Big-screen musicals come to life

MUSIC IS THE universal language of mankind, said Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and that truism was once again underlined in the concert “Hollywood: Sound of Cinema” on September 27, part of Bangkok’s 18th International Festival of Dance and Music. 

The audience comprised a diverse crowd from all walks of life – children seated besides their grandparents, Thais besides expats – all brought together by the music, a pleasant sight at the Thailand Cultural Centre.

This was a show I really looked forward to this year. Somehow “Hollywood” spelled fun and entertainment. And what better way to end a busy day than with an excellent live concert? This production, created by Scalatheater, a 57-year-old company, has won several awards overseas and enjoyed successful tours of China and Europe. 

The theatre was full and the crowd very appreciative. They waved, stood and danced, getting into the swing of things. 

The show didn’t start strong, but it kept getting better. It took a few songs for the mood to warm up, as initially the audience was restrained and quiet. The singers too appeared a little out of breath. But then it got impressive. 

The stage, lighting and sound were kept deliberately simple but complemented the performers well, so they really stood out. The costumes were great, very revealing and very creative – they played their part in adding to the atmosphere and liveliness. 

The highlight was, surprisingly, not the singers but the dancers. In a concert, outstanding voices are expected, but the dancers – who would have thought? 

I soon realised, though, that it was a flawless combination, thanks to the experienced director, Sina Selensky, who also owns the theatre company.

My favourite part of the show was Lisa Aberer’s solo rendition of “Lady Marmalade” from the movie musical “Moulin Rouge”. It was impressive and doubly sexy when the lyrics were paired with sensual choreography. 

Things then got frantic when everyone was up and doing the “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, an excellent choice for the first attempt to get the shy audience dancing. 

I also loved the 007-themes medley “Goldfinger”, “Writing on the Wall” and “Skyfall”. It was remarkable and very satisfying indeed for any James Bond fan. 

Aside from these highlights, the show took us down memory lane with “It’s in His Kiss” from “Mermaids”, the “Ghostbusters” theme and my all-time favourite from “Grease”, “You Are the One That I Want”. 

And I just got goose bumps when Lydia Gritz soloed on “My Heart |Will Go On” from “Titanic”, revealing a truly powerful voice, and then |James Carrow had us spellbound |with “Purple Rain” in a tribute to Prince.

The one thing I have always loved about concerts imported from overseas is that they almost always start and end right on time, as this one did with a single intermission. 

Initially I worried that the intermission would kill the buzz, but that didn’t happen. On the contrary, in the second half the crowd got even louder and, with everyone fully warmed up, the show got better both onstage and off. 

Additionally, the event was blessed with a rain-free evening, so traffic was light. Plus, it wasn’t too cold in the hall. All in all we had a delightful journey. The two hours went by swiftly. 

And what’s not to love about a live band? 

There were some songs I didn’t know well enough to sing along to, but who cared? The singers, the band and the lively dancers made everything exciting. The concert was like a television series with one big Hollywood theme, and every segment packed a punch. 

The promotional material promised that the concert would take us “on a magnificent journey through Hollywood’s famous film music”, and that’s exactly what it did.