Sweeping Ice in Parkas: The Winter Olympics

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 16th February 2010.

The Winter Olympics are upon us again and this year, I was determined to get into it, despite the fact that I have little knowledge or appreciation of the sports involved. Having grown up in Australia, the concept of hurling yourself down a snow covered hill with little or no means of braking seems a little alien. The tight jumpsuits, weird scoring systems and curling as a sport in general just don’t click with me. However, I was going to give it my best shot so I started with something I could relate to…the opening ceremony.

Due to the time differences between Australia and Canada, most Olympic events will occur in the very early hours of our mornings, but as the Opening Ceremony is an evening event, it aired live at the respectable time of 12:30pm on Saturday with a replay later that night.  Having attended the final dress rehearsal for the Sydney Olympics and watched many other summer opening ceremonies, I was prepared for a long but rewarding three hours plus of sickly sweet “world in harmony” goodness.

Although not quite surpassing the grandeur of the Beijing Games, the Canadians put on an amazing show. The use of high resolution projections onto the floor of the stadium provided a stunning backdrop for the performers. In particular, the projection of whales swimming across the stadium complete with physical jets of water was breathtaking.

The fact that the name of our country starts with an “A” certainly makes the lengthy entry of the athletes less painful. Once our athletes had been introduced, there was plenty of time to make a cup of tea, go to the toilet and knit a small jumper before the entertainment started. I really felt sorry for the poor ushers who lined the path for the athletes who had to dance “enthusiastically” for the whole entry and introduction process.

The fourth leg of the cauldron not rising out of the stadium floor was not the only clanger of the night. During the athlete tribute song, poor old Bryan Adams forgot to start lip synching at the right time and missed most of a solo line for a song that he composed himself. Perhaps he was distracted by the sight of a rather awkward looking duet partner Nelly Furtado, who was wearing a rather form fitting blue number and ten inch high heels that didn’t allow her to move around the stage well. Both seemed out of place surrounded by hundreds of representatives of Canada’s indigenous groups all dressed in their “traditional” UV costumes.

With Australian David Atkins (the man behind the musical Hot Shoe Shuffle and the 80’s scratch lottery commercials) producing the ceremony, some of the items seemed a little reminiscent of the Sydney Olympics opening. A young man flew around the stadium a la Nikki Webster. I’ll be looking forward to his debut single Strawberry Kisses coming out soon. A dance number complete with tap dancing punk violinists was memorable but also similar to the Tap Dogs inspired industrial dance from 2000.

k.d. lang closed the entertainment part of the ceremony with a hauntingly beautiful version of Leonard Cohan’s Hallelujah. This song is fast becoming one of the most covered and overexposed songs in history, although this version seemed to suit the occasion well, even though I have no idea what the song is actually about…something to do with Shrek I think.

With the opening ceremony done and dusted, I continued my mission to appreciate the Winter Olympics the next day by watching a whole afternoon of events. Unfortunately, I’m afraid to report that a DVD was on by dinner time. Sorry Canada, maybe in another four years?

Published in: on February 18, 2010 at 08:22  Leave a Comment  
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Review: Spring Awakening

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 9th February 2010.

Spring Awakening is the latest Broadway musical to make its way to our shores. With its Australian premiere this week, this new production has controversial origins which stretch way back to the 1890’s. I was lucky enough to catch a preview performance this past weekend.

Spring Awakening was German Frank Wedekind’s first ever play. Its storyline focuses on German teenagers in the late 19th century exploring their newfound sexuality and adolescence. Completed in 1891but not performed until 1906 in Berlin, his production attracted much criticism and was eventually banned from performance and publication for about 21 years due to its portrayal of abortion, suicide, sex and masturbation.

In 2001, the play was adapted into a musical by wordsmith Steven Sater and 90’s popster Duncan Sheik. Following numerous rewrites and workshops, the show finally premiered in 2006 on Broadway. Starring Glee actress Lea Michele, who originated the lead female role of Wendla from the very first workshops at the age of 14, the musical went on to run for 888 performances and won 8 Tony awards including best musical, book, director and score.

Sydney Theatre Company’s production is the first English language version to not be a replica of the original. Featuring a cast of 15 young performers aged between 17 and 24, all attended open auditions and beat out 1200 other hopefuls for their roles. The experience of the young cast ranges from seasoned actors to those still in training (two of the cast have been temporarily released from their studies at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) to those making their stage debuts (one performer auditioned in her school uniform).

Very much an ensemble piece, Spring Awakening’s Australian cast are all exceptionally strong singers and actors individually, but as a collective they bring a youthful energy and zest to the stage that sweeps all of the audience along in its wake. In particular, the show’s finale, The Song of Purple Summer, raises the hairs on the back of your neck with the whole cast in powerful vocal form.

The set is quite remarkable. A simple two story wooden structure is the centrepiece of the stage. Pivoting from mid-stage, the versatile bridge-like set is swept around by the cast to represent everything from a wharf to a cemetery. Ladders allow the cast to move around the set. The stage is walled in with black material, with doorways in the side and back walls as entrances. The front third of the stage is at a steep incline meaning that the cast are often dancing precariously at an angle which looks like it may send them into the audience at any time.

The lighting effects are almost deserving of a starring credit of their own. Hundreds of incandescent light globes hang individually from the roof, giving the show at times an otherworldly nocturnal atmosphere. The cast often utilise handheld spotlights to illuminate their faces during some of the more dramatic moments.

Director Geordie Brookman has crafted a standout piece of musical theatre. Eliciting powerful performances from actors just starting out in their careers, I felt privileged to witness the stars of tomorrow in such a grounded but vibrant new production. My only gripe is the choice to use Australian accents. Amongst German names and a decidedly European atmosphere, the twang of the performer’s accents grated with me.

The thematic focus of Spring Awakening means that the swearing and brief nudity may turn off some. It is certainly not for pre-teens, or those who like their musicals to be all singing and dancing colour explosions.

As the hit musical Rent became the voice of youth in the 90’s extolling the virtues of living your life in the present, I predict Spring Awakening will also resonate with young audiences. However, unlike Rent, which has aged somewhat as attitudes towards AIDS change, the turmoil of adolescent sexuality is a universal and eternal theme which has ensured that Spring Awakening has remained relevant since 1891.

Spring Awakening opens tonight at the Sydney Theatre, runs until 7th March and is highly recommended.

www.springawakeningaustralia.com.au

Published in: on February 9, 2010 at 06:57  Leave a Comment  
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A column by Alan Smithee

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 2nd February 2010.

Have you ever been unhappy with something you’ve been responsible to make, create or do? Was that assignment not up to your usual standards? Was that cake you baked not quite right? Why not follow Hollywood’s example and blame someone else, namely Alan Smithee.

Since 1968, Alan Smithee has been the pseudonym used by Hollywood directors who wish to disown a project. Of course, it is not as simple as divorcing yourself from a half-baked film (Year One or The Ugly Truth anyone?). The director must prove to the Directors Guild of America (DGA) that he or she had diminished creative control, and once granted the Alan Smithee credit by the Guild Panel, must not acknowledge their participation in the project or talk about their experiences

Alan Smithee debuted as a director in 1969 with Death of a Gunfighter. The film’s star, Richard Widmark, had artistic differences with original director, television journeyman Robert Totten. Veteran director Don Siegel was brought in to finish the project but when it came to its release, he declined to take credit, saying Totten had completed more than half the movie. Academy Award winner Widmark refused to allow the man he fired to be credited and thus Alan Smithee began his career.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) credits Alan Smithee as the director of over 70 productions, including many episodes of television shows. The majority of his motion picture credits are for little seen movies which may have had a direct to video or DVD release but have now been forgotten or lost forever in bargain bin heaven.

Amongst the usual suspects are a few Smithee films worth mentioning. 1994’s The Birds II: Lands End stars Tippi Hedren reprising her role from the original Hitchcock classic. Bound by an awful storyline (the birds attack again, wow), this was really directed by Rick Rosenthal who went on to helm horror disappointment Halloween: Resurrection in 2002. 

The Shrimp on the Barbie was an Australian production from 1990. Starring Cheech Marin of Cheech & Chong fame, this is a fish out of water “comedy” about a jobless Mexican-American waiter who decides to seek employment in Australia. The real culprit behind this disaster was Michael Gottlieb, who had previously directed the 1987 classic Mannequin, and went on to be responsible for Mr Nanny, which starred wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan and was nominated for zero Academy Awards.

You’ll be surprised to learn that Alan Smithee has also directed several episodes of McGyver, The Cosby Show and The Twilight Zone. He also directed Whitney Houston’s music video for I Will Always Love You. He may have also sung it.

In 2000, the pseudonym was officially retired by the DGA after a movie entitled An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was released.  Written by Joe Eszterhas of Showgirls infamy (there is a whole new column there), the film is about a director who loses control of his action flick to Hollywood producers but cruelly cannot use a pseudonym because his actual name is Alan Smithee. In an ironic twist, the real movie’s director, Arthur Hiller, ended up disowning the film and thus the production truly became an Alan Smithee film.

Following this debacle and the media attention drawn to it, Alan Smithee’s career as a director was brought to an end.

So if you’ve lost “creative control” of a project, let Alan Smithee take the fall. If you didn’t enjoy this column, Alan Smithee penned it. Alan also parked my car badly this morning. I’m also pretty sure that Alan Smithee will be cooking dinner tonight.

Published in: on February 3, 2010 at 06:39  Comments (1)  
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