Tod Johnston and Trudy Dunn (Photo courtesy of His Majesty’s)
In a first for the Morning Melodies concert series at Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre in December, all three levels were opened up to patrons who were treated to an hour of Christmas favourites.
Tod and Trudy, the children of Australian theatre legends Jill Perryman and Kevan Johnston, sang their way through a selection of well-known carols and familiar festive ditties and topped it off with some amusing anecdotes about what it was like to open their presents and tuck into a traditional Christmas dinner in a busy showbiz household, or even in a hotel room when Mum and Dad were on tour.
The siblings gave a similar presentation the previous year as a tribute to their famous parents, who have enjoyed one of the most successful partnerships in the Australian entertainment industry.
The show was such a hit that the theatre management invited them back again for 2013, and once again their proud parents were in the front row of the dress circle relishing every moment of their children’s performance.
Backed by Sue Bluck on piano and Wayne Freer on bass, Trudy and Tod opened the concert with ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’ before Tod urged us to ‘Put On A Happy Face’. Maybe that one wasn’t really a Christmas song, but the lyrics seem to sum up what we should all be doing at this time of year – ie smiling and laughing and having a jolly good time.
Admittedly, singers can’t really go wrong with a Christmas concert because the audience is in such a good mood and, with the songs being so familiar, they are keen to sing along without too much prompting.
However, the performers still have to inject some enthusiasm and emotion into their presentation, which for some people can be quite a challenge, especially if they take the attitude that should they hear or sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Rudolph’ with the shiny conk for what might be the 131st time that week, it will send them round the twist.
Not so here, though, with Trudy and Tod romping through the best of the carols – ‘Away In A Manger’, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ and a stunning version of ‘Silent Night’ to a lilting latin rhythm, which I suspected might have been a Sue Bluck arrangement. And on ‘Jingle Bells’, Sue was even using her father Harry’s bells.
(Harry Bluck’s bands were a big part of the Perth music scene in the 40s and 50s, and no doubt a fair few members of the audience would have danced the night away to their music in their younger years.)
Full marks to Trudy for including ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ and Mel Torme’s ‘The Christmas Song’, which, for me, are the two most beautiful Christmas songs ever written. These standards have been covered by most of the world’s great singers over the years, and Trudy’s version did not disappoint. (I have sometimes wondered why she never made a career on stage, as she clearly inherited her mother’s talent.)
Tod may not have inherited his dad’s dancing skills, but he certainly took on board his humour, patter and timing, as demonstrated by his tales of fiberglass snow and itchy rashes and his mum’s generous servings of brandy over the Christmas pud – which he feared might not earn him a present this year!
After a couple of other favourites – ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘White Christmas’ – followed by ‘I Want To Be Happy’ (Tod) and ‘Over The Rainbow’ (Trudy), the show ended with Tod strapping on his guitar, Trudy holding a triangle and Sue and Wayne swapping instruments (trumpet and tuba respectively) for a stirring rendition of I Wanna Wish You A Merry Christmas From The Bottom Of My Heart.
Will they be back again next year? I suspect they might.
All I want For Christmas
Wednesday 18 December
His Majesty’s Theatre, 825 Hay St, Perth
