A torrent of talent in a fine new Rep tradition

Jazz Garters - Directed by Jim McMullen, Musical direction by Leisa Keen, Choreography by Lisa Buckley. Canberra Repertory, Theatre 3, Ellery Circuit, Acton. June 11-27.
Reviewer: Alanna Maclean, published in Times2 on Tuesday June 16 2009.

After 34 years of Music Hall Canberra Rep's new winter musical show Jazz Garters just might be starting a new tradition. Some of the old red velvet Music Hall curtains are lurking about the set and a few of the sketches have whiskers but this show is happily going for a broader range of material.

Director Jim McMullen, ably backed by musical director Leisa Keen, choreographer Lisa Buckley and Peter J. Casey as artistic adviser, has come up with a mixture that has some contemporary energy while nodding to all kinds of older performance traditions.

For more than two and a half hours the cast of 27 dance, sing, act and even whistle their way through a huge program of songs from musicals and cabaret, with juggling, magic tricks, drag acts, Highland dancing, tumbling and classic sketches in between.

Delights include Ian Croker and Dick Goldberg in Abbott and Costello's Who's On First? baseball sketch, Goldberg's go at Australian comic legend Mo (Roy Rene), Croker relishing the transformation scene from Jekyll & Hyde, Tim Sekuless as the soprano on a chair afflicted by a seamstress with a huge pair of scissors who just can't get the hemline right, and Bronwyn Sullivan in just about anything she does, including a lament by an alto about never getting to sing the tune.

It's a torrent of talent doing everything from Noel Coward to Stephen Sondheim. The depth of male singing is especially impressive. It's not as old-fashioned in style as Music Hall but it's not rock 'n' roll either. It's about the glamour and humour of the kind of variety shows that used to play the Tivoli Circuit, before television came to Australia.

It's a little surprising therefore to see a largely black and white set rather lacking in sparkle, although in the second half Alex Sciberra's cunning back lighting brings out the best in the design.

The pre-show warm-up includes some good comic magic and a fascinating silent film of variety performance but "silents" never meant silence. Music and a quicker transition into the show proper should ensure this works better than it did on opening night.

However, the evening grows as it progresses and by the end it is hard to let the cast go. Jazz Garters has more than filled Music Hall's shoes.