EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (FILM REVIEW)

 

Music by Dan Gillespie Sells

Screenplay and lyrics by Tom MacRae

Directed by Jonathan Butterell

Streaming on Amazon Prime

 

Reviewed by Len Power 27 September 2021

 

‘Everybody's Talking About Jamie’ was originally a coming-of-age stage musical with book and lyrics by Tom MacRae and music by Dan Gillespie Sells.  It was inspired by the 2011 British television documentary ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’.  The musical follows a 16-year-old teenager as he overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness to become a drag queen.

An Australian touring production, which was to have included a season in Canberra, had been announced for late 2020 but was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

A film of the stage musical has now been released on streaming service, Amazon Prime.  The screenplay has been written by Tom MacRae, based on his book of the stage musical.  It’s been directed by Jonathan Butterell, the original stage production director, here making his feature movie directing debut.

Butterell’s film is polished, energetic, colourful and enjoyable.  Although it’s no surprise that the film has a happy, almost fairytale ending, there are some surprisingly gritty incidents throughout the film, reminding us that the journey of a young man who chooses to be different is never going to be an easy one.

Newcomer to the screen, Max Harwood, is a terrific Jamie, showing all facets of this fascinating character.  He’s charming, quirky and sensitive but has an iron will underneath.

As his mother, Sarah Lancashire, of TV’s ‘Last Tango In Halifax’, is tough but loving and supportive of Jamie’s dreams.  Her singing of ‘He’s My Boy’, towards the end of the film, is very moving.

Richard E. Grant is a stand out as a former drag queen and Jamie’s mentor.  His song, ‘This Was Me’, is one of the best and is a chilling reminder of the worst days of the HIV epidemic.  The song has been written for the film and replaces another song in the stage musical.  Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman, Holly Johnson, joins with Richard E. Grant for this song.

There is also a fine performance by Lauren Patel as Pritti Pasha, Jamie's classmate and best friend.  She sings ‘It Means Beautiful’ with great warmth and feeling.  The rest of the supporting cast, including many young performers, give natural and believable characterisations.

The musical numbers have been staged with flair and imagination, often employing digital tricks that really work well.  The music by Dan Gillespie Sells is catchy and appealing with several songs remaining in the mind afterwards.

‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ is a memorable movie musical with a message.  Stay watching through the credits at the end of the movie for a look at the real Jamie and his mother.

 

Len Power's reviews are published on the Canberra Critics Circle blog and are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’, ‘Arts About’ and ‘Arts Starter’ programs.

 

 

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 2 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

‘The Gershwin Project’ is a 26 episode series about the life and works of the 20th Century American music composer, George Gershwin.  Each episode runs for 30 minutes.

The series was first broadcast on Artsound FM in 2008.  The show was written and produced by Len Power and is narrated by Bill Stephens.

Part 2: The Early Years - 1898 to 1919

This program covers George Gershwin’s early life from 1898 to 1919.  You’ll hear interviews with his contemporaries, Kay Swift and Irving Caesar, and his brother, Ira Gershwin.  Rare recordings of George’s earliest published works ‘Ragging The Traumerei’, ‘Rialto Ripples’ and ‘You-oo, Just You’, illustrate his early talent.  Performances are by George Gershwin himself, Michael Feinstein, Julia Sanderson, Maureen McGovern and others.

 Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-2/

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1928 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 26th of September and repeated at 11pm on Monday 27th of September.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1928

1928 on Broadway was a busy year full of variety.  There was the now legendary operetta ‘The New Moon’, with music by Sigmund Romberg, as well as the musical comedies, Rodgers and Hart’s ‘Present Arms’, ‘Whoopee’ with Eddie Cantor and ‘Animal Crackers’ with the Marx Brothers.

Performers in this program include Jeanette McDonald (‘Lover Come Back To Me’), Elaine Stritch (‘You Took Advantage Of Me’), Eddie Cantor (‘Makin’ Whoopee’), Helen Kane (‘I Want To Be Loved By You’) and Groucho Marx (‘Hooray For Captain Spaulding’).

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

 

 

'RUTHLESS!' AND 'THE BAD SEED' (FILM REVIEW)

 

The Q Theatre in Queanbeyan recently announced their February 2022 musical production will be the off-Broadway show, ‘Ruthless!’  This 1992 musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley has a zany plot that spoofs Broadway musicals like ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Mame’, as well as movies such as ‘All About Eve’ and ‘The Bad Seed’.

‘Gypsy’, ‘Mame’ and ‘All About Eve’ are well-known, but ‘The Bad Seed’, which is the inspiration for Act One of ‘Ruthless!’, would mainly be known to audiences of a certain age.

Produced on Broadway in 1955, ‘The Bad Seed’ was a play adapted by Maxwell Anderson from the 1954 novel by William March.  The play, a psychological thriller about a mother, Christine Penmark, who realizes that her young daughter is a ruthless killer, starred Nancy Kelly as the mother, Christine, and Patty McCormack as the daughter, Rhoda.

Both actresses repeated their roles in a film adaptation of the play.  The film was one of the bigger hits of 1956 and both Nancy Kelly and Patty McCormack received Academy Award nominations for their roles.

Although the novel and play conclude with Christine dying and Rhoda surviving, the Motion Picture Production Code of the time did not allow for ‘crime to pay’.  Changes had to be made to appease the censors and Warner Bros., who produced the film, added an ‘adults only’ tag to the film's advertising.

Viewed today, it’s hard to believe that 1950s audiences flocked to see this ‘shocker’.  The homicidal child, Rhoda, is played so sickeningly sweet you’d have to know she was up to something and Nancy Kelly chews the scenery as the distraught mother.  It feels like both actresses are trying to project their voices to the back of a theatre.

Several of the supporting cast play their roles as if they are still in the theatre, too.  It’s this over the top theatricality as well as the melodramatic subject matter that makes this film much sought after these days as a camp classic.

At the end of the movie, the cast take bows as if they really had just completed a stage performance.  To lighten the mood, there is a jokey finish to the curtain call that has to be seen to be believed.

Patty McCormack has continued to act in films and television.  She played Pat Nixon in the 2008 film ‘Frost/Nixon’.

A Blu-ray copy of the film is available for purchase online.  It can also be rented on various streaming services.  If you can borrow the 2004 DVD copy from someone, it includes a very entertaining commentary by female impersonator, Charles Busch, with the grown up Patty McCormack.

Try to catch ‘The Bad Seed’ before you see ‘Ruthless!’ at the Q.  Knowing the references to the film will add to your enjoyment of the musical.

‘Ruthless!’ is scheduled to play at the Q Theatre in Queanbeyan from 24 February to 12 March 2022.

 

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 1 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

Written and produced by Len Power

Narrated by Bill Stephens

 

‘The Gershwin Project’ was first broadcast on Artsound FM in 2008.  It went on to play nationally on the Community Radio Network and was also played on English-speaking community radio stations in Europe.

The 26 episodes cover the life and works of the 20^th Century American music composer, George Gershwin.  Each episode runs for 30 minutes.

In his short, driven life, George Gershwin wrote hundreds of songs, as well as some of the world’s most popular orchestral pieces, including ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and the opera, ‘Porgy And Bess’, which continue to be performed frequently.

Gershwin’s vibrant, diverse music combined great melodies and classical stylings with the syncopated rhythms and forceful energy of jazz.

Countless singers and musicians have recorded Gershwin songs - Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Madonna, Sting and many others.

With access to the vast music library of local Gershwin collector, Bert Whelan, the programs include not only Gershwin’s well-known music but also an extraordinary number of Gershwin rarities.

Program 1: Introduction

The exploration of the Gershwin catalogue of hundreds of songs, piano music and orchestral pieces begins with an emotion-charged performance of ‘Swanee’ by Al Jolson soon after George Gershwin’s death in 1937.

Bert Whelan, Canberra, Australia resident and Gershwin collector for over 60 years, talks about his collection.  You’ll hear performances by Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein and George Gershwin himself. 

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-01/

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1984 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 19th of September and repeated at 11pm on Monday 20th of September.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1984

1984 saw the opening of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sunday In the Park with George’ with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.  Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera starred in ‘The Rink’ with music by Kander and Ebb.  Galt MacDermot, of ‘Hair’ fame, wrote the music for ‘The Human Comedy’ and August Wilson’s play with music, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ also opened on Broadway that year.

There were also a number of new musicals that closed quickly, including ‘Diamonds’, ‘Brownstone’ and ‘Haarlem Nocturne’.  You’ll hear songs from all of them.

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

 

FOUR BIOGRAPHICAL FILMS ABOUT OSCAR WILDE (FILM REVIEWS)

Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright.  After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, ‘A Woman Of No Importance’, ‘An Ideal Husband’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, his novel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and the circumstances of his criminal conviction for gross indecency, imprisonment, and early death at age 46.

There are four biographical movies about Oscar Wilde and all are currently available for viewing on streaming services.

In 1960, Robert Morley starred in the film, ‘Oscar Wilde’.  Morley had previously played Wilde on stage from 1936, first in London and then on Broadway.  It proved to be a career-making role for him.  The depth of his characterisation in the film clearly owed a great deal to his experience of playing the character so many times on stage.  He is especially moving in the courtroom scene where he crumbles under questioning by the lawyer for the defence, played by Ralph Richardson.

Also released in 1960 a week after the Robert Morley version, was another film about Oscar Wilde, this time starring Peter Finch.  Known as ‘The Trials Of Oscar Wilde’ or ‘The Man With The Green Carnation’, this wide screen, colour production boasts an excellent performance by Finch, who seemed a surprise choice to play Wilde.  Finch went on to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance.

In 1997, Stephen Fry starred as Oscar in ‘Wilde’.  The screenplay by Julian Mitchell was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1987 biography of Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann.  The film was more forthright about the homosexual aspects of the story than the earlier films could be and Stephen Fry gave a strong performance that was generally praised by the critics.  It was no surprise that Fry could deliver the famous epigrams with skill and humour but his performance of the dramatic scenes later in the film showing Wilde’s decline were impressively touching.

‘The Happy Prince’ is a 2018 biographical film about Oscar Wilde, written and directed by and starring Rupert Everett in his directorial debut.  The film's title alludes to the children's story by Oscar Wilde, ‘The Happy Prince and Other Tales’, which Wilde would read aloud to his children.

The film focuses on the remainder of Wilde’s life following his trial and imprisonment in London.  Now ill and exiled in France, he is denied contact with his children and is ultimately abandoned to poverty by his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas.  Rupert Everett gives a fine performance as the tormented Wilde.  He was nominated for many awards and won several.  Colin Firth, Colin Morgan and Emily Watson give strong performances in the film as well.

Both ‘Oscar Wilde’ with Robert Morley and ‘The Trials of Oscar Wilde’ with Peter Finch can be viewed free on YouTube.  ‘Wilde’ with Stephen Fry is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime and Rupert Everett’s ‘The Happy Prince’ is showing on SBS On Demand.

This is a rare opportunity to compare the performances of this fascinating character by the four actors in these fine films.

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1949 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 12th of September and repeated at 11pm on Monday 13th of September.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1949

1949 was the year of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s now legendary war-time musical, ‘South Pacific’.  It was also the year of the song ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ sung by Carol Channing as Lorelei Lee in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’.

You’ll also hear performances by Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza in ‘South Pacific’.  Todd Duncan sings ‘Lost In The Stars’ from the Kurt Weill musical of the same name and Eddie Albert, the star of the 1960s hit TV show, ‘Green Acres’, sings ‘Let's Take An Old-Fashioned Walk’ from Irving Berlin’s period musical, ‘Miss Liberty’.

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

 

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSICAL FROM THE BEGINNING (THEATRE BOOK REVIEW)

When we think of ‘Australian Musicals’ the ones that come to mind immediately are ‘The Boy From Oz’, ‘Priscilla Queen Of The Desert’ and ‘Muriel’s Wedding’.  These commercially successful and fairly recent shows are just the tip of the iceberg.  Australians have been writing musicals with differing degrees of success ever since the beginning of the 20^th century.

The recent book, ‘The Australian Musical From The Beginning’, published by Allen & Unwin, details the history of musicals writing in this country.  It’s a fascinating, if not always happy story.

‘The Bunyip’ by Ella Airlie with music by Herbert de Pinna became the first hit Australian musical when it opened in Melbourne in 1916 and then repeated its success around Australia and in New Zealand.

Most Australian composers of musicals were frustrated by the lack of interest from commercial theatre managements like J. C. Williamson’s who concentrated on producing imported American and English musicals.  One exception was F. W. Thring, a film producer who, in the early 1930s, became a serious stage rival to Williamson’s.  His support and encouragement resulted in a fresh wave of successful Australian musicals including ‘Collitt’s Inn’, ‘Blue Mountain Melody’ and ‘The Cedar Tree’.

Unfortunately Thring died suddenly in 1936 and while Australian musicals continued to be written, very few received a commercially-mounted production.  One exception proved to be the highly successful ‘The Sentimental Bloke’ in 1961.

Eventually the 1990s saw the commercial successes of ‘Bran Nue Dae’, ‘Hot Shoe Shuffle’, ‘The Boy From Oz’ and ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’.  Apart from a handful of successful shows, hundreds of musicals were written over the years and disappeared quickly after their initial season.  Having your musical staged in Australia by a commercial management still remains an elusive dream for most Australian composers.

The book’s authors, Peter Pinne and Peter Wyllie Johnston, have produced a fine book in which the enthusiasm of Australian composers shines brightly in the face of adversity.

The first half of the book details the chronological development of the Australian musical.  Its accessible style makes it compelling reading and the numerous photographs illustrate the colourful journey through the years.  The second half of the book is an A to Z Index of hundreds of musicals, complete with synopses, production details, cast lists, titles of songs and many photographs.

This attractive and unique publication should prove to be the Bible on Australian musicals for years to come.  An online search shows that the book is still available to purchase.

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1978 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

A wide variety of musicals opened on Broadway in 1978, including ‘Ain’t Misbehavin,’ a jukebox musical, which featured the music of Fats Waller.  ‘On The Twentieth Century’ was a hilariously spectacular satire on the 1930s, theatre people and operetta music.  ‘The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas’ brought country music to Broadway and the revue-like ‘Working’ focused on various professions and the people who work in them.

Songs in this program include ‘This Joint Is Jumpin’ (‘Ain’t Misbehavin’), ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ (‘The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas’), She’s A Nut’ (‘On The Twentieth Century’) and ‘The Mason’ (‘Working’).

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

 

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY - EPISODE 13 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

The 20th Century produced many memorable songs.  There are legendary songs associated with a particular artist - the good songs.  Then there are songs so awful they make us cringe - the bad songs.  And there's a range of just plain funny songs. We know these songs but what are the stories behind them?

Join Len Power on Artsound FM on Friday at 4pm for the final program in this series of ‘The Good, The Bad and the Funny’.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny-episode-13/

 

THE NANCE (STREAMING STAGE PERFORMANCE REVIEW)

 

Written by Douglas Carter Beane, ‘The Nance’, a play recorded live onstage and currently available for viewing on YouTube, focusses on the lives of a group of burlesque performers in a New York theatre during the 1930s.

Burlesque was an entertainment that was popular in the USA from the 1860s to the 1940s in cabarets and clubs as well as theatre.  Presented in a variety show format, it featured bawdy comedy and female striptease.  Many famous comedians such as W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor and Phil Silvers honed their skills in burlesque before going on to fame in legitimate theatre and movies.

A ‘nance’ was an exaggerated effeminate homosexual comic character in burlesque.  The character had to tread a dangerously fine line between suggestive humour and the law at the time.  Police raids on burlesque in the late 1930s, when the play is set, were becoming increasingly common at that time.

Nathan Lane plays Chauncy Miles, the nance at a New York burlesque theatre.  Gay in real life, Chauncy meets Ned, a young man recently arrived in New York and commences a relationship with him.  After years of furtive meetings with random men, Chauncy finds it hard to commit to a relationship with Ned who clearly loves him.

The story of this couple is punctuated with classic burlesque performance on the stage of the theatre where Chauncy works.  Nathan Lane is superb in the nance comedy sketches.  His energy, rapid fire line deliveries and sense of timing are breath-taking.  His performance is reminiscent of Lou Costello of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello, who also started in burlesque.

Lane is equally adept at the dramatic side of the story, showing every facet of a bitter, unhappy man unable to accept or return affection and using sarcastic humour to push people away from him.

This is a star vehicle for Nathan Lane and he is given excellent support by Jonny Orsini as Ned and Cady Huffman, Andréa Burns, Jenni Barber, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Geoffrey Allen Murphy as other burlesque performers.

Director, Jack O’Brien, incisively points up the contrast between the onstage and offstage lives of these characters, obtaining performances of great depth by his cast.

A detailed revolving set designed by John Lee Beatty shows the stage of a burlesque house, its backstage area, and Chauncey's apartment and Ann Roth has provided great period on and off stage costumes.

The opportunity to see Nathan Lane’s powerful, award-winning performance at the heart of this fascinating play about the burlesque era is not to be missed.

This 2013 Lincoln Centre Theatre, New York production presented by PBS Series Live is currently available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtHpJBYScSQ .

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY - EPISODE 12 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

The 20th Century produced many memorable songs.  There are legendary songs associated with a particular artist - the good songs.  Then there are songs so awful they make us cringe - the bad songs.  And there's a range of just plain funny songs. We know these songs but what are the stories behind them?

Join Len Power on Artsound FM on Friday at 4pm for his selection of ‘The Good, The Bad and the Funny’.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny-episode-12/