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The City So Nice They Named It Twice

The premise is a good one and it glides along nicely for a while, but sadly falls flat..

30 Nov 2015

Victoria Wyatt

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Performing Arts

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Eminem, a member of NSYNC (probably either Lance or Justin in their heyday), Janis Joplin, Ad-Rock (of Beastie Boy fame) and five random Beatniks walk into a bar…

The City So Nice They Named It Twice once again pairs the creators of 2014’s award winning Speak Easy, writer and producer Andrew Umney, and Musical Director of Perth Cabaret Collective Jess Herbert in what is billed as a love letter to New York City.

Recent WAAPA Musical Theatre graduate Taryn Ryan sets the scene by welcoming us into her Greenwich Village apartment, packed with muso flatmates practicing their craft. We are tourists, it’s our first night in the big city and boy are we lucky to have a real-life struggling showgirl to show us the reality behind the glitter.

The premise is a good one and it glides along nicely for a while– the 9-piece band that is Perth Cabaret Collective, is flawless. Consummate professionals of the highest degree, normally their music alone would be enough to transport any audience to the Harlem dancehalls, clubs or speakeasys, but sadly the story built around the music was somewhat distracting, and a show I was desperate to love fell flat.

It switched between reality and caricature too fast and too often for an audience to follow and appreciate. At first we are introduced to Taryn Ryan (real name used throughout) in a bathrobe, a fresh young face in a sea of opportunity, ready to make her mark, but as soon as the bathrobe is swapped for a 1920’s costume (that also made an appearance in last month’s offering Fancy Meeting You), the authenticity was gone… half the band swapped baseball hats or beanies for flat caps and all of a sudden they looked like they were dressed up for a production of Rent, prepared for New York in a multitude of seasons, each costume change stranger than the last.

The band was ‘whooping’ throughout, and rightly so as the music was prolifically powerful, but the ‘whooping’ was obviously staged and quite frankly it is the audiences job to whoop, and for the band to do so regularly was uncomfortably smug.

As a workshop piece this would have been divine, but as a complete show it was awkward and raw. It captured the stereotype of New York and the struggles of NY life as a newcomer, but lacked the heart of the team’s other collaborations and showings.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The City So Nice They Named It Twice

By Andrew Umney and Jess Herbert

Downstairs at the Maj, His Majesty’s theatre
November 26 – 28

Victoria Wyatt

About the Author

Victoria Wyatt has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town. Victoria has worked across the music/festival/theatre scenes in New York, London and Rome for the last 15 years. She is currently back in her hometown of Perth and can be found writing for Artshub, designing sets and interactive displays for children's/community events and stage/production managing around town.