Rebecca Crankshaw Archives - Page 15 of 33

★★½

“The book and score are entirely forgettable; the rhymes from a Hallmark card and devoid of wit or charm”

In 1996, eight years after the now legendary film, starring Tom Hanks, hit American screens, Big – The Musical premiered on Broadway. Nearly 25 years later, Morgan Young, director, choreographer and chief architect of this Dominion production, has finally realised his dream to bring it to the London stage. It has not aged well. Despite the inordinate amount of money clearly spent on this production, and a few very good performances, the whole show seems distinctly creaky, and slightly tawdry too, like a ride at a cheap fairground on which you slightly fear for your safety.

The story is that of 12 year old Josh Baskin (Jay McGuiness), who, sick of being small, makes a wish at a travelling carnival to be big, and wakes up in the morning with the body of a full-grown man. Fleeing from his terrified mother (Wendi Peters), who fails to recognise him, and with the aid of his best friend Billy (Jobe Hart in last night’s performance), he winds up in New York, where he rises to success at an ailing toy company owned by George MacMillan (Matthew Kelly), getting romantically entangled with Susan (Kimberley Walsh) along the way, before returning to his real age and his home. It’s a fairly slight tale, and the message, such as it is, is sentimental stuff – hang on to your childhood, don’t grow up too fast, and bring the honesty and playfulness of childhood into your adult life. Grown-ups get a pretty bad press in this fable all in all; the apogee of this being the dreadful yuppie dinner party in act two, in which, inexplicably, the supporting men appear to be dressed as versions of Alan Partridge. Sophisticated it isn’t; that quality being distinctly off-message it would appear.

The overall look of the show is disappointing, and the decision to use huge video screens as the centre piece of each scene is a mistake. It distracts from and deadens the action, and also, importantly, takes away from any attempt at intimacy. We are always at a big stadium gig, even in the show’s more tender moments, which serves them badly. The lighting doesn’t help either. All of which underlines the question continually in mind – ‘Why is this a musical?’. It feels like a musical by numbers because that’s exactly what it is. A traditional musical structure has been superimposed on a film narrative. And it doesn’t work. The book and score are entirely forgettable; the rhymes from a Hallmark card and devoid of wit or charm. The only moments to draw widespread audience laughter are in the spoken dialogue. Not a good sign.

The principals are well-cast and work hard. Jay McGuiness perfectly embodies the child-in-man Josh; Kimberley Walsh softens beautifully from power-dressed executive to the girl looking for love she so clearly is, and Matthew Kelly gives a tremendous turn as Macmillan. Wendi Peters is a consummate professional and lends performance oomph to a pretty scant role, but, as with the kids in the cast, she is of the strident MT singing style, which arguably runs counter to emotional depth. Jobe Hart did, however, stand out as Billy last night and most certainly has a musical theatre future. It’s a shame that all this professionalism serves such an underwhelming show.

Finally, it is more than disappointing to see an all-white adult chorus in a West End musical in 2019 (representing the working population of NEW YORK!), as it is to see the only transvestite/transexual character equated with the rotten underbelly of the city. Theatre at this level has no excuse not to do better.

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Alastair Muir

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Programme C – Ounce of Faith / Members Don’t Get Weary / Ella / Revelations

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Reviewed – 10th September 2019

★★★★

“These are dancers at the very top of their game, with bodies at the peak of strength and grace, tuned to the highest level of expression“

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is currently at Sadler’s Wells. Over the course of ten days, the company is showcasing its unique choreographic style, fusing contemporary with African, Asian and Native American dance, along with jazz and hip-hop influenced movement. The company is presenting three programmes, each ending with Ailey’s signature piece, Revelations, created in 1960; quite possibly the most famous piece in the global contemporary dance repertoire. All the work stems from African American experience, from ‘blood memories’ as Ailey termed his own Texan childhood, and is danced to the rhythms of both Africa and America, blending gospel, soul, blues and jazz with more contemporary beats and percussive rhythms.

The three newer pieces in Programme C – Ounce of Faith, Members Don’t Get Weary and Ella are linked both thematically and musically, and there is a clear through line and feeling of progression to them which makes for immensely satisfying viewing. Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Ounce of Faith takes its title from a piece of spoken word used in the work, ‘when someone has an ounce of faith in you, it can change the course of your life’ and the choreography physically highlights the beauty and value of support throughout, particularly in the stunning trio danced by three male dancers in the first third of the piece. The work moves from individual struggle, in which we literally see the physical pressure of the world manifest in the body of a single female dancer, through high-energy ensemble sections, to more intimate manifestations of togetherness, to a moment of stillness garnered from a finale in which we, along with the dancers, surrender to pure movement. It is by turns beautiful, tender, sexy and exciting. And full of soul and pride. It shouts, WE ARE HERE AND TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG and had the audience whooping with pleasure as the curtain came down last night. These are dancers at the very top of their game, with bodies at the peak of strength and grace, tuned to the highest level of expression. It’s a moving and joyous experience to watch.

Members Don’t Get Weary is Jamar Roberts’ extraordinary creation, which comes from the music of John Coltrane. Watching this piece is akin to watching Coltrane’s music made flesh. The dancers simply become the music; they are not dancing alongside it, but embodying it. They simply ARE the music. It is as though the notes issuing from that alto sax, piano and bass leave the instruments and morph into human form. The piece begins in semi-narrative mode, when we watch a micro-drama unfold, but it really comes into its own when the narrative is left behind and the soul and passion of Coltrane’s playing is simply danced out in front of us. Thrilling, mesmerising, unforgettable. The dancers move like liquid in their shades of blue, but they are on fire.

In the final piece, before the closing Revelations, we are treated to the five minute burst of joy that is Ella. Ella Fitzgerald was famous for her virtuoso quick-fire scatting, and in this exuberant duet, Robert Battle’s choreography matches the playfulness, comedy and pure frenzied fun of Ella’s live concert performance of Airmail Special. It is fast and furious, and the two male dancers who danced it last night seemed to be having the time of their lives, which meant we did too.

Despite its sacred place in the contemporary dance canon, it seems a strange choice to perform Revelations as the closing piece to each programme. It is still an important work, but to continually finish with it seems to take away from the sensational new work that is surely Ailey’s true legacy.

Dominion Theatre

Reviewed – 18th September 2019

★★½

“The book and score are entirely forgettable; the rhymes from a Hallmark card and devoid of wit or charm”

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Alastair Muir

Big the Musical

Dominion Theatre until 2nd November

Recent shows covered by this reviewer:

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Reviewed – 10th September 2019

★★★★

“These are dancers at the very top of their game, with bodies at the peak of strength and grace, tuned to the highest level of expression“

Despite its sacred place in the contemporary dance canon, it seems a strange choice to perform Revelations as the closing piece to each programme. It is still an important work, but to continually finish with it seems to take away from the sensational new work that is surely Ailey’s true legacy.

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Paul Kolnik

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Sadler’s Wells Theatre until 14th September

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: