It’s not often that a standing ovation happens – twice – before a show is even over. The first time, it’s to a deliriously silly boyband performance (choreography and all) of the Backstreet Boys’ eponymous and most famous single; the second, a glitter-soaked rendition of Katy Perry’s Roar.
These are ubiquitous songs in the pop music canon, familiar to anyone who’s been anywhere near planet Earth for the last few decades. The musical’s 30-odd songs were all written by one man: Swedish pop powerhouse Max Martin, who’s present in the room at the show’s Australian premiere, on Thursday night in Melbourne. It’s far more songs than would be included in a regular musical, but when the jukebox is this full, why the hell not?
