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Surrey
Advertiser
Theo Spring
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This musical
travelogue, devised by Rosemary Minchin, started at a fully-operative
Terminal 5 with a medley of plane-related melodies, stopping off at
countries around the world where equally relevant songs were delivered, all
in pertinent costume.
Director Ira Murray held a real ace for the production - her troupe of young
dancers. They enhanced every scene in which they appeared with their
delightful dancing, choreographed by Tracey and Sophie Paice, their energy,
their stage presence and their ability to sing. All seven of them were worth
their weight in gold.
Projected postcards of cities and monuments added interest and the songs
were interspersed with sketches and rhymes.
From the kick off of Come Fly With Me to the final London Medley, songs were
carefully chosen to give variety of pace, concerted numbers and solos. New
comic words were given to The Boy From Ipanema in the South American Medley
and soloist in the North American Medley sang Broadway Baby beautifully.
Here too, Yankie Doodle Dandy brought out some lively tap. The Red Carpet
Treatment sketch introduced many famous Hollywood names on Oscar night where
we met Mae West, Gloria Swanson, Clark Gable and Judy Garland.
In Africa we met Nellie the Elephant on her escape run and were treated to a
tuneful Wimoweh, in Oz, Sun Arise and Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport set the
scene, and Slow Boat to China was one of the choices for Asia. The numbers
for Europe were eclectic with Sophie Paice's choreography to Lady of Spain a
highlight, and France represented by Piaf's La Vie En Rose. The Streets of
London duet was charming and the whole evening closed on lively home ground
with an East End knees up at the Old Bull and Bush.
Smooth transitions and a confident, smiling cast evidenced hard rehearsal
work and the many musical cues were in the safe hands of Robert Randall and
his band. |
