Calamity Jane

I really enjoyed your production of Calamity Jane. Having only seen the film before, it was very interesting to see the differences between the theatre and the screen versions, especially the songs that were added to the stage version, as it happened these were some of my favourite songs in the production.

As the show jumps between five different locations, it was a clever idea to make the staging simple and easy to move. This had the advantage of making the scene changes mostly quick and straightforward and showed that simple done well, can be effective. I loved the use of a piano as a fireplace and a stagecoach, the latter being a brilliant idea that worked tremendously. However, it would have been nice if this stagecoach moment, and indeed Katie’s exit, could have lasted just a little longer, as these ended up being blink and miss them moments.

I wanted to congratulate all of the cast for their American accents which didn’t falter during any of the talking scenes or become difficult  to understand (sometimes a danger when doing accents). Apart from their lovely articulation, I was also impressed with those cast members that managed to keep up their accents whilst singing, as this is not always an easy task.

Everyone in the cast worked well together and a real feeling of team work oozed off the stage  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and I felt there was good chemistry between Calamity and Bill, especially in the second act. The company’s enjoyment was really evident whenever the dancers were on the stage, their very presence elevating every scene they were in. A huge pat on the back to Lisa and Vikki for the dancer’s choreography and hopefully these two young choreographers will continue to ply their talent to many other local shows.

The highlights of the performance had to be The Golden Garter Show (although there was a strange incident, just before it started, during Henry’s speech!)  The Golden Garter Show was bustling with energy; entertaining and fun and this was mostly due to the comic performance of George Flint as Francis. George was entertaining all the way through the show, as was Richard Walters who was exceptionally good as Wild Bill Hickok. However, George and Richard’s performances pale in comparison to the performance of Richard’s amazing facial hair, which was truly the star of the show (I mean what a fantastic goatee!) If the Garter show was the comic highlight then the most touching moment was The Black Hills of Dakota, which was absolutely lovely and really well performed with beautiful harmonies. Well done.

On the night I watched the show, there were technical issues with the sound and it was very hard to hear those cast members who were not wearing a mic, in fact there was one pour soul who acted his socks off all night, but I never heard any of his lines. There were also issues with feedback through the speakers, which thankfully only occurred a few times. There were also a few instances of blocking, but these were mostly minor characters and only very occasionally. It’s also worth mentioning that it was great to see all of the performers remembering to partake in background acting, this can sometimes be neglected especially when the main action is on the other side of the stage.  However, it may be worth reminding, background characters, that sometimes less is more as I found myself distracted a few times by the same performer who seemed to think they were in some sort of gurning competition!

A few silly niggles aside, this was a very good and thoroughly enjoyable production. It was especially lovely to see the level of audience participation. The audience were singing away and cheering for all their might (even during the raffle!) So thank you CUDOS, I had a real whip-crack-away time and I certainly won’t be keeping it under my hat.

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