Theatre Review | An Enchanting Evening

An Enchanted Evening

Starring Julie Lea Goodwin, Daniel Belle and Guy Noble

Riverside Theatres Digital

Photo credit BAM Studios

Reviewed on October 17 by Ron Lee, CSP

It’s so good to see that theatres are adapting to the current social environment.

Parramatta Riverside staged An Enchanted Evening with two options. Premium Cabaret tickets were $59 for in-person attendance, and live stream tickets were from $18. The latter had the convenience of watching it from home along with the immediacy of live streaming.

Outstanding opera singers Julie Lea Goodwin and Daniel Belle were accompanied by pianist and conductor Guy Noble. Classically trained singers also performing songs from other genres such a pop, musicals and rock and roll have a certain appeal.

The show opened with a duet, Tonight, from West Side Story and was followed Daniel Belle performing Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific.

Not being a serious opera buff, and even being familiar with the Neapolitan classic, when Belle sang O Sole Mio, I couldn’t help simultaneously thinking of Elvis’ recording of It’s Now or Never.

Also included were arias from La Traviata, Carmen and La Bohème.

Goodwin showcased her soaring soprano vocals through the ever-popular and accessible O Mio Babbino Caro.

Pianist Guy Noble did some narration in which he included a musician’s interpretation of comedy. What did work was his rendition of a topical song with lyrics by Daniel Belle to the music of Gilbert and Sullivan.

I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady and If I Loved You from Carousel were also in the mix.

An interesting and appealing inclusion was the sing-a-long to an aria.

Even though it only ran for an hour, An Enchanted Evening provided a thoroughly entertaining and compelling experience. For numerous reasons, I hope that Riverside continues with productions that give us the live stream option for quality offerings and that other theatres do the same.