Enter Stage Left

The world is a stage or so goes the old adage about life. And chances are, if you were a popular Australian singer-songwriter who grew up in Tenterfield, NSW and penned “I Still Call Australia Home”, your life will end up on the stage – on Broadway with the delicious Hugh Jackman starring as you nonetheless. But for most of us, that’s highly unlikely.

I’ve long been a fan of stage production from musicals to dramatic plays to rock concerts. Part of the charm is the lighting, the music, the costumes, the props, the buff male dancers frolicking topless on stage or the excitement of getting all dressed up for a night out on the town.

And although it’s a fairly stereotypical aspect of a gay man to like the theatre, my enthusiasm for it transcends the stereotype, as I take a deeper appreciation at the craft itself and the efforts put into by the cast and the crew to create entertainment for a crowd. There is more to it than just the glitz and glamour. Those elements are just the bonuses – the end result.

The copious amount of work that goes into any production is astronomical and if you’ve been part of a stage production, you’ll know that you appreciate the end result more so than the regular theatergoer. From the actors, who have an uncanny ability to remember two hours of dialogue to the chippies who create intricate and functioning props, when you start think about it, you start to have a true appreciation of what goes into a production.

So it’s with this appreciation that I am enthusiastic about going to see a production on the stage whether it be a musical, a dramatic play, the ballet, concerts, stand-up comedy or even the opera. And over the years I have seen plenty of said productions across the globe from the theatre districts of Broadway, London’s West End, Toronto and of course, Melbourne.

From 42nd Street to The Lion King to Miss Saigon, from the International Comedy Festival at the Melbourne Town Hall to the Forum Theatre, from Tom Jones to Destiny’s Child to Madonna I’ve seen quite a lot in my time and hope to see a whole lot more. I know I am not alone when it comes to wanting to experience more of what this city offers and the prospect of discovering more is exciting at the very least.