Review: KINGS OF BROADWAY, Palace Theatre, November 29 2015

Kings of Broadway? That's a big claim for a city that threw out its King back in 1776. But we're talking Jule Styne, we're talking Jerry Herman, we're talking Stephen Sondheim... Kings indeed!

Sunday night can be quiet in theatreland, so it's great to see more and more of these "Greatest Hits" style shows using otherwise empty seats (and you can park and grab a bite to eat outside more easily too). If that's the upside, the downside is that these one-offs can feel a little like a preview performance at times - there were quite a few microphone cues a beat or two late in the ensemble numbers and one or two of the more complicated songs (and some were very complicated indeed) sounded a little under-rehearsed.

But enough of the technical grumbles! The songs are fantastic, a pleasing mix of the familiar (very familiar!) and less well known and with something for everyone. You can pick your own favourites, but I'm going for a magnificently realised ensemble performance of the opening of Company that got the second half off with a tremendous bang; a showstopping Maria from Richard Fleeshman; and a terrifically tipsy Ladies Who Lunch by Janie Dee, abusing a Martini with such style!

And what a delight it was to hear and see Alex Parker's Theatre Company, as large an orchestra as I've seen in the West End, giving full value to those grand old tunes with a rich quality of sound rolling round the beautiful Palace Theatre. Such a treat to hear such playing and such voices!

Splendid entertainment though it was, a couple of suggestions might improve the viewer experience from the stalls. I would have really liked to see a couple of screens used just to tell us the names of the performers (some, though not all, introduced by the departing singer). I also really value short introductions to each number - the show, a little about the character singing and where the song fits into the storyline. What lost in pace is gained in exposition.

Keep an eye out for these shows - they come and go quite quickly in the listings, but they're a treat for any fan of musical theatre. And that's you, isn't it?

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