Victorian College of the Arts Music Theatre Showcase – Echoes of Broadway (Morning Melodies), at Hamer Hall
- Alex First
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Show Boat (1927) was probably the starting point for what is known as the Golden Age of Broadway.
That was when the narrative and the music in musicals first came together cohesively.
But it took a further decade for that style of show to really take off. I speak of song and dance integrated into plot and character development.
Some of the more famous musicals of that era included Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949) and Guys and Dolls (1950).
That is not to overlook My Fair Lady (1956), West Side Story (1957), The Sound of Music (1959) and Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Fiddler, a production of which is currently playing in Sydney and will open in Melbourne soon, is widely regarded as the last musical to come from that Golden Age.
Among the big names of those times were Rogers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin.
There was also Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, and Frank Loesser.
Now the Victorian College of the Arts has paid tribute to the Golden Age with its Head of Music Theatre Tyran Parke deftly introducing its Year 2 and 3 cohort.
A cast of 43 took to the stage for the colourful opening, Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
We didn’t see all of them again until their final melodic fanfare, being the 14th number on the program, which, in fact, broke the Golden Age mould.
It was Godspeed, from Titanic: The Musical, which debuted on Broadway in March 1997 and collected five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The choreography by Ross Hannaford enabled the ensemble to wave to the audience.
In between, we saw a rich array of talent, performing impressive solos and duets, and memorable company numbers.
Of course, what would any musical showcase be without a series of love songs or songs in which love is in distress, and so it was here.
Among the musicals featured were Bells are Ringing, Brigadoon, The Music Man, Carousel, The Marvelous Wonderettes and Singin’ in the Rain.
A couple of tunes from A Chorus Line were followed by Candide, Mack & Mabel, Guys and Dolls and On the Town.
Among my personal highlights was the energetic Mason Pugh giving it his all with Make ‘Em Laugh.
I also greatly appreciated the chorus numbers What I Did for Love and One from A Chorus Line, while Zara Psirakis knocked it out of the park with Glitter and Be Gay.
Like Mason before her, it was her fulsome delivery that distinguished her and that included her movements and showmanship.
Sue Me by Molly Keegan and Digby Bunnett also struck a delightful chord.
Musical director and accompanist Lyndall Dawson was a valued presence throughout the showcase, which was directed by Jayde Kirchert.
It was another fine showing by the VCA students, who will hopefully go on to perform in many professional musicals in years to come.
VCA’s Music Theatre Showcase was part of the Morning Melodies’ season at Hamer Hall.
Next up, on Monday, 14th September, is Silvie Paladino – A Life On Stage.
The full Morning Melodies program for the rest of 2026 can be found here:
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