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No calamity about this show Calamity Jane
The New Alexandra Theatre
*** CALAMITY Jane, a character based on a
real frontierswoman and professional scout, was made timeless by Doris
Day in the well-loved 1953 film.
In this stage adaptation Calamity once again
touches the hearts of musical lovers. Jodie Prenger had big shoes to
fill as she took the reigns as the larger than life tomboy, bringing all
the old time Doris Day classics back to life with a superb ensemble in
the punchy western musical. To adapt the musical from its film original to
the stage is no small task. Charles K. Freeman is the mastermind behind
this to ensure that the story is just as magical as people remember.
With great direction from Nikolai Foster, the production was
bursting with nostalgia and feel-good emotion. We certainly were back in the hills of Dakota.
The mid-19th century setting of the town of Deadwood was
alluded to with excellent set and costume from Matthew Wright. This was
the framework of what made the show so engaging. All transitions
happened before the audiences eyes, and a great idea of ‘a theatre
within a theatre’ created a platform for many settings. Of course, like any good spirit-lifting musical,
the show opens with an uplifting group number. The company set the story
with Take me Back to the Black Hills and the audience could not
help but join in. Immediately we were transported to another time,
another era and became part of the small little town. There were smiles
on the faces of many with an excitement growing for the story to unfold. Although many performances were far from mind-blowing, most of the cast strived to keep the authenticity of the southern town alive. Thick southern states accents were a funny touch, as many tried too hard to master it. The most impressive factor is that
the company were musicians in their own right, and each character played
the beautiful melodies of the show on stage before us which integrated
wonderfully into the performance. The songs of Day and other classics
in the film were truly celebrated as the cast took responsibility for
delivering them. Prenger was good and took command of the
larger-than-life character in an engaging way. She has a talent
that spans both in her voice and on the stage. Her strong presence was
clear throughout and gave justice to the character. The star of the show was Phoebe Street who played
the shy and loveable Katie Brown. A beautiful singer and terrific
performer, Street was the real driving force behind the entire company.
A pleasure to watch, Street portrayed told the story of the interesting
character with beautiful precision and injections of light-hearted silly
humour. The transition from being a shy girl to becoming part of the
town of Deadwood gave an uplifting and happy feel. A brilliant performance was also given by Rob
Delaney, playing Francis Fryer. He demonstrated a whole showful of
talents. A class act at dancing and singing and also engaging us with
numbers on the piano, he was also a strong actor giving life to his
funny character. This charming musical will have fans of the film
flocking to the seats. The eye-popping set and those wonderful songs are
well worth a visit. To 21-02-15 Elizabeth Halpin
18-02-15 |
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