Calamity Jane

For the benefit of current and future generations of Trinity thespians sifting through the musical archives I must explain why this review focuses on the visual rather than the aural aspect of the production. On opening night yours truly was the victim of otitis externa (inflamed ear canal) which not only robbed him of maybe 75% of hearing capacity but what little sound did penetrate sounded like it came from the bottom of the crick outside Calam’s cabin. Any dodgy American accents or bum notes, if there were any, were simply filtered out. However, there was nothing wrong with my eyes so I apologise in advance for allowing my critical gaze to remain firmly fixed on what I saw and to ignore what I did or didn’t hear.

What I saw was very pleasing indeed. The sets were extremely good, particularly the Golden Garter set with its sumptuous ruched red show curtain. The insets were all effective and there was no shortage of flown-in signs welcoming various artistes to the Golden Garter. Costumes too were lovely, particularly the ladies dresses and the men’s western outfits. The showgirls may have benefited from frilly knickers and the soldiers’ uniforms looked a little too chocolate box for my taste but perhaps I am being picky.   

The dumb show during the overture, foreshadowing Calamity Jane’s alternating love interests through the show, was an interesting additional feature I had not seen before and the procession through the auditorium with the wagon hoops, during The Black Hills number, also added extra interest. The ensemble numbers were lively, especially those involving the showgirls, whose choreography was upbeat and fun; I particularly liked the creation of the stage-coach with piano and parasols in the first big number and the appearance of an actual stage-coach in the final scene of Act 2. There were some sightline issues during the first scene when the company, stage left, blocked vision of the bar and the business of Calamity giving out presents. However, that may have been a first night gremlin.

The principals did a fine job and no one more so than the eponymous heroine, Calamity Jane. Corrina Wilson convincingly played the tough-talking, rough-shooting star of this show, dominating the stage when she was on it (and there weren’t many scenes when she wasn’t), combining a swaggering style with a latent femininity we knew was not far beneath the surface.  David Slater’s Wild Bill Hickok kept Calamity in check when necessary and easily managed the changes in style from the rumbustious Careless with the Truth to the romantic My Secret Love.  Charlotte Reid was an attractive and confident Katie Brown, deferring to the more experienced Adelaide Adams in Act 1 (lovely cameo from Helen Wilson) on the one hand but leading her suitors by the nose in Act 2.   Patrick Willis was a tall and handsome Danny Gilmartin who seemed to relish his clinches with Katie, while Mark Clements was a suitably diffident yet game Francis Fryer, especially in drag. I feel that Francis should have been given some sort of bust in order to suspend the reveal until the wig came off. As it was he did look rather masculine. David Ehren was a very strong Millie, cigar in hand as a comfort blanket, and Kate Harrison was a delightful Susan. This was a thoroughly enjoyable show and what I did hear, mostly the singing since it was amplified, was very good indeed. I do hope you attract bigger houses as the week progresses; you deserve them.

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