Post by santtu on Jan 29, 2012 15:09:42 GMT -5
This Ira & George Gershwin musical played successfully last summer London's Regent's Park's Open Air Theatre, so successfully that the show was transferred to West End's Novello Theatre.
The show is about Bobby Child, stuck in a job in a bank and in an engagement to Irene, a very strong-willed woman, like Bobby's mother. He dreams of a career in the showbiz, but doesn't get a break. He's sent to Nevada to close a local theatre and there he meets a local girl Polly and falls in love with her. And, of course, she doesn't fall for him... But after twists and turns and disguises, we get a Happy Ending.
Musically the show is good. Featuring Gershwin classics like "Someone to watch over me", "Embraceable you", "They can't take that away from me" and "I got rhythm", the best melody ("Stairway to Paradise") was heard only as an instrumental version, first during the overture and then in "Entrance to Nevada". But still the score is very enjoyable.
Visually the production was ok. They used the same set as they did in the Regent's Park. Two multi-purpose set pieces in view all the time but it worked very well.
As for the performers, I found Harriet Thorpe (tv's Absolutely Fabulous) very good as Bobby's mother and Patricia Fodor, though the latter role wasn't flashy or memorable in any way. Also Alexix Owen Hobbs as Patsy, the chorus girl was fun and very entertaining. Not too bimbo or caricature but silly enough to make me laugh. And Michael McKell was great as Lank. Unfortunately, I felt the leading roles were totally miscast. Sean Palmer (Sex and the City's Marcus, Stanford's boyfriend; THE LITTLE MERMAID's obc Prince Erik) has a good voice and he's a great dancer, but there's no charisma whatsoever! Very bland. He was smiling when he was dancing but only with his lips, his eyes weren't smiling at all. Clare Foster as Polly was ok but not great. In Act I she seemed to try too much and the result was too forced. She got better in Act II, though.
With better casting this could have been a very good show! But even now, it was lightyears ahead of that dreadful mess I saw on Broadway called Anything Goes...
This revival of CRAZY FOR YOU will close in March 2012.
The show is about Bobby Child, stuck in a job in a bank and in an engagement to Irene, a very strong-willed woman, like Bobby's mother. He dreams of a career in the showbiz, but doesn't get a break. He's sent to Nevada to close a local theatre and there he meets a local girl Polly and falls in love with her. And, of course, she doesn't fall for him... But after twists and turns and disguises, we get a Happy Ending.
Musically the show is good. Featuring Gershwin classics like "Someone to watch over me", "Embraceable you", "They can't take that away from me" and "I got rhythm", the best melody ("Stairway to Paradise") was heard only as an instrumental version, first during the overture and then in "Entrance to Nevada". But still the score is very enjoyable.
Visually the production was ok. They used the same set as they did in the Regent's Park. Two multi-purpose set pieces in view all the time but it worked very well.
As for the performers, I found Harriet Thorpe (tv's Absolutely Fabulous) very good as Bobby's mother and Patricia Fodor, though the latter role wasn't flashy or memorable in any way. Also Alexix Owen Hobbs as Patsy, the chorus girl was fun and very entertaining. Not too bimbo or caricature but silly enough to make me laugh. And Michael McKell was great as Lank. Unfortunately, I felt the leading roles were totally miscast. Sean Palmer (Sex and the City's Marcus, Stanford's boyfriend; THE LITTLE MERMAID's obc Prince Erik) has a good voice and he's a great dancer, but there's no charisma whatsoever! Very bland. He was smiling when he was dancing but only with his lips, his eyes weren't smiling at all. Clare Foster as Polly was ok but not great. In Act I she seemed to try too much and the result was too forced. She got better in Act II, though.
With better casting this could have been a very good show! But even now, it was lightyears ahead of that dreadful mess I saw on Broadway called Anything Goes...
This revival of CRAZY FOR YOU will close in March 2012.