Theatre
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park, London
William Russell
**** (Four stars)
Rachel Kavanaugh's direction, terrific dancing, a gorgeous leading lady in Laura Pitt-Pulford as Milly, the skivvy who marries backwoodsman Adam Pontipee to escape a life of drudgery, only to discover he has six brothers, are the compelling reasons for going to see this splendid revival of the 1982 Broadway show.
It is based on Stanley Donen's 1954 movie with music by Gene De Paul. The sexual politics of the tale were pretty suspect even then. Inspired by the rape of the Sabine women, the women kidnap six girls from the town in the valley below to be their wives. That central plot driver should be even more off putting today, but largely because Milly is placed centre stage, which helps minimise the rampant chauvinism of the plot, it somehow avoids offence.
Ms Pitt-Pulford has a fine voice, lots of charm and delivers a feisty performance to relish. As Adam, however, Alex Gaumond has his work cut out, and somehow never quite cuts the dash he ought, unlike Howard Keel in the movie. The songs added to the film score by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn are serviceable - one does not leave humming them - but why De Paul's When You're in Love has been dropped from the stage version is a mystery. However all the other hits are there, the big dance number at the social is spectacular, even if the barn raising which follows, and is a highlight of the film, does not quite come off.
This is as good a revival of the Broadway show as one could hope for, even if it does not eclipse the movie..
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