Tamara Tare, Jake Small and the cast of “Just For One Day”, Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
This talented ensemble can’t do much with the flimsy characterizations written by John O’Farrell, but they sure can belt out those hits. Presented by Mirvish, Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical’s core value lies in the clever musical direction of Patrick Hurley; the music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations of Matthew Brind; the on-stage band and the stirring vocal performances of the cast.
Filled with absolute bangers, this inevitable entry in the jukebox musical genre is such an aural joy. Through a collection of thin characterizations of both real and imagined participants in the Live Aid event, we’re treated to theatricalized covers from the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John and Paul McCartney. The exhilaration of hearing these songs so exceptionally well-sung and reimagined with such careful consideration almost makes up for not being able to hear any of them without interruption by dull, clunky scenes.
Indulging your love of the music really is the whole point of this, though there is some serviceable attention paid to the circumstances surrounding the big, two-continent extravaganza that—on Saturday, July 13, 1985—captured imaginations across the globe and raised millions to combat the famine in Ethiopia. The story fixates on Live Aid originator Bob Geldof (Craige Els), a caring yet cantankerous musician turned impassioned torchbearer. Sporting an Irish accent and spewing plenty of colourful retorts, Els is suitably charismatic.
The story flashes back and forth from the present, with a student, Jemma (Fayth Ifil) studying Live Aid for her history class and Suzanne (Melissa Jacques) reminiscing about her younger self (Hope Kenna) working at a record shop, obsessing over the phenomenon and a nursing a budding romance with co-worker, Tim (Jack Michael Stacey). As Geldof tries to gather the talent and resources for a major project in only a few months, people pop in and out of the periphery to tell us how they contributed to or were impacted by the event.
Director Luke Sheppard’s generic staging is flashy enough with its banks of concert lighting flying in and out. Soutra Gilmour’s set is really just a few bleachers enclosed on three sides by scrim, onto which archival photos of the concert and various establishing title cards are projected. A simple, effective motif established by video and projection designer Andrzej Goulding is a blazing orange horizon line that represents Africa in scenes with Amara (Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky), a front line worker. The most resonant moment of the whole show occurs when she, after being frustrated by what she considers celebrity arrogance, finally begins to have hope that Geldof’s high profile charity scheme might have some impact—that horizon line opens up hopefully as she sings a truly astonishing, reverb-heavy cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.”
The ensemble rendition of “Let It Be” has some potency. The rest is a lot of fun (especially “Bohemian Rhapsody”) with some pretty insubstantial dramatics. There’s lip service paid to the strained logistics of the event, passing the baton from one generation to the next, and the issue of cartels and corruption preventing the gathered food from getting to the hungry people who need it. The most contrived emotionality happens when Geldof, visiting a tent in Africa, waxes rhapsodic about the dying child he encounters. The intention is honourable, but the execution is painfully hokey.
A favourite of mine, if you can believe it, is Margaret Thatcher (!), whom Julie Atherton plays as a pantomime villain and I’m here for it! She performs “I’m Still Standing” as a face-off duet with Geldof over her refusal to waive the government tax on his charitable earnings. The joke is pretty cheap, the cold and prim iron lady breaking out some rock moves, but she nails it.
Just For One Day has some narrative shape and says some banal things, but it’s really just a flat framework for a very snazzy tribute concert.
Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical
running January 26 to March 15, 2025
CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre (244 Victoria St)
running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission)
Craige Els and Tim Mahendran and the cast “Just For One Day”, Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade