Legally Blonde (Tudor Musical Comedy Society)

Things are hotting-up back at Harvard Law again as Elle Woods chases her boyfriend Warner Huntington III to an Ivy League School and the ensuing adventures make for a scintillating night of musical theatre at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall from Tudor Musical Comedy Society.

Leading the cast is Katie Millington as the aforementioned Miss Woods, Elle and I always feel you need an actor with some talent to lift the performance above something other than just 'ditzy blonde' and there is undoubted depth and skill in this performance.

Equally the part of Warner can also become just one for a 'good looking guy' and quite often said 'guy' can play things a little too shallow but, this isn't the case with a characterful and empathetic portrayal from Alan Rowe.

There always seems to be one performance in every show that just has something that makes me crave for the next time that actor is on stage, on this occasion it is the genius execution of the character Paulette Bonafonte by Natasha Cartwright. Stunningly powerful voice. comedy timing to perfection and an unrivalled command of the stage, quite sublime.

Pulling off 'ratty corduroy' and the part of Emmett Forrest (ultimate love interest for Miss Woods) with consummate ease is Ben Foulds, such a natural and engaging performance. Equally natural although for a whole host of other reasons is Elliot Beech as the domineering lawyer/lecturer Mr Callahan, can be very hard to play the 'bad guy' in what is a generically 'good' story but, this was a well tuned showing.

I guess one could say that the character of Vivienne Kensington has a bad streak as well, is she a little too keen to steal Warner from Elle and does she have a somewhat inflated opinion of herself but, there is balance from Hannah Wyss (as well as another sparkling voice) as she becomes a real supporter of the 'Legally Blonde'.

Probably not a request heard often but, if you are looking for a 'Nutcracker Butt', I suggest you find Brooke Wyndham, recently out of prison due to some amazing 'legal smarts' from her defence team and played with vim and vigour by Emma Hill.

What about the 'Girls from Delta Nu', I hear you cry and you'd be right to ask as no production of this musical can have the pace it needs without Serena, Margot and Pilar played exquisitely by Charlotte Jervis, Janine Henderson and Emily Glasgow respectively supported by a talented ensemble cast.

Finally lets not of course forget who really steals the show, that being the dogs Poppy as Bruiser Woods and Tara as Rufus, you really should never act with animals !

Only three performances left for you to catch a great production so get booking now.

Book Here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kipps - The New Half a Sixpence (Tinkers Farm Opera)

Whilst this a slightly adapted version of the classic Half a Sixpence (originally written as a vehicle for Tommy Steele) by Julian Fellowes with new songs from Stiles and Drewe, it loses none of its charm and is entertainingly and sensitively brought to the stage at Stourbridge Town Hall by Tinkers Farm Opera. If there was ever a story proving that money isn't everything and perhaps 'true love' is more important then this is probably the one as Arthur Kipps (a compassionate, perceptive and vocally outstanding performance from Richard Cooper) rises from shop assistant to rich gentleman only to lose his fortune and his girl but, finally regain both and the benefit of hindsight. Arthur's (or Artie as she calls him) real love is Ann Pornick an ordinary girl but, far from an ordinary performance by Rebecca Bate (lilting vocals and a presence that lights up the stage, despite the character in many ways being quite demure). It's vital that the audience understands this is
Read more

Calamity Jane (Cradley Heath Amateur Operatic Society)

Due to my wonderful mother (sadly no longer with us) I was raised on a diet of Elvis Presley and Doris Day, so it is was particularly interesting to watch the Black Hills of Dakota taking root in Stourbridge Town Hall for Cradley Heath Amateur Operatic Society (CHAOS) and their production of Calamity Jane and it seriously felt like I was back in the 'Old West' in Deadwood City at the Golden Garter. Henry Miller (certainly a fizzy sarsaparilla of a comedy performance from J. Paul Murdock) and his neice Susan (played by Bek Millward) are struggling to find a star-turn for his establishment (the aforementioned 'Golden Garter') and the male dominated audience. He believes he has found an actress called Frances Fryer to calm the testosterone fuelled frenzy but, this is not Frances, it is Francis a talented actor but, certainly not the feminine charms expected although willing to don a dress and attempt to fool the locals (a talented all round performance from Adam Partridge)
Read more

Cats (Vic's School of Musical Theatre)

Well I have seen a few musical productions in my time and have been inspired to write some elaborate and auspicious words by many but, I am a little concerned that I might not have all the right observations to do justice to what can only be described as a truly breathtaking production of 'Cats' by Vic's School of Musical Theatre (the Vic in question being Vicky Addis, somebody who whilst being blessed with some talented youngsters to theatrically mould, obviously knows how to turn potential into reality on stage). Just to fill the gap if you haven't had the 'Cats' experience yet, basically poems by T.S. Eliot set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a theatre filler since the 1980s and will undoubtedly fill the Parish Rooms at Blakedown in this case, for its sadly all too short run. So, where do I start with a plethora of engaging and characterful performances, perhaps with the captivating portrayal of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser by Kate Downes and Molly Cooper, a
Read more