Melbourne Spelling Bee!

[lfae]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 8:07am

Well, I finally saw it, and I laughed till I cried at least a dozen times - what a FUN show!!! I haven't seen the original production, the most I've seen was the cast at Broadway on Broadway (doing the song NOT in the show ) and at the Katrina Benefit.

One thing everyone's been picking on is Magda (a woman) playing William Barfee. Well, she was brilliant. I can't imagine anyone else doing the role now. She's just so full of character - and in the uniform with the hair and glasses, she really looked like a boy. If you came into the show not knowing who Magda was, you could be mistaken.

I guess I'd better not go through all the actors since no one here will know them *g* but Mr. Mahoney's first entrance KILLED me, I swear. Every part was perfectly cast and it was just non-stop. And we got a great batch of audience members, too. Including the one that got her 'trick' word correct

[liotte]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 8:40am

Ahh! I want to go to Australia!!!!!!!!!

[jakebloke]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 9:51am

I lived in Melbourne for a couple of years....early 90's. What theater is it in? Great city. I really need to go back for a visit.

[lfae]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 5:35pm

It's in the Playhouse - in the Arts Centre, MTC are doing it. The perfect venue! And it's pretty much sold out now as well, what with all the names in the show and the tiny venue. I'm going to try my luck at rush to see it again.

Also, Marina Prior is magnificent in her role.

I'm just now wondering the differences between the regular and the adults-only versions in the US - because a lot of last night didn't at ALL seem kid-friendly *g*

[liotte]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 6:05pm

Oh, please give examples! I wonder if they use the same words as on Broadway (and sentences)

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 6:11pm

My friend in Melbourne just saw it too, and absolutely loved it. I'll try to get some info about the words and sentences from her.

[lfae]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 9:30pm

Okay, the only words I can remember off the top of my head...strabismus ("whereupon the bullies beat him even harder"), sluice, vug, crepuscule, the audience ones: cat, mexiacans, jihad, devonian, smoogligan, and one I can't remember the word but it meant short in the leg and was the reason Nicole divorced Tom All the same words, I guess?

The comfort counsellor was delightfully lewd. I'd go again just to watch what he and Ms. Peretti get up to!

[jakebloke]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 9:53pm

Marina Prior....is she still the Australia theatre princess? When I lived there, she was Christine in Phantom, and then I saw her as Maria in West Side Story....an excellent production by the way. What does she do in Spelling Bee?

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 10:43pm

[lfae]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 10:49pm

Marina is Ms. Peretti :) complete with lilac suit and tacky blonde wig She's BRILLIANT. A definite scene-stealer.

She's not the princess any longer, but the queen of Australian theatre, without a doubt. Still does carols by candlelight each year! Most recently I've seen her in Annie Get Your Gun and Kiss Me, Kate, both for the Production Company. She seems to be taking on more of those lighter, fun types of roles, and really exploring her comedic side.

[liotte]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 11:33pm

The speller words are the same, the audience ones besides cat (well, cow for us) and mexicans and jihad are different... Then again, most made up words need to be local jargon anyway!

[gettinhep]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 11:55pm

Which character does Christen O’Leary play?

She is an MTC regular. I remember her as an excellent Little Sally in Urinetown.

[lfae]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 3:12am

I figured the words would probably be the same. I'm LOVING the sentences they're put into though. (Cat - definition: it's a cat. Sentence: please spell cat) It's not so much that that's non kid-friendly, just some of the other asides :)

Christen is Logainne and she is PERFECT. The incredible lisp, and she's so damn tiny in any case - totally believable as the youngest contestant :) I tell you, it's perfect casting all around.

I also LOVE every one of her references to her two dads. Oh and watching Brokeback Mountain

[Urban]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 5:20am

Planning to see it soon. I just need to get my friends ass into gear.

On the otherhand I just forked out $110 for Big Day Out, so I might have to catch it towards the end of its run.

[alterego]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:40am

The cast photograph above that has appeared here (on the messageboard) a few times is not a production photograph, just an early publicity shot that was used in the Melbourne Theatre Company's subscription brochure ( just in case anyone was looking at thinking it was a photo from the actual show).