I saw it twice at the Royal Festival Hall and really enjoyed it, Renée Fleming sounds wonderful and her acting is pretty solid too: she's more of a dramatic actress than a comedian, and she's not as funny as Victoria Clark was on stage, but the scenes where she discusses Clara's mental health and her marriage are very moving. Her The Beauty Is (Reprise) is an absolute highlight. She's no Meryl Streep but the acting is way more than just serviceable, nothing to do with Bryn Terfel's abysmal acting in Sweeney Todd. She has so many costume changes, even in moments that are really not appropriate, which is a bit distracting.
Dove Cameron has a pretty little voice and acts the part well, but it is Rob Houchen that steals the show as Frabrizio. Lovely supporting performances from Alex Jennings and Celinde Schoenmaker as Franca. The set is very minimal and the orchestra is above the stage - rightly so, since it's the star of the production.
Reviews have been average, around 3 stars, pointing out that the venue is totally wrong for the show (which is true), but also criticising the stereotypical representation of Italians. Which is actually quite interesting, I don't remember reviews pointing that out almost 15 years ago. But they have a point, the book is not particularly fair on Italian people and particularly Giuseppe is a vulgar caricature.
Updated On: 6/23/19 at 12:23 PM
