Fox, Tom, Francesca
I could scarcely believe my luck when I saw on the board that Tom was set to play Michael with Fox as Billy. There was a slight doubt, of course. At the matinee Fox had been on the board as Billy at 2.10pm but it was Ollie who came through the door so it was a question of wait and see who came out on the bike. It WAS Tom who appeared and we were all set for a stunner.
The big audience (most boxes seemed to be occupied) was very enthusiastic and gave Small Boy (the brilliant Eliot, who is working very hard at the moment and must be raking in the cash
) a rapturous reception to get the evening going. BTW, isn't it interesting that Small Boy is the first onto the stage at the beginning and the last onto the stage at the end. What an honour. With the cast in peak form the show sparkled along and the anticipation of a mouth-watering encounter between Fox and Tom in Expressing was foremost in mind on this special night. And what an encounter it was. The total joy in watching these two brilliant stars performing together was matched only by the joy and fun you could see that THEY were having being on stage together. PURE MAGIC. And there was more magic in the Winter Scene with Tom milking the crowd unashamedly with his tutu and raising the roof with the Nutcracker. Everyone who has seen Tom playing Billy knows how he does the Letter. I'll leave it to your imagination as to how he did the final curtain scene as Billy departed. It was just devastating.
I watched all of this from A9 in the Dress Circle and was seeing and hearing somewhat more from that vantage point. In particular, the dancers' footwork, the floor lighting effects and something else that is special from my own interest, the more equalised sound of the music and the piano work of the MD that I mentioned a few reviews ago. Watching as well as hearing those beautiful little piano melodies and variations being played was a treat all in itself. Another thing. The cover music that replaces the accordion in Deep Into The Ground was much more audible to my ears than from the front stalls.
As just one example Angry Dance from there was just unbelievable. You can see everything all at the same time with no head movements required. When the very angry Fox ran up the stairs in leaps and bounds and the music and powerful tap started the lighting seemed to change with every angry tap. The lighting and shadows on the floor and the back wall gelled together into a kaleidescope. Figures and shadows running across the stage momentarily interrupted the symmetry and then Fox was back down at floor level threatening to run amok. More light circles on the stage for him to power his way onto. The roll to the roof of the hut which is lit suddenly by a rectangle of light of the same dimensions, the rise of the hut - and Tony - the fierce battle with the miners forced to run away. Then the arrival of the so-far all-conquering Riot Squad who head for the shields while Fox follows the light circles. The music which has been pounding along anyway takes to a new level as Fox takes on the Squad. The red mist descends. This is where the MD lifted the whole bloody lot into the realms of super-greatness, his arms, hands and finger movements dragging every last drop of energy from the orchestra players and the Squad with their smashing batons whilst, in between, the mercurial Fox defied their every efforts with his awesome powerful feet until he sees the Squad and the music off and falls to the floor with a heart-rending screech. Maybe someday the glass front of the orchestra pit will be removed and we can see the players in action in this mind-blowing scene. I'd pay extra to see that
On the way out to the foyer during the interval I had a brief conversation with a couple who were seeing the show for the first time. They said that they were just stunned by what they had just witnessed. They had expected a high standard of dancing and singing but they could never have anticipated the amazing acting by the two boys playing Billy and Michael.
As usual, Fox's Electricity (and smile) set the audience aglow but from where I sat the black board was not visible so it was an extraordinary sight to see the astounding wall flip with no wall. From somewhere behind, amidst all the applause, I heard a voice saying "How did he do that?"
It is so unfair of me not to mention the other cast members in detail because they put on another fantastic show to remember but, in this review, I wanted to highlight the difference watching the show from on high and also making a big fuss of what was a very unusual and special pairing of Fox and Tom that might not happen again.
Just a few other comments. In the front of curtain scene Trevor for a change mentioned "Oliver! the bloody musical" and Fox seemed to surprise him by calling number 83 instead of the usual 88 which may have been a private joke between them.
Pat
