COMPANY – London 1995: A Theatre Review

Cast: Adrian Lester, Rebecca Front, Clive Rowe, Clare Burt, Gareth Snook, Liza Sadovy, Teddy Kempner, Sophie Thompso, Michael Simkis, Sheila Gish, Paul Bentley, Anna Francolini, Kiran Hocking, Hannah James

Creative Team: Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim • Book by George Furth • Musical Staging by Jonathan Butterell • Directed by Sam Mendes

My Rate: 10 (from 1 to 10) / Photos: Mark Douet

Introduction Notes: Now that a new production of COMPANY opened in London, it’s time for me to revisit the 1995 Donmar Warehouse production. I was lucky to saw it twice; first at the Donmar and, a few months later, at the Albery Theatre for where it was transferred. I love it both times and I’m sharing here the “review” I wrote back in 1995. I was 31 years old at the time… how time flies!

This production won the Olivier Awards 1996 for Best Director, Best Actor in a Musical for Adrian Lester and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Sheila Gish; it also won the Critics Circle Award 1996 for Best Musical.

The Plot: Bobby is a lone bachelor and his married friends decide to give him a surprise party to celebrate his 35^thBirthday. Before blowing the candles, Bobby thinks about his life, specially his relationships.

The Show: This is a musical masterpiece! The book by George Furth is intelligent, with terrific lines, and lives in perfect harmony with Stephen Sondheim’s words. To tell the truth, it's impossible to know when the work of one end and the others began. Unforgettable and original, this is a modern classic, which revealed to the world one of Sondheim's best scores!

Sam Mendes took full advantage of the single set he had at Donmar Warehouse’s small stage. Paying equal attention to the small details as he did to the big ones, he transformed this production into an unforgettable experience. Being at ease with the hilarious sequences as well with the dramatic ones, he makes us care for the characters, involving us into their games. 

The cast couldn’t be better, and everyone lives their characters lively and emotionally. Of course, for obvious reasons, some of the roles shine more than others. In the leading role of Bobby, Adrian Lester plays it with heart and soul, giving a great realistic performance. His Bobby is real, and we really care for him!

But, besides Lester, the truth is that the show belongs to the ladies, specially to two of them.     As the alcoholic Joanne, Sheila Gish stopped the show with her powerful "The Ladies Who Launch". As the freaked bride, Sophie Thompson brought down the house with her touching and funny rendition of "Getting Marry Today". Both actresses were absolutely amazing, but the other females of the company were also very good.

The score has some of Sondheim’s best songs and the cast gave them a new life, making them, once again, unforgettable. There are only two dance numbers, and both were a joy to watch. “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” is brilliantly effective on its simplicity. “Side by Side by Side / What Would We Do?” is a true showstopper; full of originality and humour, was truly hilarious and one of the best dance numbers I saw on stage.

From the haunting opening number to the blew of the candles at the final, this revival is a unique event, of those that only happens once in a lifetime!

ALADDIN – London 2016: A Theatre Review

The Plot: Aladdin is a poor guy who steals to eat and who falls in love with Princess Jasmine. One day he is used by the evil Jafar and soon finds himself with a magic lamp whose Genie can grant him three wishes.

The Cast: In the title role, Dean John-Wilson doesn’t have a very strong presence on stage and although he has a nice singing voice, he is no match for Broadway’s original Aladdin. I couldn’t stop thinking that Stephen Rahman-Hughes, as one of this friends, was more suitable for the role. On the other hand, Jade Ewen pleasantly surprised me as Jasmine; revealing a beautiful singing voice and demanding our attention. As the bad guys, neither Don Gallagher or Peter Howe get pass the caricature, but I guess that’s not their fault. Everyone disappears of our radar as soon as Trevor Dion Nicholas is on stage. His Genie is bigger than life and he owns every inch of the stage. He is absolutely fabulous and literally stops the show with “Friend Like Me” and deserves the standing ovation he gets.

The Score: Composer Alan Menken was in an inspired mood when he wrote the songs for the movie and the new ones are as good as those. Menken is one of the few contemporary composers who really knows how to write a good theatre song, like the ones of Broadway’s golden age. There’s a joy to his songs that’s completely contagious and his pop ballads are always magically melodies; “Friend Like Me” and “A Million Miles Away” are two excellent examples of both types. I believe all the movie songs are here, including one of my favorites, “One Jump Ahead”. But a “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali” work even better on stage. Of the new songs, my favorite is the very Broadwayish “Somebody’s Got Your Back” and the beautiful ballad “Proud of Your Boy”.

The Show: Remember the old technicolor MGM movie musicals? Now imagine one of those made on stage with all the money in the world and a team of stage magicians. That’s what this musical is, an unforgettable feast to all our senses! It’s true, it isn’t a deep show and the characters are little more than stereotypes, specially the wicked ones. There’s no doubt the target audience is kids of all ages and I felt like a child when I saw the magic carpet flying. How did they do it? It’s truly magical! Visually this is one of the strongest shows I have ever seen on stage. I guess costume designer Gregg Barnes must have used all the sequins in the world, set designer Bob Crowley was in a truly inspired mode and lightning designer Natasha Katz had a full day. Director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw keeps the action flowing and the dancing entertaining. The show may be childish, but the emotions are real and I couldn’t resist its enchantments. This is a perfect oiled show and probably Disney’s best stage production ever!

Cast: Dean John-Wilson, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Jade Ewen, Don Gallagher, Peter Howe, Nathan Amzi, Rachid Sabitri, Stephen Rahman-Hughes, Irvine Iqbal
Creative Team: Music by Alan Menken • Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice & Chad Beguelin • Book by Chad Beguelin • Choreography by Casey Nicholaw • Directed by Casey Nicholaw
Photos: Deen Van Meer, Matthew Crockett, Johan Persson
My Rate: 8 (from 1 to 10)

 I got my wish... I saw ALADDIN!

KINKY BOOTS – London 2016: A Theatre Review

The Plot: Charlie inherits his father’s shoe factory, only to discover that things don’t look good for its future. After a chance meeting with drag queen Lola, he decides it’s time to change the factory product and start doing shoes for drag queens.

The Cast: What a cast! Everyone gives their best and fills the stage with life, emotion, great voices and energy. Killian Donnelly convinces us on his journey from a shy guy to an almost son of a bitch. Amy Lennox is terrific as Lauren and is hilarious with “The History of Wrong Guys”. In supporting roles, Jamie Baughan as Don and Michael Hobbs as George shine on their own right. The guys who play the Angels are truly impressive. Finally, last but not least, there’s Matt Henry as Lola; oh my God, he is fantastic! His Lola is bigger than life and whenever he is on stage we forget about the others; it’s impossible not to look at him. Dressed as a woman or as a man, he is a force to be reckoned. Fabulously leading the cast on the big production numbers or bringing the house down with a heartfelt rendition of “Hold Me in Your Heart” in pure Whitney Houston’s style. It’s like Charlie says to Lola: “Whenever you leave the room, there’s always a great big gap”.

The Score: I’m an old fashioned and narrow-minded guy when it comes to music, so it comes as no surprise that Cyndi Lauper’s rock flavored score isn’t my cup of tea. I don’t appreciate much this kind of music, but the big numbers “Sex is in the Heel”, “Everybody Say Yeah” and “Raise You Up” are really exciting and truly contagious on stage. There are also a couple of nice ballads that I enjoyed, “Hold Me in Your Heart” and “Not My Father’s Son”, and an entertaining kind of modern tango, “What a Woman Wants”. Of course I would prefer that a guy like Cy Coleman had written the score, but Cindy Lauper came up with an interesting score that musical fans with an open mind will appreciate much more than I.

The Show: How can we resist the contagious excitement that fills the stage of this musical? We simply can’t. Director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell has a full day and I loved every second. He makes things move swiftly on stage, giving the show a constant rhythm, but he never loses the heart of the story. The big numbers are exciting and the small ones, truly emotional. The fabulous and colorful costumes by Gregg Barnes are a show in their own right. In the end the adrenaline is so high that I wish I could join the cast on stage with my own pair of kinky boots. A truly great time at the theatre! Don’t miss it!

Cast: Killian Donnelly, Matt Henry, Amy Lennox, Jamie Baughan, Amy Ross, Michael Hobbs, Chilie Hart, Gillian Hardie, Jeremy Batt, Arun Blair-Mangat, Marcus Collins, Luke Jackson, Adam Lake, Javier Santos, Philip Town
Creative Team: Music by Cindy Lauper • Lyrics by Cindy Lauper • Book by Harvey Fierstein • Choreography by Jerry Mitchell • Directed by Jerry Mitchell
Photos: Johan Persson, Matt Crockett
My Rate: 9 (from 1 to 10)

 

Me enjoying a pair of kinky boots.

FUNNY GIRL – London 2016: A Theatre Review

The Plot: The story of Ziegfield star, Fanny Brice, from her humble beginnings to her complicated marriage with gambler Nick Arnstein.

The Cast: Taking the role Barbra Streisand made famous and that gave Sheridan Smith great raves, understudy Natasha J. Barnes manages to make it her own. Her Fanny Brice isn’t bigger than life, is more human but big enough to emotion us and her empathy with the public is so natural that I felt like we were friends. Many people say she’s too young for the role, but Streisand was only 22 years old when she created the role on Broadway. Barnes may not have Streisand’s pipes, but she strongly delivers her songs with heart and soul. At the end of the show, while we were all giving her a standing ovation, she couldn’t keep the tears flowing from her eyes. She also shows a perfect comic timing and shares real chemistry with her Nick Arnstein. In this role, Darius Campbell combines charm and style with a sexy voice; no wonder Fanny falls for him. Marilyn Cutts is very good as Fanny’s mother, Joel Montague couldn’t be nicer as Eddie and Bruce Montague could be the real Florenz Ziegfeld.

The Score: The “Overture” is a musical treat and one of the best ever written for the stage and no one wrote overtures like Jule Styne did. In fact, the whole score is pure music perfection with unforgettable classics like “People”, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “The Music That Makes Me Dance” (one of my favorite torch songs), plus a lot more of great songs, makes this one of the best scores of all times. Curiously, this production has two songs that I never heard before: “Temporary Arrangement” sung by Nick Arnstein and “What Do Happy People Do” sung by the girls; they may not be as good as the other songs, but work great in the context of the show. One thing is sure, they don’t write scores like this anymore.

The Show: Director Michael Mayer had the scary responsibility of directing the first London and Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL. Produced for London’s Chocolate Factory, this isn’t a big production, but a small one, where everything counts and you need to use your imagination in order to take the best advantage of the material you have in your hands (I loved the use of the side mirrors). And that’s exactly what Mayer did. He never tries to emulate the famous movie adaptation, making this, with the help of a revised book by Harvey Fierstein, his own view of the show. Choreographer Lynne Page doesn’t give us huge productions numbers, but rather functional ones, where the humor works and the cast dances with joy. I confess I never thought I would be lucky enough to see a production of this musical on stage, but I was really fortunate and had a wonderful time with it!

Cast: Natasha J. Barnes, Darius Campbell, Marilyn Cutts, Joel Montague, Bruce Montague, Valda Aviks, Gay Soper, Maurice Lane, Philip Bertioli, Luke Fetherston
Creative Team: Music by Jule Styne • Lyrics by Bob Merrill • Book by Isobel Lennart • Revised Book by Harvey Fierstein • Choreography by Lynne Page • Directed by Michael Mayer
Photos: Johan Persson, Manuel Harlan
My Rate: 8 (from 1 to 10)

 

This is me and Natasha J. Barnes at stage door - June 2016

SHOW BOAT – London 2016: A Theatre Review

The Plot: Magnolia is the naïve daughter of a showboat captain who falls in love with a handsome gambler, Gaylord. At the same time, her best friend and star of the show, Julia, has to leave the boat because of her negro blood.

The Cast: What can I say of the cast? This is a terrific ensemble, where everyone has a chance to shine and I felt they were all emotionally connected with their characters. Every one of them have strong beautiful voices and it’s a pleasure to hear their rendition of songs. My favorites were the girls: Gina Beck is a perfectly innocent Magnolia, Rebecca Trehearn a sensual and beautiful Julie, Sandra Marvin a true winner as Queenie and Alex Young shows great comic timing as Ellie. As for the boys, Tosh Wanogho-Maud delivers a deep and strong “Ol’ Man River” as Joe, Malcolm Sinclair is a terrific Captain Andy, Chris Peluso as Gaylord has the matinee looks of a movie star, last but not least Danny Collins reveals great dancing and comic skills as Frank.

The Score: Wrote in 1927 by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammersmith II, this is still one of the most beautiful scores of all times. The operetta style songs like “Only Make Believe” or “You Are Love”, mix perfectly with the likes of “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”, “Bill”, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”, “Hey, Feller” and the highly emotional “Ol’ Man River”. Personally, I always loved this score and it’s a pleasure to be able to hear all these great songs live on stage. The truth is, today no one writes songs like this and we are all poorer for that. There’s nothing like a Jerome Kern melody and this is his best work.

The Show: Many years ago, I was lucky to see Harold Prince/Susan Stroman’s big revival of SHOW BOAT and loved every second of it. I never dreamt that I would being seeing a new production of this show, but I did and I enjoyed it. Director Daniel Evans gives us an intimate staging of the show, more centered on the drama of its characters and less worried with giving us big production numbers. Sometimes the action is a little bit too slow for my taste, mainly in the more operatic moments, and I miss Susan Stroman’s more dynamic musical staging. But I liked the fact that sometimes the show happens all around us and the arrival of the boat is a big magic theatrical moment. Above all, Evans is excellent at directing the actors and takes full advantage of their talents. Choreographer Alistair David dances may not be very inventive or even exciting, but sometimes they can be pretty contagious, specially in “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”. The dramatic story always brings a tear or two to my eyes and in the end I surrendered to the simple charms of this classic and to the talented cast. It may not be a great SHOW BOAT, but it sure is an enjoyable one!

Cast: Gina Beck, Chris Peluso, Malcom Sinclair, Sandra Marvin, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Rebecca Trehearn, Danny Collins, Alex Young, Lucy Briers, Leo Roberts
Creative Team: Music by Jerome Kern • Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II • Book by Oscar Hammerstein II • Choreography by Alistair David • Directed by Daniel Evans
Photos: Johan Persson
My Rate: 7 (from 1 to 10)

 

MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS – London 2016: A Theatre Review

The Plot: Laura Henderson is a rich old lady who decides to buy an old London theatre and, now named the Windmill, to open it with musical revues where the girls get undressed.

The Cast: Tracie Bennett is a witty and strong Mrs. Henderson and has in Ian Bartholomew the perfect match; together they give the show a much needed energy. Emma Williams gives the right amount of innocence to the role of Maureen and shines with “If Mountains Were Easy to Climb”; as the guy who loves her, Matthew Malthouse never has the chance to really shine. Graham Victor has some fun as Lord Cromer, but Alexander Delamere, as the comic Arthur, fails to bring the house down with his jokes. Samuel Holmes has a good time in the role of the gay singing and dancing Bertie.

The Score: This is a lukewarm score, pleasant to the ears but without songs that will linger on our heads (Jerry Herman would be perfect for this material). There’s no excitement and the opening number fails to grab our attention. But, nevertheless, it’s a pleasant melodious score, plus most of the songs have a sense of the period the action takes place, the 30/40s. The best numbers are the beautiful “What a Waste of a Moon”, whose staging reminded me of SINGIN’IN THE RAIN “You’re My Lucky Star”, and the true showtune “Anything But Young”. Two of the songs sound musically out of place, “Innocent Soldier” (it reminded me of MISS SAIGON) and the emotional “If Mountains Were Easy to Climb”.

The Show: Although the Stephen Frears’ movie starring Judi Dench had the feeling of a musical, it wasn’t exactly a musical; but I could easily imagine it as a stage musical. It seems I wasn’t the only one and now, more than 10 years later, director and book writer Terry Johnson made my dream come true. Unfortunately, it isn’t up to my dreams and, although the show has its good moments, on the whole it lacks excitement and emotion. The first 15/20 minutes failed to impressed me as the action drags in a couple of long and uninteresting musical numbers (“Everybody Loves the Windmill” and the title song). For me the show only comes really alive with the funny scene where everyone has to become naked. I believe the choreography by Andrew Wright pays tribute to the era, but it’s uninspired and a little twist here and there could have helped; for example, the lame “Rubens and Renoir” could benefit from a little naughtiness. In conclusion, this has the feeling of an old show (and I love old shows) that should have got an energy shot; but at least the cast make it watchable.

Cast: Tracie Bennett, Ian Bartholomew, Emma Williams, Alexander Delamere, Matthew Malthouse, Samuel Holmes, Graham Victor, Katie Bernstein, Lizzy Connolly, Lauren Wood, Liz Ewing
Creative Team: Music by George Fenton & Simon Chamberlain • Lyrics by Don Black • Book by Terry Johnson • Choreography by Andrew Wright • Directed by Terry Johnson
Photos: Paul Coltas, Nobby Clark, Tristram Kenton, Alastair Muir
My Rate: 4 (from 1 to 10)

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC – London 1996

The Plot: Fredrik Egerman is married to a 17 years-old girl who’s still a virgin, so when the famous actress Desirée Armfeldt, with whom he had an affair in the past, visits town he pays her a visit. Meanwhile, Desirée is feeling tired of her career and wants to settle down, so she decides to conquer Fredrik, but her lover, the Count Carl-Magnus don’t want to let her go. In order to resolve everything, Desirée asks her mother to invite Fredrik and his wife to her country house for the weekend, but when the Count and his wife appears, things get complicated.

Sondheim's Beloved Score: This 1973 score is one of Stephen Sondheim's best works and also one of the most accessible he ever wrote. The music is perfect and, maybe because all the songs were written like waltzes, very melodious. And what can I say about the lyrics? Sondheim was on top of his form and the result was sublime. He made us laugh, cry and think, but never let us untouchable. Every one of the songs is perfect for the character that sings it and they easily interact with Hugh Wheeler's fabulous book. This is also the score from which came Sondheim's most famous song, "Send in the Clowns".

An Elegant Production: Sean Mathias inspired direction turned this revival into an unforgettable theatrical experience. This elegant production, that was only possible thanks to London's National Theatre,  manages to be simple and stylised at the same time, resulting into a sophisticated show. Mathias knew how to took the maximum advantage of the theatre large stage, giving life and emotion to it without the use of great sets or big effects.  As new today as it was back in 1973, this is an astonishing show, and this extraordinary revival is one of those productions that grows on us.

Three Glorious Actresses: As a director of actors Mathias had a full day. What a cast! All of them were absolutely amazing, but it's the ladies that really conquered us. As Desirée, Judi Dench is sparkling and glamorous, so no one in the audience is immune to her; I doubt there's a more perfect Desirée than her. She delivers a truly outstanding performance, simple unforgettable! Joanna Riding, as Anne, proves to be one of the most promising actresses working on the London stages. Last, but not least, Patricia Hodge's Countess is truly glittering, and thanks to her humor and great talent, she is one of the highlights of the show.

Cast: Judi Dench, Laurence Guittard, Simon Burke, Patricia Hodge, Joanna Riding, Siân Phillips, Brendan O’Hea, Claire Cox, Issy van Randwyck, Joe Maddison, Josephine Baird, Di Botcher, Tim Godwin, Morag McLaren

Creative Team: Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim • Book by Hugh Wheeler • Choreography by Wayne McGregor • Directed by Sean Mathias

My Rate: 10 (from 1 to 10) / Photos: Michael Le Poer Trench (color) and Mark Douet (black & white)

PS: To see larger images just click on them.