Dance ‘Til Dawn at the Bristol Hippodrome Review
Dance ‘Til Dawn
Bristol Hippodrome
23-28 March 2015
Reviewed by Siobhan Bridgwater
If this were an Ofsted inspection report, I would say Dance ’til Dawn was good with some outstanding features. Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace’s latest vehicle to showcase their considerable talents was an enjoyable night and they deserved the standing ovation at the end of the evening for incredible stamina, during their faultless performances, alone.
I would have preferred a straight evening of dance and music from this popular pair of Strictly stars, and their fellow musicians and dancers, but instead the dance was interwoven into a private detective story with a well-worn script where the love interest, Tony Deluca (Vincent) is framed for a murder he did not commit and seems destined to a life of misery in prison until the beautiful heroine Sadie Strauss (Flavia) steps in to save the day. The weak storyline is heroically limped along by poor Teddy Kempner, who plays the investigator Tommy Dubrowski, and Abbie Osmon, in the role of Lana Clemenza, whose attempts to provide some sort of structure and humour to the evening, are received with a varied reception.
The drama aside, the array of high energy dance routines full of show girls, crooks and a band of coppers is cleverly punctuated with solo performances primarily by the strong and steady Vincent and the exquisitely graceful beauty of Flavia. Karen Bruce’s direction and choreography, along with that from the shows stars, is perfectly timed throughout and packed full of fun and style.
The solo pieces were accompanied by the wonderful theatre band and principal singer, Oliver Darley whose rich tones pierce across the auditorium and provides a memorable score for the evening.
As always, the Bristol Hippodrome provided the perfect setting with all the glamour and beauty a show like this richly deserves, complementing the beautiful 1940s Hollywood stage setting, costumes and lighting perfectly.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £12.90 to £51.90 (plus £4 transaction fee).
Dance ‘Til Dawn is at the Bristol Hippodrome until 28 March 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3012.
Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, BS1 4UZ | 0844 871 3012
