Sophie Ricketts reviews Spotlight Series: Alyssa Parkinson – Beyond the Ingénue, presented by Ovation Theatre at Volstead Trading Company, Saturday 19 July, 2025.
Ovation Theatre is a company pulsing with ideas and enthusiasm to provide more local talent with more performance opportunities, more often. An admirable goal in a city that is bursting with dynamic performers, in no small part due to the Performing Arts degree programme available at NASDA (the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts), and the multitude of graduates it produces. Ovation have, up to this point, been making a name for themselves in Ōtautahi as a company prepared to try their hand at a variety of styles, their shows ranging from full scale musicals, to junior productions, plays, and composer themed concerts. I attend the launch of their latest offering: a solo performer cabaret series.
The Spotlight Series is marketed as an intimate evening of live musical theatre and storytelling, which appealed to me instantly. These are being hosted inside the Volstead Trading Company in Riccarton – a craft beer bar known for the variety of their kegs, rather than performances. The furniture is rearranged and oriented towards a small stage, which creates an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of fringe theatres around the world. Tonight the spotlight is on Invercargill transplant (and recent NASDA graduate) Alyssa Parkinson.
Alyssa has an absolutely powerhouse voice and charming stage presence, as promised in the promotional material. She also has a quick wit and an abundance of charisma, beautifully matched by her impressive vocal range and killer outfit. The show, which is performed to pre-recorded backing tracks, takes us through a cornucopia of musical theatre heavy hitters, with some choices inspired by dream roles. None are more powerful than her rendition of “Gethsemane” from Jesus Christ Superstar. It is jaw-dropping.
She is ably supported by two guests, Sophie Harris and Elijah Moore, who each bring their own star quality to the intimate venue. The three performers share fun, natural chemistry on stage, and their voices blend beautifully in the arrangements featuring harmonies. The penultimate number of the show, “A Step Too Far” from Aida, showcases this the best.
In addition to backing her up with supporting vocals and some perfectly placed light choreography, Alyssa generously lets Sophie and Elijah each take their own turn in the spotlight with solo songs. It is my hope that each of them get to headline their own performance in the Spotlight Series later in the year. I presume this is perhaps to give her voice some reprieve from the soaring high notes and lung-busting belting of her own solos, which are impressive and held the audience mesmerised throughout the show.
The one hour program is split with an intermission in the middle, allowing the audience to replenish their beverages and chat amongst the relaxed atmosphere of the bar, but it presses pause on the building momentum of the show and feels unnecessary. It is my hope that they dispel with it for the future shows in this series. Likewise, most of the banter is natural and engaging, but a few moments early on drag and border on cringe due to either being undercooked or overthought. The best parts are those that share real parts of Alyssa’s story, rather than being shoehorned in as a skit.
Before the performance begins, Ovation’s Artistic Director Ravil Atlas speaks about his vision for the theatre company and his plan to continue to present a wide variety of short plays, concerts, and small-cast musicals, using Volstead as their preferred performance space. They have big plans to roll out more details of these initiatives before the end of the year, but for now you can mark your calendar on the third Saturday of every month for the Spotlight Series. With tonight’s performance setting a high standard, I’m definitely looking forward to the rest.
The next Spotlight Series is on at Volsted Trading Company on Saturday 16 August, and will feature Chris Symon.
Flat City Field Notes 