Review: HAPPY PEOPLE Brought Sharp Wit And Tenderness to The Green Room 42

Now in its sixth year, the Australian Theatre Festival NYC showcases and celebrates the bevy of Australian talent that lives in this vast metropolis. HAPPY PEOPLE In Concert was one of eight programmed events this year. From the moment the lights dimmed and the first notes rang out, you sensed you were in for something both uproariously funny and quietly tender. Co-written by Matthew Lee Robinson, and Scott Morris (who also narrated the concert), with music and lyrics also by Robinson, this cleverly crafted piece took what might be a simple premise - a children’s TV performing group turning 10 years old - and turned it into a disarmingly human portrait of nostalgia, broken dreams, and frayed relationships.

The ensemble featured Australian musical theater doyenne, Caroline O’Connor as Poppy, whose bold presence brought the straight-talking Producer to life. Ainsley Melham as Jeff brought raw, plaintive sensitivity to the story, as his character battled with mental illness; Elise McCann’s Sally had moments of both fragility and feistiness - and boy, can she sing! Daniel Assetta’s Boyband-wannabe Benny was perfectly cast (if you’ve seen &Juliet on Broadway, you’ll know what I mean), MiG Ayesa’s off-the-wall Bobby added just the right dose of drama, and Heather Makalani’s Sunny radiated hope even as cracks began showing in the group’s dynamic.

The script perfectly highlighted the amount of cheese and corny antics that dominates children’s TV, with a side of passive aggressiveness as the characters dealt with their off-screen drama “on-screen.” Edison the Elephant (played by Melham), the group’s beloved suit-character, loomed large - who I saw less as a mascot, and more as a symbol: the costumes we wear, literally or metaphorically, to keep up appearances - all the while being the crux of tension between the characters.

The concert format worked well. It was stripped back enough to let us hear and feel the impact of Robinson’s incredible score, and the transitions between comedy and emotional gravity were handled with precision. The audience laughed, flinched, and, in the case of this reviewer, shed a tear. The lighting and sound were also handled with panache -  allowing for moments of intimacy when a solo voice held the room, and spectacle when the ensemble belted out in full force.

HAPPY PEOPLE is not just nostalgia for the glow of childhood TV; it’s a study in what happens when the gloss fades, and people have to reckon with what they’ve kept, what they’ve lost, and what they can still hope to become. With a superb cast, a beautifully bittersweet score, and enough tenderness to balance the ache, it’s a show that will stay with you: longing for the past, wrestling with the present, hopeful that some version of happiness is still possible.

The Australian Theatre Festival NYC is touring to Washington D.C. this week! For more info, visit www.australiantheatrefestival.com