Calamity Jane

There are excellent reasons for reviving “Calamity Jane”: there is plenty for the company to do, most notably in the extended scene set in The Golden Garter at the beginning of Act One, and a good range of leading and supporting principal roles.  The score is packed with timeless classics, such as “The Deadwood Stage”, “The Black Hills of Dakota”, and of course “My Secret Love”.

Perhaps inevitably, the piece also presents some peculiar challenges: attitudes towards Native Americans, for example, while no doubt reflecting the era in which the musical is set, and probably the era in which it was written, will prove uncomfortable for many modern audiences.  The character of Calamity herself is also problematic, as arguably the piece is an early exploration of gender roles within a patriarchal Society.  The denouement in particular can all too easily be interpreted as a capitulation to male expectations – and the director sidestepped this particular issue by having Calamity make compromises with her wedding outfit – white, yes, but no gown for her.

There was some gender-blind casting amongst the supporting roles and chorus, which was great in terms of packing more cowboys into The Golden Garter and offering up opportunities to a wider range of company members, but seemed slightly odd when you remember that the whole piece is about Calamity Jane muscling into the macho world of American frontiersmen.  For the most part the company did an excellent job bringing The Golden Garter to life, including some important detailing such as how the cowboys stood and sat.

The more capable dancers, notably the saloon girls, were given challenging routines, many of which were so energetic and flashy that they required high levels of aerobic fitness.  I could only admire the way in which the dancers kept smiling throughout!  The troupe in Adelaide’s dressing room demonstrated how ostrich feathers can add glitz and glamour to any dance routine.

The set served its purpose admirably, and included lots of clever touches such as the reversible windows in the cabin.  The walkway round the orchestra pit was quite narrow and can’t have been easy to negotiate under the stage lights, but it was employed to good effect in numbers such as “The Black Hills of Dakota”, while also serving to bring the band right into the heart of the show.

And that’s very much where they belonged.  From the opening notes of the overture the sumptuous strings, strident brass, warm woodwind and controlled percussion drew you right into the story and promised a good time.  The balance between the parts was very good, and the band as a whole rarely if ever threatened to overwhelm the ensemble.

This production of “Calamity Jane” was a hugely enjoyable reminder of why this show deserves its place on any list of great classic musicals, and a considerable achievement bearing in mind that preparations and rehearsals only truly got underway in November.

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