The shows must go on

First of two parts

BRISBANE—It’s hard to believe that this Australian city just suffered a major calamity; there are no signs whatsoever of the floods that crippled most of the region last January.

The city is in fine form, as most residents would say. On Thursday night, a good number of them packed the 2,000-strong Lyric Theater of the Queensland Performing Arts Center to watch “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” a touring production that will have a Manila run from June 24 to July 3.

FROM L-R (Bottom): Kirsten Hobbs, Shaun Rennie, Trisha Crowe, Michael Cormick, Delia Hannah FROM L-R (Top) : Blake Bowden, Alinta Chidzey, Andrew Conaghan

Simone Condon, the show’s executive producer, told visiting Manila journalists that Brisbane “got back on its feet” rather quickly. “We are good at recovering,” she noted. “Australians are robust characters. When something goes wrong, we all pull together and work together,”

It’s a lot like the camaraderie fostered in theater, she said. “It took teamwork.” A little night of music helped and healed, too.

In this regard, the music of Webber, dubbed “the magician of the musical” by Time magazine, can work wonders.

Pure escapism

“I love how Andrew’s music can take you on a journey. It’s pure escapism,” Condon told Inquirer Entertainment.

The three-hour show promises to transport viewers to the famous locales of Webber’s works: from Buenos Aires (“Evita”) to Hollywood (“Sunset Boulevard”), from Israel (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) to France (“The Phantom of the Opera) and more.

ANDREW Lloyd Webber AP

The show features some of the most popular show stoppers in 14 Webber musicals.

“It’s quite phenomenal,” Condon said of the Webber repertoire. “These are familiar songs my generation grew up with. But we believe even younger people would be drawn to the music as well. The show’s a crowd-pleaser for all ages.”

(Conclusion tomorrow)