Queen Elizabeth Hall
John Martland
The Stage - 9 March 2000

Saluting the golden age of the Hollywood Musical, this show ranged from Puttin' on the Ritz (1930) through to High Society (1956) and included medleys celebrating such celluloid legends as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Maurice Chevalier, Eddie Cantor and songwriters Harry Warren and Al Dubin.

Among the many familiar items were a few less frequently heard songs like Hungry Women, nicely sung by the orchestra's leader, Michael Law, to his own piano accompaniment. Law shared the vocal duties with Helen Goldwyn, Louis Cookman and Alison Williams. Goldwyn in particular was terrific, putting over her numbers with the style and pzazz of Marion Hutton, who sang with Glenn Miller's civilian band.

While programme selection was generally impeccable, I Still Suits Me, which Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel introduced in the 1936 film of Show Boat, seemed a strange choice for an evening such as this, and Chattanooga Choo Choo will always sound a bit thin when performed as a duet because the ear always expects that familiar Modernaires-style vocal group sound.

However, what distinguished this concert from similar affairs was Ruth Leon's imaginative staging. For instance, instead of compere Sheridan Morley traipsing on and off the stage after practically every number, he delivered his informative and amusing comments at carefully thought out intervals while staying seated to one side of the stage.

The trio of girls also remained onstage throughout, retaining an obvious interest in the show even when not participating directly. There were some delightful choreographic touches, too, in what added up to a thoroughly entertaining, toe-tapping experience.

John Martland
The Stage - 9 March 2000