Show Boat (May 27th, 2016)

Show Boat

May 27th, 2016 (eve)

The final evening of my latest trip to London found me at the New London Theatre, excited to see Show Boat. I hadn't heard much about the show other than that it had generally favourable reviews, and that it was closing sooner than expected. We'd also discussed it briefly in my theology class, but generally, I knew nothing about the show other than that it was nearly 100 years old. I was curious to see how (and if) such a classic would be adapted for a modern audience.

Seat/Venue Review: I sat H36 in the Stalls, and it was £69.99. The Premium Seats (£90) were a little farther forward, but I had an entirely unobstructed view that was perfect for the height and depth of the Show Boat set. I couldn’t’ve picked a better seat. The New London is a lovely theatre, with lots of bathrooms, comfortable seats, and friendly staff. My only complaint would be how difficult it is to navigate, and the huge number of stairs (not ideal if you have mobility issues).

Gina Beck and Chris Peluso 

The highlight of Show Boat had to be a few of the incredible individual performances given. The casting in general was very well-done; everyone looked exactly like their character (if that makes any sense at all). Gina Beck (Magnolia) was, as always, an absolute superstar, with a glorious voice and thoughtful acting. I loved how she portrayed Magnolia's transition from ditzy, wanna-be actress, to girl-in-love, to defeated young woman, to adult and proud mother. She also absolutely owned that accent. Her voice was stunning, as one would expect; my dad was so shocked the first time she opened her mouth. It definitely doesn't look like a voice that big could come from someone so small. The only thing I'd say is that I thought she could've made her voice a bit more girlish at the beginning, so her singing voice could've evolved with her character. I also really loved Rebecca Trehearn (Julie); such a talented actress with the voice to match. Julie didn't get much time on stage, but Rebecca managed to use that short time to establish a solid, likeable, sympathetic character. I especially liked how in just a few words in the second act, you could see how Julie's emotions had been hidden beneath a tough exterior. I also enjoyed how Alex Young (Ellie) brought much-needed comedic relief to the show without overdoing it. The performances of Grace Schneider (Young Kim), Sandra Martin (Queenie), Lucy Briers (Parthy) and Malcolm Sinclair (Captain Andy) also stood out for various reasons. Grace was adorable and had a lovely voice, Sandra was wonderfully comedic, Lucy captured the moodiness of her character perfectly, and Malcolm was very entertaining. 

I didn't favour the performances of Emmanuel Kojo (Joe) or Chris Peluso (Gaylord). Emmanuel had a brilliant voice, but failed to establish his character beyond the great voice. Chris had a similar problem; I can't fault his voice, but I could not figure out how he was trying to play his character, and the result was a rather uninteresting, one-dimensional character (and I couldn't for the life of me see any reason why Magnolia would've fallen in love with him. There was absolutely nothing interesting about him. I also couldn't figure out why Magnolia and Kim so easily forgive him for running off). I think part of the problem with Show Boat is the way the characters were written; in general, they are extremely one-dimensional. Because there are so many characters, you don't get to see the depth of anyone, meaning it's difficult to find a character to relate to (I feel like there could be so much more to Kim and Magnolia, and I really would've loved to see both of them, and their lives, expanded upon. Nevertheless, some actors were able to find more to work with than others, and those were the ones that gave more interesting, emotionally-driven performances. 

The sets and costumes were also absolutely fabulous. I don't study American history, but from what I know, the costumes were very accurate to the time period. It was a bit of a stark transition from the 1800s scenes to the 1927 scenes, but there's not a whole lot you can do about that. It was a little hard to believe that the residents of a Show Boat in the deep south would be at the height of fashion, but I suspect that's more my neuroses rather than something other people would notice. My only issue costume-wise is the statement that Kim looked exactly like Magnolia, and then Kim showed up in a dark wig (especially when Young Kim was blonde, and looked very much like Gina Beck - whose blonde wig was glorious, by the way). Other than that, costumes were beautiful, fit well, and had perfectly chosen colours. I also thought the technological aspects of the show blended seamlessly with the physical sets; I thought they used each appropriately, without overdoing it on one or the other. I particularly liked the multiple uses of the set of the Show Boat itself, and the way the screen was used to transition from 1900 to 1927. It was very simple, yet effective, and helped the audience understand how time had shifted so drastically, and what had happened in the 'in-between'. 

I think Show Boat's main fault is its writing. None of the songs are particularly catchy (I can't remember a single one; it's not like when you walk out of the Book of Mormon singing "I Believe!" or Wicked singing "Defying Gravity"). It's very much a product of its time period, where music didn't necessarily need to be catchy. Hammerstein pieces always focus on their moral messages rather than a show tune, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it means that the show is less memorable than it could be. 

Gina Beck and Rebecca Trehearn

Show Boat had everything I love in a show; magnificent sets and costuming, talented and skilled performers, and huge amounts of energy. However, I felt that something was missing, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters or situations in the way I can with other shows. In a way, I can see why it hasn't had an extended West End run. I think it misses having relevance to modern (especially British) audience; the situations seem so far removed, and almost too sensationalised to be real, and the characters are simply archetypes rather than complex human beings. The way they respond to their situations are almost too predictable (from the second it was apparent Gaylord had left Magnolia, I knew immediately she would wait around for him). The conflicts and 'messages' (i.e. the problem of gambling) were completely lost on me until my mum pointed them out later that night - it just doesn't resonate with the current generation. While I commend the cast and production team on doing the best with the material they had, the material itself needs to be updated or altered if one wishes to appeal to a contemporary audience.