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"DUSTY:
THE MUSICAL"
opened on February 23, 2000 at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley,
near London. A British tour followed, but a West End theatre
run was not to be. Produced by Paul Farrah,and written
by Paul Prescott, this new musical, was brought to the
stage by award winning director Bob Tomson, whose production
of Blood Brothers has drawn the crowds in the West End
and on tour for an amazing 12 years, and Gillian Gregory,
whose choreography for Me and My Girl has delighted audiences
around the world. The show was designed by Charles Cusick
Smith with lighting by Joe Atkins. The Musical Supervisor
and Arranger is Colin Cattle. SEE REVIEW ON RIGHT
Mari
Wilson,
who had eighties hits with the likes of "Just What I Always
Wanted" and "Cry Me A River" plays the part of
Dusty.
An
interview with Mari Wilson now appears on "Interview"
page. |
SYNOPSIS OF THE
SHOW:
Featuring
almost thirty captivating songs made famous by the smooth voice
of the sixties queen of soul, such as the unforgettable The Look
of Love, I Only Want to Be With You and Son Of A Preacher Man,
Dusty - The Musical explores the lives of two people,
one real – a pop diva - and one fictitious – a fan.
Carol,
middle-aged housewife, mother to two grown-up children, has reached
a crossroads in her life. A die-hard fan of Dusty Springfield,
she looks back to the Swinging Sixties and her teenage years
as a wannabe starlet but somewhere along the way those dreams
disappeared.
The stuff
of Carol’s dreams – the make-up, the female singing
group, the clothes, the lights, were also the dreams of a young
Dusty, but for Dusty the dreams came true. For Carol, a hunger
for stardom gives way to the routine of family life. However,
unbeknownst to both of them, the dreams and reality of both their
lives are shared experiences. |
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 The officicial tour poster. |
REVIEW:
OPENING
NIGHT: BROMLEY.........Chrissie Cotterill , as Carol gives a truly wonderful performance,
blending comedy & pathos effortlessly, and endearing herself
to the audience from the outset.
Carol's life,
from her teens, is shadowed by that of Dusty, her idol, following
her from Convent School, into The Lana Sisters & Springfields,
and on to solo glory. Mari Wilson overcame some sound
problems and performed Dusty's greatest hits with style and
authority. Her costumes echo the Dusty we all knew &
loved. Given that the show has had only had 3 weeks rehearsal,
her stature will surely grow & grow. The show's set is an
impressive metal affair which moves around as the scenes change,
from home to night club, to factory, to TV studio.Some of the
strongest moments for me were in the ensemble performances of
Yesterday When I was Young & My Colouring Book,
when the songs easily transformed into "musical theatre",
without seeming out of place. |
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The songs
from the show are: GOIN' BACK/ SEVEN LITTLE GIRLS/ ISLAND
OF DREAMS/ THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND/ I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH
YOU/ STAY AWHILE/ I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF/ IN
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE/ MY COLOURING BOOK/ LITTLE BY LITTLE/ SON
OF A PREACHER MAN/ 24 HOURS FROM TULSA/ I CLOSE MY EYES AND COUNT
TO TEN/ LOSING YOU/ ALL I SEE IS YOU/ SOMEOF YOUR LOVIN'/ WISHIN'
& HOPIN'/ QUIET PLEASE THERE'S A LADY ON STAGE/ GIVE ME TIME/
IN PRIVATE/ WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS// REPUTATION/ THE
LOOK OF LOVE/ IF YOU GO AWAY/ YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS YOUNG/ YOU
DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME/ I'LL TRY ANYTHING. |
Debbie
Paul and
Elizabeth Hill are worthy of special mention (as Carol's
friends) in and outstanding cast that includes David Streames,
Susannah Bray, Jayne Nesbitt, Tim Clarke, Gordon Kenny, Robert
Rawles, Alison Burrows, . Claire Bryan & Brian Douglas.And
I musn't forget the musicians who captured the essence of Dusty's
records, and sounded much bigger than their collective niumber.
The
scene where the ill Dusty sings "If You Go Away"
was almost too painful for me to watch, but then I am a bit too
close for comfort. Most of the hits are there - I Only Want
To Be With You, I'll Try Anything, You Don't Have To Say You
Love Me, All I See Is You, Little By Little, and many others.
Once
this company have overcome the slight teething problems this
will be a show worthy of a West End run. Don't miss your chance
to see it at any of the theatres below.
Simon
Bell, Feb 24, 2000 (01:40UK)
DUSTY:
THE MUSICAL closed after the 19:30 performance on July 22 at
the THEATRE ROYAL, NOTTINGHAM.
it
is hoped that the show will return in the Spring of 2001. |
