Review: WITCHES OF EASTWICK at Cirkus, Stockholm

Opening night of Witches of Eastwick at Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden 19th of September 2019

One of the highlights of the musical year in Sweden is the Witches of Eastwick with Peter Jöback in the lead role as Darryl van Horne. Peter Jöback played Michael Spofford in the original cast at Royal Drury Lane in London 2000.

It is an updated version and main part of the creative team is from London for example the director Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographer Andrew Wright. Cameron Mackintosh has also been involved in the process to make a more modern touch of it. The composer Dana P Rowe has written a new song especially for Peter Jöback. Both Cameron Mackintosh and Dana P Rowe among others from the creative team attended the opening night. Julian Bigg is the conductor for the orchestra. No exaggeration to say that West End has taken over Stockholm. The translation to Swedish is very witty and funny and was made by Edward af Sillén and Daniel Réhn. Edward af Sillén has also co-directed.

Peter Jöback is 19 years older than when he played Michael and has grown into the role of Darryl Van Horne, the man or is it the devil who shows up in the small American town of Eastwick after the three single women Alex (Kayo Shekoni), Sukie (Vanna Rosenberg) and Jane (Linda Olsson) have wanted a new man to come to town. The women really get an energy boost from the mysterious Darryl who seduces them one after the other and finally they join together in his house and all their desires are in full bloom. But not everyone is equally fond of the newcomer. The city's strong woman Felicia (Sussie Eriksson) is horrified of the immoral love sessions. And it gets worse for Felicia when her teenage daughter Jennifer (Hanna Ulvan) has an innocent fumbling romance with Alex son Michael (Martin Redhe Nord). The whole town is gossiping about what's going on with the three women and Mr Van Horne. What will happen with the peaceful innocent city and its inhabitants when Alex, Sukie and Jane learn that they have supernatural powers and learn witchcraft by Darryl. But their witchcraft sessions turns in a direction they had not predicted and want to.

Kayo has not been associated with musicals before as she is a soul-disco singer, but the role as Alex fits her as a glow. Linda and Vanna are also excellent in their roles and they work very well as a trio as they complement and strengthen each other and everyone shines equally and everyone has the same amount of space, although it is noticed that Linda Olsson, in addition to having a wonderful musical voice , is the one who has the most musical experience in her way of acting and moving on stage. Together they have a couple of good numbers, such as "Think About Me" which is very nicely done with the lighting and the scenography with a party meal at Darryl's home which ends with the witches flying out over the audience. Sussie Eriksson plays the exalted Felica superbly. Every line of bitterness is delivers with so much frustration and agony when she realizes that Eastwick is no longer Eastwick. This is a musical highlighting the female lead roles. The women are strong and powerful and grows stronger and independent while the men gets weaker and more dependent and unable to take care of themselves, not even the great seducer Darryl needs a woman by his side.

Hanna Ulvan and Martin Redhe Nord are charming as the young groping couple who feels "something" but are a bit awkward in their attempts to move their relationship further. It's something that holds Michael back and at the end we know why. In the second act it is time for his transformation in the showstopper "Dance With the Devil", This was Peter Jöback's big number in London and it has been choregraphed in a very different way now. Darry Van Horne takes the lead in the dance while Michael is more awkward and clumpsy than in London. Peter is a great dancer so I really appreciate that they have let him take lead in this number. However the Michael is transformed into a more self confidence young man. This is really one of the major show stopper and Peter shines and the audience loves it. Peter has never been as direct before. Peter and the full ensemble are magnificent in Who's the man and it is so beautifully choreographed with the entire ensemble dressed in tail costs. It is just like one of the numbers in a classical MGM musical with Fred Astaire. So beautiful.

The large ensemble is very talanted and are great in all the wonderful ensemble dance numbers which all has very happy and engaging music, such as "Dirty Laundry" and "I Love a Little Town". All the inhabitants of the town are dressed in colorful clothes and when you sit close you see all beautiful fabrics they are sewn in. The clothes reinforce the happy and pleasant atmosphere throughout the musical. In London Alex, Sukie and Jane wore red dresses from the time they started their relationship with Daryl and he had a big red bed with red silk sheets which gave a certain brothel feel. Gone is the red and instead they have chosen purple as the main colour. Purple is still a seductive color but it becomes much more stylish and elegant and it feels more feminine and more on their terms. Red becomes more objectified. More modern and in line with #metoo. In general, I think it is a nicer scenografhy and lighting than in London. It is noticeable that they have picked the best creative team and selected the cast perfectly in order to get this contemporary touch on it, even though it is still played in an American small town in the 60ths.

Kitty Chan is bringing energy and smiles to the show. She plays both Fidel who is Darryl's little helper and also the happy observant girl who shows up all over Eastwick with little funny comments.

At the end of the first act, the Witches fly out over the crowd in their purple elegant dresses during a dinner at Darryl´s, The audience cheering almost makes the ceiling open up so the witches can fly out. The lightning is just magical as they fly over the audience.

Standing ovations and plenty of flowers at the end of the show, well deserved.

The show absolutely has West End class and as a music lover it is so wonderful to see that they have invested so much on a musical which hasn't been extremely successful over the world. But here it has really found its home and grown and has bloomed to the fullest. It's an evening of pure musical bliss! I highly recommend you get your hands on some tickets before it is sold out. Tickets are on sale till the 14th of December.

https://showtic.se/forestallningar/haxorna/biljetter/

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