Theatre Royal Drury Lane

I admit Sting was the primary reason I booked tickets--I love his music. From the moment he turns and reveals himself onstage (well in the air actually), the Sting lovers are satisfied. His acting was heart felt and his voice appropriately gritty given his character's illness. The woman who played his wife, Jackie Morrison, commanded the stage with her acting and singing. Her talent is undeniable. The many choral pieces were glorious. Stunning visual effects! I've read complaints that there are no memorable ditties (like "Memories" from Cats or "These are a few of my favorite things" from the Sound of Music, but I view the music as more operatic--music that moves the plot forward. (I just saw and loved Alcina, but I did not leave the ROH whistling a Handel ditty either!). Some additional shout outs: Lejaun Sheppard's performance as The Wallsend Ferryman elevated the story from a singular locality to a Greek-level universality of life and death. The dying scene (I will not spoil by revealing whose dying scene) was an expected emotional highlight. The scene where the women ward off the police was an unexpected emotional highlight. Finally, bravo to Sting for his humility--he bowed with the cast when he could have garnered minutes of applause on his own.

The beginning and the end were the most amazing moments for me. The background image, the stage, dances, lights and sound production were brilliant! And I admire Sting and his talent. I knew the story and most of the songs, as I watched them on YouTube many times; however, I didn't get all the spoken parts from some of the actors last night. Bar and program prices seemed reasonable.

While the music was at some point touching and engaging, the overall idea is disappointingly full of clichés. I expected a more risk-taking approach. There was nothing new or special about it, apart from Sting, which is probably why we were all there. The seats were ridiculously expensive.