Five Megastars, One Big Stage and a Night Full of Hits
The costumes, colour and glamour caught the eye, but the voices, humour and crowd connection made the night.
Venue: Hopgood Theatre, Noarlunga Centre
Date and time: Saturday 19 September 2026, 7.30pm
Review: Brett Partington
Photo Credit: Sharryn Stevens-Files
Photo Credit: Brett Partington
The Megastars cast takes its bow at Hopgood Theatre after a night packed with hits, humour and nostalgia.
Elvis Presley, Elton John, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck and Shania Twain all turned up in Noarlunga on Saturday night.
Well, close enough.
For the next two hours, the Hopgood Theatre belonged to the Megastars. But stepping into shoes this famous comes with expectations.
The audience already knows the voices, the clothes, the moves and the songs. Every performer is being compared with the original before they even open their mouth. The trick is giving us enough of the star we remember while still making it feel like a live show.
The format was simple. Each performer gave us a handful of songs before handing over to the next. Just as we settled in, another big name appeared with a song we all recognised.
Matthew Hadgraft opened as Elton John with Crocodile Rock, and it wasn’t long before the crowd was singing the unmistakable ‘Laaaaa… la, la, la, la, laaaaa.’ The big glasses, outrageous outfit and towering top hat screamed Elton, and Hadgraft appeared every bit the part. He was believable, but it wasn’t just about the look. He could seriously play the piano and had the voice to go with it.
Matthew Hadgraft looks completely at home behind the piano as Elton John.
Later, one solitary note of Bennie and the Jets was all it took. Everyone knew exactly what was coming and let out a huge cheer before the song had properly begun. Then came one of my favourite moments of the night. During I’m Still Standing, Hadgraft accidentally knocked over his piano stool. For a moment, the audience held its collective breath. With nowhere left to sit, he had little choice but to remain standing until the end. Talk about living up to the song title.
Georgina Ward’s Shania Twain made her entrance in a leopard-print hooded coat and dark glasses. The look grabbed my attention. Then she started singing. Her version of You’re Still the One showed there was much more here than getting the look right. She has a terrific voice.
Georgina Ward arrives as Shania Twain in leopard print and dark glasses, before letting the voice take over.
Her performance of From This Moment On gave Ward the chance to simply stand there and sing, complete with those little Shania inflections. Then came Man! I Feel Like a Woman!, and the crowd needed no encouragement. They knew it and sang along.
Geir Borholm brought something completely different as Engelbert Humperdinck. He sauntered onto the stage with the relaxed confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. His smooth delivery of The Last Waltz felt less like a theatre performance and more as though Engelbert had wandered into our lounge room and started singing. Quando, Quando, Quando brought a lighter, feel-good moment, before Engelbert’s biggest hit, Release Me, had older members of the audience reminiscing as it grew into one of the night’s biggest singalongs. Can't Take My Eyes Off You had the room happily supplying the ‘da-da’ bit.
Geir Borholm brings the smooth confidence of Engelbert Humperdinck.
He also gave us one of the funniest moments of the night. Borholm announced that he needed to ‘disrobe’.
‘Take it off!’ yelled a woman from the audience.
He unbuttoned his jacket.
That was it.
Tony Jones, conveniently just one letter away from being Tom Jones, brought a different energy again. His voice had some of that trademark gravel, but it was the way he worked the room that stood out. He moved close to women in the audience, looked them directly in the eye and made each one feel like the only person in the room. For those few seconds, he was their very own Tom Jones.
Tony Jones brings Tom Jones close to the crowd, holding one audience member’s gaze.
Then the shirt opened. The ladies whooped.
Delilah was anthemic. The audience knew every word. What’s New Pussycat? had them happily taking over the ‘oh-oh-ohs’. Sometimes Jones simply handed the song to them, and they knew exactly what to do.
At times, though, I wanted more from the sound. The backing needed to be louder and more dynamic to give those big Tom Jones numbers the punch they deserved.
Then there was Elvis.
Marcus Jackson had the hips, the shaking leg, the karate moves and, of course, that deep ‘Thank you very much.’ Four words. Pure Elvis. But what I enjoyed most was his humour. Before Love Me Tender, Jackson had the entire theatre hugging the person beside them. I joined in. Then he told us to look into their eyes before eventually telling us to grab their face. By the time Love Me Tender began, he’d already won over the crowd.
As Jackson introduced the song Teddy Bear, he draped several scarves around his neck before offering them to the audience. The ladies didn’t need asking twice. One woman stood in the crowd holding a teddy bear for Elvis. Jackson spotted her and invited her to the stage, where she received a scarf, a hug and a kiss, plus a few extras for good measure.
Marcus Jackson rewards a teddy-bearing Elvis fan with a scarf, a hug and a kiss.
Another woman called out, ‘Can I have your number?’
‘You can have my room number!’ Jackson fired back.
His version of My Way was another highlight. Standing at the microphone suited both the song and his style, and his vocal was impressive. On some of the faster numbers, though, I wanted him to break away from the microphone stand and use more of that big Hopgood stage. He had the Elvis moves. I wanted to see him explore the space.
The Megastar dancers certainly weren’t afraid to move. Their colour, energy and smiles brought the stage to life and added another dimension to the performances. Behind them, the large screen showed footage and photos of the original stars, along with fun facts, giving us something else to watch and, inevitably, compare.
Colour, movement and a burst of light: the Megastar dancers helped keep the stage alive between the big hits.
There was something refreshingly old-school about the whole night. The crowd, mostly seniors, came to have a good time, and the show wasn’t afraid to be a little cheeky, a little bawdy and do things its own way.
But I kept coming back to the audience. They weren’t just watching the show; they were part of it. Arms waved through Sweet Caroline, voices joined in whenever they got the chance, and at one point phone torches lit up the theatre. They laughed, shouted and willingly went along for the ride.
Five familiar faces after the final curtain: Geir Borholm, Matthew Hadgraft, Georgina Ward, Marcus Jackson and Tony Jones.
That’s probably why the format worked so well. If one artist wasn’t quite your era, another big song was only a few minutes away. The show kept moving, and there was always another memory waiting.
Megastars was an entertaining, feel-good night with moments of quality musicianship, impressive vocals, plenty of humour and performers who knew how to connect with their audience. The hits just kept coming, with the opening notes of each familiar song bringing another wave of nostalgia.
They may have been tribute artists, but the smiles, laughs and singalongs were the real deal.
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From Smiles to Standing Ovation: Music of the Night in The Barossa
Warm humour, powerhouse vocals and theatrical drama make for a night of contrast, nostalgia and big musical moments.
Production: Music of the Night
Venue: Brenton Langbein Theatre, Barossa Arts Centre, Tanunda
Date: Saturday 12 September 2026
Reviewed by: Brett Partington, Limelight SA
Photography: Kate Needs, Limelight SA
I went into Music of the Night expecting big voices, familiar songs and plenty of spectacle. What surprised me was just how funny, relaxed and easy the night felt. The show built quietly, drew us in and kept revealing something new.
The stage itself was deliberately simple. Candelabras, blue and white lighting and a soft smoky haze created a moody atmosphere. Projected backdrops helped show which musical each song came from, with some of the imagery giving a 3D effect. Nothing felt cluttered. The focus remained exactly where it belonged: on the performers.
When did the audience become part of the show?
Pretty much the moment Joey Fimmano decided we were.
Joey crossed that imaginary border between stage and audience early, moving along the front row shaking people’s hands before sitting on one lucky woman’s lap and adding a cheeky comment that immediately loosened up the room. Part showman, part vaudeville performer and part ringmaster, Joey is also an award-winning vocalist and instrumentalist. He has an infectious smile and the sort of easy charm that makes you feel as though you have known him for years. Think of the Italian uncle everyone wants sitting at their table.
The first half became a showcase of some of musical theatre’s best-known songs, but the strength came from the variety. The three singers were very different in voice, personality and stage presence, and that contrast gave the show colour.
The audience gasped with recognition when Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat began, seeming to take many straight back to their younger years. Joey then shared stories from his early television days, including his success on Pot of Gold with Bernard King and Young Talent Time, where he won his way through heats and finals. Those stories stirred a shared sense of memory where you could almost hear the room thinking, “I remember those shows.” A brief tribute to Johnny Young added a touching moment.
Across the first half, the show moved comfortably between banter, memories and increasingly powerful vocals. There were jokes with the band, some playful songs on the piano accordion and Joey happily teasing that he might, in fact, be the real star of proceedings.
It was fun.
Dexter Villahermosa brought some of the night’s strongest drama. His stage presence was confident and charismatic. When he spoke, he used deliberate pauses and a slow, measured delivery that held your attention.
The room leaned in with him.
His Miss Saigon section was one of the most emotional parts of the night for me.
What changed after interval?
The first half had been about variety and fun. The second half belonged to the drama. Opening with songs from The Phantom of the Opera immediately shifted the mood. Rather than constantly breaking the intensity with lighter material, the production allowed us to stay immersed in it. That was the right decision. Sometimes variety helps. At other times, the big songs need room to breathe.
Music of the Night was one of the evening’s standouts. Dexter displayed both range and control, holding some remarkably long notes before receiving one of the biggest and most sustained rounds of applause of the evening.
Michaela Hodgson brought plenty of light and shade to her performance across the night, moving from softer passages into powerful bursts when the music demanded it. She also seemed to arrive in a stunning new dress every few songs, adding another layer of glamour to the production.
The well-credentialled three-piece orchestra, led by musical director Michael Rohanek, combined bass guitar, drums and keyboards with programmed music to produce a full, expansive sound.
How did they send us home?
The cast finished with Mamma Mia, calling back to an earlier ABBA joke and sending the audience out on a lighter note. It gave the night a playful final lift.
After the show, I asked Joey what he hoped people would feel when they walked away from the production.
His answer was simple:
“Happiness and connection.”
Looking around the theatre throughout the night, his answer made perfect sense. People smiled. They laughed. They leaned in.
The applause said the rest.
By the final note, we were on our feet.
Limelight SA would like to say a special thank you to Cas & Nori 87.6FM, Dancing with an Italian and Joey Fimmano, cast and crew from Music of the Night for selecting us to review their show.
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