A Rhapsody In Red | Connections Nightclub | til Jan 31 | ★ ★ ★ ★ 

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I’m a self-confessed millennial and I admit that most of pop culture before the 2000s is a complete mystery to me. I’m pretty sure there was some do-wapping in the 50’s, rock happened in the 70’s and disco occurred somewhere between the 60’s and 80’s. You can imagine I was initially skeptical as to whether I would enjoy a show that promised to “tease, cajole and spank the songs of the 60’s divas”.

It turns out I had no reason to be sceptical; Rhapsody in Red was an incredibly fun night out.

As promised, performers Caitlin Beresford-Ord, Sharon Kiely and Clare Moore took the audience on a journey through the crowd favourites of the 60’s – from bubble gum pop, to rock and roll, through to rhythm and blues. All three are accomplished singers and performers, and with dead-on harmonies and hilarious dance moves the songs could have easily been a show on its own.  

However, it was much more than that and the show took its own unique, tongue in cheek reflection on what it was like to be a woman in the 60’s. The songs were craft fully woven into the story of Mary-Jane, Peggy-Sue and Just-Betty as they tried to find themselves a husband before they turned 30 and their lives were over. The themes of love, betrayal and self-acceptance are all relevant and relatable even 60 years later. The audience got to come along for the ride as well, participating in role play, dancing and even being proposed to.

The show did suffer from a few technical difficulties, however. The lights at the back of stage would often shine directly into the audience’s eyes, there was a smoke machine that was on for the first 20 minutes of the show for no obvious reason and there was regular feedback on the amplifiers.

However, the performers are to be commended for powering through all of it. When the show had to be stopped about 5 minutes into act 2 because the stage tech politely informed us “The mics are fucked”, the performers didn’t miss a beat and came back on stage as if nothing had happened.

I was laughing and bopping through this entire show, even though I didn’t know most of the songs and the cultural references were lost on me. The ladies behind me, who were obvious fans of the music, were barely contained to their seats and my main criticism of the show was that there wasn’t somewhere they could get up and start a dance floor.

People of all ages, backgrounds and musical persuasions will enjoy this show. If you’re looking for a fun night out, Rhapsody in Red is a great place to start.

A Rhapsody in Red will be at Connections Nightclub until Wednesday 31st January. Tickets and more information available from fringeworld.com.au

Charlotte Glance