If you felt the need you had to venture into the big city to actually see the play. You also had to sidestep the religious right out front with the placards of denouncement and verbal noise upon entrance, my how times have changed. Blasphemy and box office have long since become good bedfellows and the Christ complex can be seen on rock stages around the globe. The one thing that still plays is the feeling of it being a rite of passage.

The audience on the night reflected this with an extremely wide range of looks from the extreme theatre peacocks to the jeans-clad grungesters and all points in between. The average age though was surprisingly elder. Come on parents this is a work the youngsters might actually like. The production was bombastic in the best way and the songs still hold up. This was however challenged slightly by a few problems with the audio production.

It took a song or two for the sound to come into focus and the vocals for a few cast members needed the extra clarity. Also when the Big Guy’s son gave the pipes a real workout, the volume became overwhelming and a bit shrill. It’s been a while since the last visit and the thought that the first half contained most of the banger songs came flooding back but by play’s end, it was still quite the experience. The exuberance of it all still makes one wonder why rock music hasn’t penetrated more thoroughly into the world of theatre.

Jesus Christ Superstar is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane until 10 August 2025 – click here to get your tickets now!

Rob Hudson
www.jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com.au/

Oddest choice of all is not utilising the current state of the art for cinema sound with its amazing ability for massive soundscapes. Instead we often get thin eighties sounding synth line based music. Also very few of the cast members have strong voices, with the exception of Jennifer Hudson who gets to belt out the thrice repeated hit, Memories.

Keeping things very stagy, most of the cast is adapt at the sinuous physicality and dance movements needed to ply the boards and bright lights. There is also a reliance on keeping the action of the large cast to a minimum number of sets. To highlight where the film’s main priorities lie is the casting of Francesca Hayward, a Royal Ballet Principal Ballerina as the female lead, Victoria. Her on-screen gracefulness is something to behold.

This generation’s film version of Cats is indeed an irregular one. From the bordering on creepy rendition of our fury friends to adhering to a simpler Broadway mentality with regards to staging and sound design. Where this fits in with current movie trends remains to be seen and the challenge will be for it to find a place in today’s multiplicitous society.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

The epic will be produced by Hooper and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, as well as fellow Les Misérables producer Debra Hayward—who brought the idea to Working Title. CATS will be produced by Working Title Films in association with Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group and executive produced by Lloyd Webber, Angela Morrison and Jo Burn. Hooper and Lee Hall (Billy Elliott, War Horse) have adapted the story for the screen.

One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, “Cats” received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981—where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The groundbreaking production based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years.

Cats will be released in Australian cinemas this Boxing Day!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

The epic will be produced by Hooper and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, as well as fellow Les Misérables producer Debra Hayward—who brought the idea to Working Title. CATS will be produced by Working Title Films in association with Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group and executive produced by Lloyd Webber, Angela Morrison and Jo Burn. Hooper and Lee Hall (Billy Elliott, War Horse) have adapted the story for the screen.

One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, “Cats” received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981—where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The groundbreaking production based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years.

Cats is coming soon – December 2019!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

Would this clash between the inclusive and earthy power of rock and the frivolous glitz of Broadway type theatre work? Would the fourteen new Lloyd Webber songs rock or talk? The songs actually end up being quite a mixed bag. Many of the ALW songs drag a bit are they are generally too long and don’t fit comfortably with a rock ethos. The songs from the movie are a different thing altogether and they really save the day. They help to elevate the proceedings substantially and the audience responding in kind.

The dialogue in the play is actually quite a bit more cheeky than the flick and there are ample moments where this comes into comic play. Lead actor Brent Hill successfully fills some big shoes as Dewey Finn and captures the cheekiness just right. Once you recalibrate your expectations from the movie and put yourself in Broadway Musical mode, the end results are quite infectious.

What really helped make the night successful was the sheer verve and talent of the young members of the cast. They are a mega talented group and the members that made up the onstage band were quite adapt in their musicianship as well. It’s a big, loud and raucous production and its entertaining enough to easily overlook its shortcomings.
Rob Hudson

School Of Rock is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane until August 17, 2019 – click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There, he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band.

While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within. (The New York Times says, “Be Warned! There’s a love story in this one.”)

Featuring 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, this high-octane smash hit delivers face-melting guitar riffs and touching romance in equally awesome doses! The Daily News cheers, Andrew Lloyd Webber “awakens the empowering message of rock!” and Time Out New York raves, “school’s in – forever!”.

School of Rock
12 July – 17 August 2019
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

Andrew Lloyd Webber, the man who brought rock and romance to Broadway, is back with a new heart-stirring hit. SCHOOL OF ROCK is a New York Times Critics’ Pick and “AN INSPIRING JOLT OF ENERGY, JOY AND MAD SKILLZ!” (Entertainment Weekly ). Reuters raves ”ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER HAS BROADWAY ROCKING AGAIN!”

Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within. (The New York Times says, “BE WARNED! There’s a love story in this one.”)

Featuring 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and all the original songs from the movie, this high-octane smash delivers face-melting guitar riffs and touching romance in equally awesome doses! The Daily News cheers, ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER “AWAKENS THE EMPOWERING MESSAGE OF ROCK!” and Time Out New York raves, “SCHOOL’s in – FOREVER!”

School of Rock
12 – 28 July 20119
QPAC, Brisbane
www.schoolofrockthemusical.com