The Boy from Oz

In celebration of their joint 20th anniversary, Melbourne’s iconic institution of musical theatre, The Production Company, brings Australia’s very first hit musical The Boy from Oz back to the stage for a limited run of only 17 performances. Starring Rohan Browne at the helm as the effervescent and exuberant Peter Allen, this new iteration of an Australian classic boasts an all-star cast of Aus musical talent to bring the joyous, tragic and incredible story of one of Australia’s most gifted entertainers to life.

Hot off roles in Singing’ in the Rain and Brigadoon, Browne inhabits the high waisted pants and sequinned shirts of Allen with wit, charm and a zest for life. Following in the coattails and maracas of Todd McKenney and Hugh Jackman is a near impossible task yet Browne is an easy and confident performer, moving like a tap dancing tornado across the stage. He reminds one of a coiled spring, ready to bounce and twirl at any given moment, exuding the same boundless confidence and sexual energy Allen did in his prime. It is a shame then that some opening night sound problems detract from some beautiful renditions of Allen’s most loved hits. A tad hesitant to begin with, Browne quickly finds his groove through ‘Only an Older Woman’ and ‘Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage’ while, predictably enough, nailing the showstoppers ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ and ‘I Go To Rio’. Browne is so good as the confident, ebullient Allen at the top of his game, it is only as Peter at his lowest, broke, rejected and cruel, that Browne struggles, his limitless energy replaced by a petty stiffness. As it’s only a small section of the story, it isn’t long before Browne is back playing to his strengths.

Joining Browne under the bright lights and sequins is Caroline O’Connor, returning from Broadway and the West End for the role of aged Hollywood starlet, Judy Garland, and Loren Hunter as her daughter, Liza Minelli. For anyone with only memories of Garland as the doe eyed and pigtailed Dorothy, O’Connor’s portrayal will be a sharp departure. This is a woman who has lived a life and carries every failure and triumph on her shoulders, alternating between moments of confident swagger and the broken shuffling of indecision and depression. O’Connor brings a strength, wit and vulnerability to the role, portraying Garland as never one thing but a multitude of feelings.

Staged beautifully with a bold and imaginative lighting scheme and spectacularly complex choreography from Michael Ralph, credit to director Jason Langley for crafting jaw-dropping sequence after sequence that takes audiences on a cultural tour from rough rural Australia to the swinging 60s of New York and beyond. Though structural choices such as repetitive musical interludes with Allen’s back-up singers feel out of place, untethered from any narrative direction and placing the performance in an awkward limbo between musical concert and musical theatre as if not quite sure what it would rather be.

Strange structural choices aside, the 20th anniversary of The Boy from Oz is one celebrated in style. Incredible performances from the main cast and show stopping renditions of iconic songs all serve to create a dynamic and sumptuous feast for the senses, in the most uniquely Australian of ways.

The Boy from Oz 
Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
artscentremelbourne.com.au/en/whats-on/2018/seasons/tpc/the-boy-from-oz