Chris Eldon Lee reviews ‘High Society’ which is at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 2 March (and at Birmingham Hippodrome in May).
I was too young to notice if ‘High Society’ broke the Musicals mould in the 1950s but seeing it for the first time this week it’s clearly not a typically brash Broadway show.
Cole Porter was hired in to write a suite of songs that would turn The Philadelphia Story into a musical. So it was a charmingly nostalgic evening as his classic numbers kept on coming; “True Love”, “Just One of Those Things” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. But there’s no jazz-hands show-stopping number, and that’s the clue to High Society’s difference. This is not your stereotypical, production-line, big musical. It’s an intriguing and thoughtful family drama about pride and human frailty (every character’s done something they’re not proud of) supported by some very fine songs.
There’s high anxiety in High Society because heiress Tracy Lord (played by Sophie Bould) is getting married. The question is – with which of the three potential candidates will she tie the knot? She’s engaged to wimpy, wet, sourpuss George (Keiron Crook with a Movember moustache). But there’s an undercover socialist (rather than socialite) paparazzi reporter (a gushing but nervous Daniel Boys) at the pre-wedding party. And then her ‘ex’ turns up (a highly relaxed and witty Michael Praed), dried out and determined she should not marry below herself.
Sophie Bould (in Grace Kelly’s film role) is tall, elegant and top quality. Her opening strip tease routine certainly grabs attention…all in the best possible taste. But she’s underplaying the impetuous side of her character here. When she’s accused of being too proud and unforgiving, it comes as a surprise. So she still has room to let rip as the tour progresses.
The Leads are excellent but there’s still the danger that the comedy characters will give them a run for their money. 17-year-old Katie Lee is a whirlwind as the brat-ish kid sister Dinah. Teddy Kempner (the kind of sardonic uncle you’ll find at any wedding) delivers his alcoholically fuelled one-liners with unashamed joy and dances well for a big man, making saucepan lids seem mildly erotic. And Alex Young pretty much steals the show in her own desperation to get married.
The chorus line is characterful and fun, impressing in both their choreography and ability to dance, sing and slickly shift scenery at the same time. Surprisingly, it is they that get the movie’s big Bing and Frank number “Well Did You Evah!” (Porter’s spelling, not mine). They perform it in the kitchen, entertainingly tapping around with cooking pots as they prepare that ‘swell party’ for 700 guests. And the band dovetails into the action beautifully… swapping cues with the singers with consummate ease.
One of the oddities about this show is that it popularised Tracy as a girl’s name. So when her ‘ex’ tries to woo her by crooning “I Love You, Samantha”, he’s emphasising his previous claim by using her middle name.
Will he get the girl again? There’s only one way to find out, and I’d defy you not to have fun in the process.
Visit www.grandtheatre.info or bookings & information about Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre