What is jazz? What isn't it? What a question! It's America's classical music, which has spread its wings throughout the Western world (and beyond). What's that to do with Western Sydney Dance Action's current production, at Riverside? I'm not quite sure. Billed as cabaret and promising some heat, it purports to bring the latest dance trends, direct from Broadway, to Parramatta and, by inference, Sydney-at-large. It's the brainchild of choreographer and star, Veronica Beattie, and has been sponsored by the energetic and irrepressible WSDA, with a little bit of help from Arts NSW and other backers.Also featured are Jason Pollard, Shannon Rizzo, Sally Hare, Mashum Liberta, Natalie Grace & Steve Hudson.
Beattie is well-established and credentialled in musical theatre (Boy From Oz; Grease; Guys & Dolls; Moulin Rouge; Candy Man; The Arena Spectacular) and has turned-out a dynamic and disciplined dance review, which runs a tight-'n'-punchy hour. It's not flawless: at times it looks a little ragged; at others, it really hits the mark, and these moments are truly exciting.
Beattie clearly wasn't content to have slouches around her: she acquired So You Think You Can Dance Top 100 star, Sally Hare, Guys & Dolls standout, Jordan Pollard, as well as the aforementioned, who mighhtn' have quite the same resume, as yet, but who certainly have the moves, for the grooves.
The whole thing's delivered at an almost dizzying pace; it's snappy, self-assured and all the sexier for it. It's meant to trace out various, distinctive jazz eras, but while there are certainly nods, it's a loose motif. Certainly, there are evocations of the coke-fuelled and otherwise permissive days of the flapper, the roaring 20s; right down to the layered, fringed, sequined costumes, bobbed hair & heavy make-up. From before the birth of the big band, all the way to Bobby Darin, with a very creditable cover by Steve Hudson, on acoustic bass and vocals; no mean feat. Hudson didn't have the singing all to himself, however. Natalie Grace sassed her way through, for example, Leiber & Stoller's I'm A Woman, first recorded by Christine Kittrell, in 1962, but really put out there by Peggy Lee. Grace does it proud and is almost as much a force of nature; she certainly has presence, while her counterpart, Hudson, has an easy charm and equally adorable voice. Later in the performance, he surprises with the swingingest take on Oasis' Wonderwall you're ever likely to encounter. What's more, it's no mirage: it works a treat! As does Queen's tongue-in-cheek Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
So, we have the ratpack era, with porkpie hats to prove it. Dancewise, there's also some pretty sharp tap, some lyrical, romantic, one-on-one sequences, and plenty more besides. There are some champion, flashy manoeuvres, well-worthy of sharp intakes of breath, 'wow!'s and spontaneous applause.
If your nostlalgic taste runs to Fred & Ginger (Syd, or Leslie), chorus lines, MGM musicals, bigger-than-Ben-Hur Broadway blockbusters, Priscilla and escapist entertainment per se, a couple of dry martinis and this show should set you up for a memorable weekend. Of course, if you need to think about your performing arts, even late-ish on a Friday, you can ponder whether the broadly smiling dancing-girls are the new face of feminism, liberated from the sometimes restrictive and prescriptive political philosophy of the past, or a what-the-hell, comprehensive cave-in.
Onya, WSDA & 'Ron' Beattie: this is a bold and kinda classy venture; again, not perfectly-formed, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Western Sydney Dance Action
What is Jazz?
Venue: Riverside Theatres | Cnr Church and Market Sts Parramatta
Dates: August 14 and 28
Times: 7pm and 9pm
Tickets: Adults $25 Concession $20
Bookings: 8839 3399 | www.riversideparramatta.com.au
