AIDA – Rocky Hill Musical Theatre Company & Hume Conservatorium

Aida (Ebrentia Brits) and Radames (Shannon Trama). Photo: Pete Oliver Imagery.

A Timeless Love Story rocks Goulburn

Once upon a time there was an opera called Aida, set in Ancient Egypt, about a doomed love triangle. And it was good, and it was popular.

Then, once upon a later time, some brave souls decided “hey, let’s turn this into a rock/pop musical.”

Pretty brave call, that, but if you enlist Elton John and Tim Rice to share the songwriting credits, you’re looking down the barrel of a hit. And it has been a hit, on Broadway and elsewhere, but it hasn’t been as popular a show in Australia and has never been performed before in Goulburn.

But that omission has now been corrected thanks to the current production courtesy of Rocky Hill Musical Theatre Company and the Hume Conservatorium. And a powerful production it is.

But first, the story.

Ebrentia plays Aida, a Nubian slave, or could she be something more? (Spoiler, she IS something more). Shannon plays Radames, an Egyptian Army captain. And Tara Parrott plays Amneris, the Pharaoh’s daughter and Radames betrothed.

Setting the scene, Amneris, like, totally loves Radames who also looks great as an accessory. Radames loves her back, but they have been engaged for 9 years, so… what’s up with that? But he’s also getting feelings for this headstrong new slave, Aida, who kinda likes him too, although she does have an issue with the fact he kidnapped her and enslaved her and that could be a deal-breaker.

Those are the three points of the love triangle, but if you’re expecting a rom-com ending, you’re going to be disappointed. The story ripples with emotional complexity… the love for someone versus duty to your country… having feelings for several people at the same time… having feelings for an oppressor. It’s a good meaty story but first and foremost this is a singer’s show.

There’s dialog, as there should be, but it’s used sparingly, with the songs doing most of the heavy lifting. And there are some absolute bangers in the mix too.

And as such a singer’s show, it needs some bloody capable singers.

The Performances

First, let me get this bit out of the way. I’m a self-confessed Ebrentia Brits fanboy, and believe she has one of the most beautiful voices for many leagues. But even though I’m predisposed to liking her performances, I believe THIS performance is her absolute best yet. Always a good singer, THIS is her strongest ever acting performance, bar none. That’s an even more impressive feat in her first outright lead where she is required on stage for almost all of the show. The challenging role calls for a wide and raw emotional range and Ebrentia bares her soul as the title character.

Aida (Ebrentia Brits). Photo: Pete Oliver Imagery.

But if the show was a one trick pony it would fall flat, and it doesn’t because of the strength of the cast across the board.

The super-talented and super-humble Tara Parrott, who came to Goulburn some years ago suggesting she would be happy singing in the background, finally got a chance to show Goulburn her leading lady qualities having been denied the opportunity due to a conflicting work schedule, then a COVID cancellation, and then another. I’ve waited a long time for Goulburn to see how good she is, but it’s been worth the wait.

As Amneris, she is history’s first Kardashian and channels faint traces of Glinda and Elle Woods while creating something entirely new. But just as quickly as you’re thinking she’s a bored (Nile) Valley Girl, she blows you away with gut-punch vulnerability when she is hurt, and her nobility at another tough time. It’s a very strong acting performance from Tara, coupled with a sublime vocal display.  Her vocal dexterity includes an ability to deliver intricate vocal runs that could book her a role in practically any show she wanted. And then the cherry on the top is a gorgeous celtic flick she deploys sparingly to great effect.

Amneris (Tara Parrott). Photo: Pete Oliver Imagery.

And the other lead, Shannon Trama, fits confidently alongside the women with a powerful tenor voice and a strong acting presence. Growing as a leading man in every production, he moves effortlessly across the stage and his subtle performance shows his struggle to choose between duty, love and public expectation. When he went shirtless at one stage, I thought we were going into some Magic Mike / Matthew McConaughey territory (perhaps a marketing point for the Company to consider?), but it was just the one scene and then everything was alright, alright, alright.

Radames (Shannon Trama). Photo: Pete Oliver Imagery.

Those are the leads but the people alongside and behind them reveal an embarrassment of riches. There are more than a few experienced leads bolstering the ensemble, along with some newer additions, and not only are their harmonies lush, their contributions to the story are substantial. Alfie Walker rips in with not only his superb singing but also as a stern patriarchal voice of guilt and duty as Radames’ dad. Rod McConnell revels as the Pharoah. Athea Amiel Baldo has a beautiful bit near the end that, for me, was reminiscent of Eponine from Les Mis… but I thought the real surprise packet of the night was Alex Ridley as Mereb.

Despite being self-deprecating about her singing ability, Alex’s wonderful low register was absolutely in the pocket. Even during a duet with Ebrentia, she went toe to toe vocally and you looked forward to hearing each of their parts equally. Magnificent. I don’t think she’ll be able to get away with discounting her voice again.

And I think that’s one of the true joys of community theatre… seeing people rise to performances that they may have thought was beyond them.

In a show with a large ensemble, seemingly little actions and choices are still so important and still find a way to be memorable. A perfectly underplayed comedic moment from Dimity Taylor, a subtle wry smile from Miffy Shoard, the graceful movement of Bella Sylvester.

And just on that, the choreography from Bella Sylvester is absolutely appropriate for the show. Sometimes I find choreography is sprinkled on like seasoning and a bit pointless, or over the top and distracting, but the choreo in this show adds to each scene, building dramatic tension and drawing focus to the narrative.

And now that I’ve named a few, I’ve been unfair to the unnamed. Sorry. There was not a weak performance amongst you.

Actually I will name one more. Christo Brits. What a commanding voice and powerful presence. Now THAT’S a king! It was the first time we’ve seen Christo on a stage in Goulburn. It would have been nice to see him in a love scene with his wife, Ebrentia, but as he was playing her dad, maybe this wasn’t the right show for that. I was also relieved to see Christo back up on his feet after he received a devastating tackle in a recent golden oldies rugby match.

In summary…

The band, led by Deb McConnell, was totally pro with nary a bum note and it was great to hear a flute and a clarinet in the mix. They are as good as any band I’ve heard in a Goulburn production

I was also impressed at how good the show looked and sounded in the Creative Precinct at the Con. Formerly (like, a long time ago formerly) this was the ceramic room at the former TAFE building, but the Conservatorium have worked magic to provide a space where the sound is not lost and doesn’t rebound, where you are close to the ample stage and where the height of the stage makes it even more intimate. When the ensemble hits those a cappella moments… boom, the room is singing too.

And a quick word on costuming. All of it is good, including the military uniforms and slave outfits, but the wedding dress near the end? It’s the shiznitz. I suspect Tara may have slipped the wardrobe department some extra cash because she is really spoiled by her many costumes.

This performance is a triumph for all involved, taking on a less-familiar-to-local-audiences show and performing it at an untested theatrical venue.

Zoser (Alfie Walker). Photo: Pete Oliver Imagery.

But it was especially a success for Alfie Walker on a number of levels. Firstly, he has realised this passion project that he has championed and harboured patiently for 20 something years. Secondly it’s a triumph because it’s very bloody good.

While it’s his first gig as a director of a full-blown Broadway musical, he is very conversant with the language of theatre and knew better than to throw the kitchen sink at this project. He cleverly uses a restrained and simple stage very effectively, allowing the story to shine, and has drawn great performances from his cast. Alfie has always had a director’s instinct, and has directed many pieces before, but with this show he made it clear he is very much the real deal.

So, I guess it’s fair to say I liked this show. I didn’t know the story before seeing it but that didn’t diminish the enjoyment in the least. You may choose to listen to the Aida soundtrack before you go but whether you do or don’t, I reckon you’ll be lining it up on Spotify pretty soon after you leave.

This production also provides a very good chance… the first ever chance… to see a full-blown musical at the Con. It’s  very rewarding to see shows in different venues and performed in different ways and the Con doesn’t disappoint. This space showcases this production very well (As an aside, I should add, entrance via Verner Street). It’s great that people are getting into the habit of supporting visiting acts at GPAC (and please keep doing that), but if you really want to nurture local talent, support local shows and other local venues.

One last thing. I mentioned that Aida isn’t necessarily as well known or as frequently performed as some other ol’ favourites in Australia, and that in itself is another good reason to see it. You can stay in an endless loop of greatest hits and memories musicals like Grease and Sound of Music year after year, or you can open some new books, change your diet, and have some new experiences.

This is a great story, well told. It features kick-arse songs by one of the greatest songwriting teams in history, and features a very talented cast.

Do yourself a favour. Go see it.