So, the 2023 challenge to the one who hates Christmas. Twelve months ago, it was the D-Day Darlings’ Christmas offering; this time around, Bournville Musical Theatre Company (BMTC) gave me A Very Musical Christmas. And I must say, I still think I was conned into going as I was under the impression that it would not be all Christmas songs. “No,” my partner told me, “I said it wasn’t all Christmas Carols.” Wow, Antony, please enter Room 101. With that said, you know you’re going to get honest feedback, even if I’m not keen on the subject matter.
The show consisted of 30+ in the cast, supported well by a 4-piece band led by Chris Corcoran with production in the hands of Lily Moore and Stuart McDiarmid. As for the test, would it make the biggest Bah Humbug feel remotely Christmassy? It did, if only for one moment during Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, sung in lovely fashion by Randy Johnson. There I found myself transported back to childhood, reminiscing about being curled up with Bing Crosby on the television and a nice warm fire. So, if that could be done to me, then 99% of those who were into the Christmas spirit would have gone home happy.
Top number of the night for me was Into the Unknown (Frozen 2) performed excellently by Sophie Wood and Joanne Kandola, with Kandola also singing my second favourite in Do You Want to Build a Snowman (The first Frozen). And no, it was not because they were the only non-Christmas tunes of the night, I just enjoyed them most, and I’m not even a particular fan of Frozen. These were closely followed by Lewis Doley and Natalie Buzzard with Fairytale of New York during a Christmas Rocks Medley. Other numbers that stood out for me were Never Fall in Love with an Elf (Rhian Clements), A Christmas Song (Chloe Turner & Tay Noronah-Hall) and Once Upon a December (Claire Brough).
Other numbers included It Feels Like Christmas, A Christmas Carol, I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day, Merry Xmas Everybody and the classic, White Christmas. There was good choreography, spread out from Sadie Lovelady, Claire Brough, Chloe Turner, Lotte Flynn, Josh Goodwin, Helen Gauntlett and Lisa Colvin-Grieve. One thing I did find frustrating, though, was the positioning in some full chorus numbers where shorter singers were behind those taller in the front row. Despite sitting on raised seats, there were several performers I simply could not see.
Overall, it was a well put-together production that embraced the spirit of Christmas with the audience joining in towards the end, even if it was still November at the time. Arrgh! But everyone enjoyed it, and that’s what counts.
Cheers.
Antony N Britt
* Photos taken from social media.
Antony N Britt - Author 