Classic Moments - Hidden Treasures
cast list
Laura Armstrong, Valerie Cutko, Jon-Paul Hevey, Lucy Johnson, Tim
McArthur
directed by
Tim McArthur
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The tiny Jermyn Street Theatre is one of London's little-known gems, so
it is somewhat appropriate for a staging of a show going by the sub-title of
Hidden Treasures.
This five-person cabaret is a brisk romp through lesser-known Sondheim
songs - a real treat for dedicated fans and a pleasing taster for those less
familiar with his work. From the bouncy tribute to love in New York that is
What More Do I Need that opens it to the delightfully cynical closing number
of Happily Ever After, the show rarely puts a foot wrong.
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The songs, with one or two exceptions, are smartly chosen. Standouts
include Valerie Cutko's Can That Boy Foxtrot and Who's That Woman:
magnificently androgynous and with a jaded charisma, she's a performer born
for cabaret, and a perfect fit for Sondheim's slanted world view.
Laura Armstrong deserves special praise for managing the tongue-twisting
The Boy From, and her take on On The Steps of the Palace is a pleasure.
While Lucy Armstrong is the weakest of the vocalists, her Sooner Or Later -
previously immortalised by Madonna - is a sexy romp, and props should go to
pianist/musical director David Harvey for gamely joining the fun.
Doing double duty as director, performer Tim McArthur wrings bitter joy
from Could I Leave You, and Jon-Paul Hevey gives a rousing version of
Everybody Says Don't.
The ensemble numbers are slick and well co-ordinated, well served by Fi
Russell's simple and elegant set, a giant picture frame serving as entrance
from the wings.
All of the cast have good rather than great voices, but that never really
matters - they handle the songs adeptly and have energy and charm to spare,
and the cabaret style staging allows the dark beauty of Sondheim's lyrics to
shine. For fans of musical theatre, this is one treasure worth seeking
out.
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London reviews
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For more theatre reviews, come and visit us at Exeunt
Accolade, Finborough
Water, Tricycle
Antonioni Project, Barbican
Greenland, National
Du Goudron et des Plumes, Barbican
King Lear, Roundhouse
Double Falsehood, Union
Twisted Tales, Lyric Hammersmith
Less Than Kind, Jermyn Street
theatre
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