THE WIZARD OF OZ
June 19, 2011
London Palladium
THERE’S no need for Glinda’s fairy dust here: Andrew Lloyd Webber has beaten her to it.
With a sprinkling of his own particular brand of musical magic, the great lord has woven his spell over the classic movie musical and created yet another hugely successful stage show.
The shadow of Judy Garland may hang over the London Palladium, and in particular over Danielle Hope, whose starring role originated on the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
In fact, Danielle’s wide-eyed, sweet-voiced Dorothy is one of the big attractions of the production, in which she proves she’s just as capable of carrying off a West End show with her acting as with her singing.
Lloyd Webber, co-producing with Bill Kenwright as well as adapting and writing additional songs with Tim Rice, has wheeled out his A team, including director Jeremy Sams, choreographer Arlene Phillips and Danielle’s co-star Michael Crawford as the wizard himself.
There are stunts, coups de theatre and creative ideas galore, and there’s an especially significant contribution from the design by Jon Driscoll, which makes glorious use of the Palladium’s multi-storeyed revolve stage to tease out the story and create scenes of wonderful atmosphere.
There’s a pit band of stunning range and ability, underscoring throughout with a clever but never obtrusive ostinato, and the new material is both complementary and helpful in giving big numbers to some of the major characters as well as moving the story on.
Dorothy’s three colleagues – the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion – all make for likeable partners, but the stand-out performance comes from Hannah Waddingham, hamming it up gleefully and with full voice as the Wicked Witch of the West.
It’s colourful, captivating and a triumph of theatricality – in fact, all rather magical.
June 19, 2011
London Palladium
THERE’S no need for Glinda’s fairy dust here: Andrew Lloyd Webber has beaten her to it.
With a sprinkling of his own particular brand of musical magic, the great lord has woven his spell over the classic movie musical and created yet another hugely successful stage show.
The shadow of Judy Garland may hang over the London Palladium, and in particular over Danielle Hope, whose starring role originated on the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
In fact, Danielle’s wide-eyed, sweet-voiced Dorothy is one of the big attractions of the production, in which she proves she’s just as capable of carrying off a West End show with her acting as with her singing.
Lloyd Webber, co-producing with Bill Kenwright as well as adapting and writing additional songs with Tim Rice, has wheeled out his A team, including director Jeremy Sams, choreographer Arlene Phillips and Danielle’s co-star Michael Crawford as the wizard himself.
There are stunts, coups de theatre and creative ideas galore, and there’s an especially significant contribution from the design by Jon Driscoll, which makes glorious use of the Palladium’s multi-storeyed revolve stage to tease out the story and create scenes of wonderful atmosphere.
There’s a pit band of stunning range and ability, underscoring throughout with a clever but never obtrusive ostinato, and the new material is both complementary and helpful in giving big numbers to some of the major characters as well as moving the story on.
Dorothy’s three colleagues – the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion – all make for likeable partners, but the stand-out performance comes from Hannah Waddingham, hamming it up gleefully and with full voice as the Wicked Witch of the West.
It’s colourful, captivating and a triumph of theatricality – in fact, all rather magical.
