The Glenn Miller Story at the Liverpool Empire Review
The Glenn Miller Story
Liverpool Empire
1-5 March 2016
Reviewed by Susan Trish
Tommy Steele – wrongly cast but still excellent in his own right…
Having only vague memories of my parents playing Glen Miller on the record player, I was unsure and open minded about The Glen Miller Story.
The Liverpool Empire was alive tonight that’s for sure!! There was a buzz about the place and excitement in the air. We picked up our tickets no problem and headed for the bar as we were early. Efficient and friendly as usual, we were served our drinks and took a seat to soak up the atmosphere. There is just something special about this theatre, no matter how many times you have been it is still stunning and the atmosphere is always electric.
The tannoy announced that the show was about to start so we headed to our seats. Tommy Steele himself greeted us with the opening scene, fondly reminiscing about the amazingly talented Mr Miller, with true adoration and respect in his voice.
The show loosely depicted a biography, starting right back when Glenn Miller was a youngster playing gig after relentless gig and getting nowhere fast whilst looking to establish his “sound”. The whole thing was a bit slow to begin with, with Miller eventually bumping into an old flame and school friend at a chance meeting, causing him to fall in love all over again and eventually marrying his Miss Helen Burger. Miss Burger, played by the amazingly talented Sarah Soetaert, was an absolute hit. Her singing was out of this world – we could have listened to her all night long!!
The second half then had a full house enthralled. Eventually Miller gets a big break, heading his own orchestra and sharing his “sound”. The story became a roll call of Miller greats – Chatatanooga Choo Choo, In The Mood, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Little Brown Jug, they were all there.
The amazing orchestra must get a mention – without a doubt a first class performance all round. The music is all beautifully performed and throughout the show an array of dancers capture the 40s in mesmeric style. The stage and set were changed with minimal disruption, yet captured the essence of each scene perfectly.
It was clear there is still a lot of affection for Steele, audience participation in the second half and a standing ovation at the end showed us that. His energy and spirits were high and he was having fun. However at 78 he is just not the right age to play 30-something Glenn Miller. There were awkward moments that reminded me of scenes from Dad’s Army, and watching a man of nearly 80 romancing a girl of 25 just didn’t feel right.
The Glenn Miller story itself however is really well portrayed. It brings moments of toe tapping, side swinging, hand clapping fun right through to almost shedding a tear at the tragic death of such an energetic and individual musician.
If you can get past the unusual casting, the show is a must see for any Glenn Miller fan.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £14.90 to £48.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
The Glenn Miller Story is at the Liverpool Empire until 5 March 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 8713017.
Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE | 0844 8713017
