Review: The Magic of Menken and Schwartz

 

Once Upon A Time... The Magic of Menken and Schwartz is 90 minute musical revue performed by In Good Company. This group have been bringing shows to the Watford Fringe for the past few of years and I’ve always just missed out on seeing them (often because they were sold out!), so it was a delight to be in the audience today.

Right from the beginning you know you're in the hands of confident and inventive performers. They set the atmosphere brilliantly, creating the gloomy rather chilling interior of Notre Dame by projecting gorgeous gothic stained glass windows onto the back of the stage and slow marching the performers onto stage dressed through the audience. Dressed as monks in flowing black robes, we were immediately immersed in the world they were creating.

Opening with a challenging piece from Hunchback is a bold, brave gesture and one which really paid off. The whole show was a celebration of Menken and Schwartz, two of the premier musical theatre writers of the current day and indeed of the past four decades. We were treated not just to a reminder of some of their most enduring hits like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Wicked, but also introduced to some of their lesson known works like Children of Eden and Working.

There was a good mix of solo pieces and small group numbers (a highlight being the sassy title track from Little Shop of Horrors) but for me the biggest delight was the ensemble pieces where the nearly 30 strong cast were all on stage together packing a mighty musical punch. They delivered not only great vocals but wonderful harmonies, choreography, costume... even the aforementioned use of projection was just evidence of how they were really pushing to go the extra mile. The eye was constantly dashing across the stage trying to keep up with all of the various action going on. This was musical theatre for musical theatre lovers, with all profits going to support local charity Electric Umbrella. I'd waited years to finally see In Good Company in action, they certainly proved worth the wait.