FUNNY, poignant, flamboyant, entertaining — that could only really be describing one show.
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And the Benalla Theatre Company’s Jamie Boatwood promises all of the above and more on the opening night of The Boy From Oz.
“It’s a very well known show and, love him or hate him, Peter Allen was an incredible song writer and almost like an athlete on stage,” he says.
“This should be a ripper show.”
The Boy From Oz is a musical based on the life of Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen who led what can only be described as an extraordinary life.
A country boy, Allen was born in Tenterfield in 1944 before rising to fame and touring Asia.
On his travels he met Judy Garland who took him to London where he met and became engaged to her daughter, Liza Minnelli.
The show reflects the highs of his success, from winning an Oscar to the adulation back home in Australia, and features hits such as I Go to Rio, I Honestly Love You, and the rousing I Still Call Australia Home.
Boatwood says bringing the Allen story to the Benalla stage has been a labour of love by a dedicated company.
He is on the company’s committee, helped built the set and plays the lead role.
“We don’t outsource from other companies so we choose a show we know we can fill the roles from within the community,” Boatwood says.
“I’ve done a fair bit of set building — we have a baby grand that the Boy from Oz jumps on and dances on and I made it myself.
“You can’t hire a grand piano and tell them you’re going to dance all over it so I built a life-sized replica with working keys, so from a distance it looks like a beautiful grand.”
Boatwood says many of the cast also act as crew on the show.
“Molly Craig is in the show and she choreographed it,” he says.
“Debbie Patterson is in the show and makes the costumes along with other volunteers, and Elaine Heywood is the musical director who has put in an enormous amount of work.
“There’s an orchestra of about 15 people and she’s done a wonderful job.”
Rehearsals began back in February, with about 30 members in the cast.
“It’s a long time for anyone to volunteer but it’s come together and the characters have really developed,” he says.
