A Little More Night MusicHurrah!
As regular readers will recall, I fell head over heels in love with the
Menier Chocolate Factory revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
Hugh Wheeler's
A Little Night Music.
Now comes word from
Playbill.com that this deservedly sold-out production will transfer next month to London's West End with most of its Menier cast intact. Directed once again by
Trevor Nunn, this scrumptious
A Little Night Music will play the Garrick Theatre with
Hannah Waddingham,
Maureen Lipman and
Gabriel Vick.
Again, perhaps given the current state of the economy, it's too much to ask, but I'm still hoping this wonderful news portends well for a Broadway transfer to follow.
In the meantime, if you have the means, get thee to London to see this exquisite little show. It begins March 28 with opening -- or first -- night scheduled for April 7.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Gabriel Vick, Hannah Waddingham, Hugh Wheeler, London, Maureen Lipman, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Stephen Sondheim, Transfer, Trevor Nunn
A Little Night Music (The SOB Review) - Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom**** (out of ****)Isn't
it rich?!
Who would have thought that a show staged in a style so deceptively simple could be so sublime, not to mention utterly romantic. Rich, indeed.
Now, if you're not a romantic at heart, you need not bother. But for the rest of us,
Trevor Nunn's gorgeous revival of
A Little Night Music is pure heaven. It enveloped every one of my senses like a welcome salve for these troubled times.
While the tuner opened last night at London's
Menier Chocolate Factory, I caught the production Saturday evening and found myself positively transported. Only a heart of stone could not be moved by
Stephen Sondheim's ravishing score and
Hugh Wheeler's über-clever book.
But thanks to Nunn's deft and gentle touch, this
tale of requited love in turn-of-the-20th-Century Sweden feels timeless, transcending all expectations. It is sure to make you feel a twinge in your heart and leave a tear in your eye. Yes, all is forgiven for
Gone With The Wind - The Musical; in fact, this production has more nuance per tune than that dreaded musical had in the entire show.
Nunn benefits from a uniformly superb cast. Of particular note is the sensationally sensuous and saucy
Hannah Waddingham as forty-something actress Desirée Armfeldt. Waddingham possesses a charm that's reminiscent of
Julie Andrews.
Then there's the enchanting
Maureen Lipman, who steals virtually every scene as Desirée's witty sage of a mother Madame Arnfeldt. The enormously talented
Gabriel Vick takes on the heartsick Henrick -- mark my words, with his extraordinary voice, Vick is a major musical find and one actor worth watching.
There's little doubt that the bewitching allure of this excellent revival will follow other Menier productions to the West End, but how about to Broadway?
Well, maybe next year ... or so we can hope!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Gabriel Vick, Hannah Waddingham, Hugh Wheeler, London, Maureen Lipman, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review, Trevor Nunn
