REVIEW: Hairspray (North Shore Music Theatre)

August 20, 2014

Shake and Shimmy  [by James Wenley] I have a distinct memory of sitting in the cinema in 2007 when I was intoxicated by my first whiff of Hairspray. The opening West Side Story shot of Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad getting out of bed, dancing down the hallway… from that very first “Oh, oh, oh…”, I was hooked. You would have seen […]

REVIEW: Mamma Mia! (Auckland Music Theatre)

March 5, 2014

Here I go again [by James Wenley] You should have a fairly good idea by now if you are inclined to enjoy Mamma Mia! Here’s a simple test: Do you like Musicals? Do you sing along every time ABBA comes on The Breeze? Do you have your own flared lycra jumpsuit in your wardrobe? If you answered yes to either of […]

REVIEW: Anything Goes (Auckland Music Theatre)

October 5, 2011

When reviewing shows, anything goes… [by James Wenley] Anything Goes is currently enjoying a very successful revival at the home of musical theatre: Broadway. If you believe the hype headliner Sutton Foster is akin to the second coming, and it received the 2011 Tony Award for ‘Best Revival’. It’s a classic musical that truly earnt its ‘classic’ tag, how could […]