Yusuf, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, was first inspired by classical composers and then Irving Berlin and initially wanted to be a composer of musicals. Instead, he became a 60s pop star, with 60 million records sold world-wide and a string of hits he penned and performed, which include Father and Son, Wild World, Morning has Broken, First Cut is the Deepest and Peace Train. Now, almost 50 years later, he has finally had that original dream realized – with the musical Moonshadow, which is now having its world premiere season at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre.
Moonshadow was written by Yusuf, features the music and lyrics of Cat Stevens/Yusuf, and is an original and magical story of a young man and his moonshadow’s struggle against the oncoming darkness. The show’s fantasy landscape is achieved through innovative set design by Marc Brickman, using illustrations created by Dogan Ur. This brand new production stars Robert Grubb (We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia), Gareth Keegan (Next to Normal, Jersey Boys) Gemma-Ashley Kaplan (Follies, Damn Yankees), Jolyon James (The Threepenny Opera, Shane Warne: the musical) and Blake Bowden (2011 recipient Rob Guest Endowment Prize, A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Yvette Lee is the choreographer for this Australian production. Lee has formerly enjoyed great success as a choreographer for film and television with credits like The Pacific, Australian Idol and Dancing with the Stars, as well as creating work for artists such as Ricki Lee, Deni Hines and Tim Campbell. Moonshadow, however, is her first chance to choreograph a brand new musical. (Her previous musical theatre experience includes Resident Choreographer/Director for Rock of Ages and The History Boys with Melbourne Theatre Company, and The Little Match Girl for Melbourne’s Malthouse. She also enjoyed a long association as assistant to the late Ross Coleman, having worked with him on Dusty – the original Pop Diva, Shout! The legend of the Wild One and Sweet Charity).
Lee was offered this unique opportunity after being put in touch with the show’s Swedish director, Anders Albein, late last year. “I was asked to workshop some pieces from the show with a group of my dancers,” she explains. “One thing led to another and I was offered this amazing opportunity.
“Yusuf has had many musical inspirations throughout his incredible career so it gives us great opportunity to cover most styles of - which is why we needed to find very well-rounded performers, capable of executing all forms of dance.”
Aside from the principal cast of nine, Moonshadow also features an ensemble of eight female and eight very capable male artists who rehearsed the show for four weeks, in the studio, prior to a two-week technical rehearsal on stage at the Princess Theatre.
- SALLY CLARK
See our fly-on-the-wall article on rehearsing for 'Officer and a Gentleman' in the current (June/July) issue of 'Dance Australia'.