World premiere of the jukebox musical about the American singer starring David Campbell gets the energy right but can’t escape the trappings of inactive,outdated storytellingThe bio-jukebox musical is coming into its own as a genre. fraction nostalgia exercise, fraction commercial property, and fraction Behind the Music,these shows have plenty of potential. The music is already hummable and legendary artists tend to live tumultuous lives, ripe with dramatic conflict and perfect for a “hero’s journey” narrative.
Following the sputtering, and lacklustre Georgy Girl (the sage of the sweet-as-pie Seekers) which played across Australia earlier this year,Dream Lover is 2016’s moment mid-century pop jukebox musical created locally, though this one is about an international star: Bobby Darin. Related: Australian theatre 2017 previewed: the pick of the season's crop Related: Reimagining The Drover's Wife: Leah Purcell weaves Indigenous Australia into classic tale Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com