Every incarnation of the James Bond franchise worth the price of entry needs power, class, sex and wit.
Without all four, you might as well have stirred the martini.
Gladly, for an audience of white suits, black gloves, fake guns, low necklines and a herd of fur wrap-arounds at the Festival Theatre on Friday night, all the necessary elements were there.
The experience of a 73-piece orchestra playing the Bond musical canon was a treat, and requisite for Bond film and music (and book?) lovers alike.
Guy “I am your conductor, 008” Noble led the always-impeccable Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, while singers Blake Bowden and Debora Krizak took centre stage in the unofficial roles of James Bond and Misc. Bond Girl (aka agent 009).
Without a doubt, Krizak was the star of the show. She easily seduced the audience with her soaring vocals – The World is Not Enough theme was an early highlight –and sensuous on-stage charisma.
The smoky gaze – think Sévérine staring out of a shattered skyscraper window – the slinky dress and the Halle Berry strut were each used to full effect. She was funny, too; a piece of audience participation to the tune of Goldfinger in the second act was hilarious.
Bowden’s vocal prowess was just as impressive, but it wasn’t until the second act – when he was given a minor key and lower register to work with – that he went full-Pavarotti, so to speak. Bowden’s operatic background best served him, his quasi-Bond character and the audience in a powerful rendition of Thunderball.
His voice is unquestionably brilliant, but a certain non-reciprocation of the flirtatious energy coming from Krizak took something away from the credibility of his personage as the herculean Bond – particularly in the first act.
Conductor Noble played compere for the night, scattering humour and Bond trivia into the gaps of the evening.
A cameo by bartender Dave Bailiht, demostrating how to make a genuine Vesper martini, was helpful – to this correspondent, at least.
Song selection for the show included all the classic Bond themes and gave a birds-eye view of each genre-bending era of the Bond film score. But some of the less-exciting numbers – We Have All the Time in the World, perhaps? – could have been left out to make room for a vital absentee: the rapid-fire violence of 007. Where was soundtrack to the edge-of-your-seat chase scene? Where was the fight scene? Where was the all-important “brush with death”?
The classics must always take pride of place in a show such as this, but in neglecting electrifying tracks such as “Granborough Road” from Skyfall, not enough deference was given the thrill of James Bond.
That said, ASO Plays James Bond was an excellent show with more than enough power, class, sex and wit to satisfy.
