A hybrid musical with dance and calisthenics, Amazing Grace: New York, New York has many moments of exhilaration and others that don’t work quite as well.
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Photos by Jodie Hutchinson
The positives are the strength of the vocalists, the quality of the 11-piece band, the energy and nimbleness of the 40 plus performers and the surfeit of colourful, pretty and elegant costuming.
The chorus numbers work a treat and two singers – Stephanie Wall and Nigel Huckle – stand out for the purity of their voices. A couple of their solos are breathtaking.
I wasn’t as sold on the choice of music as a whole. It is a combination of older and more modern Broadway, some of which I wasn’t familiar with or didn’t warm to the arrangements. Nor could I understand the apparent random nature of when the tunes appeared on the program.
There were a few flat patches in the show, where those on stage didn’t appear to have enough to do. At these junctures I found there wasn’t ample variety in the calisthenic routines. So, some of the choreography was inspired, but not all.
It may be a tool of the trade, but a couple of baton twirling numbers left me cold ... and one started the second act. Not the greatest choice, in my eyes. I say ditch the batons altogether. Add more tap instead.
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Overall, while – make no mistake – there is a lot to like and celebrate, the show struggles to sustain its 100-minute running time (plus 20-minute interval).
It is simply not consistently engaging enough. Mind you, if everything was as dynamic and assured as the final two numbers that would be a different story.
Directed by Karen Jemison, Amazing Grace: New York, New York is playing at The National Theatre in St Kilda until 2nd February, 2020.