Tag: Capitol Theatre

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jesus Christ Superstar @ Capitol Theatre, Eora/Sydney – 4 December 2024

I’m easing myself back into work thanks to the wonders of speech-to-text technology. First on my to-do list was sharing my thoughts on the wonderful production of Jesus Christ Superstar playing in Eora/Sydney at the moment. I had tickets to the show the day after my car accident, so I was a bit sore and sorry as I bundled myself onto the train, but I’m so glad I pushed through the pain. I’ve seen three or four productions of Superstar over the years, and this was definitely among the best.

I felt excitement bubbling up as the familiar “Overture” began. Then with “Heaven on Their Minds” we were introduced to the incredible Javon King as Judas. What a great voice he has. What a presence. I didn’t know him before this production, but I will watch his career closely from now on. The entire cast was sensational. The casting of Mahalia Barnes as Mary was one of the key draw cards for me, and she did not disappoint. She brought such a beautiful warmth and heart to the role, and what a voice she has. I was also really excited to see Reuben Kaye playing Herod. He was brilliant. Honestly he may be my favourite Herod ever. He had just the right blend of humour and malice. My parents weren’t familiar with him but they walked away fans. I was also really impressed by Peter Murphy’s Pilate. Unfortunately Michael Paynter didn’t appear in our matinee. While the understudy was great, I was really looking forward to his Jesus. I also wonder whether Michael’s voice may have contrasted better with Javon’s. JC simply works better when you can hear the difference between Jesus and Judas.

This production feels so new and fresh. The music doesn’t seem to age. The energy of the cast is palpable. I also really liked artistic choices like bringing the microphones into the scenes and having the crucifix as a key part of the set. The use of glitter was very effective in places, although I’m not sure it was as powerful as it should have been while Jesus received his lashes. Overall, I think the team behind this version of JC has done an incredible job. Whether you’re a long-time fan like many or new to the musical, make sure you don’t miss it.

Jesus Christ Superstar will play at the Capitol Theatre until January 26. It’ll then head to Boorloo/Perth in February and play Naarm/Melbourne in March before travelling to Meeanjin/Brisbane in June.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kinky Boots @ Capitol Theatre, Sydney – 15 July 2017

With just a few weeks left of its Sydney run, I finally caught Kinky Boots at the Capitol Theatre recently. This was one of those musicals I knew I had to see. It ticked so many boxes for me. It was based on a movie that thoroughly charmed me. Cyndi Lauper, one of my greatest musical idols, wrote the songs. Harvey Feirstein, another one of the world’s special talents, wrote the book. It promised glitter, sequins, and pizzazz. Tick, tick, and tick. My expectations were high, yet this very special production exceeded it.

If you’ve seen the movie, you’re already familiar with the story. Boy grows up around his father’s shoe factory, but wants to carve out his own destiny rather than living his dad’s life. Father dies. The boy, now a man, is torn between his desire to find his own path and his wish to save his father’s legacy. He discovers he can do both when he breaks with tradition and turns his father’s factory into the most fabulous production facility for drag queen boots. Throw in a love triangle and a touching friendship between two very different principle leads and you get the idea.

The story of Kinky Boots is a simple one, but it’s one with real heart. Cyndi Lauper builds on the tale beautifully with one of the best original music soundtracks I’ve heard in some time. Needless to say, I bought the CD before I left the theatre. The building blocks are there, but the Australian production has helped this music live up to its potential. Toby Francis’ Charlie is sweet yet complex. Sophie Wright as Lauren is endearing and so relatable. Teagan Wouters’ Nicola is frustratingly self-absorbed, but she plays the piece’s villain well. But it is Callum Francis as Lola who fittingly steals the show. He understudied the role in London but he’s now relishing the spotlight. Every time he was on the stage, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. What a talent he is.

If like me you’ve procrastinated about getting your tickets, do not delay. Kinky Boots is a special musical. The songs are first rate, the actors incredible, and the story one that nourishes your soul. Don’t miss it. It closes in Sydney in August, when it hits the Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aladdin @ Capitol Theatre, Sydney – 1 December 2016

I didn’t really want to see Aladdin. I imagined I’d feel a little like I did when I saw Mary Poppins, disconnected from the experience and wishing I could see it through a child’s eyes. Longing for magic. However, I’m thrilled my husband wanted to see it to celebrate his birthday, because it turned out to be one of the best nights I’ve enjoyed at the theatre.

In the movie, we were left waiting until Aladdin rubbed the lamp to meet the scene-stealing Genie. In the musical version he’s our faithful guide, explaining what was to come and taking us to the magical land of Agrabah. It was a visual feast from the get go, with dancing ladies and muscly men with swords twirling about.

In the midst of it all was an Aladdin, who was soon on the run from the law. I remember marvelling at this scene as a kid, and was impressed with the way it came to life on the stage. Animation allows you to do so much that I worried we’d lose some of the sparkle in the real world, but the clever choreography sucked me right in.

Some things were changed to make the transition to the stage. Iago lost his feathers and became a short-statured man with the voice of Gilbert Gottfried. Abu the monkey was nowhere to be seen, with Aladdin instead relying on the support of his good-hearted “street rat” pals. Robin Williams was larger than life as the Genie in the film version, but Michael James Scott made the role his own. He was an absolute scream, with a killer voice to boot.

I was sceptical about whether Aladdin could whisk me up in its magic, but by the time our hero and Princess Jasmine boarded their magic carpet I was in raptures. While the movie impressed me, those flat images on a screen couldn’t hold a candle to the sight of our young couple taking flight with only the stars and moon to illuminate their path.

By the time the cast took their final bows I couldn’t believe I’d been in the theatre for a couple of hours. It flew by. What a fast-paced, funny, and truly magical experience. Aladdin isn’t just for kids. It’s for the kid that still exists inside us all.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Les Miserables @ Capitol Theatre, 23 August 2015

Most of my concert reviews are about the performances of singers or bands. But after heading to Sydney to catch a performance of Les Miserables last weekend, I figured it was only right that I made time for a different kind of music review.

Ordinarily when I see a show I’m keen as mustard and my husband’s the slightly reluctant companion. It’s not that he doesn’t like music, but he’d generally rather have a night in with the stereo than see an artist in the flesh. However, when we learned Les Mis was coming to town, it was him who dragged me along. I’d seen the movie, again at his insistence, but it’s never been a musical that’s particularly resonated with me. But I couldn’t fail to be impressed with this latest production.

Where the most recent film adaptation was filled with big stars, the current Australian production has people who largely unknown outside the theatre world. The only name I recognised was the splendid Trevor Ashley playing Thénardier, and it took me some time to make the connection as I’m so used to seeing him in drag! Personally I think the lack of big names is a good thing for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it stops you getting pulled out of the story. These people can truly inhabit these characters because you’re never thinking about them being anywhere else. Also, clearly the creators were casting for talent over big names. I’m sure the creators of the Hollywood film could have found a stronger Javert, for example, but he likely wouldn’t have had the profile of Russell Crowe to get bums on seats.

The cast of this musical are stellar. I was floored by Simon Gleeson as Jean Valjean, who in my opinion might have done better than Hugh Jackman’s Oscar winning performance. Hayden Tee as Javert was every bit his equal. Kerrie Anne Greenland’s turn as Eponine was a much smaller role, but her performance of “On My Own” brought tears to my eyes. I can’t be sure which of the little boys played Gavroche when I saw it, but he was born to play that role. What a natural! It’s such a shame this production decided to omit “Little People”! It would had added even more poignancy to his untimely death.

The incredible cast were supported by a really beautiful set with excellent lighting effects that really brought the play to life. I wondered whether it would lose something for me being on the stage, without Hollywood special effects and that big budget, but it was so cleverly done. Javert’s death in particular was incredibly realistic.

I might not be as big a Les Mis fan as my husband, but I challenge anyone to be unmoved when the chorus of voices join in songs like “One More Day” and “Can You Hear the People Sing?” The current production of Les Miserables is a master stroke, and I’m so glad I was dragged along. If you’re living in Sydney and you’ve been considering going, don’t hesitate. You won’t be disappointed.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mary Poppins at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney

It’s a strange thing to sit in a venue and not feel part of the experience. Others around you are likely swept up in what’s presented, yet you feel a disconnect. It’s happened to me a few times at concerts, when the young girls squealed in raptures and I felt underwhelmed. And I felt it again when I saw Mary Poppins live on Friday night.

The moment it really hit home was somewhere in the middle of the extended, or drawn out, version of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” It seemed to go on and on and it seemed everyone in the theatre was singing that infernal chorus over and over again, clapping their hands in time. And I thought “Well this is all a bit silly, isn’t it?”

To be fair, I wasn’t a great fan of the Disney movie. I saw it as I saw many others of the vintage, but didn’t rewatch it tirelessly the way I did Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I decided to go see the stage production though as everyone had raved about it, and my parents and husband were keen. And besides, I had never met a musical I didn’t like. Famous last words.

Mary Poppins wasn’t all bad. Verity Hunt-Ballard had the presence and poise to pull off the role of the imposing but kind-hearted titular nanny. Phillip Quast’s Mr Banks had just the right amount of bluster. The children were quite lovely, not at all as cloying as child performers tend to be. I wasn’t entirely convinced by Matt Lee’s Bert, but boy that man can dance.

And as a spectacle, Mary Poppins certainly exceeded my expectations. I’ve never seen set design like it, with the Banks house folding up and down and every which way to take us into the rooms and up to its roof, with the lights of London twinkling all around. And no one could fail to be impressed as Mary Poppins flew off into the night. The only problem was, when she did it at the end of the first half I didn’t particularly want her to return.

Where Mary Poppins missed the mark for me was heart. I couldn’t help thinking back to seeing Hairspray a few weeks prior, and the way I felt so invested in it. It wasn’t as glittery, but it seemed to have more soul. At so many points in Mary Poppins I felt detached, uninspired, and frankly a bit bored. I just couldn’t get swept up in it all. Clearly I’m one of the few that feel this way. The countless Helpmann Awards, glowing reviews, and comments of my own family members tell a different story. I guess it just goes to show that you really can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Image source: Newtown Graffiti @ Flickr