City of Angels: A Thrilling and Seductive Homage to Hollywood Glamour

Musicals are my passion. And I know I share it with quite a nice bunch of theatregoers. This passion is not born out of nowhere. It is nourished by productions like the Donmar Warehouse‘s “City of Angels”.

Sadly, due to the current situation with coronavirus, Garrick Theatre had to suspend the performances until further notice. But when (and not if) the theatre opens again its doors for the public, do not miss the show from your radar!

ROSALIE CRAIG AS GABBY AND BOBBI, © MATT CROCKETT FOR DEWYNTERS

“City of Angels” does not offer already traditional tactics of modern theatre like blind casting or modernisation of any kind. And allow me to say it looks quite refreshing. Guys and Dolls look exactly like guys and dolls, with glamorous 1940s hair and outfits to die for. But behold! “Nothing’s black and white when a dame is involved” – the creators of the musical kindly warn us.

The musical comedy was premiered in 1989 on Broadway and is an homage to great detective stories and the divas of 1940s Hollywood. Think Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth or Black Dahlia. The story is based on a book by Larry Gelbart whose screenplay for “Tootsie” shines bright in his resume. The music is written by late maestro Cy Coleman, composer and jazz pianist, whose evergreens appeared in “The Man in the High Castle”, “The Marvellous Mrs Maisel” and many many more.

HADLEY FRASER AS STINE © MATT CROCKETT FOR DEWYNTERS

And if all this is not enough to make you run to the box office, here is the list of the stars singing, dancing, betraying and fighting for you on the stage: a seductive Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina Slater from “Ugly Betty”), golden voices of Rosalie Craig and Rebecca Trehearn, extraordinary Jonathan Slinger, multitalented Hadley Fraser as crafty writer Stine, and Theo James (a very much swooned over Four in “Divergent”) as Stone’s literary alter ego detective Stone.

I would like to mention two more main “characters” of the show – the lighting and videos. The way Howard Harris and Nina Dunn made them live and perform together with the actors is extraordinary.

When the show finishes with the “I am nothing without you” tune, it becomes clear that seeing it only once is not enough. So I won’t be surprised to see the same faces next time I am there.