Apparently, Jan van de Stool's been 'round for awhile. In fact, legend has it she's been seen by over thirty-thousand, either onstage or online. In 2006, her creator's cabaret was nominated as best of category, at the Sydney Theatre Awards, as well as best cabaret artiste in the Melbourne Green Room Awards, in 2008. Yes, her creator. You see, under the skin, Jan van de Stool is Queenie van de Zandt and I Get The Music In You is her cult hit show. Queenie may be a distinguished and distinctive cabaret and musical theatre performer, but her alter ego, Jan, must surely be Australia's, if not the world's, premier music therapist. She's a respectful and reverent woman: above the lectern from where she proclaims the gospel, according to van de Stool, hangs a picture of the queen, putting me in mind of primary school classrooms of the sixties. Jan, as I understand it, hails from Woy Woy, via The Netherlands, so it's no surprise we find ourselves in a humble scout hall, somewhere on the central coast, just north of Sydney. She's thought of everything: even coffee (albeit plunger for her, International Roast for us) and biscuits have been laid on, but, as she points out, they don't buy themselves, so an honour system prevails. Of course, our time is limited: a taekwondo class in in after us.
Jan begins by hypnotising us. This has a profound commercial effect, since every time she snaps he fingers, we will feel an irresistible urge to purchase whatever merchandise she happens to be describing in that moment. Still, none seems to mind. After all, even international music therapists have to eat. And her work is so important. Nor does anyone seem averse to stacking chairs at the conclusion of the seminar.
Without costume changes, we get to meet a coterie of graduates from Jan's programmes. They're a motley crew. One is in her dotage and has enough trouble just keeping-up with the tempo. In fact, she can't. There's a blokey bloke who, when he sings, breaks into an impossibly high falsetto, a la wacko Jacko. Of course, as caring and sharing as Jan patently is, with the best will and intentions in the world, personality clashes are bound to occur and there's one student the mentor thoroughly disapproves, thanks to her propensity to belt. Some doubt is cast as to whether this persona non grata will be allowed to strut her stuff, but she persists and, sure enough, she's a showoff, just as Jan said.
Very much part of the act is Jan's pianist, the surprisingly smooth-pated, straight-faced Helen, who communicates only by means of her instrument. Between the two, we're expertly guided to be fully self-expressed and find our individual voices. In one exercise, we're encouraged to imagine ourselves as a bell; any kind of bell we choose. One smartarse imagines himself to be a Taco Bell. A woman up the back is a ding-dong bell. Privately, I opt to be Alexander Graham Bell. Then it's just a matter of focussing on our dongers. A man with an especially large donger, behind me, catches Jan's eye, momentarily diverting her otherwise unwavering concentration.
Not only are we afforded the opportunity to unleash our inner voices, but we're steeped in interpretive dance. I doubt an entire afternoon with, say, Graeme Murphy, Rafael Bonachela, Meryl Tankard or Stephen Page would prove as fruitful. All this from the comfort of our seats. At no point are we dragged up on stage, embarrassed or confronted. But we are called upon to laugh, which is no effort at all. And when she isn't mocking non-singers, Queenie, Jan's 'mother', shows just what she can do, with songs co-written by her, with Peter J Casey, David Young, Tony Taylor (also co-writer of the show) and Carissa Campbell.
Craig Ilott's dramaturgy and original direction looks as though it was painstaking, as this is an admirably nuanced production. Peter J Casey's composition, musical supervision and arrangements are outstanding, as is Andrew Worboys' comical accompaniment.
Beyond that, it's Queenie and Jan that vie for star billing, but I guess it amounts to the same thing.
Amazon Woman Enterprises and NIDA Parade Theatres present
I Get the Music In You: An Evening with Jan van de Stool
By Queenie van de Zandt and Tony Taylor
Venue: Parade Theatres, 215 Anzac Parade, Sydney
Dates: 5 – 14 Dec, 2012
Tickets: $35.00 – $30.00
Visit: www.nida.edu.au
