It is sometimes fascinating to see the journey an idea takes long before it makes it on to the professional stage. Curtains is based on a book and concept by Peter Stone. Stone unfortunately died before the book was completed. Enter Rupert Holmes, of Escape “The Pina Colada Song”, who was asked to finish the project. The path to musical theatre was then completed with lyrics written by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander and is the third of the musical C’s that they are famous for, the first two being Cabaret and Chicago. Sadly, Fred Ebb also died before this production was finalised. Curtains will not go down in the archives of history like Cabaret and Chicago, indeed it opened to mixed reviews on Broadway in 2007, but nonetheless it is a good piece of musical theatre.
The musical is set in Boston 1959, around a new musical; a western version of Robin Hood. As the show opens we join the cast as they are singing the finale. Which might seem somewhat strange… The leading lady Madame Marian is being played by a fading film star Jessica Cranshaw. We get a glimpse of just how inept she is as a star of stage and screen. She can’t sing, can’t dance and can’t remember her lines. Begrudgingly the cast have to cover for her. Having just taken her bow Cranshaw collapses, she is taken to hospital and the cast rejoice. The show is panned by the critics and to some relief the show's producer (Carmen Bernstein) receives a call to say that in fact Cranshaw has died. The show's director explains his plans to dramatically improve the show's fortunes by taking the role from Cranshaw and giving it to Georgia (one of the writers of the music and lyrics for the show) who has in the past been a leading lady. The cast start to rehearse only to be interrupted by Lieutenant Frank Cioffi who tells the ensemble that Cranshaw was, in fact murdered, and until the murderer is apprehended they are all to be kept in the theatre.
There has been plenty of publicity about this production not least because Jason Manford takes the role of Lieutenant Frank Cioffi. Let me say that whenever I hear that a “celebrity” is taking the lead role it makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Not only because the country must be awash with many unknown talented theatrical performers, who after years of work and study should be given a chance, but in the cases I have seen (I will not name and shame) most of the “celebrities” have just been themselves or have just not been up to it. Also, in researching for this show there are some very lukewarm reviews to Manford’s performance. However, I have no problem saying that Manford defies both the critics and myself. I thought he took the role and played it exactly as it should be played. Lieutenant Frank Cioffi has dreams himself of being a theatrical star and so relishes (perhaps too much) the opportunity to work amongst the cast. Manford’s entrance was as understated as Cioffi’s would have been, timed well, and from the start making it clear that he would find and identify the murderer and help improve the show along the way. His first solo is the number “Coffee Shop Nights” which is sung to Nikki, whom he is falling in love with. Manford uses a storytelling style and has a fine baritone voice, fully convincing the audience that he is there to be part of the ensemble and not be the obvious “celebrity” of the show. The modest role of Cioffi allows Manford to use comic timing which he does with aplomb time and time again.
There are strong performances throughout. Rebecca Lock (Carmen Bernstein) takes every opportunity to take centre stage and convince everyone that she is the hard-nosed producer with only one remit “the show must go on”. In, “It’s A Business” we hear the true quality of her voice and her ability to be very comfortable when taking centre stage. There was a depth to her performance as the hard-nosed producer’s soft side is exposed by Cioffi in the final scene.
There was a nice chemistry between Carley Stenson (Georgia Hendricks) and Ore Oduba (Aaron Fox) the lyricist and composer of Robin Hood, who each have become involved in the production to be close to each other again, after a separation, both of whom were too stuborn to admit that to the other until the end. As the show's flamboyant director Christopher Belling, Samuel Holmes excels, he strides authoritatively across the stage dropping one-liner’s like bombs and accepting plaudits wherever possible. As the love interest to Manford (Cioffi), Nikki Harris played by Leah Barbara West is perfect. She is shy, slightly socially awkward and comedic. She seems to be the last person who handles any incriminating evidence, to quote “which now has my fingerprints all over it” and you can tell the two are very comfortable together, almost soulmates.
Choreography by Alistair David is slick and very enjoyable to watch. I particularly enjoyed the re-staged square dance performed by Emma Caffrey (Bambi Bernet) and Samuel Holmes (Christopher Belling). Due to televised dance shows we now take for granted how easily very difficult dances are performed. There were elements to this dance that were technically very challenging, but it was made to look so easy, I could not let this part of the show go unrecognised.
Curtains is a thoroughly enjoyable production. It’s the perfect remedy for a bad day. It will make you laugh, and it is an easy show to watch. That is not a criticism quite the reverse, this is a show as shows used to be, you can sit back and enjoy the performances and not be distracted by technicalities, and certainly this critic has been convinced that certain “celebrities” can be part of an ensemble and the production is the better for their inclusion.
Reviewer - Jen O'Beirne
on - 3/2/20
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