BWW Reviews: GENESIS TO BROADWAY Has A Lofty And Admirable Goal

Each night on the Great White Way the curtain goes up on stories. Stories that sing and dance their way into our collective consciousness, whether it is a re-telling of a great gothic novel, the re-imagining of a bohemian opera, or a brand new work that aims to illuminate our modern lives. Broadway lights up the night (and some afternoons!) with stories, and as an enduring art form, musical theatre has given voice to our hopes, dreams and fears for more than a hundred years.

GENESIS TO BROADWAY has the lofty and admirable goal of telling the story of these stories. Written and directed by Frank Howson, it aims to take the audience on a journey from biblical times right through the latest opening nights, connecting the notes through a particular focus on displacement - starting with the expulsion from Eden, then travelling through centuries of the immigrant experience, to end up home at last on a Broadway stage. It is a neat concept for sure, though ultimately the strokes are just too broad (forgive the pun here, please) for the show to feel fully formed.

In fact the problem with GENESIS TO BROADWAY is how interesting its proposition is. You find yourself leaning forward, wanting to know more when a particular anecdote is shared, only for it to be replaced by another brief story - like a medley where your favourite song is cut off that moment too soon. In a show that starts with a Jewish lament and ends with a frenetic mash-up of popular show tunes, brevity is going to be a necessity. It's just ... I wanted more!

This is a return season for GENESIS TO BROADWAY, and Fem Belling reprises her lead role here, with a clear, stirring voice that was particularly lovely on the solemn "Where is Love". Her counterpart Tod Strike also provides some goose-bump moments in this intimate Chapel Off Chapel space. A former member of The Ten Tenors, Strike's voice is best suited to the dramatic numbers; in some of the lighter moments the harmonies were just slightly off to this ear.

Acting as narrator and pianist, Musical Director Warren Wills could easily carry the show concept on his own. The teasing of a melody, then a story - ultimately these were the elements I enjoyed most on the night. At it's most simple, GENESIS TO BROADWAY worked best.

One last thing from this reviewer. GENESIS TO BROADWAY was conspicuously absent of the female contribution to the art form. When the spotlight was shining on particular songwriters or performers, not just their songs, there was not a single woman in the mix. We know that it's taken till 2013 for a solo woman to win a Tony Award for Best Score, but there have been powerful females - from Dorothy Fields, to Betty Comden, through Lynn Ahrens and Lucy Simon, who could fit right into the story here - and teach the audience thing or two. There was one of each in the Garden, after-all ...

GENESIS TO BROADWAY the Musical

11th - 20th June, 2013, Chape off Chapel Melbourne

For tickets and further information click here.

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