Review: VELVET at The Palms At Crown

Born from a enthusiasm for disco and an appreciation for the returning popularity of the variety show, VELVET is a night of sheer entertainment. An amalgam of circus, burlesque, variety, and concert forms, the audience is taken on a disco journey that ends in a room full of dancing and unbridled joy.

With clear inspiration from the famous Studio 54, the 9 person cast tell the familiar story of a young man on a journey of self discovery and sexual awakening. Whilst the narrative isn't the strongest part of the show, director Craig Ilott leads an incredible cast. Headliner Marcia Hines is as legendary as ever with the voice that earned her the Queen of Pop title and remains that strong today. Alongside Hines, Tom Oliver plays the role of the young man with honesty and authenticity. Oliver's voice is powerful and acrobatic as he swings from huge dance hits to a moving ballad cover of The Bee Gees' Stayin Alive. Rounding out the singing cast are Rechelle Mansour and Kaylah Attard, two incredible dancers with gorgeous voices to boot.

The circus is brought to the show in spades by Mirko Köckenberger, Emma Goh, Stephen Williams, and Craig Reid. Mirko Köckenberger gets the circus going in the show with his opening handstand routine, balancing magically on stacks of suitcase, whilst changing costumes throughout! Emma Goh is the Kylie Minogue-esque aerialist who draws gasps from the audience as she performs effortless routines on hoop and spanish web, whilst her male counterpart Stephen Williams bring some leather clad sex appeal to his moments of strength and in all his aerial routines. Craig Reid is unequivocally the crowd favourite with his loveable hula hoop routines and gawdy dance moves. Reid's comic timing and personality is just perfect and his character puts a smile on every face in the room.

The stand out performance of the show comes from Music Director and Soundtrack Producer Joe Accaria, with his commanding stage presence atop the set, his impressive live percussion and DJing, and even with some stellar vocal moments himself. The soundtrack is expertly mixed and will have you singing along for days.

Accompanying the musical genius of the show is the visual feast supplied by lighting designer Matthew Marshall, choreographer Lucas Newland, and set & costume designer James Browne. Whilst some of the costumes were not quite as bespoke as such a well crafted show deserves, each act and each song delivers a sequinned extravaganza befitting the 70s setting.

Perfect in length, VELVET ends with a standing ovation and a dance party, ultimately leaving the crowd wanting more!

VELVET is touring nationwide throughout 2017, currently playing Melbourne:
The Palms at Crown Melbourne
Must close 2 July 2017
www.ticketmaster.com.au

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