Crush: The Musical - 8 out of 10
Gemini Creative Arts
TICKETS: Crush: The Musical | Adelaide Fringe
Gemini Creative Arts’ production of Crush: The Musical
is quite simply a fun sapphic musical. And that’s all it needs to be! Not
everything needs to carry hard-hitting truths about the state of the world;
it’s okay to just have fun and be queer while doing it!
Crush: The Musical (book by Maureen Chadwick, music
and lyrics by Kath Gotts) tells the story of the girls at the idealistic and
revolutionary Dame Dorothea Dosserdale School for Girls in 1963. But the
revolution was short-lived as their new headmistress, Miss Bleatcher, is a
tyrant with Victorian values. Moving swiftly to put her stamp on the school,
extracurricular activities are to be replaced with home crafts, and team sports
are to be replaced with traditional (non-Australian) calisthenics. The girls
are shocked and dismayed at the turn of events. None feel this more than Susan
and Daimler when they learn of two girls accused of “indecent and unnatural
behaviour” in the art room after hours, and Miss Bleatcher is determined to
expel them.
As I start my commentary on the cast members of Crush,
let me first start by saying the vocal standard across this ensemble is
remarkably high; there is not a weak link among them. Our three lead girls all
have the moments to shine in the score, and shine they do. The leading trio of
Lara Wilson, Cassidy Gaiter and Erica Jones have amazing voices, and each
embodies the nuances of their characters well. The tight, three-part harmonies
they sing are a particular highlight, each bringing a distinct vocal colour
that makes their chemistry feel lived-in.
Special mention of some of the supporting actors is
required. Bec Pryor is superb as the deeply caring Miss Austin. Readers will
hopefully be familiar with her past work on Adelaide stages; she succeeds in
this role as she has done in her past roles. Robyn Brookes as the much-hated
Headmistress Miss Bleatcher is powerful and villainous; she is so effectively
cold that I found myself genuinely disappointed when the audience failed to
provide the celebratory boos she earned. Liam Phillips demonstrates his acting
chops as Dorian, capturing the bumbling, ‘I just want to help’ photographer.
His cameo as the club owner is a showstopper. Maggie Cooper as Brenda, the
school snitch, relishes the role and eats the scenery in the best way possible.
Finally, Emily Bell really shone as the club singer that puts Susan on her
right path to drive us to the conclusion of the show.
The show is directed and choreographed by Sarah Williams,
the company owner. Her use of the stage, minimal set and props work well. It’s
clear to this fellow director that she’s put time and effort into building the
rapport of the cast, which has allowed them all to shine without feeling a need
to overpower one another and instead be a true ensemble. She’s drawn out unique
characters for each of the ensemble members in Judith (Eloise Morriss),
Annabelle (Holly Fennell) and Lavinia (Jazz Garcia), who would have otherwise
risked becoming an indistinguishable trio of bullies. Williams’ choreography
captures the rebellious nature of the 1960s setting (if a couple of years too
early to be accurate). Her Fosse-esque routines are a joy to watch and catch
the little nods. One nostalgic highlight for me was when Susan enters the club
and encounters the club dancers; reminiscent of the Rich Man’s Frug from Sweet
Charity in all the best ways. You can also never go astray with a tap dance
and props, and the 6th form girls and their temporary gym teacher, Miss
Givings, execute it with style.
While the costumes are not period-accurate, Nadine Wood
captures the essence of the era through a crisp palette of forest greens and
creams. The pairing of cable-knit woollens with straw boaters and berets
creates a quintessential 1960s collegiate look that feels both nostalgic and
sharply intentional. Wood lets loose an explosion of colour and flamboyance
when the girls arrive in London.
Billy St John has assembled a small but tight band for Crush.
Whilst not able to have the original called for a 7-piece band, his reduction
to a 4-piece arrangement was so tight you’d think the parts were “just
roommates” from the way they shared the frequency space. Unfortunately, it’s
not all U-Haul and harmony when it comes to the volume balance; the band
occasionally overpowered the vocalists, making it hard to catch some of the
more poignant lyrics. While the band was tight, the lighting execution didn’t
quite stay ‘in the lavender haze’ for the duration of the show. While the
performance is top-tier, the house rig at Payinthi struggles to keep up with
the ambition of the blocking. A couple of lighting trees out in the auditorium
would solve this. One hopes that the City of Prospect might one day install
some house lighting bars in these locations.
Crush: The Musical is a feel-good escape from the
mundanity of life. They capture the rebelliousness of schoolgirl fiction and
celebrate young queer love and genuine heart. Do yourself a favour and catch
one of their 6 remaining performances—and while you’re there, buy a Pride flag
of your choosing. All proceeds help support the SARAA Rainbow Alliance, who
work tirelessly to improve the lives of LGBTIQA+ South Australians.
–Scott
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