THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 15 (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.

Program 15: England and Broadway – ‘Primrose’ and ‘Lady, Be Good!’

In 1924, George Gershwin had two hit shows on both sides of the Atlantic.  ‘Primrose’ opened in London and, from the original 1924 cast recording, we’ll hear ‘Boy Wanted’ and ‘Some Far-Away Someone’.  ‘Lady, Be Good!’ was George’s first smash hit in New York.  Billie Holliday performs ‘The Man I Love’ and Fred and Adele Astaire perform two numbers from the show accompanied by George Gershwin himself on piano.

 Listen now:

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-15/

 

 

QL2 DANCE - ON COURSE ON FILM (DANCE REVIEW)

 

Mentors: Ruth Osborne & Sara Black

Streaming online via QL2 Dance Website

www.ql2.org.au until 31 January 2022

Reviewed by Len Power 29 December 2021

 

QL2 Dance’s annual ‘On Course’ project has always been a great opportunity to observe young dance artists in development.  Alumni who are currently in full time study at universities around Australia and New Zealand usually come together in Canberra at this time to choreograph, collaborate and perform new short works.

However, again this year due to Covid, ‘On Course’ has been presented as ‘On Course On Film’, a festival of dance films made in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, NZ and Canberra by tertiary dance students.  They have created 7 short dance films this year.

Choreographers who submitted films were Caroline De Wan, Christopher Wade, Gabriel Sinclair, Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh, Phillipa Keogh, Otto Kosok and Ruby Ballantyne.

The standout performance this year was ‘Polarity (People Are Tricky)’.  It was directed and choreographed by Christopher Wade and danced by Wade, Rachelle Silsby and Liam Berg.  With well-chosen background scenes in Sydney, the concept was clearly realized through the choreography.  It was attractively and skilfully performed by all three dancers.  Dance was quite rightly the dominant feature here but it was also skilfully filmed and edited with a good eye to location and background.  The choice of music was also excellent.

Gabriel Sinclair’s ‘Self Portrait’ had a strong second half where the dance and emotion of the piece came through strongly.

There was little to inspire or enjoy in the other films.  Too much emphasis was given to filmic tricks at the expense of dance.  The stated concepts for the films were not evident in the finished product and, in many cases, there was no actual dance to enjoy.

I understand that making film is not usually the choreographer’s main focus and that current circumstances have made it the only option to showcase their work this year.  Hopefully, ‘On Course’ can get back to normal next year so that we can see and judge the choreographic works live.

‘On Course On Film’ is accessible free via live streaming until 31 January 2022.  Details and tickets are available through QL2’s website.

 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK - SPECIAL 2021 CHRISTMAS PROGRAM (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK SPECIAL 2021 XMAS PROGRAM

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

This week – Broadway’s Christmas Songs

Broadway musical songs run the whole gamut of human emotions.  This Christmas Broadway collection contains songs of great optimism for the future, of a chaotic Christmas best forgotten, nostalgia for good times with loved ones, of lonely or angry people at Christmas as well as Christmases of joy and celebration.

Songs in this program include ‘A New Deal For Christmas’ (‘Annie’), ‘Who Says There Ain’t No Christmas?’ (from ‘Flahooley’), ‘Lovers on Christmas Eve’ (‘I Love My Wife’), and ‘We Need A Little Christmas’ (‘Mame’).

Performers include Barbara Cook, Nathan Lane, Joanna Gleason, Brian D’Arcy James and Angela Lansbury. 

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

 

 

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 14 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT – EPISODE 14

‘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.

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 14: “George White’s ‘Scandals’”

Handsome hoofer, George White produced his lavish revues ‘George White’s Scandals’ on Broadway for 20 years from 1919 to 1939.  George Gershwin wrote the music for 5 in a row from 1920.  We’ll hear the enduring ‘Somebody Loves Me’, the cheeky ‘Scandal Walk’, the delightful ‘Drifting Along With The Tide’ and, the most famous of all, ‘I’ll Build A Stairway to Paradise’.  Artists featured include Barbara Cook, Anthony Perkins, Elaine Stritch and, maybe, Ingrid Bergman!

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-14/

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1992 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

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

This week – the musicals of 1992

1992 produced ‘Crazy For You’, a new Gershwin musical with famous vintage songs and ‘March of the Falsettos’ which dealt with bisexuality.  There was also ‘Jelly’s Last Jam’, a fascinating and, at times, confronting look at black composer, Jelly Roll Morton, and ‘My Favorite Year’, based on the popular movie of the same name.

Songs in this program include ‘But Not For Me’ (‘Crazy For You’), ‘I Never Wanted to Love You’ (‘March of the Falsettos’), ‘That’s How You Jazz’ (‘Jelly’s Last Jam’) and the title song of ‘My Favorite Year’.

Performers include Gregory Hines, Jodie Benson, Clarke Peters, Michael Rupert and Lainie Kazan.

 

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

 

HOUSE PLANET: A DISCOVERY OF RECOVERY - THE MUSICAL (THEATRE REVIEW)

Music & Lyrics by Tim Beavitt

Directed by Tim & Nathalie Beavitt 

Produced by Mr. Tim Enterprises

Tuggeranong Arts Centre to 11 December

 

Reviewed by Len Power 10 December 2021

 

An original musical created by the participants aged 7 to 13 years, “House Planet: A Discovery Of Recovery” was a delightful experience for young and old alike.

Set in the House Planet, the “Labratorians” are experimenting with an emotions machine, when an unexpected explosion finds them transported into Plant World where they become embroiled in a coup d'etat.  Meanwhile chaos has also reined in the various lands of: Fridgelandia, Scrubtopia and Loungeroomia, where citizens are faced with a series of problems caused by a supposed “big bang”.

The show was devised to introduce local children to the many aspects of musical theatre and empower them to embrace their creativity and imagination.  Artists Daniel Streatfield, Chelsea Heaney, Hanna Hoyne and Ed Radclyffe, provided participants with skills development in costume design, drama, and set and props design.

Cast of 'House Planet'

The cast of fifteen young people all showed that they belonged on that stage.  Their developing theatre skills were very pleasing to see.  Everyone was poised and confident.  They had learned to project their voices, diction was clear and no-one spoke too quickly.  They all sang very well and there were some real charmers with natural talent amongst the cast.

The emotions machine

The set and costume designs were a particularly appealing aspect of the production.  The highly imaginative cardboard set and properties design by Ed Radclyffe and the chic costume designs by Hanna Hoyne in paper and various readily available materials gave the show a unique and striking appearance.

The land of Fridgelandia

The music by Tim Bevitt was catchy and the lyrics were often quite complex, requiring clear singing by the vocalists.  The song, ”Crack Of a Broken Heart”, was especially memorable and “Fridgelandia!” proved to be a showstopper as sung by the Bacon Border Patrol.  The rousing final song, “Let Your Courage Shine”, with the whole cast was also a winner.

It’s very pleasing to see young people being given the opportunity in a quality production to learn theatre skills and experience the joy of presenting their hard work to the public.

Their delighted reaction to the well-deserved applause at the end of the show was wonderful to see.  Is the next Cate Blanchett or Hugh Jackman amongst that troupe of players?

Photos by Martin Ollman 

This review was first published in the Canberra Citynews digital edition of 11 December.

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

 

 

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 13 (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.

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 13: Disappearing Act: ‘Pardon My English’ and ‘Two Waltzes In C’

The Gershwin musical ‘Pardon My English’ opened in 1933, was not a success and disappeared.  In 1982, the long-lost score and orchestrations were found and a new recording was made to great acclaim.  We’ll hear some dazzling selections from this recording and wonder why the show was not a success.  One of the songs in the show ‘Tonight’ was such a favourite of George Gershwin’s that he turned it into a piece for two pianos and called it ‘Two Waltzes in C’.  We’ll hear it played by the accomplished piano duo, Frances Veri and Michael Jaminus.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-13/

 

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1953 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

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

This week – the musicals of 1953

1953 was a year of great variety on Broadway.  Cole Porter’s ‘Can-Can’ made Gwen Verdon a star and Rosalind Russell gave a legendary performance in Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Wonderful Town’.  Rodgers and Hammerstein gave audiences ‘Me and Juliet’, a show set in the world of theatre performers and the magical music of Borodin was used to great effect in the Arabian Nights musical, ‘Kismet’, by composers Wright and Forrest.

Songs in this program include ‘I Love Paris’ (‘Can-Can’), Wrong Note Rag’ (Wonderful Town’), ‘Marriage-type Love’ (‘Me And Juliet’) and ‘Stranger In Paradise’ (Kismet’).

Performers include Rosalind Russell, Alfred Drake, Joan Diener, Debbie Gravitte, Lilo, Doretta Morrow and Richard Kiley.

 

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

 

THE STRANGER (THEATRE REVIEW)

 

Adapted and directed by Christopher Samuel Carroll

From the novella by Albert Camus

Bare Witness Theatre Company

Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre to 17 December

 

Reviewed by Len Power 9 December 2021

‘The Stranger’, a 1942 novella by French Algerian, Albert Camus, has been hotly debated ever since its publication in 1942.  Considered to be an example of Camus’ philosophy of absurdism coupled with existentialism, Camus himself rejected the existentialism label.

It therefore takes some courage to adapt this work to the stage as a one man show when so many people see it differently.

The story focusses on Meursault, a French settler in Algeria.  At his mother’s funeral he shows no emotion and when, later, he kills an Arab on a beach, his lack of remorse for his mother is remembered and used against him at his trial for the killing.

Sentenced to death, Meursault’s story is told by him in two parts, before and after the killing.  We begin to form a picture of this man and judge him but his story unsettles us.   We find ourselves examining our own dealings with the people in our lives, the compromises we have made in society, the importance we have given to outward appearances, our emotional reactions and the moral values that we hold.

Christopher Samuel Carroll’s adaptation powerfully retains the spirit of the original story.  Keeping the language simple and matter of fact, he avoids adding extra light and shade to his delivery.  This is a man having a raw, uncensored discussion with himself.  He is not speaking to us directly.

Even though the character is French, the ideas presented are universal, so Carroll’s normal speech works perfectly here and his skilfully measured voice engages our imaginations so adeptly that we create the colour inherent in the story.

The presentation is simple.  The acting area is a strip of lightly patterned floor covering with audience members on both sides.  The subtle lighting by Gillian Schwab follows the actor as he paces around, providing all of the atmosphere needed.

As well as providing a highly successful adaptation of the story, Christopher Samuel Carroll is a formidable acting presence in this marathon role.  Once read, Camus’ novella stays with you forever.  This production is equally memorable and not to be missed.

Not surprisingly, extra performances have been added due to demand for tickets.  The show now runs until 17 December.

This review was first published on the Canberra Critics Circle blog on 10 December 2021. 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 12 (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.

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 12: ‘Concerto in F’

It’s 1925 and, as well as composing more Broadway shows like ‘Tell Me More’, George Gershwin wrote ‘Concerto in F’ for the concert stage.  Fully orchestrated, it’s a thrilling work, but it was originally composed for two pianos.  We’ll hear the Labeque Sisters playing the two piano version as well as George Gershwin himself in the only recording made of him playing his ‘Concerto in F’.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-program-12/

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1972 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 5 December and repeated at 11pm on Monday 6 December.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1972

1972 was the year that the musical, ‘Grease’ first opened on Broadway.  It was also the year of Bob Fosse’s award-winning musical, ‘Pippin’ and the popular black musical revue, ‘Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope’. Then there were the disastrous flops ‘Dude’ and ‘Via Galactica’, both by the composer of ‘Hair’, Galt McDermot.

Songs in this program include ‘Corner Of The Sky’ (‘Pippin’), ‘Summer Nights’ (‘Grease’), ‘I Gotta Keep Moving’ (‘Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope’), ‘Pears and Apples’ (‘Dude’) and ‘400 Girls Ago’ (‘Via Galactica’).

Performers in this program include Barry Bostwick, Carol Demas, Tony Roberts, Robert Morse, Salome Bey, Ben Vereen and Australia’s John Farnham from the Australian cast recording of ‘Pippin’.

 

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

 

 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (THEATRE REVIEW)

By Charles Dickens, adapted by Abigail Paul

Directed by Antonia Kitzel

Canberra REP Theatre, Acton to 5 December

 

Reviewed by Len Power 27 November 2021

 

After a tumultuous year that saw the cancellation of much of Canberra REP’s season of plays due to the Covid lockdown, it was a nice idea to present a small scale production of “A Christmas Carol” to herald the approach of Christmas in a spirit of optimism for a better 2022.

Charles Dickens’ famous novella, “A Christmas Carol”, was published in 1843 and has never been out of print since then.  It has been adapted many times for the theatre, radio, opera and film.

The grumpy old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, undergoes a journey of redemption as he faces three ghosts who teach him the true meaning of Christmas and the joy that giving yourself over to love and compassion can bring.

Using an adaptation by Abigail Paul, which was first staged in 2015 by the Theatre Language School Frankfurt in Germany, five actors play 30 characters to tell the story.

Alexandra Pelvin is the Narrator and Saban Lloyd Berrell plays Scrooge.  The other performers, Amy Crawford, John Whinfield and Sally Rynveld bring the various other characters to life by playing multiple roles.

The adaptation is a bit heavy on narration which slows the action down and the smaller number of colourful characters portrayed lessens the effect of the original story.  However, this much loved tale is enjoyable and the hard-working cast all give fine performances.

This is a small scale production with minimal sets and properties and the director, Antonia Kitzel, and her cast have given us an enjoyably immersive evening into the world of Charles Dickens.  With this production, Canberra REP and this show’s cast and crew have given us a ray of light at the end of a dark theatrical year.

This review was first published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 28 November.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the 'Arts Cafe' and 'Arts About' programs.

THE GERSHWIN PROJECT - EPISODE 11 (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.

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 11: Two Very Different Broadway Shows – ‘Funny Face’ and ‘Rosalie’

In 1927, George Gershwin wrote two very different Broadway shows – ‘Funny Face’ and ‘Rosalie’.  We explore the curious link between these shows and a revival many years later.  We hear singers Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Frances Gershwin and Twiggy as well as George Gershwin himself on the piano.  Ira Gershwin provides commentaries on some of the songs.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-gershwin-project-episode-11/