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Adaptation is hard, particularly when it comes to adapting beloved movies to the stage. Some shows like Legally Blonde do a wonderful job of taking what was good in the source material and creating something new. I cannot say the same for Sister Act. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if the composers of Sister Act had only ever read a synopsis of the movie. Nevertheless, this show has broad appeal and name recognition, and so it exists. I like to preface when my opinion of the m

There is something especially satisfying about seeing a community theatre company take on a large, familiar musical and make it work within the honest limits of the space available. Mosman Musical Society’s production of Oliver!, staged at the Zenith Theatre in Chatswood, does exactly that. It is warm, disciplined, well-paced and performed with obvious care by a very large cast who understand both the charm and the darkness of Lionel Bart’s much-loved musical. I should also d

As an English teacher, I went into this production with curiosity and a fear that flipping the script on the classic Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet would lack depth — but Penrith Musical Comedy Company and the vision of John Forbes delivered an absolutely stellar, joyful and hilarious production. & Juliet is based on the question: what if Juliet never died over Romeo? Being a millennial English teacher, the Shakespeare references, 90s bangers and sprinkled rhyming couplets ha

I have never said "hey, that is where that song is from" more than seeing Hornsby Musical Society's production of Sweet Charity. Numbers like Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now have transcended the show, and so often people encounter them removed from their original context. Normally when this happens, seeing the show makes the song richer and often makes more sense; however, if I am honest, I really dislike Sweet Charity. On paper it has some good songs, great mu