I’ve
looked back at the reviews and pieces that got the most attention from you
readers, what you liked, shared, clicked and commented on. So here is the
review of my year on Guidetogay.com, collenwindsor.com and facebook.
Cabaret
It’s
been a great year for cabaret and such a broad variety of artists played in
concert halls to pubs with Kristin Chenoweth getting my gong. Best known
on-stage for creating the role of Glinda, the good witch, in the original
Broadway and West End productions of Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth toured capital
cities after appearing as the headline act for the opening weekend of the Adelaide
Cabaret Festival. I saw her concert at the Sydney Opera House which was packed
to the rafters with her amazingly appreciative fans.
Ms
Chenoweth sang songs covering her whole Broadway career, Cabaret, Avenue Q, Glee and of course Wicked. This concert included one of those ‘you had to there
moments’. Sitting in the house seats was Lucy Durack, Australia’s Glinda;
Kristin called her up on stage to sing with her. Kristin asked Lucy to sing
Glinda’s part to her Elphaba’s part of For
Good. Goosebumps were flying up the neck of everyone in the hall – a truly
electrifying and unforgettable moment. I wrote in my review at the time “this was as
good as cabaret gets”.
Concert
A
massive year for ‘world tour’ concerts calling by Sydney and apparently they
all did huge business - Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and J Lo amongst them.
But the gong here is all Pink’s The Truth
About Love record breaking extravaganza!
Pink played the most dates, stayed the longest and grossed the most
revenue – Australian audiences love her and she gives back to every ticket
holder in spades. They even shot the DVD in Melbourne for US release next year.
The
concert had heart, was very creative in its look and feel, production values as
good as any, and the most amazing circus aspect I’d ever seen. The playlist featured mostly from the album
of the tours name with a very tight cast of singers, dancers and an awesome
band. Pink is the ultimate all round entertainer but at her core a brilliant
singer.
Musical
Most
of the musicals we saw this year in Sydney played second cousin to the stadium
concerts. Hot Shoe Shuffle and Grease - well OK, The Addams Family was better but not really remembered a week after
you saw it. But then along came a treasure, the delightful and very funny Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Unfortunately
it didn’t do great business but had terrific word of mouth and everyone who saw
it enjoyed it as much as I did. My review of this show got lots of comments
from people who also loved the show – so it takes my musical gong.
Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels was
based on a 1988 film of the same name, which I’d never seen, so I didn’t know
the story beforehand and was delighted with this clever, entertaining and very
funny kind of old Hollywood comedy that took me on hilarious turns I couldn’t
see coming – the script was the fantastic base on which this show was
created.
It
starred Tony Sheldon and Matt Hetherington as the con men at the heart of the
story but had terrific performances from all involved; Amy Lehpamer, Katrina
Retallick and Anne Wood were fabulous. Whilst you didn’t come away humming any
of the tunes they were nevertheless delightfully frothy, bright and tinted with
a ‘Golden Age’ musical feel. I really enjoyed this.
Play
It
seems I’ve seen a lot of heavy, often very long, thought provoking theatre this
year on both our main stages or in our tiny wonderful intimate spaces. By some
of it I have been altered – seriously there has been some amazing performances.
Top of the pile and without hesitation was Angels
in America which played at the Belvoir Theatre last winter.
Angels in
America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is not one play but two. Millennium Approaches and Perestroika – an
epic double comedy of love and hate, heaven and earth, past and future. It is
1985, Prior Walter is HIV positive, his Jewish boyfriend leaves him for a
straight Mormon, and then he gets a hospital visit from an angel who says it is
up to him to save humanity and so it went for some six hours or so over two
performances.
This
was unforgettable theatre, with an excellent ensemble cast all round, with the
performances of Luke Mullins, Mitchell Butel and Marcus Graham almost
bound to appear on nomination lists this awards season.
Your most read, clicked and comments
The review
that wins the gong for the most reads, comments and likes by a landslide was Courtney Act and her wonderful cabaret
show Boys Like Me. Courtney brought this
new show home to us in Sydney in September after a short but very well received
season in New York.
As
I wrote at the time: Boys Like Me was
a clever ninety minute showcase of Courtney’s charm. It tells the story of her
life in the US and the sexual encounters and delights she has experienced
walking the gender divide. As I said - what’s not to like about a string of tantalising
sex stories and a whole lot of perfectly selected pop songs to illuminate the
point. It was a fantastic show, with an audience that evening of many long time
friends and acquaintances who collectively were proud of how far ‘our Courtney’
had come.
Since then has come
news that Courtney will be part of the cast of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 6 early in 2014. And returns to Sydney
as one of the 2014 Mardi Gras Festival headline acts, bringing Boys Like Me to the Sydney Theatre so
many more of you can experience this sensational showgirl!
So
many thanks to all of you for visits, clicking, commenting and liking through 2013
and here’s looking forward to sharing more wonderful entertainment on the
Sydney scene – have a happy Christmas and best wishes for the new year!
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