An Officer and a Gentleman | Lyric Theatre
- May 25th, 2012
- Posted in Reviews & Responses . Uncategorized
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Entertainment comes in all forms.
Opera
Australia’s Funniest Home Videos
magicians
Your cousin singing a song at the family piano
Two dogs at a park
Cinema
petting zoos
Gossip magazines
local school fetes
Experimental music, art, performance
Folk music festivals
dinner conversation
Firework spectaculars
YouTube
Rambunctious Sunday afternoons
A clown playing the banjo in the Devonshire Street tunnel
Facebook
Twitter interactions (especially between people who might be in love with each other)
generalised people-watching
and of course…
Musicals
Entertainment is oftentimes escapism – or at least a distraction from our particular lives as we are exposed to the universal: an attempt to humble us or put us into perspective? Perhaps.
Sometimes theatre carries the heavy burden of psychological medicine – or philosophical guidance. Sometimes it doesn’t.
There has been a huge reaction from the critics of Sydney who have absolutely rejected Simon Phillips’ production of An Officer and a Gentleman – often on the basis of cliche, lack of chemistry,
Please see Gandalf’s response:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/empathy-goes-awol-as-cliches-rain/story-e6frg8n6-1226361508407
And Lady Di’s response:
http://www.stagenoise.com/review/1836
And Detective Jason Blake (my new pet name for him as of last night – because of his dapper dress sense):
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/romance-struggles-for-flight-as-chemistry-fizzles-20120518-1yvk9.html
From Doctor Zhivago to An Officer and A Gentleman – John Frost is hard at work turning much loved films into musical theatre on Australian stages… Presumably to pull in the nostalgic punters keen to see a fresh version of a much-loved film. Not a bad strategy… especially since it appears that Australian audiences are skeptical of Australian musicals. It was only a few years ago that Kookaburra closed it’s doors… http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/troubled-kookaburra-retreats-into-silence/2009/03/04/1235842483451.html
For some Officer and A Gentleman was “too American.”
Other whispers of “this show wasn’t made for Australian audiences, it was made to tour America and we’re the testing ground.”
Honestly. What do we expect, if we don’t nurture Australian talent and Australian writers? If money and patronage is always going to American content, if our mainstages look everywhere but here for stories to tell. What do we honestly expect when even our indie theatre sector is obsessed with American accent and American plays? When the majority of Australian musical theatre stars spend their lives singing in accents not their own? Why are we upset that the American flag is being shoved down our throats, aren’t we the ones that opened our mouths?
Additionally – let’s not forget that musicals are full of cheese and corn (two staples of the American diet) and cliche is what they run on – if you combine a rags to riches story with a love conquers all story – you are on a winner – because musicals are there to delight us with entertainment that is simple, clear and (more often than not) hopeful.
For my spontaneous, new friend whom I sat next to this week (an ex-politican and ex-wine/brandy man) he had a very astute observation that reviewers often notice things that don’t matter so much to punters – he used a delightful wine tasting/quaffing metaphor – and that in the end for him – he’s just happy to be entertained. Another spontaneous new friend (can you tell I like talking to those around me when I’m at the theatre?) claimed that she loved all the men with their shirts off and the sex scenes, because “when you get to my age – it’s the most excitement you’re going to get and it makes you feel all… you know… inside.”
Of course for me cliches and chemistry weren’t a problem – lack of memorable tunes was. And the very questionable gender politics messages were. The content should be examined for “why here, why now?” not just because of its inescapable form and genre.
Interestingly there was a backlash from the writer of the musical (and original film) to the reviewers:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/response-to-review-of-an-officer-and-a-gentleman-the-musical/story-e6frg8n6-1226362419570
And then another backlash from an Australian musical writer (James Millar) to the outraged American (Douglas Day Stewart):
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/suck-it-up-buddy-she-just-didnt-like-it/story-e6frg8n6-1226363840960
For what it is – An Officer and a Gentleman is not THAT bad. It is exactly as I expected – and had plenty of light, movement, sound but had you been a devotee of the film – or keen to sing along to some catchy tunes – or was keen on some inspirational female characters… Well, you’d be disappointed… but for the folk who had travelled five hours from the country to see it – they had a good time.
And as far as Entertainment goes – I found the reviews thus far Douglas Day Stewart’s letter, and James Millar’s retort extremely entertaining – and therefore I believe this just might be one of the most “must-see” musicals of the year as it is triggering all sorts of foyer/dinner/literary discussion. Excellent.
I must admit having a little chuckle at your review here (in a thoroughly good-natured way of course!) You’re being very diplomatic here, but you’re also avoiding having to say anything about the production itself. Come on, Gus, what did you REALLY think? Sounds like you had a good time reading the reviews and retorts, and a great time chatting with your new-found friends, and then, the show itself was “exactly as I expected […] not THAT bad.” Hmmm. Hmmm.
Mr Filmer,
Can you tell I was avoiding writing a formal review? Mainly because I think that the media around the show is more interesting to me, than the show itself – only because – and I would have thought this was fairly obvious coming from me – that this is a “new musical” made from an old film.
I will make a couple of observations.
1. A musical format of a film like On Officer and a Gentleman really has two choices – be the earnest comment on the military.
OR
2. Focus on the end image of the film.
This musical did the latter – it was about love. The weaker of the two possible choices in my opinion: but I think at the tail end of the Iraq War, the writers had no choice but to make it about love.
The set and costumes – are as grand as a budget and spectacle should be.
The performances are as you would expect – only two really big “songs” for you to be bowled over by – and the tunes aren’t exactly the equivalent modern-day “hit-parade” foot-tappers. You’d be better off getting Alicia Keys to write the tunes.
Is this gritty like Miss Saigon? No.
Is this as sexy as Dirty Dancing? No.
Does it have an emotional such as Les Miserables? No
Is it as kitsch as Xanadu? No.
What is it?
It’s a very basic musical full of American corn and cheese – lots of lights and movement and shouting and fighting and dreaming of another life. It’s not offensively bad in how it’s delivering what it’s delivering. It’s directed by Simon Philips – and he’s no dummy. He knows what he’s doing. He’s delivering EXACTLY what the show and the genre of the show demands. It is all in all, a well-oiled machine.
It’s the content which is glib and I think hopelessly American…
Which is why the only comment can really be: “What’s it doing here?” And I think, If that’s what you pay for – that’s what you get.
In my view American culture is to Australians like a hot chip is to seagulls. Ultimately bad for us – but so tempting and it smells good… ad its easy… and attractive… and there is something strangely comforting about it.
Also Mr Filmer, Not sure if you are aware of it but Kevin Jackson’s response is interesting:
http://kjtheatrereviews.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/officer-and-gentleman.html
The main point is – it was entertaining like a Ferris Wheel – not entertaining like visit the Louvre.