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Tricia Paoluccio in a stunning performance as Dolly Here you come again The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham *** Dolly Parton is a musical phenomena whose star originally rose in America from Country and Western in the 1960s. Thereafter, it has continued to rise in concerts, television, film, a theme park, and now a musical, effortlessly skipping across differing musical genres. A musical was the inevitable next stop on the relentless Dolly Express. It faced the perennial problem for Jukebox Musicals - how do you join the songs together? Here they opt for the route taken for the Take That musical The Band- a fan’s story. This time it is a male fan, Kevin, and how Dolly’s music helps him through a difficult time in his life, in this instance the Covid Lockdown, and a relationship failure being the catalyst. Dolly Parton is played convincingly and adroitly by polymath Tricia Paoluccio who also has a writing credit. She clears the pitfalls of karaoke and Stars in their Eyes to possess the role, Dolly’s nuances, her foibles and her humour. This is billed as a musical comedy, and veers into revue and panto territory at times too, with the audience being periodically addressed directly Her on stage foil is understudy Aidan Cutler, and his portrayal of Kevin. If there are pitfalls for Paoluccio there are huge Elephant traps for Cutler. Are we really bothered about the trials and tribulations of a nobody? Cutler succeeds by making the most of a surprisingly humorous script and delivering an Everyman performance which connects with large parts of the audience. I wasn’t, and am not convinced that Dolly is the universal panacea to our problems, but for a couple of hours I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Essentially, this is performed as a two-hander, Dolly and Kevin, but musicians double to give brief in person realisations of off stage characters like Kevin’s Dad, and lover. They deliver outstanding supporting performances, vocals and harmonies.
An onstage, in view, live band provide vital energy and chutzpah to the music . Theirs is no easy task. When Dolly performs live she has the pick of the world’s Country and Western royalty musicians at her disposal. Lizzi Gee helps keep our fingers snapping and toes tapping with her choreography, a task made easier by the absence of complex dance moves from the real Dolly’s on stage performances. Paul Wills’ stage set, is bright, brash, messy, funny, and intricate, complimented by Tim Deiling’s lighting design, gauche and over the top, as you would expect for Dolly. The story’s narrative flickers and stutters from time to time, but writers Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre , Tricia Paoluccio, keep the story moving. British writing talent in Jonathan Harvey has been brought in to Anglicise the show (Coronation St and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme). All succeed in connecting with the denizens of Dolly’s army who lap it up courtesy of Gabriel Barre’s direction. The success of the show pivots on the strength of the songs which is a given. Dolly wrote I will always love you and Jolene on the same day. They always safely buttress the proceedings where necessary, and energise and drive where required. Those who come along to hear Jolene, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You, and Here You Come Again will not be disappointed. For me , the lesser known God’s Coloring Book stole the show, Paoluccio, delivering a beautiful, tender and poignant performance. My own sense was that Jolene was wasted in a segment shoehorned in to include it, I will always love you now has not only Whitney Houston’s recorded version, but Alexandra Burke’s stage version (the Bodyguard), to compete with. I am a committed admirer of Parton’s song writing which features a canon of mini narratives, that is what she is good at. As an entity on stage sometimes those narratives were lost and sacrificed to the big picture. Co-writer Harvey did not hold back on the Anglicisation of the script with Nigel Farage lampooned, to universal approval, on two separate occasions. Audience reaction at the end bordered on the devotional. Dolly’s army rallied to the cause with a rousing ovation. Worship at the Alex continues until Saturday and then proceeds on its national tour. Gary Longden 10-09-24 |
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