|
I was one of those at the Lyric theatre on the
opening night of Beautiful and Damned and, at the finale, I joined
in one of the biggest standing ovations I have known.
It is quite simply one of the best musicals I
have ever seen, and, working in the entertainment business, I’ve
seen a few.
The dance routines and songs brought the
audience to its feet on many occasions, and every ovation was fully
deserved. This is a wonderful and evocative picture of the Roaring
Twenties and the hedonistic excesses of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald,
a couple who were so talented and yet so flawed.
By its nature, this is a tale that needs to be
told with brazenness, and Kit Hesketh Harvey has written the book
with gloriously broad and strident strokes.
Helen Anker, as Zelda, is breathtaking. Her
energy in the many and wonderful dance routines, and her
interpretation of an incredibly complex character, is something to
behold.
Michael Praed proved that he is a fine singer.
He portrays Scott’s battle with alcoholism and his final, and
inevitable, fall from grace with great sympathy.
|
 |
