The World Goes Round
The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, 1 April 2010
Review by
©May 2010
There were moments, when I
wondered if it would really be worth the time and expense of the trip to
Wellingborough.
Tonight the show started half
an hour late, because two of the musicians in the on stage band had got stuck
in a traffic jam on the motorway, so just before the show finally started a
gentleman, possibly the director Nik Ashton, took it upon himself to
come on stage and thank the audience for their patience. Then the band struck
up and the show itself begin. Getting off to terrific start, not least because
the first person on stage, to sing the opening number (and indeed the title
song) And The World Goes Round is Louise Plowright, a
super way to start the show, for this supertrouper sets such a high performance
standard and high energy level. Also she wraps her big glorious voice
beautifully around the song. John Kander has written a good tune, while Fred
Ebb’s lyrics for this number are just amazing, worthy of Stephen
Sondheim or Noel Coward, in terms of insight and feeling and
meaning, they certainly struck a real chord with me tonight. If you’ve been
having a bad week, be it at work, in your social life, or your financial
investments, or well pretty much anything in life, then this lyric really can
sum up how one might feel. In fact it is a truly excellent song for the current
economic climate. If you’ve ever had a so called “friend” treating you
bad by convincing you that an investment is a good idea, that then turned out
to be dubious or something awful like that, well this song would sum that up
very well indeed.
Louise is soon joined on
stage by the rest of the company: Sophie-Louise Dann, Ashley Day,
Laura Pitt
Four of the company depart
the stage, leaving Dominic Tighe alone to sing The Happy Time,
this was entirely enjoyable, and one I hadn’t heard before. Next up Laura to
sing Coloured Lights. Beautiful Laura couldn’t really make
herself look like a possibly slightly stoned nearly-ex-hippie. Her performance
of the song is simple and sincere. Entirely believable, although completely out
of context. It was a very enjoyable song, I just can’t quite envisage her as
Angel in The Rink. Ashley’s first solo Sara Lee is
one that I first heard when, I think it was Jessica Martin sang it
somewhere. I’m not too keen on the song, however, Ashley’s performance of it
was enjoyable, and his backing singers of Sophie and Laura, each with plates of
pastries was very funny. Ashley remained on stage behind a screen (at least I
think he did), while Sophie quickly divested herself of her apron and props, to
return to the stage for her own solo Arthur In The Afternoon. She
clearly has a pretty powerful voice, quite suitable for wrapping around some of
the numbers associated with that originator of so many Kander & Ebb
classics, Minnelli. Tonight Sophie makes this number very much her own,
and makes good use of the choreography to be very suggestive. However, that
solo is somewhat eclipsed by the next one, a true Kander & Ebb classic,
in fact their first successful song My Coloring Book, originally
recorded by Streisand. Well if you are going to have a classic chart hit
originally sung and closely associated with a legend, incorporated into a show
such as this, then to make it truly work you’d better have someone pretty
special to sing it. Fortunately tonight we have Louise Plowright. She is one of those singers who is rather
good at making numbers very much her own, no matter who has sung them, even
when its a case of Streisand got there first. However, Louise is so
impressive a performer, that trying to follow her is difficult, especially when
she remains sitting on stage, Dominic comes on stage to sing I Don’t
Remember You. A song I had not heard before (and it’s a completely
different song to Maltby & Shire’s I Don’t Remember Christmas).
It is almost as through he could be singing it to Louise. They remain on stage
as Ashley enters to sing Sometimes A Day Goes By, with
simplicity, then the three of them each reprise their respective solos in a
kind of David-Kernan-Style Medley, which at least accounts
for them all remaining on the stage. Sophie and Laura enter, with Laura joining
the other three behind a screen, while Sophie out in front (having changed
costume, so she is now wearing leotard rather than trousers) launches into All
That Jazz, presently the screen goes up to reveal the rest of the
company in a pose, as her backing singers. A perfectly fine impressive
performance of one of those, almost can’t-go-wrong classics.
Continuing with
Continuing with the
Four of the company exit
leading Sophie alone on the stage for a solo How Lucky Can You Get,
a song which is something of a favourite of mine. What to say about tonight’s
performance, well it’s OK, after all Sophie has a good voice, and she doesn’t
murder it or anything like that. But for me there is one problem, I have the Hot
Shoe Shuffle Original UK cast album, which includes a perfect version
of that song, and good though Sophie is she just can’t quite match that.
However she is in good company. Ten years ago, when I first saw Mamma Mia,
Louise Gold (Cast 2’s Tanya)
seemed to be having a similar problem with Does Your Mother Know,
which was done so perfectly on the Mamma Mia Original Cast album
that no one can match that either.
For Act 1 finale, the title
song from The Rink involves the whole company, well it stars
Dominic and Ashley on roller skates, who handle the lead vocals alternately.
Presently they are joined by the trio of giggling girls, who try to support
them. It’s so good to send the audience into the intermission laughing.
The first act had opened with
a very fine powerful singer. Now the second act opens with their second best
vocal powerhouse, Sophie who demonstrates that she can do something with some
of those classics written for Minnelli, in this particular case Ring
Them Bells, which she manages to make her own. Towards the end she is
joined on stage by her four colleagues, all wearing white gloves and carrying
handbells, which they ring. This is followed by the title song from Kiss
Of The Spider Woman, I think it was Dominic and The Company, but I am
not entirely sure, it was one of the less memorable numbers.
Laura seems to be a fairly
engaging performer, and very much the sweet young thing, so her performance of Only
Love is beautiful and sweet. Ashley, who makes a fine juvenile lead
joins her to sing
Time for the ensemble to show
their dancing strengths as Dominic, playing the role of a dance captain or
resident choreographer or some such, leads the company with Pain.
Yes its a great song about life in the chorus line, strangely the programme
does not say where it is from. Fred Ebb has certainly written some
amusing lyrics, and of course John Kander’s music is always good.
However I was not all that keen on Nik Ashton’s crutches staging of it,
though I could see that it was clever and inventive.
Fortunately, I very much
enjoyed the way the next number The Grass Is Always Greener was
done. I have no idea whether this version of it as performed by Laura and
Louise was anything like the way the number is normally done, but it’s a jollyy
good song. It has a good catchy tune, and excellent lyrics, which Laura and
Louise both do justice to. I particularly enjoyed Louise rasping “first you
brown an onion” (Actually the thought running through my head on hearing
this is that one should be very wary of anyone who wouldn’t start a pot roast
in this simple way, by browning an onion). Laura does splendidly as a celebrity
possibly longing for a simpler life. Louise, however has a tougher challenge.
Her character in it is somewhat at odds with her generally bubbly personality.
Having her mane of blond curls rather tamed by means of a scarf tied over them
(British fashion – like the sort of way Her Majesty The Queen is sometimes
shown wearing a head scarf) means her appearance is almost dowdy. This fits in
with the supposedly rather ordinary character she is playing. It is fortunate
that Louise is a skilled actress, and also perhaps benefits in this number from
having come to the acting profession a little later than some. This number once
again included the alcohol gimmick, but good though she is in doing well by the
song, I’m not sure the number really suits that feisty actress. Still it’s
great to see her display a fair amount of versatility in tackling the part.
The Grass Is Always
Greener must have made a fairly
good impression, for it managed to eclipse the number which followed it.
Dominic and Ashley singing We Can Make It, which was rather less
memorable, though both are clearly good capable performers. However, another
reason not to remember the number could well be the one which followed it, Maybe
This Time, which turned out to be something of a showstopper.
Maybe This Time which first came to public attention when included in
the film version of Cabaret, and as such its defining performer
was one of the people most commonly associated with Kander & Ebb’s
songs, Liza Minnelli, and it appears very suited to her talents. This
makes it very difficult indeed for anyone else to really make the song their
own, though the brilliant Maria Friedman on the JAY/TER Studio
cast album did succeed in uniting both the stage and film portrayals of Sally
Bowles as one vocal masterpiece. However in so doing, she did of course create
her own definitive recordings of those songs. Thereby making it still harder
for other performers to make this song their own. That said, in a live performance
it can be done, as Jon Robyns for example redoubtly proved in a TheatreMAD
charity performance, Flaunt It 2008. So it can be done, but you
need a pretty special performer to do it. Fortunately Louise Plowright
happens to be very good at rising to this sort of challenge, and even more
fortunately (given that most of the Minnelli classics tonight have been
given to Sophie to sing) this one is handled by Louise. It’s a super number for
her. Louise has a gift for doing big emotionally powerful numbers amazingly.
songs like: Long Ago And Far Away, The Winner Takes It All,
and Could I Leave You, and now she adds another tour de force
making Maybe This Time very much her own. As often happens with
Louise she puts so much feeling into the song, she seems to be able to convey
additional meanings to those originally in the song. Although the song itself
is about love (basically a woman who hasn’t had much luck in holding onto a
male partner), somehow tonight (I don’t know if I was reading too much into it)
but it seems it could also be a metaphor for a stellar actress who doesn’t have
that much luck getting the big roles she deserves, though of course she was
very much the winner of a leading lady in Mamma Mia in the West
End.
The only problem with Louise’s
sparkling performances in this revue, is the difficulty for any cast member who
has to follow them. Well how do you follow a showstopping performance? This
particular one is followed by a largely forgettable performance of a little
known song, Isn’t This Better, I think it was sung by Dominic,
but coming hot on Louise’s heels it was just too hard to make an impression.
Sophie and Dominic fared rather better heading the company with one of the
great Kander & Ebb classics: Money Money otherwise
known as Money Makes The World Go Around. One needs to be
specific because so many musical theatre songwriters ranging from Irving
Berlin to Bjorn Ulvaeus & Benny Anderson have written
songs about money (with the titles, alternative titles or opening lines: Money
Money, or Money Money Money) Once again it’s Sophie’s turn to tackle
the legacy of Minnelli, while Dominic has Joel Grey’s part. The
song is a strong one, which stands up well to a little reinterpretation. The
other three members of the company provide a powerful ensemble. This leads
naturally enough into a finale of the title song from Cabaret,
which is a splendid ensemble effort from the whole talented company. A great
way to end the show? Somehow so wonderful a show just couldn’t end there. One
more classic,
At the end of the number the
quintet returned to the front of the stage for a final bow before departing the
stage.
All in all a fantastic show,
the very best sort of entertainment, for it was wonderfully uplifting, the sort
of really wonderful entertainment that can make people feel a whole lot better.
if they are feeling sad this show will make you feel happier. John Kander’s
tunes a just lovely. While as for Fred Ebb’s lyrics, they are so clever
and full of feeling and multilayered meaning As a lyricist Fred Ebb
belongs up there with Ira Gershwin, Noel Coward, and Stephen
Sondheim for being able to write lyrics full of depth and insight, that an
audience will really connect with. Importantly to, although many of these songs
were written for specific book musicals, they also work very well out of their
original context, and sometimes even put into quite different contexts as in
this revue. It helps a great deal that it is extremely well performed by a
talented company. The band lead by Dean Austin (other members included: Neil
Crossley, Avelia Moysie, Richard Coughlan, Nick James,
plus one more player whose name wasn’t in the programme) all played jolly well.
Dean Austin clearly knows how to get the best out of the singers. Louise
Plowright’s performances always benefit from having a musical director who
figures out how to get the best from her. Generally Nik Ashton’s
direction of the piece has also brought the best out in the performers. There
were a few bits where I didn’t entirely care for his stageing, but generally it
was fine, and in places innovative. All
five singers gave of their best. Dominic Tighe is generally an asset to
the company, the number he stood out individually the most in was leading the
company with Pain. Meanwhile Ashley Day makes an engaging
juvenile lead, and sings a really beautiful rendition of Mr Cellophane.
Sophie Louise Dann generally acquits herself adequately, and thankfully
never murders any of her songs. With some of her numbers (for she sang quite a
few classics) there are occasions when I felt yes they probably have been done
better by other people, but for the purposes of this revue her performances are
more than adequate, particularly with Arthur In The Afternoon, All
That Jazz, and Ring Dem Bells. Meanwhile Laura Pitt
Pulford is a very engaging performer (a little similar perhaps to Julie
Atherton and Cassidy Janson in that respect for she is very
likable), this quality helped to make her rather unusual performance of Coloured
Lights into an enjoyable refreshing piece. Many of her other solos were
very little known numbers. Two of her best performances were duets with Louise,
where she managed not to get overshadowed.
However, while this was
apparently meant to be very much an ensemble show, somehow, by shear force of
talent and personality, along possibly with height and vocal power Louise
Plowright stands out as something of a star of the show. Splendid in all
her solos, particularly And The World Goes Round, and Maybe
This Time, she is equally capable in duet, and pitches in well as part
of the ensemble, and finally leading the company with