High Society (Venue Cymru, Llandudno)

Archive: This review was first published on January 31, 2013 by the Daily Post

High Society has had a chequered history. It all began as a stage play in 1939 written by Philip Barry, but under the guise of The Philadelphia Story.

That was turned into a film the following year, also known as The Philadelphia Story, and then 16 years later came the Cole Porter musical film version, retitled High Society. And now it's back on the stage, but in musical form and still as High Society, at Llandudno's Venue Cymru.

It's a very pleasant tale of a New York socialite whose wedding plans start to go awry with the unexpected arrival of a handsome journalist as well as her ex-husband. There's really not very much more to the plot than that, and various predictable couplings, re-couplings and unrequited couplings either crash and burn, or take flight on the wind.

At the centre of all this is Tracy Lord, an attractive woman with a rather unattractive line in judging others without understanding people's failings. Tracy is criticised for her inability to see the human heart a number of times during the play, but the character's steeliness is more implied than witnessed first hand, so it is difficult for the audience to run with it. On the face of it, Tracy is simply a rather fun young woman who knows her own mind.

What makes the character of Tracy so likeable is an effervescent performance from Sophie Bould, who positively fizzes and glistens in the role with seemingly a great amount of ease. She's a natural for the part, she looks the part, and she can handle a trailing sequinned party dress while tap dancing on a kitchen counter, which shows she is of much greater means than your average socialite. A lesser actress with a less sparkling stage presence would have failed abysmally to humanise Tracy.

Tracy's eye is pulled in three directions in the play – firstly by her husband to be, the supremely dull George Kittredge (Keiron Crook); the smiley journalist Mike Connor (Any Dream Will Do's Daniel Boys); and her immediate ex, yacht designer Dexter Haven (Michael Praed). All three have their charms, but it's easy from quite early on to see that Tracy made a mistake leaving the suave, handsome, charming Dexter. Praed captures the elegance and poise of a wealthy man with a sorrowful secret to perfection. He is a man with a pleasant, jovial disposition but who hides the truth of his loss – that of Tracy.

Daniel Boys bounces around as hack Mike, who develops a tipsy attraction for Tracy at the booze-drenched combined hen and stag party the night before the wedding. Boys has a powerful voice honed perfectly for musical theatre, and him belting out You're Sensational in the second act is a powerhouse highlight.

The whole cast are great singers, but I was probably most impressed by Praed, who I didn't know as a singer, but who has done an awful lot of musical work in the past and deserves better recognition for it. He has a smooth, soulful voice, and coupled with Bould's beautiful tones during the gorgeous ballad True Love, he makes for an alluring matinee idol indeed.

A special mention for young Katie Lee as Tracy's little sister Dinah, a ball of energy and gossip who hurtles around the stage like a fright wig possessed, and who steals the show during the fun Paree, What Did You Do to Me? Dinah could so easily be annoying, but Lee is sublime as the wise-cracking ingénue, and could quite easily play a young Bonnie Langford if ever anybody thought it worthwhile to film her life story!

The trouble with High Society is not so much the slight, utterly predictable plot, but rather the almost complete absence of big tunes you might expect from a stage musical. When I ran my finger down the list in the programme before the show, I recognised just the one by title – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? – and during the show I realised I’d heard True Love before, but apart from those glimpses at Cole Porter's usual genius, I don't really rate the soundtrack.

I imagine Well, Did You Evah is supposed to be a show-stopping number, but there are very few memorable tunes, and certainly very few you could recall when pressed for a ditty after the show. Unless you know High Society the musical film, most of the songs here will be new to you – and will probably be forgotten quite quickly too.

The Philadelphia Story starred Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart, and High Society featured Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. It's virtually impossible to step into the shoes of these Hollywood legends, but Bould, Boys and Praed make a darn good fist of it.

See High Society if you're a hopeless romantic who likes "proper" singing with a live orchestra, but if you're in love with the film versions, you'll probably be a little underwhelmed by this perfectly splendid live version.

The stats

Writers: Cole Porter (music and lyrics); Susan Birkenhead (additional lyrics); Arthur Kopit (book); Philip Barry (play)

Director: Anna Linstrum

Cast: Marilyn Cutts (Margaret Lord); Katie Lee (Dinah Lord); Sophie Bould (Tracy Lord); Teddy Kempner (Uncle Willie); Michael Praed (Dexter Haven); Alex Young (Liz Imbrie); Daniel Boys (Mike Connor); Keiron Crook (George Kittredge); Craig Pinder (Seth Lord)

Performed at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, January 24 to February 2, 2013 (as part of a Music & Lyrics tour). Performance reviewed: January 29, 2013.

Links

High Society on Venue Cymru website (retrieved Jan 14 2015)

High Society: The Musical website (retrieved on Jan 14 2015)

Promotional video (retrieved Jan 14 2015)

Michael Praed backstage interview (retrieved Jan 14 2015)