BWW Reviews: WONDERFUL TOWN, Birmingham Hippodrome, May 22 2012

Wonderful Town is the Tony Award winning musical with a big heart. With music by the wonderful Leonard Bernstein, this production ticks almost every box for a sure fire hit even before entering the theatre. Having taken a variety of different forms over the last decade, Wonderful Town started out as a group of short stories, followed by a book, then a play and afterwards probably its most recognised form in the 1953 film starring Edith Adams and Rosalind Russell - all before it became a successful musical production.

In this most recent adaptation directed by Braham Murray, Connie Fisher stars as Ruth Sherwood, an ambitious young woman wanting to make it as a writer in cut throat New York City. Ruth and her sister Eileen move to the city from Ohio and embark on a real adventure on their journey to find success.

Framed by a relatively basic yet incredibly effective infrastructure, Greenwich Village comes to life assisted by Chris Davey’s stunning lighting. Simon Higlett’s set design and the delicious variety of costumes ooze with 1930’s New York City style and his attention to detail should definitely be commended. Andrew Wright’s choreography is also a massive contributing factor and is nothing short of inspired.

It’s hard to believe that it has been six years since Connie Fisher won BBC’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, earning her the starring role in The Sound of Music. Such a platform has meant she has worked almost continuously and to rave reviews ever since. Unfortunately a vocal condition meant an early departure from The Sound of Music’s UK tour last year which threatened to jeopardise the career and reputation she had built up. Bearing this in mind, I was unsure what to expect from Fisher’s performance in Wonderful Town. We were certainly seeing a different performer but was it for the better? Absolutely. Singing in a husky lower key, this Fisher gave an entirely new dimension and suited the character down to the ground. She excels in this comedy role and has most definitely found her niche.

Rarely do we see such a strong and enthusiastic ensemble company as this one. Many of them have been in the West End and touring game for a long while and their experience and passion for what they do showed on a big scale. Credit must be given to the supporting roles of Eileen and Bob Baker, Lucy van Gasse and Michael Xavier respectively. As much as we should hate Eileen for being perfect and flawless in every way, she is instantly likeable. Van Gasse provides us with a classy and well executed performance. Also, irrelevant was the fact we were baking in 25 degree heat, Xavier’s voice could melt many a girl’s heart! A star vocal, one of the strongest male musical theatre voices at present.

Although very nearly perfect, the production did take a short while to get into its stride and there were odd moments that felt a little laboured but once it found its feet, the show’s energy rarely faltered.

Wonderful Town is playing at Birmingham Hippodrome until the 26th May.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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