Goody Goody Glam Pop
Circus Bar 17b Allen Street, Wellington
19/02/2024 - 20/02/2024
Production Details
DEVISERS: Bethany Miller (she/they) - also the producer and co-publicist; Megan Connolly (they/them); Logan Hunt (he/him) - also the composer and musician (keys)
A production led by Bethany Miller (previously one half of Toi Ngākau Productions, but we are no longer using this name and haven't found a new name yet)
You can find me/us on Instagram: @goodygoodyglampop or Bethany’s page @glitabee
Or me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethanyMillerArtist
Battle Riffs (NZ Fringe 2023) creators Bethany and Logan are back at it again, joined by recent Wellington Comedy Award winning ‘Breakthrough Comedian’ Megan Connolly of Ginge & Minge, to present new musical comedy Goody Goody Glam Pop (NZ Fringe 2024, a development).
The show, complete with its fictional popstar, youtube essayist and pop songs, satirises the pop industry, fame and parasocial relationships between the early 2000s and now. It is based on a mix of pop icons like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and other Disney child stars turned popstars. But this pop icon makes it her mission to keep her goody good image.
“Hey fans! Doing good? Wanna make that… goody-good?
You’re invited to a twice-in-a-lifetime exclusive VIP talk-show for glamorous pop-icon, Miss Goody Two Shoes herself, Brooklyn Brooklyn!
Fresh from her world-smashing come-back tour, meet the tabloid darling unplugged as she shares:
– never-before-revealed insights into her spectacular career!
– lyric-deep dives for generation-defining hits (don’t worry, she’ll perform our faves too)
– and potentially even… spilling the tea on everyone’s lips?
Hosted by her mega-fan Lisa Spector, discover the girl behind the brand, the Brooklyn behind the Brooklyn.”
19th & 20th February at 8:00pm
Circus Bar – 17b Allen Street.
Tickets are available now and range from $8-10.
To book or for more information visit: NZ Fringe Fest Website https://www.fringe.co.nz/show/goody-goody-glam-pop
For updates follow us on Instagram @goodygoodyglampop or Bethany’s page @glitabee
DEVISERS:
Bethany Miller (she/they) - also the producer, co-publicist, and plays Brooklyn Brooklyn - Winner ‘Spirit of the New Zealand Improv Festival 2020’, creator of multi award-nominated solo show Thrift Life
Megan Connolly (they/them) - also plays Lisa Spector - Wellington Comedy Awards ‘Breakthrough Comedian’ of ‘Ginge & Minge’ (2023)
Logan Hunt (he/him) - also the composer, and musician (keys) - Co-creator of sold-out Battle Riffs (NZ Fringe 2023) with Bethany Miller
OTHERS:
Peter Liley (he/him) - additional instrumentation (guitar, possibly more)
Austin Harrison (he/him) - dramaturg - Wellington Theatre Award winner (2022)
Hadley Wilson - co-publicist/marketer (with Bethany Miller, and assistance from Emma Maguire)CAST:
Bethany Miller (she/they) - Brooklyn Brooklyn
Megan Connolly (they/them) - Lisa Spector
MUSICIANS:
Logan Hunt (he/him) - keys (and the songwriter)
Peter Liley (he/him) - guitar, possibly saxophone (additional instrumentation)
DESIGN/TECH:
TBC - Tymesha Cousins (light designer/operator & sound tech)
(need to re-confirm if they are still available)
PUBLICITY/MARKETING:
Bethany Miller
Hadley Wilson
with assistance from Emma Maguire
Theatre ,
50-60 min (the official time is 60 min, but currently a bit less)
Supremely relevant social satire cleverly written and gorgeously portrayed
Review by Margaret Austin 20th Feb 2024
Goody Goody Glam Pop, taking the stage at the Circus Bar, is a title that brings together two possibly conflicting notions: glamour and goody goody. How could they co-exist?
Miss Goody Two Shoes (Bethany Miller) is a pop icon and is set to be interviewed by her mega-fan Lisa Spector (Megan Connolly), who happens to host an American channel for celebrity gossip. Pink bereted and over enthusiastic, Lisa Spector is first on, encouraging the audience to help them welcome the evening’s real star. The business of being a star, however, is about to receive a drubbing.
For a start, Miss Goody Two Shoes is really Brooklyn. And what’s more, Brooklyn hails from Brooklyn, Wellington. Instead of being dismayed at this let down, we applaud. And we keep applauding – she’s a celebrity after all. Asked about her recent Hollywood experience, she responds with her first song, ‘Super Star Dreams’, her delivery appropriately overdone and self-centred. It’s cringeworthy – and we cringe, but with laughter.
And the goody goody bit? Asked about her attitude to her fans, Brooklyn replies that she represents the moral high ground as some sort of role model. This kind of egotistical vacuousness becomes more and more on display, and we’re doing nothing to discourage it. The interchange between interviewer and interviewee keeps the ridiculousness going at a fine pace, with original songs by Logan Hunt – accompanied by guitarist Peter Liley – to enhance the theme.
But then comes fan question time and things take a turn for the worse – or the more realistic? Facades are at risk and fragility under threat. How dare our host be so aggressive! And how does our super star react? The theatrics here are wonderful – and super hilarious.
The denouement is as delightful as it is unexpected. It’s a fitting conclusion to a supremely relevant piece of social satire – cleverly conceived and written, and gorgeously portrayed. Go get a ringside seat at the Circus Bar!
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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