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Culture Musicals

Strictly Ballroom The Musical is strictly manipulative

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL adapted by Terry Johnson from the movie by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pierce (Mirvish). At the Princess of Wales (300 King West). Runs to June 25. $31.25-$139. 416-872-1212. See listing. Rating: NN

A musical stage version of the campy film Strictly Ballroom should be a no-brainer, right? Sequined singer/dancers, cheesy songs, bitchy goings-on behind the scenes of an outrageous Australian ballroom dancing competition. Whats not to love?

Well, crikey, mate, it turns out quite a lot. Unlike a show such as Mamma Mia!, this one features a narrative so patronizing and ridiculous and jokes that nudge you in the ribs so persistently that you dont care about the characters. Even the poppy AM radio songs, interspersed with some forgettable new ones, dont add much fun.

When potential ballroom champ Scott (Sam Lips) loses his partner, Liz (Lauren Stroud) to rival dancer Ken (Gary Watson), wallflower Fran (Gemma Sutton) offers to join him. She enjoys improvising dance moves something thats frowned upon by head judge Barry Fife (Julius DSilva) as much as Sam does.

This causes problems with Sams parents, who have a complicated ballroom dancing history of their own, which is revealed oh-so-clunkily in act two.

The movie worked largely because of the brittle tone and director Baz Luhrmanns kinetic camera. The musical fails because that tone wavers uneasily from satire to sentimentality.

Lips and especially Sutton are solid, watchable performers, and the show heats up when Frans Spanish family headed by Fernando Mira and Eve Polycarpou get in on the action.

But the spirit of the show is crass and calculated. Even the audience participation and the inclusion of two child hoofers, meant to be spontaneous and fun, turns out shamelessly manipulative.

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