re: Another review... ("Regional theatre review") | |
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daveake 09:46 am UTC 03/17/17 |
In reply to: | Another review... ("Regional theatre review") - angie 09:33 am UTC 03/17/17 |
Nice :-) > Regional theatre review: Bat Out of Hell, The Musical > > Date Posted: 16/03/2017 > > Sarah Holt explains why you don’t have to be a Meatloaf > fan to enjoy Bat Out of Hell, The Musical. > > If you’re not a Meatloaf fan you might wonder why they’d > make a musical out of the rock legend’s songs. > > By the time you leave the theatre after watching Bat Out > of Hell, you’ll wish they’d done it sooner. > > Set in a post-apocalyptic New York, the show follows the > story of star crossed lovers Strat and Raven. Strat is the > leader of a group of human ‘mutants’, who live rough on > the streets of the city, and will never age beyond 18. > > Raven is the daughter of the city’s rich and > over-protective law-enforcer, Falco, whose family have > never knowingly let her venture outside Falco Towers; > their luxurious and super secure skyscraper home that > overlooks the chaotic slums where Strat and his friends > live. > > Through a number of occasions when Raven has crept out of > her room to explore the city, she and Strat have forged a > relationship. Falco is intent on preventing it. > > The first impressive thing about this production is the > set. The design makes the stage of Manchester’s Opera > House look cavernous. At the opening of Act One, Ground > Zero-type girders reach out at the audience from the > stage, static fizzes on broken television screens, and a > Harley – with its bull horn handle bars – waits for its > rider in the centre of the scene. > > The way Falco Towers has been designed, meanwhile, makes > it look like there really is a skyscraper sprouting out of > the stage. You’d be forgiven for thinking some sort of > seismic activity had shifted the foundations of > Manchester’s Hilton a few hundred metres right into the > middle of the stage. > > And it only gets better. As the show goes on, a table > converts into a Cadillac. Said Cadillac is sucked into a > sinkhole in the stage floor, and a water-filled sewer > swallows a man whole – sucking him in like a noodle – only > to spit him out again in a different outfit a few seconds > later. > > If the actors in the show weren’t talented enough, the > technical effects might outshine them. But this cast has > calibre. The producers and directors have not fallen into > the regional theatre trap of hiring a celebrity to lead > the cast. Everyone involved in this production has been > recruited for merit rather than fame. > > The singers’ voices sounded like they’d been auto-tuned > the moment they came out of their mouths. Christina > Bennington (Raven) gives a flawless performance of Heaven > Can Wait, while Danielle Steer’s syrupy soulful voice > grabs you by the jugular during numbers like Two Out of > Three Aint Bad. > > The dancers are something to write home about too. The > choreography is a swag bag of styles; mixing everything > from break dance and ballet to lindy hop. Routines > involving the full cast made the entire auditorium quake. > > > Another thing that’s refreshing about this show is the > fact that it’s not been sugar coated. Despite having a > Shakespearean-style love story at its heart, the musical > should have some sort of PG rating. There are sex scenes, > a lynching, electrocutions, and a motorcycle accident that > leads to a pretty life-like wound. > > The producers must have given the theatre’s health and > safety team a few sleepless nights, too, because this show > features pyrotechnics, flames, strobes, and almost as many > loud bands as Hogmanay. > > In terms of the plotline, the story that unfolds between > Strat and Raven is entertaining. However, it’s the > relationship that plays out between Raven’s parents Falco > and Sloane that’s even more compelling. It’s more show > than tell. The What Part of My Body Hurts the Most duet > between Rob Fowler (Falco) and Sharon Sexton (Sloane) left > me winded. > > As the production edged closer to its finale the audience > were having more and more of a concert-style reaction to > the musical numbers. Whistles and drum-like applause came > after I’d Do Anything for Love and It’s All Coming Back to > Me Now. By the end of the show, every single audience > member was out of their seat. The standing ovation was > like nothing I’ve seen in a theatre before. It was more > like something from the O2. > > And not just because the theatre was filled with Meatloaf > fans. The combination of power songs, visceral storylines, > and striking visual effects means that this is a musical > anyone can enjoy. And, until the equivalent opens in > London in the summer, it’s well worth making the trip up > north for. > > Bat Out of Hell, The Musical is showing at Manchester > Opera House until the end of April when it will transfer > to the West End. For more information visit > www.batoutofhellmusical.com. | |
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