Pippin packs a punch

PIPPIN burst onto the Wonthaggi stage on Saturday night delighting the opening night audience with a feast of music, dance brilliant costumes, sets and effects in one magical blockbuster package.

Wonthaggi Theatrical Group (WTG) has staged some award winning shows and no doubt about it this is another winner for director Karen Milkins Hendry who has showcased some of the region’s best young talent who have delivered an awe inspiring and action packed show.

As far as musicals go Pippin is comparatively lesser known but after a brilliant weekend of performances the group is making sure its production will be another you won’t forget.

Pippin is tells the story of a young man on a quest to find something fulfilling in life, his death defying journey challenges him to decide between a happy but simple life or a more risky, exciting and selfish lifestyle.

Stepping into the limelight Wonthaggi’s Corey Green takes on the lead role Pippin following in his brother Tom Green’s footsteps, a State award winner for his role of Jesus in WTG’s JC Superstar last year. Corey hung up his Dalyston footy boots this season and devoted all his time to this role.

His efforts have definitely paid dividends; Corey’s sweetly robust tenor singing and acting prowess were impressive in his debut performance. He looks a natural and and will only improve as the Pippin season progresses.

Corey teamed beautifully with the show’s standout, the Leading Player, the most entertaining, polished and fun characters to watch, portrayed with seductive charm by Cape Patersons’s Will Hanley who helps Pippin (Corey) on his journey of self discovery and invites the audience to join them in the story.

Will opened the show with his players troupe and sang one of the show stopper numbers of the night, Magic to Do definitely deserved the thundering applause from the audience for his brilliant performance – he is every bit the professional – his singing and dancing faultless. He is the shining light in Pippin.

Although the entire ensemble was first rate, one must single out Kerryn Lockhart, the scheming stepmother Fastrada-her knockout singing superb, Korumburra’s Kerryn Moren put in a beautiful performance as Catherine, Pippin’s love interest,

Inverloch’s Tim Gesell as the vain Charles was fabulous and funny, Cody Nelson as Lewis, Pippin’s dim-witted half brother gave the audience a good laugh, Phillip’s Island’s Jazzmine Kaye as the voluptuous grandmother Berthe was entertaining as was the cute as a button and the very talented Newhaven College student Luke Ward as Theo, his Corner of the Sky song towards the end was lovely. Other memorable songs included Glory, No Time at All, Morning Glow and Love Song.

Another big contributor to the show is Newhaven College that played a huge role with 13 of its students on stage, the college’s head of drama , Will Hanley a lead, musical director, Kirk Skinner, director of music at the college and some of the band members are students at Newhaven.

Pippin also boosts a very talented players troupe including many familiar faces in Katelyn Adkins, Tom Barker, Jack Botterill, Abi Boucher , Brad Boucher , Samuel Bowden , Meghan Dal Masetto, Jade Dalton , Anthea Donohue , Dale Donohue, Finn Donohue, Jarrod Donohue, Bronte de Lacy-Vawdon , Hannah Lilleyman , Stephen Loftus, Noah Lugt-Cole

, Fergus McKittrick, Rafal Pyra, Roy Trumble, Lindy Waldron, Emma Ward and Tayla Williams.

Other behind the scenes standouts would be director Karen Milkins Hendry who has again raised the bar to dizzying heights with her staging of this thought provoking musical, the sets, high tech lighting and effects were just amazing and a credit to set designer Tad Hendry and head of lighting and construction John Cuttriss, choreographer Leasal Liddle-Pırouet for the exciting dance numbers, musical director Kirk Skinner for magical music, Khaseem Warren for the brilliant costumes and the amazing production team .

Pippin is wonderfully executed and promises a great night’s entertainment. The show runs Thursday, May 28, 8pm, Friday, May 29, 8pm Saturday, May 30 2pm and 8pm, Sunday, May 31, 5pm, Thursday, June 4, 8pm, Friday, June 5, 8pm, Saturday, June 6, 2pm and 8pm and Sunday, June 7 at 2pm. Tickets are available at www.wtg.org.au or Thursdays at RACV in Wonthaggi.

Hooray: Cape Paterson’s Will Hanley, was without a doubt the standout as the Leading Player in Wonthaggi Theatrical Group’s latest big musical Pippin that opened in Wonthaggi on Saturday night. He is pictured with front from left Phillip’s Island’s Jazzmine Kaye as grandmother Berthe, Inverloch’s Tim Gesell as King Charles, Kerryn Lockhart, stepmother Fastrada, , Cody Nelson as Lewis, Pippin’s half brother, and player Wonthaggi’s Anthea Donohue.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on May 26 2015. Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry