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That's EntertainmentThe New Alexandra Theatre
****
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT, the musical revue featuring the music and dance of
the Golden Era of Hollywood, tap dances its way on to the Alexandra
Theatre Stage with enough high energy and high kicking to leave you out
of breath just watching. Even so
there was little air to do that, with temperatures outside hitting the
mid-thirties, the heat rose in the theatre from both the weather and the
onstage performance. The show
is not exactly a rich glittering affair with the stage setting showing
obvious signs of a touring production. It was enough though and with a
few minor changes and a handful of props throughout the evening it was
adequate for the company to perform against. It’s also
not a large ensemble with a total of just 12 performers who in the big
numbers at times appeared underrepresented on the stage.
Throughout though, their exuberance and show biz razzmatazz was not
lacking and songs like I got Rhythm,
the show finale, got the full works, featuring a full company tap dance
routine and some great costumes. The show
featured cameos from guest West End musical star, Ruthie Henshall . It
was clear that she was the logistics cover for the cast to change
costumes from number to number, but her presence often slowed down the
proceedings a lot when all we wanted were the well-known songs. Sounding a
lot like Judy Garland she covered several songs from her repertoire.
However dipping into anecdotes from her own life and career became a
distraction and although many may have known her previous stage work,
this seemed out of place in this, at other times, flowing musical revue. The
choice of songs during the evening also veered away a lot from the
That’s Entertainment
theme. A section entitled Cockney Knees Up accounted for nearly half of
the first Act featuring seven songs like
Knees Up Mother Brown
and with everyone dressed as pearly kings and queens it was good fun but
a long way from Hollywood. The
smaller duo staging of numbers like A
couple of Swells and
Good Morning
were delightful and certainly a few more of these would have added extra
value. The
main vocalists were billed as The Overtones featuring Loula Geater, Emma
Kate Nelson, Simon Schofield and Sean Smith. Each of them handled songs
like They Can’t take that away From Me,
and a selection of the Rat Pack tunes with ease. Miss Geater was
especially authentic to the era handling the ballads with power and
clarity. Topping it
all were the dance routines and costumes. Director and Choreographer
Emma Rogers has a rich history of moves to plunder and the ensemble were
excellent. The show is performed against a prerecorded sound track, no
doubt because of the orchestration needed for many of the songs. It all
seemed a little dry and karaoke like at times and a small band or piano
accompaniment would have lifted the performance atmosphere, considering
the vocal work was so good. You
cannot beat the Hollywood era for sheer glamour and joy. The costumes
added that touch of class missing from today’s casual look even when the
set didn’t. Together with the songs from the likes of Oscar Hammerstein
and Gershwin, all delivered with sophistication, energy and classic
choreography, That’s Entertainment
shows exactly why the classic Hollywood era remains such a golden period
in entertainment history. To 23-07-16
Jeff Grant 19-07-16 And being entertained **** WEST End and Broadway star Ruthie
Henshall is the big name in this sparkling show which features hits from
the great musicals of the 40s and 50s. The mother-of-two has
filled many of the major roles over the years, and she impresses with a
string of popular numbers after recalling how she first appeared at
Birmingham in A Chorus Line
while marvelling at the improvements that have taken place in the city
since then. Guest artist Ruthie’s
contributions in both acts – particularly with
All That Jazz
and The Man That Got Away
– are certainly enjoyable, but she finds
herself outshone here by a wonderfully talented group of singer-dancers,
The Overtones
. . . Loula Geater, Emma Kate Nelson, Simon Schofield and Sean Smith. Supported by a
glamour-packed ensemble of four men and four women, they deliver a
cracking programme ranging from Puttin’
on the Ritz to
A Couple of Swells,
and a very lively Cockney knees up in smart Pearly King and Queen
outfits. There is also slick
tribute to The Rat Pack with numbers like
Luck Be a Lady, The Candyman
and That’s Life. Costumes are a delight, too, and
director-choreographer Emma Rogers has created some excellent dances for
the cast, including tap and ballroom. That certainly is entertainment. To 23.07.16 Paul Marston
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