The Blues Brothers: First Contact has finally made it to the stage. Photo / Supplied
COMMENT:
As the old adage goes: Good things take time.
In Tauranga Musical Theatre's case, it has taken five months time to finally get their latest show under the spotlight.
Despite maybe a case of first-show jitters and a shy audience, the cast and crew of Blues Brothers: First Contact did a great job bringing their version of the 1980s film to life.
The Tauranga premiere of the show hit the stage this week after being postponed four times due to Covid-19.
Written and directed by Tauranga's Gordy Gray-Lockhart and Liam Hagan, the original piece was initially set for the stage from April 17 to May 2 this year but was postponed due to lockdown.
It has since been postponed another three times due to alert level restrictions.
Gray-Lockhart and Hagan decided to stage a musical of John Landis' 1980 American musical comedy film The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues, about four or five years ago.
They gained permission of Judy Belushi, wife of John Belushi, to stage the musical this year.
As a dancer and choreographer myself, I can appreciate how hard the cast and crew have worked and the efforts put into bringing a show to life - and to have it postponed again and again must have been so soul-destroying.
But seeing the Tauranga talent finally under the spotlight was so satisfying.
I've missed the way musical theatre takes you into a different world as an audience member, the fun of it all, and the way it makes me want to get up and dance.
And there were some standout performers on stage.
Cameron Buchanan and Stephen Ormsby stepped into the roles of the Blues Brother's Jake and Elwood Blues so incredibly well. The way they walked, talked, sang and danced in their new characters was so on point.
Buchanan's voice in the opening act was phenomenal and the way Ormsby riffed the Rubber Biscuit was just so clever.
Ashleen Fahy was an absolute favourite as Colonel Catherine Cropper. Her voice is incredible. Singing Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, Fahy took my breath away.
For that few minutes of the song, Fahy had the audience captured until the next scene broke and shook you out of her spell.
Matt Glover as the priest also had a spectacular voice and played the character with all of the sass needed.
Shout out also goes to LeRoi Kippen for his Last Dance number. However, a bit more audience participation was needed, in my opinion, to reassure him he was doing a great job.
The car chase scene was also a highlight - very cleverly done.
The one critique I do have is, I believe, the bows went on for a little longer than expected or perhaps was necessary.
But this may have been a tribute to the movie in celebration of what was a unique film - and why not celebrate after such a long wait to get to this stage.
The cast and crew deserve a huge round of applause.
Despite being under level 2 restrictions, which meant the chairs were spaced 1m apart and the front of house team were wearing masks - it was still nice to get out again.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was right in her recording to the cast and crew on her visit to the Bay earlier this month when she said: "I hope you know how important you are to us in these troubling times, these are the times that we need the arts".
I totally and utterly agree. It was nice to escape for a moment and be immersed in the theatre once again.
Hats off to the cast and crew of Blue Brothers: First Contact and good luck for the rest of the season.
What: The Blues Brothers: First Contact
Where: Tauranga Musical Theatre, 17th Ave
When: September 18 to October 3, 2020
Creative team
Director: Liam Hagan
Co-director: Gordy Lockhart
Musical director: Jonty Climo
Choreographer: Elly-Ann Pritchard
Production manager: Jeremy Sparrow
Bryony Edwards has been recognised for her teaching efforts picking up a major NEiTA award