New York's TWA Hotel - Review

****

Opened in 2019, and listed by Time Magazine as one of the World's Greatest Places of that year, New York's TWA Hotel located in JFK Airport is built in and around Eero Saarinen’s stunning TWA Terminal building, constructed in 1962 and now a New York designated landmark as well as being listed in the USA’s  National Register of Historic Places.

Arriving by plane or train the hotel, adjacent to Terminal 5, is reached via the Airtrain shuttle and then a short walk. As one approaches the building piped music plays Jimmy Webb’s 1967 Up, Up And Away, recorded by The Fifth Dimension, a tune that TWA was to incorporate into their advertising a few years later. Vintage cars are parked outside, before one then enters Saarinen’s building where the design touches are the perfect combination of class and kitsch. There's even a Twister room!

1960s Kitsch

Checking in on arrival takes place at what was once the airline’s check-in counters, before taking one of the two original (and would have been very futuristic in their time) tube-like corridors to the respective accommodation buildings - both of which are new-build - that provide approximately 500 well appointed and spacey rooms. And yes, before one asks, the sound-proofing is immaculate. In the bedrooms the peace and quiet is better than a typical NY midtown location with not even a whisper of JFK’s aircraft noise.

But back to the 1960’s theming. Throughout the public areas the muzak, set at a comfortable background level, is appropriately calibrated to a mix of Beatles, Monkees, Sam Cook and other era-appropriate classics. But it is so much more than that. TWA’s original departure boards (with the letters that clicked and flicked over) have been lovingly overhauled to display fictitious departures and arrivals that update throughout the day, that flicking sound in itself a blast from the past, with airlines of the period listed by their respective flights. To the UK, the departure board includes both the BOAC (remember them?) and TWA flights. American competitor Pan Am is noticeably absent from the display.

The payphones are of the period too, with 1960s posters and memorabilia (typewriters, luggage carts) subtly positioned to add to the ambience. Above all though it is Saarinen’s magnificent, swooping, functional architectural curves that define the hotel’s beauty.

It is a note of historical irony, that Saarinen’s building (conceived some years’ earlier in the 1950s) was created for the passenger loads of the turbo-prop Constellation aircraft, the hitherto backbone of the TWA fleet. Saarinen could not have foreseen the impact of Boeing’s 707 jet airplane onto the airline industry, a plane that was to ramp up both passenger volumes and journey range and thus almost started his terminal building’s decline into obsolescence from the outset. The hotel however pays a further remarkable tribute to the airline’s flying history with “Connie” a vintage, de-commissioned Constellation now serving as one of the coolest cocktail bars in New York City!

Connie

There’s a wonderfully and very warm infinity pool on the roof. So as the chilly NY winds whip in from the Atlantic, to sit in the pool with (another) cocktail in hand watching the planes take-off and land is another great way to pass the time. For those keen on fitness there is also a large and very well appointed 24-hour gym.

The cultural, design and architectural impact of the building was significant and the hotel has curated replicas of Howard Hughes' office and Eero Saarinen's design workstation together with a collection of TWA uniforms.

  

The food in the Paris Cafe restaurant is freshly made and well presented at typical NY prices. On my first night the tuna tartare followed by pizza were both impressive. On the second night the fillet steak was equally well prepared and served. There is also a 24-hour food court serving simpler and far more average fare, which is itself a nice touch given that many guests could be arriving/departing the hotel at anti-social hours.

Located on JFK's remote outcrop of Queens and at least an hour away from midtown Manhattan, the hotel is niche and not best located for those looking to either enjoy the city’s traditional tourist spots or commercial centres or indeed to load themselves down with shopping. But no matter - if you are flying into or out of New York and your schedule permits, the TWA Hotel makes for a sublimely styled experience.

Oh, there's a roller-skating rink around Connie too that this visit was not able to include. However it can be reported that Connie’s Mile High Margaritas are terrific!

Owned and managed by MCR Hotels, to book the TWA click here

Let It Be - Review

Churchill Theatre, Bromley


****

Music and lyrics by The Beatles
Directed by John Maher

The band

Let It Be, kicking off its tour in Bromley this week, serves as a remarkable reminder of The Beatles' story. Tracing the band’s beginnings in The Cavern club in Liverpool, it follows the soon to be named Fab Four on their fast track to greatness, hurtling to London and America and on to packed stadium tours, taking the audience with them on this journey.

The art of writing a truly great pop song requires some genius. Although many attempt it, only a handful manage to get it right – with The Beatles creating an entire catalogue of hits, incredibly over only a decade.

On top of this, to be a great performer is even harder, requiring immense commitment and enthusiasm on stage along with an almost unified consensus from the entire band on the direction of travel. Watching Let It Be, it is difficult to avoid comparing the career of this great band to the artists of today. That The Beatles managed to achieve such success and heights of adulation largely on their own merit – without teams of songwriters and stylists manufacturing hits for them - only adds to the depth of their impact upon popular music.

John (Paul Canning), Paul (Iain Hornal), George (John Brosnan) and Ringo (Luke Roberts) illustrate the life of The Beatles through a series of different performances. As the sets change, so do hairstyles and outfits, remaining true to the essence of the band’s personality at any moment in time.

There are highlights aplenty, including an ambitious recreation of the band’s performance at The Royal Variety Performance, with the original 1960’s footage from that show playing above the live musicians on stage. The company’s attention to detail is astounding with each band member mimicking their character’s mannerisms. We recognise Ringo’s head movements, George’s dancing around the stage and even the singers’ stances behind the microphones.

As the show progresses we see Lennon become slightly more reserved, Harrison more confident and Starr more present – while McCartney, by contrast, remains largely unchanged.

Iain Hornal’s performance of Blackbird is hauntingly beautiful. But the standout performance, that brings the audience to its feet, is of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. John Brosnan recreates Eric Clapton’s guitar solo with such mastery that it fully grips the audience in its magnificence.

Let It Be proves to be a wonderfully unexpected show, guaranteed to thrill not just fans of The Beatles, but anyone with an appreciation of their great music and showmanship. 

Runs until 30th January, then on tour

Reviewer: Bhakti Gajjar

Photo credit: David Munn Photography 

Tiffany Graves - Review

Crazy Coqs, London

****

Tiffany Graves

For one night only, the fabulous Tiffany Graves was in cabaret at the Crazy Coqs. The stunning performer, increasingly appearing as one of our finest leading ladies offered a collection of numbers that mixed career highspots with a dash of poignancy and some fabulous comedy.

In a gorgeous evening dress and sparkling with bling Tiffany got the show underway with a nod to her magnificent Ulla in the recent tour of The Producers. It was a treat to hear When You Got It, Flaunt It for once sung without the cod Swedish accent, allowing Graves to focus on the lyrics’ inherent humour. 

A witty little number Tweet, penned by Graves (inspired by Pal Joey’s Zip) saw her give name checks to friends and associates cramming the basement venue (interest declared – I was proud to be one of the shout-outs) before easing into a spine-tingling take on Tony Hatch’s Downtown. A song for so long associated with Petula Clark, Graves, accompanied solely by Leigh Thompson on piano did away with the trademark interpretations of the 1965 chart-topper, giving the number an all-new frisson in her version.  

A nod to her current role in Kiss Me Kate led to a delicious Why Can’t You Behave, before the most enchanting of spiels led into an inspired mash-up of The Beatle’s Let It Be, with Disney’s Let It Go, Graves unleashing the full power of her remarkable belt.

Act two saw Graves return clad in a black- sequinned and closely tailored mermaid dress - which with her hair tightly cut reminded me of the look of a youthful Jamie Lee Curtis. A (mildly barbed, no names mentioned here) reference to her time in Sweet Charity kicked off the second half, that then saw the erudite Alexander Bermange take to the piano and mic for a guest spot that showcased the man's hallmark wit. 

Turning to the 1970’s Graves took the Marvin Hamlisch Bond song Nobody Does It Better, filleting the classic into ballad and belt and again giving an oh-so familiar number a wonderfully fresh interpretation.

It turned out that the night was Graves’ first wedding anniversary too (ahh..) and with devoted hubby Oliver toasting her from the crowd, who could begrudge a girl some self-indulgent romance as she closed her set with the schmaltzy (even if unquestionably sincere) I’ll Be Here With You, dedicated to her man. 

Graves’ has to bring this solo show back. Gorgeous singing along with a cabaret patter that was as revealing as it was confident and hilarious. Her witty words at one point segueing into a deliriously wonderful Words, Words, Words from The Witches of Eastwick.

When she does, don’t miss it!

Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London

***

Written by Andrew Sherlock
Directed by Jen Heye

Andrew Lancel and Will Finlason

Brian Epstein was the manager who took The Beatles from a group of unknowns to global stardom. A gay music journalist who was to fatally overdose at the age of 34, Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles is a meticulously researched two-hander that charts the impresario's troubled life.

Andrew Lancel reprises the title role he created in Liverpool two years ago. There is a lot of content in Andrew Sherlock's writing and Lancel's performance is a well honed critique of a complex man. Sherlock introduces a nameless foil, This Boy, to debate, flirt with and challenge Epstein, drawing his life story out through the narrative. Will Finlason, another returnee, re-creates Epstein's fictional sparring partner and like Lancel, gives of himself completely, both roles peppered with lengthy monologues.

The downfall of this piece is in its title. Any play introducing itself with a six word mission statement is warning the audience that the 90 minutes or so of ensuing content may well lack analysis. Like a pack of Beatles Top Trumps cards Sherlock's prose is crammed with facts, but it’s all heavy on the narrative with little to power the piece along. Projected images and brief snatches of music suggest the era and keep production costs down, but the drama never really takes flight. That being said, to the production’s credit, the programme is a treasure trove of useful information and a damn good read.

Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles gets too bogged down in the detail of the man’s life including his promiscuous sexuality, without giving enough of a dramatic structure to care about. It lacks the tragic spotlight that Taboo (the Boy George musical) was able, for example, to shine upon Philip Sallon. Maybe the show needs more songs? Maybe it needs a thorough overhaul? Who knows. The play certainly teaches much about the facts of Brian Epstein's life, but offers little comment or understanding of the man. More educational than entertaining, it’s strictly for the historians.

Runs until 6th September 2014

Let It Be

Savoy Theatre, London

***

Music and lyrics by The Beatles

Directed by John Maher

One year on, Let It Be played to a packed house as it celebrated the anniversary of its arrival in the West End. It's a simply conceived show, presenting The Beatle's greatest hits, performed live and to an exceptional standard. Where other "juke-box musicals" have sought to frame a story around a catalog of classic numbers, pure fiction in Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You, history in Jersey Boys, Let It Be makes a bold move as a production by dropping all narrative whatsoever, it's simply songs.

The programme informs us the actors on stage are selected from a group of possible performers, but it's not until the final bow that we are told who's who on the night. This leads to a sterility of connection between audience and cast as the identities of the performers are withheld until the final bow. There is no spontaneity and the occasional asides from the on-stage Fab Four are scripted from actual utterances and delivered with pinpoint synchronicity that allows the (impressive) lights and techno to seamlessly flow together. It's every inch a packaged, manufactured show that is based upon a band that was anything but manufactured. If you are seeking a story of The Beatles you'll need to look elsewhere.

But as a technical piece of performance and stagecraft, this show is excellent. Four actor-musos with an additional keyboards wizard upstage, reproduce The Beatles' sound almost perfectly. No easy feat when one considers that the entire English speaking world has the band's songs in their DNA and judging by the Japanese contingent in the audience, grinning in delight through nearly all of the show, quite possibly the rest of the world too! The vocals and music are magnificent and whilst the programme shamefully doesn't credit a Wigs Designer someone somewhere has clearly done a fantastic job, with the boys looking fantastic as they age convincingly through the songs.

Opening with I Saw Her Standing There the authentic recreation of the band's sound is astonishing. Memorable on the night were James Fox's Paul McCartney on piano giving a surprisingly moving Yesterday, along with projected video backdrops for both A Day In The Life and While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Let It Be is more juke-box than juke-box musical. You don't have to wait long between numbers as they are virtually incessant. The show is undoubtedly a quality offering, but it's little more than a well crafted trip down memory lane. For foreign visitors struggling with the English language, the show makes for a safe and rather lovely visit to the theatre. It's a nod to the 60s and a celebration of a national culture that's as emphatically English as Shakespeare. If you are after an onstage performance of a CD compilation album, then shows don't get much better than this.

Now booking into 2014 at the Savoy Theatre.

And In The End

Jermyn Street Theatre, London

***

Written & directed by Alexander Marshall

And In The End, a line in itself taken from The Beatles' song The End, explores the life of John Lennon through his own eyes, presenting him at the pearly gates moments after his murder. Three celestial gatekeepers challenge him to accept that he is now dead and using a take on the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross 1969 book, On Death And Dying, that breaks the grieving process into five distinct phases : Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression and finally, Acceptance, they take John through each phase and facilitate his story being told.

The play's mechanism is actually clumsy. The Kubler-Ross book was written to help the bereaved and to project its structure onto the deceased as a character is a flawed pretence from the outset. Thankfully however each of the play's chapters has more of an association with an (accurate) chronology of Lennon's life rather than with an adherence to the clinical five phases, most of which serve as little more than perfunctory introductions to each chapter before being quickly forgotten.

The narrative of the play however provides a surprisingly credible reportage of Lennon's life, from primary school years through to his death and there is much in Alexander Marshall’s meticulously researched text that will be both familiar and also surprising. John's first encounters with McCartney and later, Brian Epstein are fleshed out in pleasing detail. The play explains that Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds was not, as has been oft stated, based on an LSD trip, but rather drew its inspiration from a picture drawn by John's infant son Julian about his little best friend Lucy, with words drawn from Lewis Carroll. Above all, John is presented as a pithy quick-witted joker and it is easy to see from his sharp witty cynicism the incisive mind that would give the world some of pop music's most incisive lyrics.

Valentine Pelka puts in what is mostly a memorable performance as the gifted Liverpudlian. His voice, rimless specs and mop top of hair creating a caricature of such familiarity that in full flow of dialog or more often, monologue, it is not too had to imagine that it is Lennon re-telling his own story. On press night though his performance stuttered, with several line-stumbles. Whilst one has sympathy for an actor performing such a massive stage role, each glitch lowers the fragile basket of disbelief that the play seeks to suspend. One wonders if the producers, who include Marshall,  had perhaps rushed the show to opening, denying it sufficient preview time to bed down? Corners have also been cut in production values with projected backdrop imagery that could be slicker and the sound of Chapman's gunshots clearly being played from a mildly hissy SFX recording. On such shaky stage foundations are an audience's illusions made or shattered.

This is a show that can only improve into its run. Putting its production flaws to one side, the central performance is a cracker and aside from the creaking chapter changes, the text is compelling too. If you like Lennon's work, or The Beatle’s music, you will  find something in the play to enjoy.


Runs to Jun 1 2013