The show must go on

The old saying ‘the show must go on’ sometimes turns out to be more than just words.

The old saying ‘the show must go on’ sometimes turns out to be more than just words.

That was certainly the case this week when a Sydney theatre show was saved by actor Nathan Carter.

Matt Young, one of the four stars of the soccer parents musical comedy Every Single Saturday had to suddenly drop everything and head home to the US after a family tragedy.

Despite learning news of the tragedy on Monday, Young bravely performed on Monday and Tuesday night before flying out.

Composer and director Jo Weinberg was faced with the prospect of cancelling the remaining five shows or (at unbackable odds) finding someone to learn the role in 24 hours and step in.

Cue Nathan Carter whose long-running role in Wicked had finished the day before. Nathan had done a workshop read through of Every Single Saturday almost two years ago, but hadn’t thought about it since.

Despite a degree of difficulty of 9.9, he said ‘yes’, rushed in, watched Matt’s two last performances, took home a video, a score and script, swatted like mad then fronted at a single all-day rehearsal at the Parade Theatres yesterday before going on with the script in hand last night.

He was a hit… the show was saved and the audience (who were told of what had transpired before the show) – as they say – went wild.

The show continues until the weekend at the Parade Theatre.