AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Grand Hotel - The Opera House, Buxton.

Whilst listening to the soundtrack online in preparation, I was struck at how ambitious a choice of show this was for a local company to put on but, Present Company - whose production of High Society I witnessed when they were last here was lacking somewhat - did extremely well with it. I speak, of course, of none other than ‘Grand Hotel’, based on the novel by Vicki Baum and book by Luther Davis, at Buxton’s ever-opulent Opera House.

With music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest and additionals by Maury Yeston, the music (as with any ‘grand’ old musical) is complex and had tones of Sondheim and Cabaret (John Kander). Sadly even though the live orchestra, under Morris Fletcher, did well to keep pace, it was unfortunate that the cast were unable to keep up with it or match the original score with regard to syncopation. Nonetheless, there are some gems within this show, set in the 1920s, particularly ‘Fire And Ice’, ‘I Want To Go To Hollywood’, ‘Who Couldn’t Dance With You?’, ‘Bonjour Amour’, ‘How Can I Tell Her?’ and, what I consider the showstopper ‘Love Can’t Happen’ - whose final note is immediately before the interval and is well worth the ticket price for that alone!

With the whole cast in fine voice, the chorus were well utilised, in contrast to their last show, as was the whole stage, dressed with a set split into sections of the hotel. It really was well thought out and the show’s production team and actors really should be commended for a great show. The technical team however needed to focus perhaps a little more as they missed a few microphone and lighting cues.

The story involves various plot streams of guests and staff at Berlin’s ‘Most Expensive Hotel In Europe’, with themes of love, corruption, innocence and naivety, loss of funds, terminal illness and the inevitability of death and having to look for life and the realisation of passed stardom. With occasional narrations by Doctor, Colonel Otternschlag, who decides daily to stay “one more night” (Philip de Voil), we meet Baron Felix Von Gaigern (Andrew Dennis) whose inherited fortune is dwindling but his voice and musical talents are well and truly intact, especially in the aforementioned showstopper that brings us to the end of the first act. He and Prima Ballerina, Elizaveta Grushinskaya (Rachael-Louisa Bray), strike up quite an adoration when he declares his admiration as a fan whilst plotting something else less romantic. Bray’s performance follows the same form as her leading lady role in their last show but it is well-placed and her dancing and vocal talents are justly admirable. Whilst the Baron’s song is the best of the show, the best character of the show has to be terminally ill understated Jewish Bookkeeper Otto Kringelein (Craig Arme) who is played with such likability and naturalism, matching the sound of the original - for me he is the star. His chemistry and later passion for and with Typist Flaemchen (Alice Hands) is a joy to behold and their duet part of ‘Who Couldn’t Dance With You?’ and her talents in ‘I Want To Go To Hollywood’ are outstanding.

Judith Hanson’s portrayal of Elizaveta’s 22-year confidante Raffaela is lovely too and her vocality is brilliant too, in ‘A Villa On A Hill’ and ‘How Can I Tell Her?’. Sadly, although they clearly tried, the dancing of cabaret entertainers ‘The Jimmy’s’ was not in-sync and their routine seemed quite frankly poor and clunky but Jack Warriner and Madison Naylor’s roles elsewhere (as gangster, etc.) worked well. Joe Woffinden’s Front Desk Clerk Erik was a nice role, with his phone call news of his son’s birth in ‘the finale scene’ providing welcome comedy and a heart-warming touch, following the mourning of the Baron, after Director General of the hotel and tycoon Hermann Preysing (Lee Stephens) turns to the crooked path and attempts to take advantage of his new typist, following a failed merger to save the hotel.

Supporting roles from Julie Fletcher (as Ursula Witt, Company Manager of Elizaveta’s show) and impresario Sando (Peter Gemmell) were well-performed, and the beautiful dance sequence of Warren Smith and his partner (whose name is sadly not in the programme or available online in relation to this role) added more pizazz.

With the band at the rear of the set, sporting toastmaster jackets, they initially set the tone for the wonderful costumes, facilitated by wardrobe mistress Marion Fisher. It is disappointing that there were some invisible props in a bar scene and of the absent telephone in the bedroom. It has to be noted that the songs in the second half are better than those in the first, not from a performance aspect necessarily but generally.

I must, as previously said, congratulate each and every performer for their clear dedication to making this show a success, here in Buxton and for their run in Derby at the end of the month, and thank Jean Gemmell for her Artistic Direction and Choreography which added to the show.

Reviewer - John Kristof
on - 22/8/19