.

West Side Story with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Opera House
27 January 2012
As part of Sydney Festival

By Elizabeth Ashley.

The iconic film West Side Story, with its musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is seen as one of the greatest film musicals, winning an unsurpassed 10 Academy awards in 1961.  Central to the film’s success is the interplay of Leonard Bernstein’s music and the brilliance of Jerome Robbins’ choreography.

In an attempt to highlight these two elements, West Side Story was screened to the live music of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra this Sydney Festival. It was a collaboration which drew attention to the film’s musical vibrancy and conveyed an immediacy that can seem lacking in the film.

Part of the collaborative process required the original film to undergo technological surgery, digitally deleting the musical score whilst retaining the singing and speaking voices. Ensuring success would demand perfect synchronisation of the present music and past film. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, led by Hollywood’s David Newman, achieved this feat whilst interpreting the music.  Newman recognised the risks involved, “You feel like you are on a tightrope going step by step from A to B to C to D.”

Emerging in the Sydney Opera House Concert hall was the vividness of the score and an appreciation of the musicians’ performances as one could hear and see them toiling onstage to give life to the musical.  A disconcerting aspect was the feeling that the orchestra could reach across time and space to cue the actors to their present performance.

But while we can say that Bernstein’s score benefited from this deconstruction and reconstruction how did Robbins’ choreography fare?

Remastering the score drew our attention to Jerome Robbins’ continuing relevance to a new generation of dancers and audience. Robbins’ capacity to convey an emerging urban energy through combining the discipline of ballet with the social and racial tensions of a modern city underlines the film’s iconic dance scenes.  There is no mistaking Robbins’ influence in such movies as The Warriors and the music video of Michael Jackson’s Beat it which strongly quote Robbins’ vision of urban America.

West Side Story also highlights Robbins’ ability to bring a classical ballet sensibility to the production, freeing it from the usual confines of stage and studio and allowing it to explode and expand onto the streets of New York – a city that he loved.  While other choreographers may be content to convey the city on a stage, Robbins’ determination to place dance squarely in the cityscape resulted in a transformation of the balletic body as it interacts and attempts to circumvent the concrete and steel environment of NYC.

This vision of the street may seem quaint and somewhat at odds with our contemporary sensibility, but with West Side Story we have the opportunity to experience one of the earlier versions of street dance.  Dances such as Cool are capable of capturing all the tension of territorial urban posturing and yet remain unencumbered by the earthbound, technologically distracted manner of much contemporary dance.  The raw energy of the urban street conveyed in Robbins’ choreography is in many ways purer in its roots to classical dance and also much more innocent in its vision.

The film’s costumes and general aesthetic is saturated with the American pop culture that reflected the country’s post-war prosperity of the 1950’s. It suggests a time when the dance world was more integrated and reflective of the wider cultural atmosphere. West Side Story was an opportunity for Robbins to comment on the very real inter-racial gang wars that were ravaging NYC at this time.

From a 21^st century perspective that has been saturated with American urban culture in its music, dance and fashion, the movie’s innocence can seem out of touch and jarring to younger generations. Particularly the almost all white “Caribbean” cast with their fake tans.  One also gets the impression that Robbins’ interpretation of Puerto Rican street dance is closer to a Spanish interpretation of the ballet Carmen rather than Afro-Latin folkloric forms that rule the streets.

Nevertheless this retrospective exercise, with its combination of resonating energy and synchronisation, allowed the audience to suspend disbelief and be transported back in time to experience Bernstein and Robbins afresh. The synergy of past and present masters enthralled and inspired.

Photo source: www.moviesoddity.com/20-best-new-york-movies/

We all need a little inspiration, or sometimes just a little entertainment as we snuggle up on the couch on a cold, wintry weekend.  So gather your dance friends, some popcorn and these dance movies, for a night of fun. Who knows, you might even learn a move or two?

Enjoy this two-part series looking at some of the best dance movies in motion picture history.

By Rain Francis

Swing Time (1936)
No dance movie list would be complete without a mention of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Swing Time is considered by many to be one of their best. Beautifully directed by George Stevens, and with dance numbers choreographed in collaboration with the great Hermes Pan, this film is the perfect showcase for the melding of tap, ballet and ballroom, made famous by Astaire and Rogers.

The Red Shoes (1948)
Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale about an enchanted pair of red ballet shoes, this film won two Oscars and was nominated for three more. It is a tragic story of love, manipulation and obsession – themes which are echoed, 63 years later, in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.  Starring Moira Shearer, Leonard Massine and Robert Helpmann, The Red Shoes is a must-see for lovers of either dance or great movies. Apparently it’s one of Martin Scorsese’s favourite films too! 

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Surely one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Singin’ in the Rain was choreographed and co-directed by the one and only Gene Kelly. Dancing alongside him are Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds. Cyd Charrise makes a wonderfully slinky appearance in one of the best dance sequences in the movie, Broadway Melody Ballet. Other classic scenes include the ground-breaking title number, as well as Good Morning, Fit as a Fiddle and Make ‘Em Laugh – which showcases O’Connor at his best.

West Side Story (1961)
Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, West Side Story won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. Adapted from the highly successful Broadway musical from 1957 (also directed by Robbins), it retells Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Verona is replaced with New York City, and the warring families are instead two street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. 50 years on, the staging and choreography of West Side still looks innovative – this film was ahead of its time.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Before he was Danny Zuko in Grease, John Travolta starred as Tony Manero, the streetwise disco king from Brooklyn. The famed soundtrack, composed and performed mostly by the Bee Gees, became the best-selling movie soundtrack ever, and remained so for 15 years after the film’s release. Against the glitz and glamour of the disco world, the story of Saturday Night Fever is pretty dark,  involving racial conflict, violence and depression. Travolta landed an Academy nomination for Best Actor for his role.

The Turning Point (1977)
Nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Turning Point reflects on the choices we make through life, and the dreams we sometimes cannot fulfil. With amazing performances by Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine, and featuring artists of the American Ballet Theatre, such as Lucette Aldous, Peter Martins and Suzanne Farrell, this is surely one of the best ballet movies ever.

All That Jazz (1979)
This is a semi-autobiographical story, directed by Bob Fosse. Perhaps the greatest jazz choreographer of all time depicts himself – through central character Joe Gideon – as an over-worked, substance-addicted womaniser, in the pull of a downward spiral. With its fantasy elements, disjointed sequences and graphic medical scenes, All That Jazz is not for everyone, however if you’re a Fosse fan, it’s a must see.

Nijinsky (1980)
This film tells the story of Vaslav Nijinksy, his relationship with the controlling impresario of the Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev, and an eventual descent into madness. It is said to be based on biographical fact, using Nijinsky’s personal journals and his wife’s book, Life of Nijinsky, as its main source of research. It is directed by Herbert Ross, who also directed The Turning Point, Footloose and Dancers.

Flashdance (1983)
With its leg-warmers, big hair, step-ball-changes and legendary soundtrack, this cult film IS the 80s. Jennifer Beale stars as a welder by day, exotic dancer by night, with dreams of training at a prestigious ballet school. It’s cheesy in all the right ways, and scored a load of awards and nominations in its day (mostly for music and editing), despite being panned by many critics.

Footloose (1984)
Based loosely on events which took place in a small town in Oklahoma, Footloose is a classic story of teen rebellion. A very young and agile Kevin Bacon stars as a city kid who moves to a small town – one that has banned dancing and rock music. Among its many great features are one of history’s best ‘angry dance’ sequences, a cracking soundtrack, and even an appearance by Sarah Jessica Parker. Look out for the remake, which is due for release in October 2011.

Breakin’ (1984)
As far as films go, Breakin’ is pretty flawed, but features some awesome popping, locking and breaking, from a time when these styles were just being developed. A must-see for today’s b-boys and b-girls, this film was inspired by the German documentary Breakin’ and Enterin’. Ice T makes his cinematic debut in this one, and keep your eyes peeled for Jean-Claude van Damme!

A Chorus Line (1985)
A stylised depiction of the audition process, this film doesn’t really live up to the Broadway show version, although it is fun. It features a young Michael Douglas, some super high-cut leotards and a lot of over-acting. Classic numbers include I Can Do That, Dance: Ten; Looks: Three and the  impressively gold-lycra clad finale, One.

White Nights (1985)
This movie is another vehicle for the great Mikhail Baryshnikov, this time co-starring with Gregory Hines, Helen Mirren and Isabella Rossellini, with choreography by Twyla Tharp. If you haven’t seen White Nights, check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=02EvsGal-Wc&feature=related for a taste of its brilliance.

Dirty Dancing (1987)
You’d have to have been living under a rock not to have seen this one! The late Patrick Swayze is magnificent as dance instructor Johnny, teaching the young ‘Baby’ a thing or two – including some new, sexy dance moves, and possibly the most famous lift ever seen in a movie. The soundtrack is a classic, and includes some hits which are now favourites at karaoke bars the world over. Dirty Dancing spawned a 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, as well as a highly successful stage version.

Dancers (1987)
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leslie Browne, Alessandra Ferri and Lynn Seymour star in this movie about a ballet company rehearsing for a production of Giselle in Southern Italy. Critics’ reviews were, in short, caustic, but as ballet lovers, we’re prepared to turn a blind eye to a dodgy script and some under-developed characters, in the name of beautiful dancing – right?

Tap (1989)
Gregory Hines stars as Max, a dancer who, through lack of opportunity, has turned to crime. As with many dance films, it’s generally agreed that the storyline is fairly lame but the dancing is awesome. Gregory Hines was the most incredible tap dancer of his day, and if that’s not enough, Tap also stars Sammy Davis Jr, in his last screen appearance.

After a successful season in Sydney, West Side Story is now hitting hard in Melbourne, before touring to Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Dance photographer David Wyatt got in on the action at a Regent Theatre performance.
Photos copyright David Wyatt. davidwyatt75@gmail.com www.capturingimages.com.au

By Kristy Johnson. 

We’ve seen them grace our screens on So You Think You Can Dance, and these much loved dancers are now making their mark in the world of musical theatre.
Dance Informa caught up with Talia Fowler, Jack Chambers, Timomatic Omaji, Marko Panzic and Hilton Denis, who are currently starring in FAME, West Side Story and Hairspray across the country!

Talia Fowler
Starring as ‘Iris Kelly’ in FAME. 

So Talia, what drew you to want to try out for FAME the musical?
I had just got back from my performance in the US. I arrived back and actually got a phone call from Kelley Abbey. At that time I was with an agent kind of preparing to go back to the US and do the ballet thing. Kelley said to me “I’m directing and choreographing a new musical called FAME. I want you to watch the movie and check out this character, because I think you would be great for it and I’d love for you to audition.”  So from there I watched the movie. I rented it straight away, liked the character and then went through the process of auditioning for the role.

Has working with Kelley again been to your advantage as she already understands your strengths and weaknesses?
Oh definitely. I think obviously So You Think You Can Dance would have been a big factor in me getting this role because they’ve already seen how I perform on stage and Kelley knew what my work ethic was like. So that was a big draw card, I think. And of course when Kelley was choreographing the show she knew that there were a few steps that were my specialty. She put them in the choreography so she could make it a part of us.

Touring can be quite exhausting. How do you keep on top of your game?
It’s really important for us to get our internal body clocks right. We finish a show at 11 o’clock at night and it’s important that we get some sleep that night and that we can still get up and do things the next day. It’s very important to change your schedule so you’re still being fuelled at the right time, so that you have enough energy to perform for 8 shows a week.

What is your schedule like?
At this point in the show we don’t actually have rehearsals at all before we do the shows because it’s been running for a while. So the show’s sitting pretty comfortably with all of us. I’ll start my day with a class at 9am. Just a ballet or classical class to really get my technique, feel my body and activate all the muscles for the day. Then it’s time to go home, do some normal things, have my lunch and make sure I get in some ‘chill’ time. Then in the afternoon I usually go to the gym and do some strength training. Then I come back, cook myself a healthy meal and go into the theatre two hours before the show. I spend the first hour getting ready – doing my hair and makeup, sewing new pairs of shoes or breaking shoes in. At hour call we have a group warm up…..and then it’s showtime!

Timomatic Omaji
Starring as ‘Tyrone Jackson’ in FAME.

Have you always wanted to perform in musicals?
No, not at all. It was never on the cards. I’d never seen any musicals until after So You Think You Can Dance, and then I got approached by a few people. My management let me know about it and that there was a role that would really suit me. I’m always up for a new challenge – something that will stretch me and something I haven’t tried before, so I was like “yeah let’s do it!”

What’s it like to work alongside Kelley Abbey again on FAME?
Kelley is an amazing choreographer and director, and I think she’s just amazing at dealing with people as opposed to just dancers. She’ll bring out the best. She’s really brought out the best in me through both So You Think You Can Dance and FAME, but more closely FAME because she’s so tailor made to you and what you do. And she doesn’t just put her ideas on you. I’ve soaked up all the energy, inspiration and passion that she kind of exerts.

Coming from the hip hop scene, have you been challenged by musical theatre?
Definitely. Through what I used to do, we didn’t really have to have a character and follow the path of a character. I think the main challenge for me was the acting. I’d done music before, so putting my energies into a character was probably the hardest, newest thing I’ve had to face. Even though you’re dancing, everything you do has an intention behind it. That’s what Kelley would teach us.

What would be your highlight so far whilst touring?
You know what, for me it’s just growing. Growing is a passion you need to endure more as a performer. It’s one thing to do a show and just leave it, but it’s another to be able to sustain a show. I think that’s taught me a lot about perseverance and endurance and to really keep my eye on the ball. If anything, I’ve learnt a lot about treating the body right.

Jack Chambers
Starring as ‘Link Larkin’ in Hairspray

In Hairspray, the character of Tracy Turnblad has a passion for dance, wins a spot on a television program and through this becomes a teen celebrity. Do you feel this transition mirrors your life, having won So You Think You Can Dance and gaining international recognition?
Now that you mention it, yes, Tracy’s life in Hairspray kind of mirrors what my life has been in the past few years! The only difference would be that I’m skinny and male!

The creative team behind Hairspray is quite phenomenal with David Atkins directing and Jason Coleman choreographing. What’s it like to reunite with Jason since the show?
It was wonderful to see Jason Coleman again. I am really looking forward to working with him in an atmosphere where he won’t be judging me! I’m also really looking forward to working with David Atkins. It’s a very exciting creative team, as well as cast, so rehearsals will be an absolute blast.

Any advice for dancers who would like to work in musicals?
My advice would be to continue your training to keep your ‘triple threat’ abilities up to par. Theatre is all about charisma and personality, so it’s important to let that shine through when you’re auditioning.

Hilton Denis
Starring as ‘Moose’ in West Side Story

Why did you try out for West Side Story?
It’s one of the greatest musicals of all time, so that’s why I wanted to do it. It’s a classic and everyone knows about it.

With musicals, you need to be a triple threat. How have you made sure to hone all your performance skills?
Before West Side Story I had to go to a lot of singing lessons because I’m not that much of a singer. I’m lucky that the cast members are so amazing because I can learn off them as well. I’ve had to work on acting as well. By watching other NIDA graduates act I learn off them. They give me advice and by just watching them do their own thing you pick up different strategies on how to improve yourself.

What would an average day entail for you?
We do 8 shows a week. We’ve got two shows on Wednesday and Saturday. I train in martial arts for a bit, just for fun. And on top of that I just choreograph. I’m always choreographing.

Marko Panzic
Dance Captain, FAME

What does your role as Dance Captain for FAME involve?
Kelley choreographs and directs the show and then she leaves the show. So all the choreography and all the dance is left in my hands. I have to work on keeping Kelley’s original choreography and make sure that it stays exactly how Kelley wants it. So I’m keeping on the dancers, making sure everyone is doing their job properly. We also have swings off stage, so my role involves keeping the swings and understudies in use. We rehearse to make sure they’re ready to go on at any point if anyone goes off. So I have to rehearse all the understudies and swings.

Any advice for those dancers who want to get into musicals?
Take class and get fit. It’s about being ‘show fit’. When doing a show like this your body has to be able to handle it. I was choreographing a lot before I did the show. So I had to go into the gym and start looking after myself in a different way, because when you choreograph you don’t dance as much. So I would really tell people just not to be lazy. Musical theatre is a hard world. You have to have the look, you have to have the body and you have to have the fitness. You have to go in with the package because you only get that audition to show everything off. You can’t get the job and then work towards it. You have to be ready.

Want to see these dance stars in action? Make sure you get tickets to FAME, West Side Story and Hairspray and support Australian theatre.

Visit: www.famethemusical.com.au
www.westsidestorythemusical.com.au
www.hairspraythemusical.com.au

FAME photos courtesy of Jeff Busby.
Hairspray photo courtesy of Belinda Strodder

By Linda Badger.

The international smash hit, West Side Story is touring Australia, currently playing in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide later this year. A musical theatre classic, West Side Story has it all – hard hitting choreography, brilliant music and a story to make the heart wrench.

Dance Informa’s Linda Badger got a chance to speak with two of the talented cast.

Rohan Browne, playing Riff  (Leader of the Jets)

Tell us about your experience in the show so far?
I think this is such an amazing piece of theatre.  I saw this show when I was 14, (16 years ago) and I thought it was incredible!  The agility, the passion and the dancing telling a story! Ever since then I had a dream to be involved in this show and so it’s a real honour to be playing the part of Riff and being able to do this every night , getting the joy and satisfaction. It’s such a real challenge, mentally and physically. It encompasses every aspect.  It challenges me every day.   Who wouldn’t want to work and do that?

What was the audition process like?
It was quite intense!  Joey McKneely, the choreographer/director is a very intense person.  He stripped everybody back to what the truth of the story is about.  I was working on Chicago at that point, which is more minimalistic dancing, and I came from that to do the audition, which was so physical and full on.  Joey workshopped some scenes with me, and because he was so intense I kind of walked away from that thinking I didn’t get the job, because I thought I didn’t give what I needed to give .  I was doubting myself, as you do as an actor, but luckily I landed the gig.  It was very tough competition. Everyman and his dog wants to be in the show, so it was tough.

Would you say you were primarily a dancer or a singer?
I trained as a dancer, but I’ve played some roles in other shows, which is now pushing me towards more singing and acting.  I’m not an amazing singer,  but I can sing and I’m not an amazing actor but I’ve learned instinct.  How I would categorise myself…dancer, singer, actor. 

What is the most challenging thing about the show?
The acting.  This is my 14^th show, and you get so used to doing musical theatre acting, which is highly dramatized and melodramatic. Or it’s a pastiche, so you’re doing a show within a show, which means it’s even more dramatised.  This show kind of goes against those natural basic instincts of “hey! I’m acting!”, and I had to strip it back to how I would say things if it was real life.  Joe calls this a drama, or a play.  It’s not a musical.  The issues we are dealing with (racism, rape), means that it’s quite delicate , so if you’re ‘acting’, it doesn’t get the audience in , it doesn’t have that raw emotion like it is actually happening for real.  So I think the most challenging thing for me was just going back to the basic truth of how would I act if it was just me, putting my emotion, putting my fear, putting my anger in and  stripping everything back.  But in saying that, the dancing is also so hard.  I’m still sitting here sweating from just doing the gym scene twice!  It’s so full on!  But even the singing is a challenge. I sing the ‘Jet’s Song’ and I sing ‘Cool’.  It’s singing spoken word. Every aspect I have been challenged in.  But I think the acting is the most challenging for me.  

Nigel Turner-Carroll, playing Bernado (Leader of the Sharks)

What was your experience like leading up to the opening of the show?
For me the whole process started three months before rehearsals.  I was at the gym four times a week, ballet two to three times a week, and going to flamenco classes to learn some salsa and tango, to get the Latin flavour.

After you got the part?
I got the part at the end of last year, so I had quite a bit of time to think about it.  I was doing a lot of character work leading up to it, so I had done a lot of homework coming into it.  It’s been great because we’ve had ballet class every day, and now they are starting to alternate ballet and stretch class.  So as the season goes on, all throughout rehearsals, everyone has improved in their abilities. But it’s been tough as well.  I had a few injuries, leading up to it, but it was perfect timing in a way -  I’d rather injuries earlier on, than now. This show is very physically demanding. I come off stage with bruises every time.  We are very lucky to have a full time physiotherapist.

Is this a show that you’ve always wanted to do?
It wasn’t something that I’ve always wanted to play, it’s a role that I have seen and loved.  I wasn’t actually going to audition until I’d read the script and I thought it was so good.  That’s when I went,  “I need to play this role”.  I think it says a lot. Bernado represents all immigrants. It’s a bigger picture thing and for me it’s very political as well.  In Australia, as well as most places in the world, I think I’m standing up for the immigrant, or the underdog.  People can take their different sides or opinions, but that’s the way I feel so that’s why I wanted to tell the story.

You obviously have a really good connection with your role, which makes it that much more real when you get up there.
I always try to aim to bring that onto the stage, but with how I’ve approached this role, it has bled off stage as well. It’s kind of fun to explore those different sides of yourself.  He is quite a passionate character so that does make it hard to switch off.  I’m sure the time it takes to switch off will get smaller and smaller, but at the moment it just takes that little bit of time to cool down after the show.  

Were you a dancer growing up?
I started pretty late, but I started in performing as a dancer.  I pretty much got straight into the musical  Hot Shoe Shuffle in which there were acting and singing roles as well.  I had the experience straight away of acting and singing, and I fell in love with acting. So I took time off the dancing stuff to focus on my acting for three years (at NIDA).  I didn’t plan to go back into a musical, but I don’t see this as a typical musical, it’s a play for me.

How was your audition process?
It was a week.  I thought I got cut after the first dance call.  I actually walked out because they didn’t call my name.  My phone rang and they said “You’re meant to be in the room”. I said ‘”What?” and they said, “didn’t you hear your name get called?” They thought they called my name and I wasn’t going to argue, so I ran back to the room.  I think Joey knew what he was looking for as a director so it wasn’t too drawn out and the audition process was more of an acting workshop rather than a dance call or anything like that.  Even then, I didn’t know if I wanted to do it still. I thought I’d do the audition and see how I felt.  But working with the director, even in the rehearsal room, I thought I would love to do this.  And the choreography isn’t dance steps, it’s psychological gestures and so every single thing really has a meaning. I hope that really comes through when we do it.

What advice would you give young performers trying to enter the entertainment industry?
First and foremost you’ve really got to love it. You have to know yourself. Do you want to do it to be rich, or for the fame, or do you want to do it because you love it and you want to be the best that you can be?  This is why I do it.  I think that you need to be clear on that when you first start.  And it’s cool if you want to do it for fame, which I don’t think that there’s that much of, but it’s tough and you have to be willing to work hard when no one is looking.

 To see Rohan Browne and Nigel Turner-Carroll in action, make sure you get tickets to West Side Story. Visit www.westsidestorythemusical.com.au for all the information.

Bottom photo: Carolin Smolek

Star City, Lyric Theatre
Sunday July 4^th

By Linda Badger

West Side Story is a classic musical that has been loved for many generations.  In its time, West Side Story was a contemporary version of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy.  This show is one that preserves so much of what musical theatre was in the 1950’s.  The scripting, choreography and the score all reflect the era they were created in.  With all the revamping of old stories and shows being recreated in a fresh a new manner, it is nice to see some traditional repertoire kept alive.

Joey McNeely, director of the current production playing in Star City’s Lyric Theatre, has preserved this vintage show well.  He was personally chosen by original director and choreographer, Jerome Robbins, to recreate the show worldwide.  However, will this be enough to capture the up and coming generation of musical theatre goers?  We will have to wait and see. The raunchy advertising flying on banners and buses around the city suggests that the advertisers weren’t so sure, considering that the flyers don’t reflect the characters they portray, nor do the characters wear the types of outfits shown. I guess they are hoping to draw a younger and more vibrant crowd to this tour of West Side Story.  

The Australian cast were very young compared to that of the current Broadway production, but they performed their hearts out, with standout cast members being Alinta Chidzey as ‘Anita’ and Nigel Turner-Carroll as ‘Bernardo’. I also enjoyed the ensemble performance of May Yen Cheah, a  ‘Shark girl’. She is a dancer to watch out for in the future. 

Overall the cast were quite strong in their dance technique.  Vocally they blended well, and they were committed to the acting.  However, it just did not hit the mark.  It was quite obvious that the scenario being portrayed was not too familiar to most cast members, growing up in Australia where racism is present, but not to the extent that it was prevalent in 1950’s USA, where the musical is set.  Most cast members were too young, or performed like they were too young, to show that they fully understood what the story was about.  Alinta Chidzey and Nigel Turner-Carroll, mentioned before, were quite convincing, but the rest of show felt like a really good version of a high school production, with some talented technical singers and dancers.  In comparison to the Broadway show, where the performers live in the very city where this musical was set, our Australian cast unfortunately fell short.  Nigel Turner-Carroll (Bernardo) told me himself that every movement is a ‘psychological gesture’, and often it looked like the performers where doing their steps, but not living the movement.  As time goes on and they grow into their roles, I’m sure that this will change. 

The costumes are vibrant, the set is interesting and musically the score is brilliant. The orchestra played well and overall the cast did give their best. I know they will continue to grow into their roles and learn a lot from being involved in such an important show in musical theatre history.  I wish them all the best with the national tour.  West Side Story is a must see for all students of musical theatre.

Photos: Carolin Smolek

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NSW Permit Number LTPM/09/00769 CLASS: Type B.

From July 1st, Lyric Theatre, Star City Sydney 

“The greatest Broadway musical of all time” – The Guardian (UK)

Director and Choreographer Joey McKneely has announced the dynamic young cast who will star in the Australian national tour of the show that is credited with changing the face of musical theatre. Joey McKneely was personally chosen by Jerome Robbins to reproduce his original choreography and has now toured the show to wild acclaim and sell-out seasons in London, Tokyo, Paris and Beijing.

“I believe this Australian cast will be the best cast I have assembled in 10 years of doing West Side Story. Their talent has impressed me. Really, Broadway calibre!” said Joey McKneely.

This vibrant new stage production plays from July 1st at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre for a strictly limited six week season. It will then tour to Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

The lead male role of Jets leader turned good-guy Tony, is to be played by Josh Piterman whose voice has become well known across the world thanks to his time with the smash hit singing group The Ten Tenors. A graduate of the Ballarat College of the Arts, Josh has toured with the Melbourne Opera Company, lived and performed in Japan, and has just finished currently sharing the stage with Geoffrey Rush in The Drowsy Chaperone at Melbourne Theatre Company.

The innocent romantic dreamer Maria will be brought to life by Sydney Conservatorium Scholarship winner Julie Goodwin, who has recently completed 200 performances in the lead role of Christine in Australian tour of Phantom of the Opera. Julie is a graduate of both the Sydney Conservatorium High School, and the prestigious Talent Development Project. Having toured in Asia and across Australia Julie is tremendously excited to have won the coveted role of Maria.

Packed with unforgettable songs, including ‘Maria’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Somewhere’, ‘America’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’, West Side Story remains a theatrical landmark. These songs are as popular now as when first written having been recorded by countless famous artists.

Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in West Side Story two young people meet, fall in love and pledge their eternal loyalty to one another. Their different backgrounds ensure they are denied a happy future because of the intolerance and hatred of two antagonistic cultures. Fate leads the star-crossed lovers into a tragedy of heartbreaking proportions.

WIN tickets for Opening Week in Sydney!
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SYDNEY
Dates: From Thursday July 1st, for 6 weeks only
Venue: Lyric Theatre, Star City Contact:
Ticketmaster 1300 795 267 www.ticketmaster.com.au
MELBOURNE
Dates: From Thursday August 19th, for 6 weeks only
Venue: Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Contact: Ticketek 1300 795 012 www.ticketek.com.au
PERTH
Dates: TBA
Venue: Burswood Theatre
BRISBANE
Dates: TBA
Venue: Lyric Theatre, QPAC
ADELAIDE
Dates: TBA
Venue: Adelaide Festival Centre

www.westsidestorythemusical.com.au  

NSW Permit Number: LTPM/09/00769 CLASS: Type B