Sequins in the Shire
29th March, 2008 An amateur premiere of the Peter Allen musical brings Broadway to the suburbs, writes Bryce Hallett. GAVIN LEAHY looks slightly bewildered, and that's before he picks up the maracas, swivels his hips and dons an outlandish I Go To Rio shirt to play the effervescent entertainer Peter Allen. By day, Leahy is a fitness instructor and hairdresser; by night one of Miranda Musical Society's latest recruits who snared the lead in its quietly ambitious version of The Boy From Oz, opening next week. It is being billed as the world amateur premiere of the musical, which originally starred Todd McKenney as the larrikin song and dance man, followed by Hugh Jackman on Broadway and in the multimillion-dollar arena show, which did the rounds in 2006. The Boy From Oz, produced by Robert Fox and the late Ben Gannon, remains the most successful home-grown musical to be produced in Australia. Leahy, 27, is unfazed about stepping into such illustrious shoes - and sequins - to play the high-energy part. He saw McKenney in the role but not Jackman, who has declined an invitation to the show owing to his Wolverine film schedule. No matter. Such is the interest in the production, directed by Brett Russell, who manages Ticketmaster at Star City, that opening night promises to bring the glitz of Broadway to the 'burbs. There has been talk of showbiz and industry folk arriving in limousines for the big night while McKenney and Fox, who is flying in from London, and the musical's associate producer, Lesley Shaw, have said they are coming. Few amateur productions generate such a buzz; call it patriotism or pride but there's something about The Boy that audiences love. "I'm trying not to think about who might be coming to the show," Russell says. "Miranda [Musical Society] produced the NSW amateur premiere of Les Miserables in 1993 and that was an overwhelming success. You couldn't get a ticket, and that's the case here. We're only doing six performances [of The Boy From Oz] and it's pretty well sold out." Russell, who has directed several musicals for the non-profit community organisation, never imagined that the producers of The Boy From Oz would release the amateur rights to the show. "I'm under a lot of pressure because you want to do the right thing by the show and by Peter Allen. It's a big responsibility. There are people who have a deep emotional investment in the work and it's still fresh in the mind of audiences." Doubtless, the bio-musical still has legs and the prospects are bright for a commercial revival. In the meantime, it is down to business for the unpaid cast and crew at the harshly lit concrete bunker otherwise known as the Como School of Performing Arts. It is the final dress rehearsal in the cramped space before the troupe moves to the Sutherland Entertainment Centre tomorrow when lighting and sound, and an orchestra, will be added to the mix, not to mention the requisite mirrorball. Source: Sydney Morning Herald - © Copyright © 2008 Fairfax Digital |
