Naomi Price and friends rock the Brisbane Powerhouse with a rom-com musical treat

You might pretend you don’t know the words, but if you see this show you wont' be able to stop yourself from singing along, writes Phil Brown.

When was the last time you went to a concert where people waved their arms in the air and sang along? It’s been a while, right?

But that’s how it is at There’s Something About Music, the latest production from Naomi Price and the gang at The Little Red Company.

This Brisbane outfit just gets better with every show and if you loved their Christmas Actually (which featured the music of Love, Actually) you’ll love this show too.

Instead of just doing a show around the music of one romantic comedy this time they have built a show based around the music of many romantic comedies and don’t pretend you don’t watch them. We know you do because you were there last night and I saw you singing along to every damn one of them! Like me.

What a feel-good show this is and you could feel the love sweeping through the full house at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

People were transported, uplifted, entertained and obviously so happy to have a show that was this much fun to help dispel the blues of the past year.

For me the highlight was Luke Kennedy singing Charles Aznavour’s hauntingly beautiful ballet She, covered so wonderfully by Elvis Costello for the film Notting Hill. It’s perhaps THE most romantic song ever written.

Luke Kennedy, Lucy Maunder, Naomi Price and Mat Verevis rock the house in There’s Something About Music

There are so many great tunes in this show which is playing to packed houses night after night.

I heard there were some tickets left for tonight but Saturday night is sold out. The good thing about this company is, however, that you know they will bring this show back due to popular demand. So be demanding.

Why is it so popular? Well for a start you have a killer cast - Naomi Price and Luke Kennedy and fellow musical theatre stars Lucy Maunder and Mat Verevis, a Cairns boy originally. (Lucy and Mat starred in Beautiful : The Carole King Musical together) This foursome is fab!

They do some amazing solos and all sing together at times backed by an impossibly hot band with Mik Easterman on drums (he reminds me of Animal in The Muppets) Scott French on various guitars, Michael Manikus on keyboards, OJ Newcomb on bass and Jason McGregor also on guitars.

These guys are amazing and this show is like a theatrical concert. Naomi Price is the undisputed leader of the pack and she supplies the commentary in a delightfully potty-mouthed fashion. She gets away with it though, as usual.

Naomi Price leads the way in There’s Something About Music

So what do they sing? Well, so many great songs including There She Goes from The Parent Trap, Down with Love from Down With Love, All By Myself from Bridget Jones’s Diary. I say A Little Prayer, made famous by Dionne Warwick is another treat. That song featured in My Best Friend’s Wedding, you may recall. Come on, don’t deny it! You’ve watched it many times, haven’t you?

There are almost too many good songs in this show and when we all got up for the Romcom Medley at the end there were a string of great numbers. Sweet Home Alabama was my favourite and I found myself standing with everyone else at that stage and getting jiggy with it. Not like me at all.

Lucy Maunder and Mat Verevis are two of the stars of There's Something About Music. Picture: by Adam Head

Be warned there is some audience interactivity including a Kiss Cam! The fun was infectious and I can’t wait for their next show. What will it be?

Well they announced that from the stage. It’s to be called Your Song and will celebrate the unforgettable music of Elton John and share the memorable moments it evokes in everyday people when it has its world premiere season at Fortitude Valley’s Judith Wright Arts Centre in late April.

This show will be Naomi Price’s directorial debut for the company.

Making their first appearance for Little Red will be Andy Cook (Chicago, Oklahoma, Priscilla) and Marcus Corowa (Bran Nue Dae, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Secret River) alongside fan favourites Luke Kennedy (The Voice Australia, Christmas Actually, Swing on This) and Irena Lysiuk (The IsoLate Late Show, Tosca, The Owl and the Pussycat).

Tickets for that will go on soon and judging from the packed out theatres for There’s Something About Music that show will sell out too. The Little Red Company is on a roll!

There’s Something About Music, Brisbane Powerhouse until Saturday; brisbanepowerhouse.org