Review: Curtains

**Picture**: Savoyards’ Promotional Photography, credit Sharyn Hall **(NOTE: Not a Creative Futures Photography image)**

Curtains: The Musical Comedy is a musical spoof that blends a traditional murder mystery with an old-fashioned musical. The ‘Robin Hood of the West’ leading lady literally takes her final bow on the opening night, so who better to solve the crime than a cop who loves musicals—albeit that this particular investigator appears more interested in fixing the problem with the Robin Hood ‘In The Same Boat’ than finding out who killed the incompetent Jessica Cranshaw (Kim Kee).

Curtains: The Musical Comedy has a strong pedigree: from the pens of the creators of Cabaret and Chicago, the Broadway show was a marvellous platform for David Hyde Pierce, who won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi. Expect lots of in jokes, some great singing and dancing, several guys who fall in love with the girls of their dreams, and tons of laughs along the way to the final solution of this crime. But also expect to be in your seat for a very long time and, if the first act leaves you buzzing and looking forward to the second, be warned… The second act has more songs that the first, and the writers seem to have been overly fixated on tying up every last plot line—including one too many reworkings of the show-within-a-show ‘In The Same Boat.’ And, unfortunately, the Savoyards production runs longer than most versions of this show, with over three hours from the start of the overture to the final curtain call song.

Having said all of this, I highly recommend the Savoyards production of this show. I came away from the opening night full of praise for the creative team: Carolyn Latter (Director), Jacob Cavanough (Musical Director, who also has a very second half funny cameo as Sasha), Kim Heslewood (Costumes), and Ange Schoemaker and Melanie Southall (Choreographers).

The creatives have put in the hours to make this production the best it could possibly be, and it shows: strong leading actors, lovely stage business, great work by the orchestra, and an entertaining musical evening with some excellent ensemble numbers. Congratulations to the hard-working ensemble (Aiden Latter, Alanah Giles, Amelia Robertson, Ben Webb, Dylan Noll, Harrison Wilkes, Jay Koloi, Kayla Stumbles, Kim Kee, Liana Hanson, Luke Devine, Simon Lyell, Tatijana Wills, and Wallis Nersesian)—with a special mention also to two stand-out dancer/performers, Sam Hocking (Bobby Pepper) and Bec Swain (Bambi Bernet).

The leading actors are very well cast and rise to the comic and musical challenges of each role. A superb performance by Miranda Selwood (Carmen Bernstein), who plays the Producer/stage ‘mom’/cuckolded wife with style and sass, including the enjoyable ‘It’s A Business.’ Natalie Lennox (Georgia Hendricks) is a very believable songwriter turned leading lady, who is persuaded to take on the leading role in the show-within-the-show, and Daisy Thwaites (Nicki Harris) masters the art of being a rather naïve aspiring star and love interest for the starstruck detective.

The leading male roles each call for great comic and performance skills. I loved David Harrison’s slightly shy and awkward Lt Frank Cioffi, with memorable highlights including ‘Coffee Shop Nights’ and ‘Show People (Reprise)’—and Tristan Vanyai (Christopher Belling) is a fabulous fictional director. Congratulations also to Jordan Ross (Aaron Fox) who is terrific as the lovelorn composer, rising to the challenges of some great songs that includes an excellent performance of ‘I Miss The Music.‘

If you like musical theatre, you’ll love this show. Just be prepared for a long night—in particular a long second half—as the opening night show was 30 minutes longer than the advertised ‘150 minutes including interval’ running time.

Catherine Lawrence

Audience information: Curtains (21 September-5 October), IONA Performing Arts Centre. 85 North Rd, Lindum QLD 4178. 3 hours (including 20-minute interval). All ages. Some bright lights and loud noises. Tickets $30.75-53.30, including processing fees (family tickets for 2 adults & 2 children, $149).

Credits: Book by Rupert Holmes, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone, Additional Lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes. Originally Produced on Broadway by Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergere, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group. American Premiere Produced at The Ahmanson Theater by Center Theatre Group, LA’s Theatre Company. By arrangement with Origin Theatrical, on behalf of Theatrical Rights Worldwide, New York.

The reviewer attended the opening night performance (7:30pm, Saturday 21 September 2024).

Geoff Lawrence