THE SOUND OF MUSIC. To 28 February 2009.
London.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
London Palladium To 28 February 2009.
Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30, Tues 7pm Mats Wed & Sat 2.30pm.
Runs 2hrs 20 mins One interval.
TICKETS : 0870 123 4567.
Review: Geoff Ambler 20 November 2006.
A doughy production with an occasional ray of musical sunshine for me.
Without a shadow of a doubt The Sound of Music is now and will remain, for a while at least, a commercial success. The legions of fans, nurtured by the TV event, swamp the theatre nightly and once seated they applaud as much as they can, then quite a bit more. The atmosphere in the theatre is of fanatical ebullience and it is in this environment a classic musical is sung to perfection, each number eliciting cheers and wild applause as though there are two thousand members of the cast’s family present.
The performance from television's most recent celebrity postulate, Connie Fisher is doubtlessly a vocal tour de force, however it is when her Mountview award-winning acting skills are called on that she displays only a modicum of ability. It is most notable during 'Do-Re-Mi' that her theatrically wild gesticulations only lacked a pair of flags, for ships passing down the Thames to understand her semaphoric signalling.
Lesley Garrett performs with little warmth or passion as the Mother Abbess, but provides a similar vocal brilliance, helping produce what must be the definitive cast recording. Alexander Hanson, who stepped in at the last moment, as the Captain seemed the only lead character at ease in his initially aloof but eventually charming role. The children of all sizes provide lots of humour, a little extra life and obligatory “tiny girl in pigtails singing cuckoo” cuteness.
This familiar story still manages to feel drawn out with its excess of songs, while rushing through the book parts which could have helped the actors discover their characters and their souls. I found the two leads inexplicably in love with each other after a couple of extremely passionless conversations and one traditional Austrian dance, following which they quickly separated, re-united, married and won another song contest; although there was a break for ice cream in there somewhere.
The laughable yet clever frisbee-style mountains and a collection of uninspired sets did little to add to the visual appeal of this show but, never the less, it is in the sound and the music that The Sound of Music will appeal - until the cast change, that is.
Maria: Connie Fisher. nowSummer Strallen.
Mother Abbess: Lesley Garrett. now Margaret Preece.
Captain Von Trapp: Alexander Hanson. from 25 August 2008 Simon MacCorkindale.
The Baroness: Lauren Ward. now Fiona Sinnott.
Max: Ian Gelder. now Paul Grunert.
Liesel: Sophie Bould. from 25 August 2008 Rebecca Lucie.
Rolf: Neil McDermott. from 25 August 2008 Nadim Naaman.
Christopher Blades, Anthony Cable, Ian Caddick, Vivien Care, Tanya Caridia, Christopher Connah, Kate Coysten, Deborah Crowe, Christopher Dickens, Katie Fabel, Susie Fenwick, John Griffiths, Amanda Hall, Paul Kemble, Emma Lindars, Ian Male, Claire Massie, Nicholas Maude, Gavin Mitford, Jo Napthine, Margaret Preece, Verity Quade, Katie Ray, Simon Schofield, Nicola Sloane, Alan Vicary, Helen Walsh, Elen Mon Wayne, Jane Webster, Kerry Winter, Vanessa Woodfine (all subject to change during run).
Director: Jeremy Sams.
Designer: Robert Jones.
Lighting: Mark Henderson.
Sound: Mick Potter.
Orchestrations: Robert Russell Bennett.
Musical Supervision: Simon Lee.
Choreographer: Arlene Phillips.
Dance and Vocal Arrangements: Trude Rittmann.
2006-11-22 18:26:38