We seem to be enjoying a run of movie to musical adaptations recently and the latest to fly into the Wales Millennium Centre this week is AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN.
The original movie starring Richard Gere was an incredible success back in 1982, with audiences heading to the cinema in their droves, making it one of the highest grossing movies of that year.
Fast forward 40 plus years and the show is doing the same on this current tour, thanks in part to an incredible soundtrack and a story which is tough, romantic and most of all, true.
You really can’t beat a musical which is crammed with so many recognisable songs, which is exactly what the audience thought last night when we caught up with them after the show. We also spoke to one of the stars, LUKE BAKER, who plays Zack (he’s the Richard Gere role in the story)……
We were at the Olivier Awards on Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall where the big winner was Sunset Boulevard. This production of An Officer is actually directed by NIKOLAI FOSTER who has put his talents to many shows, including another production of Sunset Boulevard, which was one of the first to be digitally streamed and described as a ‘masterpiece’. So, having his talents behind this show you just know it’s going to be something special.
And it’s the staging which give this production its edge. The set has an industrial feel to it but with the clever use of lighting and props which seamlessly come and go, you move from training ground, to barracks, bar to home environments. It’s a big old stage at the WMC and every inch of it is well used.
The story follows two men, Zack and Sid (PAUL FRENCH), both from very different backgrounds. Sid’s family are well off and Zack is the polar opposite, coming from a tougher environment and a young man troubled by the loss of his mother at a young age. His Dad (TIM ROGERS) is around but not the most pleasant of father figures. The two men are trying to make it through United States Naval Aviation training. We follow their challenges, along with the rest of the new recruits.
Of course there’s also the classic love story in the tale which is filled with passion, heart and a bit of tension from SINEAD LONG (Lynette) and MELANIE MASSON (Esther).
There’s a fantastic performance from JAMAL CRAWFORD who plays Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley. Just remember when you see the show that we are back in the 80s, a time when things were often said and done a little differently. Jamal plays the character perfectly, hard and heartless, till time and events pass by when we see a thawing of his emotions.
Of course, we go to a jukebox musical for the songs, and this one has some of the biggest and best from the 80s, with a few surprises thrown in to carry the storyline along. There are some real 80s fan favourites with Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper and so many more. Just like the decade itself, there’s an eclectic mix, all of which you will be singing on the way home.
The story at times is intense, and when you remember it’s true, it has even more impact. The cast carry the telling of it with great warmth and sensitivity and deliver those songs (something like 23 of them) with real emotion and fun, and believe me there are some real classic hits in this show.
The orchestra, under the musical supervision of GEORGE DYER are superb, recreating that familiar 80s sound and yet making each song sound fresh and new, which for a lot of the younger members of the audience I guess they are.
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN is a classic story, given a new lease of life in this stage production. Fans of the film will love this retelling of the story.
If the 80s is your thing, this is definitely right up your street, and for those of you who swooned back in the day at Richard Gere bursting in to ‘get the girl‘, dressed in his white suite and hat, Luke and Georgia don’t disappoint on that front.
The show is at the Wales Millennium Centre this week, through to Saturday 20th April. Tickets are on sale from HERE.
You can also take a look back at our original feature which includes five facts you definitely didn’t know about An Officer and a Gentleman (possibly) – HERE.
