An Officer And A Gentleman is a brand new musical, based on the 1982 American romantic drama film starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett Jr.
It tells the story of Zack, a United States Navy Aviation Officer Candidate who is beginning his training and, through the bravado, meets his first true girlfriend - a local girl called Paula. He faces a number of challenges along the way, almost quitting and dropping out of the running, but the story is a real tale of positivity triumphing over failure.
The film version of the show is held in high esteem by many - it might not hold the cult status of Dirty Dancing or Flashdance but it comes a very close second and as we entered the auditorium there was an air of trepidation about how this could translate to the stage. But from the first musical number the fears were allayed and the audience fell in love with the story all over again.
Jonny Fines (Annie) takes on the titular role and steps into Gere's shoes with ease. His performance was convincing, slick and emotional, bringing a raw take on the part that didn't mimic the original. His vocal efforts were exceptional and his demeanour such that everyone in the auditorium felt a comapssion for his plight that's so difficult to generate.
Olivier-nominated Emma Williams' (Half A Sixpence) interpretation of Paula was the perfect compliment to Fines' take on Zack. With a clear chemistry that would lead you to easily assume they'd played the role for years rather than months, it becomes so much easier to appreciate nuances of characters and the skill of the actors portraying when you don't have to try and believe in the story to begin with. That was certainly the case here.
Ray Shell takes on the inimitable Emil Foley and - to be frank - absolutely smashes it. Shell's list of credits, including the original companies of Starlight Express and Miss Saigon speaks for itself and to say he's an incredibly safe pair of hands to put the character in is in no way an understatement. He's charismatic, strong but with a certain sense of vulnerability at the end of the show and is a pleasure to watch.
The staging and lighting is the second element of the jigsaw that makes this such an awesome spectacle. Clever, dynamic and overbearing (but in a good way!) they allow the scene to be set and the story to be told on another level. Add in one of the BEST soundtracks and you're in to a sure fire winner. Yes it makes it more of a jukebox musical - but when the cast are belting out Bon Jovi and John Parr then, frankly, I can live with it!
An Officer And A Gentleman runs until Saturday at Birmingham Hippodrome. For more information, or to get tickets, head to birminghamhippodrome.com.
