Musical numbers galore for Mack and Mabel show
THE members of CTC continue to show their considerable talents with their production of Mack and Mabel at the Loughborough Town Hall.
The strength of the show is the many outstanding musical numbers composed by the great Jerry Herman, coming from the book written by Michael Stewart. This counters the fact that the two main characters, Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, are simply not likeable. Add in a sad ending and one can understand that it only ran on Broadway in New York City for less than two months in 1974.
The plot is told in flashback by Sennett, starting in 1911 and taking the audience through his time in the film business and his somewhat stormy at times relationship with Normand, culminating in her death in 1930 at the age of 37.
The show first appeared in the UK in 1981 and has featured since then at both regional theatres and local theatres.
Sennett was responsible for, among other things portrayed on the big screen, mass involvement of characters in custard pie fights, the Keystone Cops and his Bathing Beauties, all featured in Mack and Mabel and all standard features in Sennett silent films. Also coming across quite clearly is Sennett’s view that his way was always the right way – indeed, he felt talking films simply wouldn’t last, and he was only interested in the silent movie.
Capturing these two characters was not easy, and all credit to Gareth Wynne as Sennett and Holly Easter as Normand in how they captured the portrayal of these two characters. Both Mr Wynne and Miss Easter possess outstanding singing voices, and there were enough numbers in the show for these talents to come to the fore.
Anja Zeman was given opportunity to show both her singing and dancing skills as Lottie Ames, and here I must give credit to Lottie and the Female Ensemble, and to the tap choreography of Frankie Johnson, for the tremendous number ‘Tap Your Troubles Away’.
I previously mentioned Mr Herman’s compositions for the show, and there is no weak link in any of the songs. A special example of Mr Herman’s work has to be ‘I Won’t Send Roses’, a marvellous song that can stand on its own away from the show and superbly sung here by Mr Wynne.
I also mentioned earlier about the CTC members considerable talents, and credit to the whole company for some great singing and outstanding dancing, well choreographed by Michael Gamble.
Director Julie Easter and Musical Director Vicki Hing take the show and, despite its sad ending with the passing of Normand and Sennett being declared bankrupt in the early 1930s, the company take the songs and makes one leave the theatre with them firmly and happily In your mind.
Next up for CTC will be the 1920s set musical ‘Chicago’.
By John Bryson