The Wizard of Oz

SLIDE presents Daniel Scott in THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Daniel Scott one of the stars of the musical PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT and more recently THE JERSEY BOYS  is a performer in his own solo right. THE WIZARD OF OZ, a cabaret selection of song,sets out to reveal the wide and wild diversity of his talent, range and skills.

Dressed in a glamourous suit with a beautiful white shirt, sparkling with the most dazzling set of shirt studs, breast and sleeves, Mr Scott greeted us in his very 'Ozzie' demeanour and told us, tonight, not to expect a single song from the music theatre repertoire. And that, rather, we reach into our own shirts and find our nipples, tweak them hard to find our "inner bogan", which when tweaked properly, will transport us, like Dorothy once was, albeit, she,with a  click of her red ruby shoes,  to a place no longer "Kansas", and enjoy a trip down some memory lane of songs that he grew up with in "bogan land", and gave him the courage to find the life path of a performer.

Supported by a musical trio: Guitar: Tim Martwig; Percussion Paul Whitely and a Piano player Mark Chamberlain. We had guest song from Mr Whitely and from Lisa Adam as well. Mr Scott took us on a totally unexpected performance of raunch and sentiment that touched his famous wildness at one side of his range, right across a landscape of music styles and genres, to the other side of that range, tender and deep felt passion.

Mr Scott is mostly known to me as a performer of musical theatre so to hear this choice of song and to, perforce, embrace the range of his passions was a steep and exciting learning curve.

He chatted and interacted with his audience and easily had them on side. For me, the most amazing moments were in those songs  which he was able to really own, not only as a wonderful musician but especially as an actor. In a beautiful rendition of AND THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA, dedicated to an aunt, present in the house, in memory of an uncle, singing a Capella, he sealed a memory for me of captivating beauty. Truly moving.

Thus, a singer and especially actor (he admits he can move but has too much respect for the discipline of the dancer to claim to be one), Daniel Scott gave of himself with an almighty bogan passion and a tender temperamental insight and expression. Somebody to catch up with in his cabaret mode.

Thanks to SLIDE once again. A welcomed change to my theatre going habit. A beautiful venue, great atmosphere.