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What a swell show this is
Meals on tap: One of the big numbers in this new production of High Society Pictures: Pamela Raith High Society Birmingham Hippodrome **** WEST End style and glitz, elegant, even
swellegant sets, fabulous costumes and the songs of Cole Porter –well,
did you evah – what a swell show this is. Porter is a songwriting
giant of the 20th
century and this is a masterclass of his art with a string of numbers
which are not just thrown in to justify paying the band but move the
story on with Porter's trademark witty, elegant lyrics. The 1956 film had Hollywood royalty with Frank
Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the lead roles - Kelly's last
film incidentally before she left to become real royalty in Monaco, and
this stage version remains fairly true to the original. The setting is around the same time, somewhere
amid the rich and even richer on the coast on Long Island where divorced
socialite Tracy Samantha (she hates Sam) Lord is about to be married to
the staid, upright George Kittredge, a man who could
bore for England, or America in this case. Enter ex-husband C.K. Dexter
Haven, who arrives on his yacht True Love along with reporter and
photographer Mike Connor and Liz Imbrie who are there to secretly cover
the nuptials as part of a deal to keep daddy, Seth Lord's affair with a
New York showgirl out of scandal sheet, Spy magazine. Tracy, is marrying George but
really still loves Dexter, who in turn still loves her, while Connor
falls in love with her as well and she is left having to choose between
the three of them the morning after a swell (as in champagne soaked
head) party.
It's not complicated and we
all know the ending as soon as the plot peeks around the wings but who
cares, it is fun, frothy and a couple of hours of pure escapism into a
world we can only dream about – if it ever existed at all. Michael Praed gives us a very laid back Dexter, suave, elegant – that word again – full of quick quips and one liners, and with a pleasant voice while Sophie Bould is a headstrong Tracy, who knows exactly what she wants, but is too pig-headed to admit it. Her scene when heading, unsteadily, into newt territory and the bleary-eyed fizzy brained morning ooze talent. Playing a drunk convincingly
is never easy and she manages it without a hic . . . sorry hitch. She
also has a lovely voice after being drowned out a little in the first
night overture, a Keiron Crook is a suitably
tedious George, a king-sized wet blanket while Matt Corner took up the
notebook and pen of Mike Connor in the absence of regular Daniel Boys
and did a splendid job showing he is ready for bigger things. Without
being told no one would have known he was the understudy and he also
showed he had a more than decent voice. There was good support from
Craig Pinder as Seth and Marilyn Cutts as mum Margaret Lord while Katie
Lee as Tracy's teenage sister Dinah adds humour and a persistent
adolescent would-be cupid to the mix. Veteran Teddy Kempner plays it
for laughs as Uncle Willy and succeeds. Others might say it with flowers
, Uncle Willy would rather Say it with Gin, which must be
worth another drink, or three. Willy is taken with
photographer Liz Imbrie, played by Alex Young, and chases her around
Long Island, or at least the stage under the impression she is chasing
him. She in turn is in love with Mike who seems to be the only person
who doesn't know it. Her He's a right guy is one of the show
highlights. There is also good support
from an ensemble of cooks, waiters and maids who double up as scene
shifters in a very clever setting from Francis O'Connor which gives us a
terrace, a pool, ballroom with sweeping staircase and even a seashore
with just a few columns, French windows on wheels and sticks of
furniture, all helped by Chris Davey's clever lighting which ranges from
sunny terrace to romantic moonlight. O'Connor was also responsible for
the excellent period costumes.
The real star of the show
though is the music including extra Porter numbers added to the original
film score. It is littered with standards from the great American
songbook such as What is this thing called love, Who want to be a
millionaire, Let's misbehave, Just one of those things, It's all right
with me, Well, did you evah and True love. Which brings us to the excellent seven piece orchestra under musical director Michael Haslam who sounded much bigger than they were - the wonders of technology and doubling and even trebling up on instrument. Choreography from Andrew
Wright gave us a bit of tap, a bit of vaudeville and plenty of
interest with some big dance numbers as well as some vignettes
in passing to keep up momentum as
blocks were wheeled around for scene changes. The production is based not
only on the 1956 film but also on the original 1939 play, The
Philadelphia Story by Phillip Barry with a book by Arthur Kopit and
additional lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. Well directed by Anna Linstrum
High Society is high on swellegant entertainment. To 18-05-13 Roger Clarke
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Whenever he appears fun follows, mind you if you can throw a party for
700 guests at the drop of a hat without batting an eyelid, life probably
is rather fun.