Theodora by Handel as performed by Pinchgut

Musically and vocally superb, here's my Artshubh review http://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/handels-theodora-252780

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LYNNE LANCASTER

Vocally and musically splendid.

  Valda Wilson as Theodora. Photograph by Robert Catto.

Handel loved his Theodora, rating it far above his other Oratorios. However, it was not popular in his day, but since the very late Twentieth Century with the landmark production at Glynbourne in 1996,  Theodora has gradually found its rightful place among his Baroque masterpieces.

Yet again, here under the magnificent direction of Lindy Hume, Pinchgut thrills and delights us with this glorious production. Musically and vocally it was ravishing, the Orchestra of the Antipodes under the bouncy, enthusiastic yet extremely precise direction of Erin Helyard were lush, dynamic and lyrical – soaring yet well controlled – look out for the contra bassoon especially required for this opera. Tempos were elastic and flexible, the strings rich velvety and detailed. A delicate haunting flute is featured in Theodora’s prison scene, contrasted with braying horns for the Romans especially in the opening feast after interval and scurrying violins in arias such as 'Sweet Rose and Lily'.

The plot is simple and set in ancient times but still resonates today. Christians are being persecuted in China and the Middle East but it could also be representative of any sect that disagrees with the ruling powers and protests: ‘us’ vs ‘them’. Valens, autocratic Roman ruler of fourth-century Antioch, demands everyone sacrifice to Jupiter for the Emperor’s birthday celebrations. When the Christians decline, Theodora, a prominent member and a virtuous noblewoman, is arrested and threatened with being forced into ritual prostitution – for her, a fate worse than death. Didymus, a Roman soldier and secret Christian convert, chastely in love with Theodora, exchanges clothes and places with her, so she can escape, but when he is condemned in her place Theodora returns and ‘they blissfully enter immortality together’ in a double martyrdom.

Under Hume’s direction the staging was rather sparse and simple, with minimal sets and effects. The raised platform stage with steps took up most of the space.There was a tilted screen used for the surtitles and some of Matthew Marshalls’ very atmospheric, glowing lighting and special effects such as clouds (or angels wings?) for one of Theodora’s solos. There was also a heavy tilted square lighting rig up high, with grey plastic clouds (brewing storm clouds?) The Romans were identified by a gloved hand and mottled painting on the sleeve of one arm. The Christians were plain clothed – so the chorus could easily change from ‘saints‘ to ‘sinners‘ by changing or removing the coats. 

International star Aussie Valda Wilson dazzles and captivates as Theodora. Noble,virtuous and strong she is also vulnerable underneath, yet her faith will conquer all. Her first solo ‘Though Hard‘ is inspirational and her troubled solo when in prison ‘O Thou Bright Sun’ was a soaring prayer. She sings with a radiant freshness.The duets between her and Didymus when they are falling in love were lush and exquisite. Our hero, counter tenor Didymus was magnificently sung by international star Christopher Lowrey (last seen in Sydney in Pinchgut’s Bajazet). from his first rousing solo 'The Raptured Soul' he had us spellbound with his warm voice. His flourishes and stylish ornamentation were galvanised at times with great agility without renouncing his lyrical smoothness. Tall, dark and handsome Septimius, Didymus’ friend, was splendidly sung by Ed Lyon, dashing in his military uniform. He does his ‘duty’ as commanded by Valens but with great reluctance (‘Descend Kind Pity‘ was magnificently sung). He has a versatile range with delicious upper timbres for his bright tenor and an agile, sinewy tone. He is torn between his duty and compassion and his friendship with Didymus. He secretly helps Didymus exchange places with Theodora and is left alone and devastated crouched and grieving. Irene, the female leader of the Christians in Antioch was beautifully sung by Caitlin Hulcup. She was calm and strong, her solos 'The Clouds Began to Veil' and 'Defend Her and Lord To Thee Each Night and Day' were sensational. She sang with limpid mellifluousness and was firm and inspired. Valens the tyrannical Roman governor was portrayed by Andrew Collis as menacing and perhaps slightly mad, turning ‘Racks, Gibbets, Swords‘ into an astonishing, furious aria.

A minimalist rather restrained staging of the sweeping musical drama. Theodora  is musically and vocally tremendous and the 18th century sound is lush and detailed. Go on – treat yourself.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Handel's Theodora
BY GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL

Valda Wilson                    
Caitlin Hulcup                  
Christopher Lowrey    
Ed Lyon                      
Andrew Collis              
Cantillation                    
Orchestra of the Antipodes
Erin Helyard, conductor
Lindy Hume, director
Dan Potra, designer
Matthew Marshall, lighting designer
Sally Blackwood, assistant director
Keiren Brandt-Sawdy, assistant conductor

Pinchut Opera
City Recital Hall
30 November - 6 December 2016​

Mack and Mabel at the Hayes

This was sensational , absolutely brilliant. Here's my Artshub review
http://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/mack-and-mabel-252725 Mack and Mabel is dynamite; sheer theatrical magic. Directed by Trevor Ashley, this is a magnificent production of the 1974 Broadway musical that was regarded as a flop at the time yet has developed a cult following and is best known perhaps for Mack’s song 'I Won’t Send Roses'.

With book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the plot involves the stormy romantic relationship between silent film Hollywood director Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand (in the musical she is a waitress from a deli ‘discovered ‘by Sennett). Most of the conflict is between the two main characters – Stewart became one of Sennett's biggest stars, his major muse and inspiration. Told in a series of freeze frames and flashbacks, Sennett as narrator describes the glory days of the Keystone Studios from 1911, when he discovered Normand and cast her in dozens of his early 'two-reelers' (as distinct from longer feature films) through to his creation of Sennett's Bathing Beauties and the Keystone Cops to Mabel's death in 1930. 

Mack and Mabel is full of pizzazz and stylish, zippy choreography by Cameron Mitchell. Bursting with exuberance, there is wonderful comic timing with the slapstick numbers – the extremely detailed tightly choreographed bits in 'Look What Happened to Mabel', and the pie-in -the face scene for 'I Wanna Make The World Laugh' plus the Keystone Cops segment in Act 2 were dynamite. The Bathing Beauties scene rivals that of Busby Berkley and Ethel Merman and yet there was more with giant full cast production numbers.

Costumes as designed by Angela White are stunning. Lauren Peters’ movie studio-inspired set design creates the atmosphere immediately and allows for the many fluid, flexible scene changes. The band, hidden at the back, vibrantly directed by Bev Kennedy, were splendid and played exuberantly.

As Mack Selleck, tall and charismatic Scott Irwin is fabulous. Seemingly gruff and cold – a tyrant obsessed with his work – dominating, stubborn and often abusive where Mabel is concerned but he captures Mabel and our hearts with 'I Won’t Send Roses'. Despite sizzling chemistry between the pair and a mutual need, Mack eventually drives Mabel to leave, in a search for artistic integrity and self development, and she ends in a downward spiral without much support. Irwin’s warm, luscious baritone leads the audience through the show in reflective monologue and song, Irwin as Mack Senneck emanating a deep sense of love and regret.

As Mabel Normand, Angelique Cassimatis is luminous, setting the stage alight. She dazzles and delights, stealing our hearts from the opening number 'Look What Happened to Mabel' . She is simply enthralling in all her numbers revealing her enormous emotional range and acting and vocal versatility (not to mention her unforgettable dancing) 'Wherever He Ain’t' is furious and defiant, 'Time Heals Everything' sadly aching for example and her disintegration towards the end is sadly charted.

Shaun Rennie charismatically plays the suave, sophisticated villain of the piece, William Desmond Taylor, a rival director of serious films, luring Mabel away from Mack and gets her hooked on drugs and booze. Her involvement in his death trips Mabel onto dangerous side of scandal and notoriety. As Lottie Ames Deone Zanotto is superb wowing us all through the show but especially when leading the Big Time number in Act 1 and 'Tap Your Troubles Away' number in a gold fringed outfit.
Frank Wyman, an actor/writer, and later a director, one of Mack’s team, was sensitively played by Adam Di Martino and Fatty Arbucle was enchantingly played by Stephen Valeri .

With great flair and a cavernous heart hidden under a seemingly gruff exterior this show will enchant. Run and book now if you haven’t already. 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

MACK AND MABEL 

Book by Michael Stewart
Music by Jerry Herman
Based on an idea by Leonard Speigelglass
Director Trevor Ashley
Choreographer Cameron Mitchell
Musical Director Bev Kennedy
Set Designer Lauren Peters
Costume Designer Angela White
Lighting Designer Gavan Swift
Sound Designer Neil Mclean
Casting Director Lisa Campbell
Producer Wendy Richards
Production Manager Laura Daniels
Stage Manager Gints Karklins
Starring Scott Irwin and Angelique Cassimatis
with Deone Zanotto, Stephen Valeri, Kuki Tipoki,
Adam Di Martino, Shay Debney, Sally Hare, Caroline Kaspar,
Mikayla Williams, Jessica Voivenel, Zachary Webster and Shaun Rennie.

Mack and Mabel runs at the Hayes Theatre 18 November – 18 December 2016

Untamed - Sydney Dance Company

This was totally brilliant .http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/sydney-dance-company-presents-untamed-roslyn-packer-theatre/his magnificent double bill will leave you breathless and stunned with awe at the superb performances. The brilliant Sydney Dance dancers excel themselves and are in top form.
Opening the program was Gabrielle Nankivell’s Wildebeest,  first seen in 2014 as part of New Breed.
Nankivell is based in South Australia. Darkly hypnotic and haunting, Wildebeest seeks to explore the hidden ‘beast’ of the dancers. The dancers reveal various aspects of the beast – at times they are like Ents in the forest , or a startled feral creature. Sometimes they all run herd-like.
A lone beast is fragmented and altered each time it makes contact with a nearby group. Nankivell’s choreography is very demanding and athletic. It is also very detailed with assorted avian and creature-like details. They fly, they strut, they explore their surroundings and nervously sniff the air …Some of the slick ensemble choreography is machine like, or like clogs interlocking, as the dancers trace the evolution from animal to human to machine/robot and even beyond.
Bernhard Knauer has a compelling opening solo looming out of the darkness – is he a just born creature finding his feet? – at times he is like a controlled puppet, other times he is explosively exploring space.
Cass Mortimer Eipper intently prowled and sinuously coiled and stretched like a large cat and Charmene Yap also had a tantalizing solo. There is a terrific duo from Holly Doyle and Todd Sutherland . And Janessa Dufty has an intense , gripping Shaman like closing solo.
Luke Smiles’ electronic soundscape is extremely powerful, pulsating and humming. The unisex costumes by Fiona Holley of shorts and tops were in various autumn shades and dark colours.
The second work was Bonachela’s Anima. Dazzling abstract dance, Bonachela’s work attempts to explore the boundary between form and spirit, expressed through the way the dancers utilize their extraordinary elevation and almost fly. Bonachela’s choreography is at times extremely demanding and athletic.
London based, Bulgarian born Dobrinka Tabakova’s elegant ,passionate and haunting score ( Insight for Strings trio , written 2002) was in parts driving and relentless, in other sections heartbreakingly elegiac and lyrical (hints of Tavener’s Protecting Veil). Aleisa Jelbart’s costumes looked like light sleepwear, and a couple of the men were topless. There was no set as such, rather breathtaking lighting and visuals by Clemens Habicht and Benjamin Cisterne whose lighting design glows and luminously transforms the dancers, drenching them in colour – including blinding whites, searing reds and zippy turquoises.
Slinky sculptural pas de-deux blend to astonishing trios with unusual lifts. Bonachela’s choreography demands soft feline jumps combined with long, stretched line as the dancers dart and leap. A highlight would have to be the extended tender and intimate pas de deux for Cass Mortimer Eipper and Petros Treklis with its aspects of male competition and tension, attempts to reach out and withdraw, elegantly detailed hands and an idiosyncratic use of elbows expressing physical longing and desire. Juliette Barton and Sam Young Wright followed this with another mesmerizing duo and the ensemble returned for a leaping finale.
The Sydney Dance Company’s production of UNTAMED is playing at the Roslyn Packer theatre until October 29. Running time 1 hr 45 minutes including one interval.
https://www.sydneydancecompany.com/

Mary Poppins - as performed by Willoughby Theatre Company

This was terrific http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/willoughby-theatre-company-presents-mary-poppins-the-concourse-chatswood/#more-36444
Willoughy Theatre presented the now-standard much loved Disney/Cameron Macintosh version, with small adjustments from the London version which was seen here at the Capitol several years ago.Matthew Bourne’s choreography is not retained but rather altered and adapted by Declan Moore and Janina Hamerlok .
Set in Edwardian times, the ever popular MARY POPPINS is based on the books by Australian author P.L.Travers, and narrates the tale of the rather dysfunctional Banks family, whose lives are changed completely and unexpectedly with the arrival of a new nanny, Mary Poppins.
The Banks children, Michael and Jane, have driven to distraction a harassed series of nannies of late. Will Mary Poppins be able to cope? Does she fulfill the selection criteria of both parents and children? You’ll have to see the show to find out …
Under the fine direction of Declan Moore, there were wizard special effects, splendid versatile unfolding/sliding sets , excellent use of projections and back drops , masses of bright and colourful costumes and several HUGE production numbers that brought the house down. Not forgetting a terrific spectacular starry finale . The casting was strong with excellent performances all round. The orchestra as led by musical director Andrew Bartle was splendid.

In the first half, the huge breathless show stopper number is the almost impossible to spell or pronounce ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’.
I saw the ‘team Bert’ cast of children. There were huge casts especially for Supercal and Step In Time for example , both exuberantly performed and the audience roared its approval.
Leading lady Michaele Leisk as Mary Poppins is super efficient , briskly elegant and yet also a bit cold and aloof perhaps – possibly a being from another world, a wish fulfillment dream nanny ? She has wonderful fun, looks stunning with her iconic bag and parrot umbrella , and sings and dances splendidly, weaving her spell over the audience and the Banks household.
Born to play the role of Bert,  tall gangly Matt Hourigan was magnificent in his performance , from his first appearance mesmerizing the audience as the good hearted , at times rather cheeky chimney sweep ,narrator, artist, dancer, and general theatrical magic maker.
Chim Chim Cher-ee was marvellous and the extended Step in Time with his tap dancing solo thrilled , dazzled and had the audience cheering. His subtler, quieter moments are handled well and contrast delightfully with the epic production numbers.
Strict precision and order are what are required by the actor playing George Banks, and Brad Clarke develops his seemingly rather pompous ,cold and wooden character to reveal the sad, torn, harried and stressed man inside in a finely nuanced performance. His uncertain situation– facing a financial crash and unemployment– is still extremely relevant today.
Nina Marsh is terrific as Mrs Banks, an exquisite picture of Edwardian loveliness. We follow how her character grows stronger as she attempts to save the rather stormy Banks marriage and deal with almost impossible domestic situations.
The children Jane and Michael were delightfully played by Stella Constable and Nicholas Cradock at the performance I saw. Overworked , stressed Mrs Brill the cook/housekeeper was wonderfully played by Donna Fitzgerald and Kris Fenessy had a great time as the boneless, clumsy Robertson Ay.
As the ‘nastiest nanny in the world’ , ‘The Holy Terror ‘devilish Miss Andrew, Karen Oliver in severe, disapproving black has great fun stealing the show with enormous relish. The confrontation scene between her and Mary Poppins ( Brimstone and Treacle) saw her portrayed as a pantomime villain with green and red lighting .
Playing the Game and Feed the Birds were presented with a light touch, not quite as dark as they might be, and Neleus the Statue’s search for his father is quite downplayed .
Graced with the delightful presence of the Mayor of Willoughby in the audience , this terrific production by Willoughby Theatre Company had the audience enchanted. It dazzled and delighted. Quick – if you haven’t already booked, almost the entire season is already sold out but extra performances have been added due to public demand . Check with the box office now !
Running time allow 3 hours ( roughly ) including one interval
MARY POPPINS is playing at the Concourse until October 30.

Cabaret in the Day - Of Bing I Sing

The second concert in this year's series at Mosman Art Gallery http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/cabaret-day-bing-sing-mosman-art-gallery/
The latest in the Cabaret in the Day series at Mosman Art Gallery was Of Bing I Sing , saluting Bing Crosby (1903 -1977 ) , the legendary 20th century American crooner and movie star.
Recording more than 1700 songs, Crosby’s distinctive warm bass-baritone voice made him the best-selling recording artist of the 20th century, having sold over one billion records, tapes, compact discs and digital downloads around the world.
Written and directed by Melvyn Morrow, it was presented as a dialogue between Glenn Amer ( ‘” the musical mastermind of Moss Vale ‘’) who has ‘’ the fingers of Liberace and the voice of Mario Lanza” and a collection of 378 78 format style recordings of Crosby, and Rob Palmer, star of Better Homes and Gardens and Dancing With the Stars.
Amer at the shiny black piano was dressed in a dapper suit , Palmer in front of a large black and silver mike was far more casual in a t-shirt and denim. Palmer was tanned and had a dazzling cheeky grin .Palmer had a long introductory monologue explaining how the two met.
The piece  was not really biographical per se rather a voyage of discovery through a collection of some of Crosby’s songs. Some facts were mentioned ( and statistics rattled off ) about his records and his 53 various movies ( especially the “Road” movies with Bob Hope ) . Crosby’s private life was briefly mentioned too..
Mostly however it was the songs… Palmer and Amer jumped around chronologically but we heard for example Blue Skies and You’ve Got Me Where You Want Me towards the start of the show and the catchy Alexander’s Ragtime Band which had everyone bopping along. They were followed by Play A Simple Melody.
We then heard Don’t Fence Me In and from 1948 Ghost Riders in the Sky. This was followed by the poignantly beautiful Toora loora Looral ( That’s an Irish lullaby ) and the extremely moving Galway Bay .
Amer then charismatically sang Danny Boy which led to a hot tango like Amor Amor Amor that the audience absolutely loved.
We then jumped to I Love Paris which segued into in the infectious toe-tapping In The Cool Cool Cool of the Evening ( from the 1951 film Here Comes the Groom ).
1944 was a big year for Crosby with at least three hits – I Love You , I’ll get By As Long as I Have You and the romantic ballad I’ll Be Seeing You.
Palmer talked about Crosby’s image as Mr Nice Guy – but was he ?( not according to one of his son’s books ..)
The led to a fiery ,seductive Latin- American style Temptation by Amer that sizzled and the audience absolutely adored .The mood then changed to True Love.
Palmer briefly talked about Crosby’s extremely successful career which led to a delightful most impressive medley by Amer of some of his other hits.
We then leapt to Love Thy Neighbour, followed by Would You Like To Swing On A Star and We’ve Only Just Begun.
Much was then made of I’m Dreaming of A White Christmas with the audience singing along . According to Guinness World Records, Crosby’s recording of “White Christmas” has “sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles”
There was a hushed silence as we listened to Amer’s 78 copy of Crosby singing Accentuate The Positive on Amer’s portable gramophone. That led to the final song Now Is the Hour. The audience went wild and for an encore we had the exuberant Macamara’s Band with the audience singing and clapping along.
Melvyn Morrow then introduced Zach Selmes who performed a song or two to wet our appetite for his concert the next in the series Poisoning Pigeons in The Park.
Running time – just over 90 minutes (roughly) no interval
Of Bing I Sing , part of the Cabaret in the Day series , was at Mosman Art Gallery 16 October 2016

Who Speaks for me ?

hmmm I was a bit disappointed in this show .Here's my thoughts for the Guide http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/who-speaks-for-me-the-parramatta-riverside/  
Yes ,’’ verbatim theatre ‘ is about narrative and telling stories and yes it is most important that these particular stories be told, and we hear different voices from around the world ( in this case in particular our Asian neighbours ) but I wouldn’t really classify this as ‘theatre’ as such , rather perhaps as an autobiographical talk or lecture?
We learn the stories of three very different yet at times similar stories of families who have been refugees and asylum seekers, facing the problem of survival in their home country, escaping and being in horrendous refugee camps and then the culture shock of arriving in Australia , not speaking English and depending on another family member to translate and be their ‘voice ‘. Issues such as forced marriages, workplace bullying and living with disability are also raised.
Performance 4A have created a now recognized major position within the local theatre scene by using a fairly specific format: creation of autobiographical shows telling Asian-Australian stories, crafted from spoken narrative, archival audio and projected photos and footage (including The Serpent’s Table; Yasukichi Murakami – Through a Distant Lens and Stories East & West).
Their most recent production, In Between Two, was premiered as part of the Sydney Festival earlier this year.
This production is a collaboration between National Theatre of Parramatta and Performance 4A. We follow the lives of three families one from Bhutan , one from Cambodia and another from Vietnam .What shines through is love of family , a strong work ethic and persistence in the struggle to simply survive. Also how thrilled these families are to end up here in Australia.
All three groups simply stand stiffly at the microphones either side of the stage . Much is made of rare, treasured family photos interwoven in the narrative.
First, we meet Puspa Lal and Chandra Acharya, bright and colourful in Bhutanese clothing, a husband and wife who fled Bhutan with their three children after the government expelled all ethnic Nepalis from the country. The Acharyas were in various refugee camps for an unimaginable 17 years (!) before being granted Australian visas, during which time their three young children became adults.
They arrived in Sydney as part of a major humanitarian program to settle 5000 Bhutanese refugees in Australia. Here in Sydney Puspa helps new migrants adjust to life Australia and Chandra is learning English but depends on Puspa to translate and speak for her.
Next we learn about the life of Vietnamese refugee, Bà Quôc Viêt, who fled her homeland by boat with her daughter Sophie To. Bà and Sophie left Vietnam by a fishing boat after the VietCong occupation of their village, and were dramatically rescued at sea by a US naval ship who ferried them to a refugee camp in Singapore. They were resettled here in Australia in 1983 .
Renowned in Vietnam and parts of south-east Asia for her cooking expertise, Bà Quôc Viêt never let a lack of English get in her way, especially when it came to communicating with her grandson William who was born profoundly deaf. As William only learned English at his special needs school, Sophie has to translate between Bà, William and his boyfriend Michael.
The final tale is the story of Cambodian mother and son Vanna and Ly Heang Seang who fled Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror. A pregnant Ly Heang, her husband and three small children walked to Thailand – she carried baby Vanna the whole way. Ly Heang Seang, once here in Australia, was desperately determined to get her driver’s license – she sat for the written test a total of 31 times before succeeding!
Throughout her story, Ly Heang Seang relies on her son, Vanna, for communicating in English including aid in the meetings with his school principal and at a later stage, providing the words to assist Ly Heang Seang to triumph over workplace bullying .
The stories of these strong, inspirational women shine through. Their incredible stories serve to remind us of the suffering and strength at the core of the migrant and asylum seeker experience.
Running time just under 90 minutes without interval.
WHO SPEAKS FOR ME?, co-directed by Annette Shun Wah and William Yang, played at Riverside Theatres Parramatta between the 12th and 15th October. Cast- Ly Heang Seang, Vanna Seang, Ba Quoc Viet,n Sophie To, William Uy Vu Le, Puspa lal Acharya, Chandra Acharya

Cabaret in the Day - Gilbert and Sullivan forever !

The first of this year's series at Mosman Art Gallery this was terrific.Here's my review for the Guide http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/cabaret-in-the-day-gilbert-and-sullivan-forever-mosman-art-gallery/

The first of this year’s Cabaret in the Day series as excellently directed by Melvyn Morrow was the wonderful ‘Gilbert and Sullivan forever!’ starring Andrew O’Keefe and Glenn Amer.
The best of G&S in an hour and a half was presented by O’Keefe (The Chase, Weekend Sunrise) who is a Mosmanite, and Amer who has been described as ‘the man with the fingers of Liberace and the voice of Mario Lanza ‘.
Together they become a cast of hundreds as we dashed exuberantly through some of Gilbert and Sullivans much loved operettas as well as some rarely heard works too.
O’Keefe was something of a chameleon, from petulant King Gama to the Lord High Executioner, from judge to sad jester, and not forgetting his  playing a debonair Frenchman. Amer who also played many and various roles was in great form on the keyboard and sang wonderfully too.
From the dashing , thunderous opening chords of the overture to The Mikado played by Amer at a breathless ,exuberant pace , we knew were in for a terrific time.
The show was interspersed with information and witty anecdotes about the lives of Gilbert and Sullivan, social comment and delved into the history of some of their productions.
We first saw and heard O”Keefe as the suave , sophisticated Judge with flashing eyes in Trial By Jury. Then came the magnificent tongue twisting patter song My Name is John Wellington Wells from The Sorcerer. Amer followed with another very wistful moving piece from the same operetta.
We then jumped aboard HMS Pinafore and O’Keefe was deliciously, pompously aristocratic as Sir Joseph Porter ( When I Was A lad) followed by a rollicking, swaggering Pirate King from Pirates of Penzance that brought the house down and would have garnered many recruits.
Audience participation was encouraged and given for the next song,  A Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One (also from Pirates).
Next we turned to Patience and O’Keefe and Amer as Bunthorne and Grosvenor respectively performed the witty duet When I Go Out of Door. 
The next three songs were from Iolanthe, When All Night A Chap Remains  and When Britain Really Ruled The Waves and as a duo instead of the usual trio Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady.
O’Keefe became stooped, menacing and cruel as King Gama from Princess Ida If You Give Me Your Attention who ‘can’t think why’ he isn’t liked.
This was contrasted with a heartfelt rendition by O’Keefe of Koko’s Tit – Willow song from The Mikado that was exquisitely moving and a wickedly delightful duet ( Amer as Katisha). This was followed by Sir Roderic’s Ghost Song from Ruddigore.
We then moved to the Tower of London and the Yeoman of the Guard with an extremely poignant and moving performance of I Have A Song To Sing O.
Next stop was Venice with the bright and buoyant We’re called Gondolieri  from The Gondoliers, and Amer also performed the lyrical Take A Pair of Sparkling Eyes from the same operetta.
We then heard about some of their lesser known and now rarely performed operettas in particular Utopia Ltd and The Grand Duke and we heard the Grand Duke’s Song Take My Advice When Deep In Debt reminding us that at the casino the bank is bound to win!
Amer played a medley of various famous Sullivan melodies before an encore was enthusiastically demanded and the audience joined in With Cat Like Tread from The Pirates of Penzance with great gusto bringing the concert to a conclusion.
Melvyn Morrow then introduced Rob Palmer and Zach Selmes who will be performing in the other two Cabaret in the Day concerts that will take place later this year, and they each performed a song from their respective shows .
The audience vociferously cheered and thunderously applauded at the end of this glorious afternoon.
Running time 1 hour 45 minutes without interval.
This concert was performed at  the Mosman Art Gallery on Sunday October 9.