Big Fish

Neil Simon Theatre, New York City

***

Book by John August

Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa

Directed by Susan Stroman

Kate Baldwin and Norbert Leo Butz

Big Fish is an imaginative piece of new musical theatre to emerge on Broadway. Based on Tim Burton’s 2003 movie, the show’s book is by original screenwriter John August and with the innovative approach of Andrew Lippa’s compositions and Susan Stroman at the helm, the show would be expected to have a sound pedigree.

The Big Fish of the title is a euphemistic reference to the tall stories that Edward Bloom, played by Norbert Leo Butz has told throughout his life. Bloom is a curious character, an ordinary travelling salesman by trade supported by a wise and loving wife Sandra (Kate Baldwin), struggling to earn the respect of his grown-up son Will (Bobby Steggert). For a plot that is seeking depth through fantasy, this show does at times skim over very shallow waters. That Edward blurts out his son’s impending fatherhood during the young man’s wedding, after having been expressly forbidden to do so is a an act of such crassness that it almost justifies the contempt in which Will views his father. If Bloom Snr is truly so insensitive, what hope for reconciliation between the two men can there possibly be? 

With the first act demonstrating the pain of father and son at emotional loggerheads and with a death in the family clearly signalled, come the interval one could be forgiven for mistaking the show for a musical take on Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman. Fear not though, for with Harvey Weinstein amongst the show’s producers however, darkness is to be banished. There has clearly been every intention for this to have been a thoroughbred Broadway production, sired by Hollywood out of Stroman and where an ending of pure schmaltz is de rigeur. 

If act one drags, the second half zips along with pace and spectacle. Stroman’s zanily patriotic vision of Red, White And True offers more than a nod to her brilliantly choreographed Springtime For Hitler from The Producers and Butz proves why he is one of today’s leading men on Broadway with masterful deliveries of Be The Hero and Fight The Dragon. The show clearly has impact, for when Butz sings his final number, How It Ends, many of the audience sobbed. Sandra is a cleverly crafted character and Baldwin's pragmatically wistful I Don’t Need A Roof is a fine performance.

Suspend your disbelief as high as possible, enjoy the talent on display and you will find the show to be a moving and occasionally, an enchanting night at the theatre. Don't expect Big Fish to swim the Atlantic anytime soon though. It's an un-ashamedly all American show, that's likely to find itself flapping out of water on this side of the pond.

Mack-beth : A Profile of Norman Bowman

Bearded and relaxed in shorts and t-shirt, it’s a pleasure to grab an afternoon with Norman Bowman as he takes a breather from the demands of Kenneth Branagh’s acclaimed production of Macbeth at the Manchester International Festival. From a career that started out in musical theatre and has been most frequently filled by work in that genre, no-one was more surprised than Bowman himself to have been cast in this Shakespearean masterpiece, but as our conversation unfolds it is clear that all that this actor has achieved to date has been nothing less than hard won and above all, richly deserved.

Bowman’s biography is a tribute to his talents. He is wise to what makes a commercial West End production work, acknowledging that a “star name” is often needed to sell tickets and in a charmingly self-deprecating comment he acknowledges that today he may well not be that “star” person. Star billing or not, the body of work that this talented performer has achieved speaks of his abilities. From being cast as Marius in Les Miserables early on in his career, he has gone on to play Carousel’s Billy Bigelow in Chichester, Danny in a Grease national tour, Tony in West Side Story, and a two year stretch as Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia. Whilst these parts have been his commercial leads, with many other supporting roles along the way, off West End his Mack in Thom Southerland’s 2012 production of Mack & Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse, was one of London’s outstanding male musical performances of the year. 

In Mack & Mabel with co-star Laura Pitt-Pulford

When Bowman reflects upon his journey to Macbeth, he does not hesitate in acknowledging the creative genius of Rob Ashford who, with Branagh, has co-directed the Scottish Play and who has creatively worked with the actor on three previous occasions. Bowman speaks warmly of being choreographed by Ashford in Michael Grandage’s 2005 Guys and Dolls, a show in which he played gambling gangster Harry the Horse, chuckling to learn in our conversation that the National Theatre’s 1982 version of that show opened with fellow gritty Scots countryman Bill Paterson, in the same role.

Ashford was to go on and cast Bowman as Tom Watson, the outspokenly racist publisher from the Deep South in Parade by Jason Robert Brown. Parade had had a difficult opening on Broadway and it was not until Ashford’s take on the work at London’s Donmar, that the show achieved the acclaim it deserved, an association with which Bowman is evidently proud. His next engagement under Ashford was to be directed by him in Finding Neverland at Leicester’s Curve. The production was controversial being movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s first venture into staging an original piece of theatre and Bowman is nothing if not diplomatic in referring to the show’s journey. Notwithstanding the show’s challenges, Finding Neverland had provided a further opportunity for Bowman to work with the American, so when the opportunity for Macbeth arose and whilst there is no question that Bowman earned his place on merit, the established mutual respect between him and Ashford combined with his glorious Arbroath accent clearly stood him in good stead. Bowman is in fact one of only a handful of authentic Scots cast in this most Caledonian of texts. 

Bowman speaks as a man wise about his world and his profession. Even though he looks (enviably) damn good for his 43 years, he is all too aware that he is frequently auditioning for roles against fellow professionals some years his junior. His philosophy though is admirable, always respectful of competitor actors, yet focussing his energy on his own performance, rather than worrying over the potential strengths and weaknesses of others. He refers to the adage that once you mentally put yourself in a “race for a part”, the other actor is already in front of you and how he avoids that thought process.  It’s an attitude that speaks of immense personal strength, a pre-requisite in the glamorous but nonetheless harsh show-business world. He also speaks with a wry and realistic acknowledgment of the power of social media, the new lingua franca amongst performers and those who follow them, as an important component of an actor’s profile. He is savvy enough to recognise the increasing importance of media channels such as Twitter that can allow an audience to immediately express praise (or displeasure) for production or performer as they exit a theatre and like many around him, he conducts himself with measured professionalism in the online community. 

As sword wielding Ross in Macbeth

Bowman is that rare performer who is not only skilled enough to have amassed a respectable body of work to date, but is also open-minded enough to welcome development and improvement from acting legends. He speaks warmly of his time, again under Michael Grandage, in the director’s Twelfth Night that formed part of the Donmar at the Wyndhams season. Working with and occasionally opposite Sir Derek Jacobi was an experience that he acknowledges to have been rare and privileged and Bowman speaks with warmth and admiration of how he found Jacobi to be a source of inspiration. That some four years on he now finds himself selected to perform in a Branagh-led Shakespearean troupe is a further mark of the Scotsman’s talent.  As one might expect, he is at all times refreshingly respectful, but never fawning, to these giants of the English stage.

A father of two twins, Bowman speaks lovingly of his kids and it is clear that notwithstanding his recent separation from their mother and his long term partner, they remain vitally important to him and he remains focussed on being a significant part of their developing lives, living close by to them in London

Our conversation ends to allow Bowman time to return backstage, don his heavy garb as nobleman Ross and perform the daily pre-curtain up rehearsal that health & safety regulations demand of all fight scenes. For this production of Macbeth such compliance is an exhausting obligation as the stage combat of Ashford and Branagh’s vision is amongst the most ambitious ever presented in live Shakespeare. The physical effort that the actors put into their meticulously choreographed battle-work and swordplay is jaw dropping, as sparks literally fly from the clashes of heavy steel.

I bid farewell to this accomplished musical theatre performer and Shakespearean stalwart to boot and reflect that to describe Norman Bowman as “comfortable in his own skin” would actually be to understate. He is good at his job and, with all appropriate modesty, he knows that he is good at it too. Above all, the man is a committed actor who loves his work and it shows.


Norman Bowman can be seen in Macbeth via NTLIve on Saturday 20 July 

My review of Macbeth can be found here

My review of Mack & Mabel can be found here

Code Name: Geronimo - Review

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray , certificate 15

***

Directed by John Stockwell

Some 19 months after the tracking and killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, one of the first feature films on the events that led up to the assault in Abbottabad is released. Hollywood moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein executive produce this picture and with their ability to recognise and tell a good on-screen story, it’s a safe assumption that the movie will be good popcorn fare.

The Weinsteins do not disappoint. Movie production is delegated to Nicolas Chartier, already a proven storyteller of complex modern military matters with The Hurt Locker to his credit, Code Name: Geronimo is refreshingly non-sensational in its construction. Starring Cam Gigandet, most recently known for the 2011 movie Priest, Chartier and his director John Stockwell have shot a tale that appears to have considerable historical authenticity leading up to those events of May 2011, as well as having one of the most anticipated shoot-em-up finales of recent years.

Filmed on location in the USA, with some scenes shot in India for Asian authenticity, the movie has frequent (telephonic) dialog with Defense Secretary Pannetta and numerous references to President Obama, but wisely opts not to show such recognisable political faces on screen, where the (probably ridiculous) lookalike factor would detract from the impact of the story. The CIA agents, politicos and the SEALS unit themselves are of course unknown faces to the audience and all these performances are solid and plausible, even if at times the cheese factor creeps up with the “goodbye mom” phone calls that the agents make before setting off on their mission to Abbottabad.

Of course this is a story that everyone knows before they even switch on their TV. Recognising this, Chartier nonetheless delivers a film that makes for solid viewing, with aspects of the production evoking the Homeland series. Made on a decent budget and with credible and sometimes graphic action sequences, particularly Bin Laden’s final moments, this is a watchable movie, well worth a rent or a download.

Finding Neverland - Review

Curve Theatre, Leicester

 ****

Music: Scott Frankel

Lyrics: Michael Korie

Book: Allan Knee

Director & choreographer: Rob Ashford

J M Barrie (Julian Ovenden) confronts his alter-ego played by Oliver Boot

Finding Neverland, is an exquisite piece of theatre. Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has taken the movie that he produced some 8 years ago, hired some accomplished American talent to give the tale a musical theatre treatment and then ingeniously selected Leicester’s stunning Curve Theatre to premiere the work, before it hopefully transfers to the West End and ultimately Broadway.

The semi-biographical story opens with author J M Barrie’s latest play being trashed by the critics and how rebounding from that rejection, he finds inspiration from the 4 boys in the Llewellyn-Davies family whom he befriends in Kensington Gardens, to then ultimately go on and write Peter Pan. Married to wife Mary, in what is revealed to be a well-intentioned but nevertheless loveless union, Barrie is irresistibly drawn to the boys’ widowed mother Sylvia. The relationship between these two, whilst platonic throughout, is the fulcrum of the show’s story, charting moments of both joy and tragedy that the writer shares with the young family as the couple’s love for each other develops. Writing Peter Pan, he transforms his sternest real-life theatre critic into the fictional Captain Hook, with one of the production’s most interesting musical numbers, The Pirate Inside, cleverly suggesting that the buccaneer James Hook is really the darker alter ego of James Barrie.

The cast, to a person, excel. The performances, including that of a delightful St Bernard dog are all flawlessly perfect. Julian Ovenden plays the writer, who like his famous literary creation, struggles to grow up, displaying a youthful and infectious sense of fun and irresponsibility. Ovenden captures the beautifully voiced essence of Barrie’s character within his performance, every inch more boy than man and yet possessing the personality that Sylvia is drawn too. Rosalie Craig as Sylvia similarly shines. Whilst her elegant figure fails to convince that she has borne 4 sons , her poise and presence are captivating. Vocally enchanting, her duet with Clare Foster (Mary), James Never Mentioned, in which each woman’s self-doubts and mutual envies are painfully played out, is a haunting study on a failing marriage and a nascent love affair. Oliver Boot as the critic/Hook character is a convincing villain who both in Peter Pan and as a London critic, torments Barrie. He is every inch the swashbuckling cad and Boot’s energetic delivery is a treat to watch ( and boo!). Liz Robertson, as Sylvia’s disapproving mother also delivers a sterling supporting role, combining compassionate loving mother and grandmother, with being a fearsome protector of her brood. The four talented young boys were led, on press night, by Harry Polden. Already an accomplished child actor Polden held the stage well, displaying his admiration for Barrie, along with his disdain and at times, contempt for the writer, convincingly.

Without doubt, this show is a beautiful piece of theatre, but it requires sharpening. Billed as “The New Musical Comedy”, the laughter points were infrequent and often weak. When Barrie’s cricketing contemporaries sing after a lost game, Crushed Again, the number resembles a clichéd attempt to portray a self-deprecating view of stiff upper lip British sportsmanship and whilst that may well be how we are viewed by our American cousins, such stereotyping should have ended with Mary Poppins (the film). Weinstein has spent a fortune on Finding Neverland and it shows in set design, casting and a beautifully rehearsed full orchestra, ably led by David Charles Abell. The producer has also sensibly avoided gimmickry, allowing a wonderfully strong story to tell itself. But the show needs more flying. There is a passing nod to flight in the prologue and again in the closing scene, but that is all. In much the same way as stage blood can make an audience wince at a moment of violence, so on-stage flight can provide moments of sheer breathtaking emotion. At one point in the show, a kite is flown above the heads of the Stalls, almost reaching the Circle. A sweet effect yes, but if that had instead been a Tinkerbell or Pan, sparingly deployed and truly flying within the theatre, the effect would have been profound and with Weinstein’s eye for telling a good story, probably tear-inducing. In a similar vein, the performance of Peter Pan that is put on in the home of the dying Sylvia, is performed upstage, with the spectating family sat front, backs to the audience, impeding the view of the action and distancing the audience from the production. With some minor tweaking this staging should be re-arranged as it currently detracts from the real beauty that the cast create.

This enchanting show deserves a successful run and its evolution on to a major London stage should be eagerly anticipated. Harvey Weinstein needs to invest just a little bit more, to make the funny parts of his show funnier and to deepen the poignancy of some magical moments in a wonderful story.

Runs to October 18