★★★★½ Generic plot and low-budget staging can’t hold back terrific new Aussie musical.

Chapel off Chapel, Melbourne
April 28, 2016

Australia sure does love musical theatre, and what’s more, Broadway and West End producers know it. Go to any state capital and there’s a very good chance one of the big budget musical theatre juggernauts from the Northern Hemisphere will be packing out houses for months at a time. 

But this begs the question: why doesn’t Australia have a Broadway or West End equivalent? Yes, there are plenty of fine theatres, but no clear epicentre for musical theatre has ever found a foothold, which is surprising given the regularity that internationally imported productions grace our shores. There’s no denying that appetites here are ravenous for the glitz and dazzle of the blockbusters, but there’s also a growing hunger for new and, perhaps most importantly, Australian work. However, the lack of a musical theatre hub in Australia can make discovering fresh, original shows problematic. 

In New York and London, there’s a tried and tested proving ground for small scale off-Broadway and off-West End productions that can be cherry picked by the major producers to join the big leagues, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cats and Les Mis. The recent smash-hit Hamilton is a perfect example. From humble low-budget beginnings, opening at a 200 seat venue last February, it has provoked near hysterical levels of excitement since transferring to Broadway’s famous Richard Rodgers Theatre just six months after its premiere, with international tours (possibly including one to Australia in 2017) in the offing.

The cast of Cross X Roads

Sadly things aren’t quite as well-oiled Down Under, but thankfully there are a handful of ambitious, driven producers who, despite the challenges, are managing to bring new Australian musicals to the stage. The contribution of these shows to the ecosystem of Australian musical theatre really can’t be overstated, as this isn’t just a great opportunity to present new work, it’s also an invaluable platform for the superb singing talent that Australia boasts in abundance. 

One of these brave, trailblazing productions is Cross X Roads, with music and lyrics by Anthony Costanzo and book by Peter Fitzpatrick. Spanning a decade, the story follows the on-off-on-off relationship between the moneyed and cocky Rick (Stephen Mahy), and humble, hardworking Amy (Alinta Chidzey). Across the years and around the world their lives, as well as the lives of their respective best friends, Barrel (Joe Kosky) and Hannah (Fem Belling), reconnect and uncouple, but the course of true love never did run smooth. As life throws curve ball after curve ball at this star-crossed pair, they fight to hold onto their love.

It’s a classic (and somewhat clichéd) odd-couple romance, and on paper, this narrative doesn’t scream originality. There’s a slightly superfluous “sliding doors” aspect shoe-horned in for variety, where periodically the possible alternative outcomes at certain pivotal moments are hinted at. It makes a suggestion that Rick and Amy are fated to be with each other, but it’s not entirely clear what bearing, if any, these narrative substitutes have on the main thrust of this plot.

As a synopsis, it’s perhaps a bit flimsy, but the execution of this musical takes this so-so narrative and transforms it into the something utterly compelling, packed with charm, humour and so much heart, my own was fit to burst by the final curtain. Peter Fitzpatrick shows an expert touch with the dialogue, keeping the interactions rooted and believable. The four principal roles are drawn with a relatable familiarity that makes them immediately engaging, but this is also a deeply touching script, generating just enough sentimentality to draw us close, without allowing the text to curdle into out-and-out mawkishness. 

Composer Anthony Constanza is experienced in the vernacular of musical theatre, having written three other shows before Cross X Roads, and his credits as a performer (which include turns in Wicked, Cats, Chess and We Will Rock You) speak to the mainstream influences that percolate through this score. But that’s not to say Cross X Roads is derivative. There is a sophistication and confidence in Constanza’s writing that gives this show an impressively well-heeled sound. His control of dramatic tension and careful pacing is highly accomplished, and as with any good musical, there are quite a few genuine earworms to be found here.

It’s perfectly normal for a new show to go through a period of refinement, where nips and tucks are made, corners tweaked, and songs edited, but there is very little deadweight in this score. Rick and Barrel’s slightly cringey duet, Floating on Cloud Nine, could be the sole candidate for a cut, but otherwise this is a show ready-made for a major staging. The orchestration is economically efficient with just five players in the band, but there is plenty of scope to beef up the instrumental forces to fill a larger venue.

Fem Belling and Alinta Chidzey

But this production isn’t just a success for its writers – the cast are also sensational. As hero and heroine, Alinta Chidzey and Stephen Mahy share an electric chemistry. Vocally, both have a fantastic flexibility and range, but they are also skilled actors and the combination of top notch singing and spot-on characterisations provides a rock-steady foundation for this production. Equally accomplished are the supporting roles provided by Joe Kosky and Fem Belling. Both deliver stellar performances underpinned by brilliant comic timing, but there is also a hugely endearing vulnerability to these two characters at times, and the sincerity of this made one of this plot’s most affecting twists genuinely devastating. 

The four-strong ensemble were unanimously solid, dexterously moving through a range of auxiliary characters with a professional polish. Particularly noteworthy is Bianca Baykara, whose depiction of diva artist El Niña was not only hilarious, but could also easily vie for the finest vocal performance of the night.

Set and lighting designers Rob Sowinski and Bryn Cullen have been savvy pragmatists with what is clearly a meagre budget, limiting the staging to a series of thin curtains and some trundled boxes. But I have to applaud this production for spending its money on what really matters – the performers. Director Tyran Parke has focused on intimacy over spectacle, side-stepping the limited resources at his disposal by allowing this cast’s vocal and acting abilities to carry this show. Thanks to the strength of these eight talented artists, Cross X Roads has shown itself to be a new Australian musical that deserves to go on to become an old Australian classic. 

For more details on Cross X Roads visit the shows facebook page.