Review: City of Angels
City of Angels, the current production by Rockdale Musical Society, has nothing to do with the movie of the same name that starred Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. It is a musical that was first performed on Broadway in 1989, and is one of the acknowledged greats of twentieth century musical theatre.
Set in LA in the late 1940’s, this film noir musical comedy was the winner of six Tony Awards including best musical, score and book. With a cast of 20 and a live big band with a jazz flavour of no fewer than 13 musicians, this production is an enjoyable two and a half hours filled with variety – talented singing, dancing and acting, ample use of a smoke machine, swirling lighting, shadow play, voice over, tap dancing, flashbacks and violence with plenty of intrigue and mystery.
Basically, this City of Angels has two plots – a Hollywood comedy and a detective drama – that become more and more intertwined until they merge into one. Alaura Kingsley (Steph McKenna), a socialite married to a 74-year-old in an iron lung, is ushered into private detective Stone’s (Craig Davidson) office by Oolie, his Girl Friday. Alaura hires him to find her stepdaughter, Mallory Kingsley.
The man at the typewriter is Stine (Lachlan O’Brien), author of popular detective novels, one of which he is now adapting for his first screenplay for Buddy Fidler (Simon Ward), a Hollywood director who is claiming co-writing credit.
City of Angels is complicated, the plot has multiple layers. If you can follow its twists and turns, you’ll certainly find a sense of achievement. (MS)
Until Sept 27. Rockdale Town Hall, 448 Princes Hwy, Rockdale. $29-$34. Tickets & info: rockdalemusicalsociety.com or 0448 064 749
BY MEL SOMERVILLE
