I figured I’d change pace a little to tell you about the musical Hairspray, which I was lucky enough to see at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre last weekend. I talk about rock concerts on here all the time, so why not a bit of musical theatre?
I came to Hairspray a little late in the game I suppose, on the release of the John Travolta movie in 2007. I instantly fell in love with the sweet but often naughty John Waters penned songs and the unwavering optimism of the story, so when I heard it was heading to the Sydney stage I couldn’t refuse.
I had high expectations, which were happily met. In many cases the performances were better than the ones we saw on the big screen. I guess that’s what happens when you can choose your players based on talent rather than their box office power. Esther Hannaford definitely outperformed Amanda Bynes’ insipid Penny, and while Queen Latifah was no slouch I think Cle Morgan brought added soul to Motormouth Maybelle. I’d also take the all-singing, all-dancing Jack Chambers over Zac Effron’s Link Larkin any day, and my inner teenager went nuts for Tevin Campbell’s Seaweed. I thought Nikki Blonsky was a wonderful Tracy Turnblad, but the Sydney star Jaz Flowers was every bit her equal.
The stars were standouts, but the clever lighting and staging was what really made the show for me. Images projected on plain screens created the Technicolor world of the 60s in a way that no old-fashioned stage scenery ever could. Elevating platforms added to the fun, giving more depth to the relatively small Lyric Theatre stage. I was swept up in the world created as you should be in any musical, and I relished it.
Hairspray will stay in Sydney until September 11, unless the season is extended. If you’ve been considering getting yourself along, I would highly recommend it. This musical is a whole lot of fun.
Image source: Hairspray The Musical Australia website
Thankfully we were all settled in for Andy Bull. I’d enjoyed the music I’d heard from Andy before, but experiencing it in a live setting brought it to another level. This is probably one of the larger venues he’s played, but he made it feel so intimate with his stories about the songs and sweet, self conscious manner. It takes a very special performer to fill a theatre with just a voice and some keyboards. Despite being excited about Joshua’s appearance, I was a little sad to see him leave the stage.
Let me take you back to last Saturday night. It was a night where the end of the world was nigh, or at least we were told that it was. I was pretty sure there’d be no Rapture, but I figured if there was at least I’d go out seeing one of my favorite Australian performers, 
Image source: Stephen Katulka
But before Amy and Emily took the stage we were warmed up by Henry Wagons. And warm us he did with his quirky alt-country tunes. He was without his band, with only an acoustic guitar to accompany him, but his big personality filled the stage. My husband wasn’t too sure what to make of him at first, but by the time Henry got to his closing song “Willie Nelson” he was joining in the chorus.
There was less quirk to the Indigo Girls but a similar raw energy. This is music the way I like it best, without frills or fuss, back to basics. With only acoustic guitars, a mandolin and harmonica, and two sublime voices the American girls wowed me. I understood why they’re such legends in their home country, and wondered why they’ve never really caught on here. I felt privileged to be exposed to their exceptional songs and musical prowess, like someone had let me in on a secret. I have my husband to thank for that, and I do.
My mediocre night started with Tinie Tempah. I have no clue who thought it’d be a good idea to pair the inoffensive piano pop of The Script with the stylings of this brash Brit rapper, but it was a weird mix, to say the least. I hated his music, but was amused by his arrogant on stage persona. There’s something very contrived about a performer who demands crowd participation. People will wave their hands in the air and sing along if they feel like it; you really shouldn’t need to push it. I also feel a bit cheated when a performer merely raps over the work of other musicians, but that might just be me. The Video Hits loving crowd on the floor seemed to lap up his set, but I spent it giggling and cringing at his over-the-top antics. At least I was entertained.
Hearing the familiar piano driven music of The Script was a welcome respite from all that hip hop garbage. The Irishmen delivered a really solid set featuring tunes from their self titled debut and their sophomore effort Science and Faith in equal measures. They interacted with the crowd, and I couldn’t help melting every time they told us how much they appreciated our support and country. We sang along loudly to the big hits, no prompting needed. See Tinie? We’ll sing if we want to.
But before she graced us with her presence it was Casey Donovan’s turn to charm us. I’ve been a fan of Casey’s since her Australian Idol days, and I was thrilled to see she’s only gotten better. Accompanied by a single acoustic guitar she delivered a stunning stripped back mix of covers and original material. Casey’s always been a master at delivering a song, but I’m thrilled to see her stage presence now matching her delivery. She’s come a long way from the quiet teen that wowed us in Idol. She bantered easily with the crowd between songs, charming us even more with her confidence. I was desperate to see Cyndi, but also disappointed to see her all too short set end.
I’ve got a fairly crowded concert calendar, but the show I was most excited about was Eddie Vedder at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. The chance to see one of my childhood heroes, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, at such a small, intimate venue was just too thrilling to pass up.
Western Australian music royalty came together last night for one amazing show at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. This grand old theatre was made for the intimate music of artists like The Waifs and Mama Kin, and the attentive crowd lapped it up.
