High Society review – smooth music is never wrong but the music is heavenly | Theater

FA few years ago, the Barbican staged the first of three Cole Porter concerts in a row. A successful revival of Anything Goes it was fun, loud and perfectly polished. Kiss me, Kate he followed, and now this show, about the romantic scenes of the American East Coast Gentry.

Unrelenting in her music and dancing, she is perfectly prepared from the moment a (spoiled) multi-layered cake is rolled out at an upcoming Long Island wedding. But there is something missing in the love triangle between Tracy Lord (Helen George), her ex-husband Dexter (Julian Ovenden) and best friend George (David Seadon-Young) – and undercover reporter Mike (Freddie Fox) is thrown into the love pot for success.

The lack of something makes it a cartoon without any human drama, even Felicity Kendal’s parts for Mother Lord and Nigel Lindsay’s Uncle Willie. It has the same float as the 1956 film on which it was partially based (along with Philip Barry’s 1939 play The Philadelphia Story). But it doesn’t have that source of beautiful material things, humorousness and central thoughts.

There is very little love between the parties in the middle, and a lack of common interest. You don’t know who these people are, what they are and what they want. George’s Tracy doesn’t quite seem like an oriental princess despite her (very nasal?) Long Island accent. Ovenden is good as the character of Dexter and Fox also has strong points so there are no conflicts needed in this wonky love story to give them. It just swims in tune, literally.

There is no interest in looking at these rich people, who were cleverly photographed in the film by the young journalist Frank Sinatra – first to protest against this kind of thing, then to melt in front of the beautiful ice queen Grace Kelly. Here, Mike announces his “Bolshevism” by entering a famous house (a great work by the artist Tom Rogers), and says that “money rots the soul”, but he seems to lose himself in music and dance. Fellow artist Liz (Carly Mercedes Dyer), at least, seems to secretly raise her eyebrows at these stupid rich people.

Arthur Kopit’s book is still in wood. Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the show seems so busy entertaining us with music and visuals – and Anthony Van Laast’s lovely choreography – that it forgets the importance of story, character, emotion.

The music is heavenly though – how could it not be? – and the perky Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, True True Love and Divine Infectious Now You’ve Got Jazz. They he does enjoy clear surround sound and great sound quality. But, even the longer version of Let’s Misbehave, comes across as calm, frivolous and well-mannered.

So, lots of comedy but like Tracy’s drunkenness on the eve of her wedding to George, there’s no real, fun comedy.