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ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER is a well-known 1965 musical now adapted by Australia’s multi-talented Jay James-Moody for Squabbalogic Music Theatre. This is a highly professional contemporary production. It’s not a big-bucks musical with glam, razzmatazz and a chorus of dancing girls. Rather, with a clever minimalist set and sensible costumes, it is the beautiful singing and fine acting that brings 1965 into current times. It’s a fun show.
The origin of this musical goes further back. The musical is based on a 1926 novel ‘Berkeley Square’ by John Balderston about a woman with Extra Sensory Perception who could remember her past life. The 1965 Broadway musical, lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Burton Lane, was not a great success and closed after only 289 performances. A 1970 film adaptation directed by Vincente Minnelli starring Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand, was popular. There have been three other musical stage adaptations. The latest, in 2011, ‘queerised’ the story by having a man play a woman. Squabbalogic’s 2023 adaptation grew from this 2011 revision.
And now, here in Sydney, we have this wonderful version that drew hoots of laughter and guffaws galore from the opening night audience. Jay James-Moody is the adaptor and director of this production. Moody is one of Australia’s most creative
individuals (co-founder of the Hayes Theatre Company, performer for Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, The Ensemble Theatre and others.
The story is intriguing. Who in the musical can recall a past life? Or, is it just imagination due to a recent trauma? Who fears nonconformity? Who fears reincarnation? Why do people with ESP keep it to themselves so they are not regarded as nutters?
An internet search reveals that belief in reincarnation began thousands of years ago. Currently probably half of Jains, Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation. And, a quarter of Americans believe in it, too. The show raises the question about past lives, twists the question this way and that, and still releases the audience into the theatre foyer with smiles on their faces.
The cast is Blake Bowden, Madeleine Jones, James Haxby, Billie Palin, Natalie Abbott and Lincoln Elliott– all having fun as they parade through the intricacies of the story. The four piece orchestra is led by Nalaya Aynsley as Musical director and pianist, Jenean Lee plays the cello, Amanda Jenkins on the bass and Tom McCracken on drums.
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER is at the Reginald Theatre in the Seymour Centre until April 15 2023.
Production photography by David Hooley
Booking: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/on-a-clear-day-you-can-see-forever-2023/
