Review: Massaoke at The Liberty Theatre

Massaoke: Sing Along to the Musicals at The Liberty Theatre
Friday, February 3, 2023

9/10

If you love that moment in a concert when the whole crowd is singing together, always sing along in the car, or secretly wished your life could be a musical, don’t miss Massaoke while it is in Perth for Fringe World. Massaoke has two shows at Fringe, Sing the Musicals and Rockstar Weekend, both with an epic party band and words on the big screen.

If you are hesitating because you might not know all the songs, fear not. Each song is the biggest hit of its respective musical (eg I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis) and they are not sung in full either. There is a great mix of modern musicals (Wicked, Hamilton), plus movie musicals (Grease, Mary Poppins, Annie) and a few Disney hits too. For the die-hard musical fans, they also give you a great montage of choruses from Evita, Cats, Phantom and other old school musicals. If musicals really aren’t your thing, you can always start a bit later with the Massaoke Rockstar Weekend at 11.30pm.

Dressed as the Greatest Showman, Mark Nilsson on lead vocals was a true party starter, while the female lead Nicholette Chew, dressed as Princess Jasmine, held the big notes with her amazing voice. Both took turns leading songs and playing the keys – plus Nilsson popped out with a few surprise instruments too (no spoilers here).

Massaoke started life in a London pub basement as a live band sing-along, with printed song sheets for the audience, and it is clear the band still love what they do. The band had a great time interacting with the crowd and the audience reciprocated that energy tenfold.

With plenty of space to spread out and dance, and with the volume so loud that you can’t hear your own voice, you feel comfortable belting out the big (wrong) notes at the top of your lungs. The atmosphere was lively, with crazy dance moves and excited squeals at the opening riff of each song. The happiness and joy of the night was contagious and echoed across the cement floor of the Liberty Theatre.

MELISSA MANN