Street-smart musical drama

A home-grown musical featuring dialectical analysis of ethnic community politics seems like a big ask but Dominion Road the Musical has enough enthusiasm and musical talent to somehow pull it off.

The opening songs proclaim Dominion Rd's rich cultural diversity and as a parade of colourful characters reveal their back stories, it is clear writer Renee Liang has taken pains to ensure the musical is peopled by authentic representatives of a community she knows well.

The main story line, about grass-roots resistance to a bureaucratic development proposal, avoids the obvious cliches about rapacious capitalism and the plan to turn the street into a China Town comes from a sympathetic character who had to overcome prejudice to carve out a career as a community-minded councillor.

The nuanced treatment of complex issues makes it difficult to build dramatic tension and more compelling emotions are supplied by a subplot about a tempestuous cross-cultural romance between the owner of a trendy vegetarian cafe and the cantankerous proprietor of an Indian curry house. Their love-hate relationship is brought to life with outstanding vocal performances from Jackie Clarke and Mustaq Missouri and the show's best songs come as these two lock horns in a protracted feud that masks deeper feelings of tenderness.Composer Jun Bin Lee has created an impressive score that encompasses diverse instrumentation while showcasing the soulful voices of Brady Peeti and Marissa Holder.The large chorus bring an infectious vitality to the venture and some sharp choreography from Taiaroa Royal is neatly complemented by John Parker's set which uses photographic facades to capture the flavour of one of New Zealand's most celebrated streets.

Lowdown

What: Dominion Road the Musical

Where & When: Playhouse

Theatre, Glen Eden to August 19 Reviewer: Paul Simei-Barton