November 12, 2007
Coming to Oxford on the tail end of a four month national tour, Dancing in the Streets is perhaps best described as a celebration of Motown music, bringing together a collection of classic hits from some of the most well-known and influential Motown artists of the 1960s and 70s. The result: an energetic and enjoyable evening of fabulous singing, dancing, wigs and dazzling outfits that, on tonight’s evidence, will leave you dancing and singing your way back home.
The show is held together by master of ceremonies Courtney Buchanan, whose immediate rapport with the audience gets them whooping with delight and in the perfect mindset from the outset. The hits keep coming as individual singers take to the stage with the live band: Smokey Robinson’s ‘Tracks of My Tears’; Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once in My Life’; The Supremes ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’. The list is endless. Particularly impressive, however, are Wayne Anthony-Cole’s renditions of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ and ‘Let’s Get it On’, as well as the Lionel Richie performances (‘Endless Love’, with Diana Ross, and ‘Three Times a Lady’) – both strikingly different in sound and attitude but evoking that same sense of ‘soul’ and sincerity.
Not only do the 11-strong cast deserve praise for the astonishing speed in which they change from one costume into another before taking to the stage again, but also for meeting the varied and tough vocal demands of the singers they imitate in such an accomplished fashion. The dance routines and facial expressions are also well-researched and practiced, so much so that at times (in particular with Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross), the resemblance is remarkably uncanny.
The best line of the evening goes to Courtney Buchanan, who says of The Temptations: ‘These guys are so hot their suits are made of asbestos…We got a fire brigade waitin’ outside. Hold on to your seats ladies.’ Cue much laughter and cheering as the blue-suited, slick-looking Temptations take to the stage with a performance of the famous ‘My Girl’, which has everyone singing along and clapping even louder.
What makes Dancing in the Streets such an important production and a joy to watch is the way in which it brings to light the staggering talent that was around in the Motown era, and the influence that Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson et al have had on musicians ever since. As tonight showed, whatever your age, gender, or musical background, there’s something for everyone to appreciate in this show, as well as hook lines and choruses that you cannot help but sing along to. My only recommendation would be that if you want to see this show sitting down, it is wise to book a seat in the circle – there is not much chance of staying seated in the stalls!
The show is held together by master of ceremonies Courtney Buchanan, whose immediate rapport with the audience gets them whooping with delight and in the perfect mindset from the outset. The hits keep coming as individual singers take to the stage with the live band: Smokey Robinson’s ‘Tracks of My Tears’; Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once in My Life’; The Supremes ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’. The list is endless. Particularly impressive, however, are Wayne Anthony-Cole’s renditions of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ and ‘Let’s Get it On’, as well as the Lionel Richie performances (‘Endless Love’, with Diana Ross, and ‘Three Times a Lady’) – both strikingly different in sound and attitude but evoking that same sense of ‘soul’ and sincerity.
Not only do the 11-strong cast deserve praise for the astonishing speed in which they change from one costume into another before taking to the stage again, but also for meeting the varied and tough vocal demands of the singers they imitate in such an accomplished fashion. The dance routines and facial expressions are also well-researched and practiced, so much so that at times (in particular with Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross), the resemblance is remarkably uncanny.
The best line of the evening goes to Courtney Buchanan, who says of The Temptations: ‘These guys are so hot their suits are made of asbestos…We got a fire brigade waitin’ outside. Hold on to your seats ladies.’ Cue much laughter and cheering as the blue-suited, slick-looking Temptations take to the stage with a performance of the famous ‘My Girl’, which has everyone singing along and clapping even louder.
What makes Dancing in the Streets such an important production and a joy to watch is the way in which it brings to light the staggering talent that was around in the Motown era, and the influence that Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson et al have had on musicians ever since. As tonight showed, whatever your age, gender, or musical background, there’s something for everyone to appreciate in this show, as well as hook lines and choruses that you cannot help but sing along to. My only recommendation would be that if you want to see this show sitting down, it is wise to book a seat in the circle – there is not much chance of staying seated in the stalls!