Just came from "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", and I do have to say that it was quite strangely spectacular. It is a mix of goth acting and multimedia and... and... you know, it's really hard to describe. For one, the description of "David Lynch meets Tim Burton" is quite accurate. The acting was superb and the mini-stories are quite ... interesting.
Imagine the video clip for "Tonight, Tonight" (Smashing Pumpkins) on stage, except the script was by Gabriel Garcia Marquez on serious drugs. Yeah, that's how I would describe it.
And there is audience participation - at least, for one fellow in the audience.
In a nutshell, 4 out of 5 slices.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A Good Leap of Faith: The Altar Boyz (A Review)
Just came back from Altar Boyz, a musical comedy about a Christian boyband. It was held in the Seymore Theatre, and I do have to say I came out of that fairly impressed. It is difficult to sing and dance for 1.45 hours, but I guess boy bands do it live in concerts, so yeah.
As expected, there are a few giggles and laughs at the expense of Catholics, but given the initial premise and all, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What I found surprising was the reaction of one of audience members. At the end of a song, he walked out with his wife in tow, yelling out "Blasphemy!"
I can see how he can find it offensive, but given that this is Australia, where people can take a piss out of themselves, I felt the reaction was pretty extreme. Still, the cast members handled the situation well, and actually managed to turn it to their advantage. No one else walked out after that, and admittedly, the cast energy turned up HEAPS.
Ironically, the man's act of putting down the show actually helped it.
So do I recommend it? As a Catholic, I thought it was funny - from the poke at First Communion mass rituals, to the play on the Catholic nursery rhymes, to the subtle Biblical references and all. It was funny for me, at least. Others might not feel the same way. Still, the energy of the cast members really helped pull the show.
Advice: Get something in the middle of Row F, for a little audience participation... or something in the first two rows for a little stage action.
Rating: 3.5/5 slices
As expected, there are a few giggles and laughs at the expense of Catholics, but given the initial premise and all, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What I found surprising was the reaction of one of audience members. At the end of a song, he walked out with his wife in tow, yelling out "Blasphemy!"
I can see how he can find it offensive, but given that this is Australia, where people can take a piss out of themselves, I felt the reaction was pretty extreme. Still, the cast members handled the situation well, and actually managed to turn it to their advantage. No one else walked out after that, and admittedly, the cast energy turned up HEAPS.
Ironically, the man's act of putting down the show actually helped it.
So do I recommend it? As a Catholic, I thought it was funny - from the poke at First Communion mass rituals, to the play on the Catholic nursery rhymes, to the subtle Biblical references and all. It was funny for me, at least. Others might not feel the same way. Still, the energy of the cast members really helped pull the show.
Advice: Get something in the middle of Row F, for a little audience participation... or something in the first two rows for a little stage action.
Rating: 3.5/5 slices
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