Lovebites 2009
LoveBites Downstairs Seymoure Centre, November 11-December 5, 2009
LOVE is lovelier the second time around, wrote Sammy Cahn for Frank Sinatra. (It’s important to get the song right as Lady GaGa and Luther Vandross have also murdered a vaguely similar theme, by the way.) Cahn often wrote with composer Jimmy van Heusen and between them they created some of the great standards of the 20th century, among them All the Way, Call Me Irresponsible, Come Fly With Me, High Hopes and, of course, The Second Time Around.
Where’s this going? To the second time around for performer and lyricist James Millar and composer Peter Rutherford and their cut and polished, newly cast version of 2008’s little hit that could, LoveBites. In the 18 months between seasons they have tweaked, rewritten a bit, reshuffled and got a little more out of their original idea – the funny valentines, melancholy babies and bittersweet confections that make up the spectrum of a human being’s ability to fall in love, get a broken heart and fall in love again.
Millar is joined on stage in this encore BITE (Best of Independent Theatre) season of LoveBites by three fabulous talents. Memorable in a memorable quartet is Amelia Cormack (the original Diva in Priscilla and a gorgeously funny actor/singer); then there’s the divine David Harris who is charm personified in the old fashioned way; and newcomer – to the Australian stage – recent-West Ender Sophia Ragavelas. Between them, the four segue between storylines, situations and sore hearts; when not provoking laughter and tears as love is found, enjoyed, worn out, lost and sometimes found again.
LoveBites was promoted as a “song cycle” first time out, and that’s not quite right. It’s more than that as the stories and relationships intertwine and return through different styles and results. It’s not a play nor is it a musical; but it is an appealing and frequently very clever work that is steeped in the traditions and knowledge of music theatre, music and theatre. I enjoyed it the first time and, guess what? Love is lovelier the second time around! Recommended.
