1997: Leader of the Pack - The Ellie Greenwich Musical

 Leader of the Pack - The Ellie Greenwich Musical.  Phoenix Players at Belconnen Community Centre.  Amateur.

    The Mills & Boon story is kept to a minimum between songs, all of which you will recognise if you lived through the Sixties.  The year Ellie Greenwich  won 6 awards, the Beatles won 10.  As the Beatles worked towards Sergeant Pepper, Greenwich was writing "And Then He Kissed Me" - the pop teeny-bopper romance music which never grew up.

    Greenwich had to deal with reality when her song-writer whirlwind-romance husband Jeff Barry gave her the choice of house-bound motherhood while he became famous - or divorce.  She took divorce, and wrote her only creative song "Rock of Rages". 

    But time heals all ... at least that's what this show says. 

    Susannah Gallie presents a credible Ellie, and Mimma Furlan does well as Darlene Love.  The musical direction by Garrick Smith is excellent and the singing, though not always strong, is well rehearsed.

    I spoke to Margo Mitchell from the management team working to make Belconnen Community Centre fulfil its function.  She is clearly succeeding, and Phoenix Players' President and Director of The Pack, Ian Davenport, is enthusiastic about the good feeling at the Centre.  The audience on opening night last Thursday was substantial and very appreciative of the efforts of everyone in the show.  Whole families seem to take part on and off stage - in other words Phoenix has found its niche in the local community.

    This show, I thought, was more sophisticated than earlier Phoenix productions, with stylish choreography by Natalie Antoine and an interesting cartoon set and props designed by Michael Winters.  An amateur group such as this may not be expected to have actors and singers to match fully professional standards, but with intelligent design, choreography and musical direction the elements of drama - humour, pathos and joy - can be put together effectively.  People knew what they were doing on stage, and the audience justifiably responded with enthusiasm.

    So if you want to know "Why Do Lovers Break Each Others' Hearts?", or to find out if you are "Not Too Young (To Get Married)", or just to toe-tap along to "Do Wah Diddy", join the community with Phoenix Players.

© Frank McKone, Canberra