2 February 2018
Face the Music IV – A Tale of Two Cities was a triumph, not just of musical talent, but also of stamina, memory and versatility. With a superb live band, the company performed more than 20 numbers from seven musicals, many of which were large, impressive ensemble pieces. The students hardly seemed to leave the stage before they appeared again in another guise and yet the commitment and energy levels were unwaveringly high.
The first half began in 1950s New York, with powerful and humorous numbers from Westside Story, including America and Officer Krupke, before crossing the Atlantic for a selection of songs from the very British Cats.
Excerpts from Broadway musicals A Chorus Line, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls and Sweet Charity continued to entertain a packed auditorium, before a final move in time and place to Dickensian London for a fabulous finale from Lionel Bart’s Oliver!
The standard was, as ever, phenomenal, the soloists fantastic, and the memory of the faultlessly executed group numbers will linger long. Bravo!