In my younger days, the arrival of a new musical show on the London stage was a much-awaited event, whether it was a spectacular American offering such as "Carousel" or "South Pacific" from Rogers and Hammerstein, or home-grown such as Lionel Bart's "Oliver". Today, there are 20 musical productions currently running in the West End alone from which to choose. They range from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and include at least 5 'tribute' shows, ranging from Elvis to Queen and Abba. In this space it wouldn't be possible to do justice to all of them, so I have initially selected three.
The first, "CHICAGO", opened at the Adelphi Theatre in November 1997, and critics welcomed it saying it showed a degree of sophistication not seen on the London stage for some time. The demanding leading female role of Roxie Hart calls for great versatility, including a powerful voice and a good pair of dancing legs. The first leading lady was Ruthie Henshall and she has been a hard act to follow, although many have tried. One was, perhaps, a surprising choice - the television presenter Denise van Outen - but she brought a familiar face to the role, which certainly didn't do the box-office any harm. Following that precedent, the current Roxie comes from the land of British 'soap'. Jill Halfpenny, a 29-year old from the north-east of England, played Kate, the policewoman who fell for, and married, one of Albert Square's most famous villains, Phil Mitchell, in 'EastEnders'. She seemed perfect for the "Chicago" role, having shown her dancing ability in winning the BBC-TV series, 'Strictly Come Dancing". She has taken to it like a duck to water and it's a shame her initial contract is only for a period of three months. |
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