Reviewed by Janice Bailey
March 2014
Currently showing at Star Theatres, Hilton, Flower Children is the musical and personal journey of the Mamas and Papas, a 60s group who have most certainly made their mark on the musical landscape. Producer/Director of Davine Interventionz, David Gauci has assembled an excellent cast comprising Lisa Simonetti as Mama Cass, Fiona Delaine as Michelle Phillips, Lindsay Prodea as John Phillips and David Salter as Denny Doherty who breathe life into iconic songs such as California Dreaming, Monday Monday, Dedicated to the One I Love, Dream a Little Dream of Me, to name just a few. The vocals and harmonies are so good the talented cast almost appear to be channeling the original group. Writer, Peter Fitzpatrick has allowed us to gain insight into the lives of the four members as each of them narrates their own story. As is often the case with groups of performers, the face they present to the world on stage is indeed a performance, masking the personality differences and infighting which creativity can produce. It was the 60s so drugs and ‘free love’ play a role in the breakdown of the relationships within the group. Sadly, the only living member is Michelle Phillips making the Eulogies towards the end especially poignant.
Fiona Aitken, Sam Davvy, Mim Sarre, Katharine Chase, Farad Farooque and Alana Sheperdson make up Hullabaloo, who were a significant part of the Mamas and Papas, particularly in their television performances. They have been well choreographed by Shenayde Sarti but at times the limits of the stage dimensions and their energy cause them to become somewhat distracting. Emma Knights as Musical Director leads a polished band.
Flower Children’s season is short – Wednesday 4/3 to Saturday 7/3. Get out your beads and flowers and get along to Star Theatres for a thoroughly enjoyable nostalgic trip back to the 60s.
