Into the Branch

Into the woods, Its time and so I must begin the journey.

Sydney's cast of Wicked achieved an amazing feat of musical theatre last night. In the true spirit of community theatre, The cast, crew, venue, musicians, technicians (well pretty much everyone) all donated months of their free time in order to perform Sondheim's classic tale of wishing gone wrong.

The understudies for the WICKED cast got their chance to shine onstage in their full glory. And for the most part, the WICKED set gelled beautifully with INTO the WOODS. Weird right? I noticed Cinderella's step mother using an Ozian brand umbrella, but for the most part we got some decent costumeage.

Putting Vanessa Williams to shame, the outstanding performance award go to Zoe Gertz (understudy for Elphaba), as the WITCH. Of course Australian Media darling Lucy Durack was beautifully (and intelligently) placed as ACT 2's Cinderella. And as always the always understated Baker's wife played by Johanna Allen (understudy for Madam Morrible). The eye candy gold star was awarded to Ryan Sheppard as the Narrator, who would have ordinarily never been cast so young.

Milsey did his masculinity proud, poncing around the stage as Cinderella's Prince. And I had to contain my delight when Gertz got to throw away all her beans before her big finish and have Durack scrambling at her feet in attempt to pick them up. Its not often a principal cast member grovels at their understudy. Not in a malicious way of course, just in an appeals-to-my-warped-sense-of-irony way.

The Music was crystal clear. The cast were understandably 95% of the way there with the dreaded Sondheim Syncopation, and their were some very VERY minor slip ups with lines. I recall the 2 "best" examples were when the Baker interrupted his wife early when they first meet in the woods, and the witch stumbling on a lyric in the Last Midnight. Totally minor.

Udderly Fabulous Performance of an utterly fabulous and thrillafying show. The lined up chairs at the beginning were a touch wanky, but i'll pay it.

Sucks to be you if you missed it.

Fruit of the Moment: $4,750 Poster Print