From the golden age of Hollywood musicals, Calamity Jane has been a firm favourite with the public since it was first released in 1953, a star vehicle for box office favourites Doris Day and Howard Keel. This is a rare example of a movie musical that became a stage show, rather than the other way around, with its breezy earworms courtesy of Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics).
If you haven't seen the movie, we'll tell you the action centres on the remote gold rush town of Deadwood in the American West where Calamity Jane, a tomboy who commands a gun, is secretly in love with army Lieutenant, handsome Danny Gilmartin. However, she is bated at every turn by cowboy Wild Bill Hickok, in what seems to be a love-hate relationship. Excitement brews when owner of the local bar and showroom has booked the actress Frances Fryer to perform for the town. However, the townsfolk are demayed when due to a communication error, a Francis Fryer does turn up. A male comic, not the sexy singer they were expecting. As all hell breaks loose, Calamity enters the fray by promising to bring to the the town the most famous of all vaudeville stars and 'the toast of Broadway', Adelaid Adams. So off she goes to 'Chicagee' to bag her prey. When she encounters Adelaid's maid backstage, she mistakes her for the star and Katie Brown, who aspires to be like her employer, encourages the deception and heads to Deadwood with Calam to make her debut as 'Adelaid Adams'...
And so begins one of the greatest romantic-comedy musicals in Hollywood history. But with such firm expectations from the theatre audience, it would be easy to mis-step and deliver a dud. But thankfully this Jamie Wilson Production (which has its roots back in 2014) has found gold in the hills above Dakota, with an actor-musician version which delights from the off. So skilled are the onstage ensemble, that its easy to forget that most of them are multi-tasking throughout. Director Nikolai Foster makes sure the pace is fast and the show zips along like the Deadwood Stage, as the performers play out Calamity's story for the faithful.
The pivotal role of Calamity Jane was originally played onstage in the UK by Lynda Marchal, later to become the best selling novelist Lynda La Plante. Subsequently (Dame) Barbara Windsor, Toyah Willcox and Jodie Prenger have all had a crack of Calamity's whip. For this latest tour, social media darling and musical theatre veteran Carrie Hope Fletcher embodies CJ with a bold attack. Fletcher's voice is her strongest armour, her clear tones reach their zenith with a beautiful rendition of 'Secret Love', and she also manages to carry off the comedic aspects to the role with aplomb too. Vinny Coyle matches her with wild machismo as Bill Hickock, his own voice causing some swooning among the older ladies as he performs 'Higher Than A Hawk' accompanying himself on the guitar. Seren Sandham-Davies delivers a masterclass of conflicted emotions as Katie Brown, aspiring vaudevillian and rival for the heart of Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (a lovely performance from Luke Wilson in an underwritten role). A word too for Samuel Holmes, whose disappointing arrival in Deadwood sets off the chain of events, his discomfort when trying to hoodwink the Deadwoodians whilst in drag is a memorable moment from the show. The show is opened by the bushy bearded Rattlesnake (Richard Lock), strumming his banjo leading an audience singalong, his light hearted moments help us bond with the characters on stage and he's a wonderful entry into the romp that follows.
Despite the quality of the leads, this is very much an ensemble show, where the versatility of the performers is a joy to watch, as they act, sing, dance and play their instruments throughout the show. Britain clearly has got talent! Matthew Wright's set and costumes conjur up the Amercian west perfectly, and with a few simple prop changes we can go from the bar in Deadwood to backstage in Chicago to Calam's shack on the edge of town via the famous Deadwood stagecoach.
The stage version contains six songs (added in 1961) not included in the movie but it is those classic songs that the audience are so familiar with that the audience have come to hear, including 'Whip Crack Away', 'Tis Harry I'm Planning To Marry', 'Just Blew In From The Windy City', the aforementioned 'Secret Love' and perhaps most endearingly 'The Black Hills Of Dakota' which had the audience singing happily along.
Rob & Ian
Further information on the tour can be found at the CALAMITY JANE TOUR OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
Further listening:
We can only be very predictable and ask you to check out the original film soundtrack. It may be over 70 years old, but by gosh it stands the test of time.
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