Gotta Sing Gotta Dance

I recently went to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to watch 'Gotta Sing Gotta Dance' which is a celebration of musicals with a specific focus on Choreographer Bob Fosse, Dancer Gene Kelly, Lyricists Rodgers & Hammerskin and Producer Cameron Mackintosh.

the show was divided into two halves with an interval. The first half incorporated music form the 1940's Top Hat, White tie & tails through to Joseph, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, each with their own unique style.

act two focused mainly on more contemporary musicals. Rent, Wicked, High School Musical and Hairspray with a few old one tunes thrown in. Forty Second Street and Meet Me in St Louis.

there were many more including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Oliver, but way too many to include in this review.

a highlight of the show was 'Singing in the Rain'. Which in the original movie the singing and taps of the tap dancing were pre-recorded separately. The performers demonstrated this on the night, by one actor miming both singing and dancing, whilst at the rear of the stage one actor sang and the another did the tap routine. It really impressed me and was superbly executed, running close second with a song named, Taylor the Latte Boy. It was very original and had a great story.

i liked all routines and songs, but i did favour some of the Chicago, Aida and Little Shop of Horrors songs.

a favourite of my mum and auntie's was a rendition of 'Lady is a Tramp', putting on a classic performance and then another performer bringing in a contemporary version of dance from the show High School Musical. This collaboration brought both songs together in a unique way, as they fit surprisingly well!

the Palace Theatre was an ideal setting as it is quite compact and allows the audience to hear, see and be more involved with the show.

the stage was spacious, simple with basic props but very effective, with the use of a DVD presentation to expand on various aspects of the Musicals story. It allowed the performers to move around and dance with ease.

music was provided by The GSGD Band which included four musicians on various instruments. They alternated between keyboards, drums and percussion, reeds and keyboard again and bass guitar and double bass. The band was located at the back of the stage behind to transparent screens, instead of the usual format below the stage. The music captured the mood perfectly and added to the overall atmosphere.

six performers held the audience with their all round ability of singing, dancing, acting and comedy. Their combination of individual talent, experience and chemistry on stage ensured a truly enjoyable performance.

Nick Winston is an international director and choreographer who has worked theatre, opera and film. His vast experience ensured all the performers matched their dancing, singing and acting abilities, producing outstanding dance routines. Incorporating tap, ballroom, ballet and contemporary.

overall the show was excellent and very entertaining, my only critism would be the opening scene which seemed very slow, probably as i was not so familiar and did not know much about the 1940's musiclas.

The whole performance was an insight to how musicals have evolved over the generations. From more formal Ballroom style (black and white), to Hairspray with its Neon colours.

Well worth a watch!