Top Hat (musical)

Background

The musical is based on the 1935 film of the same name, with music by Irving Berlin. It took the show's producer, Kenny Wax, sixteen months to obtain the rights from Berlin's estate to adapt the film into a stage musical. A first read-through of the adapted script was held at Sadler's Wells in November 2010, and it was performed for the first time 76 years after the original film. The show features fourteen songs by Berlin, six more songs than the original production. Featuring a 31-person cast, the production was adapted from the original screenplay by Matthew White and Howard Jacques. The show was directed by White with choreography by Bill Deamer, set designs by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design by Jon Morrell, lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Gareth Owen, new orchestrations by Chris Walker and musical supervision by Richard Balcombe.

The producers for the original tour and the West End production originally approached Anton du Beke to play Jerry Travers, before casting Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers in the role originated by Fred Astaire. During the competition Chambers was compared to Astaire, his hero. Astaire's daughter was in the audience for the show's opening in London, and described Chambers as "wonderful": "There will always be comparisons, but what this show has done is bring a version to the world to see for the future". Two of Berlin's daughters described the show as "a beautiful production": "It could definitely give new life to these songs and to Top Hat for a younger generation".

Production history

The show had its world premiere on 16 August 2011 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, at the beginning of a 17-week UK tour stopping in Birmingham, Southampton, Salford, Plymouth, Norwich, Canterbury, Edinburgh and Leeds. The original cast included Summer Strallen as Dale Tremont, Tom Chambers as Jerry Travers, Martin Ball as Horace, Vivien Parry as Madge Hardwick, Ricardo Alfonso as Alberto Beddini and Stephen Boswell as Bates. An additional pre-West-End tour took place in spring 2012, at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from 13–17 March and the Bristol Hippodrome from 21–31 March.

The production then moved to the West End's Aldwych Theatre on 19 April 2012, with its opening night on 9 May and an initial booking until the end of January 2013. Charlotte Gooch took over the role of Dale Tremont in November 2012; on 5 February 2013 Gavin Lee took over the role of Jerry, Broadway star Kristen Beth Williams took over as Dale, Clive Hayward became Horace and Alex Gaumond became Alberto. A final cast change took place after Gaumond left to play Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical: Russell-Leighton Dixon, previously the understudy for Alberto, took over the part. Although the production's run had been extended until April 2014, it closed on 26 October 2013.

A further 47-week tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland commenced at the New Wimbledon Theatre, on 12 August 2014, running until July 2015. Featuring a new cast, the production visited Wimbledon, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff, Oxford, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Norwich, Canterbury, Plymouth, Southampton, Dublin, Belfast, Sunderland, Woking and Eastbourne. The tour was led by Charlotte Gooch, who reprises the role of Dale, Alan Burkitt as Jerry, Clive Hayward as Horace Hardwick, Rebecca Thornhill as Madge Hardwick, Sebastien Torkia as Alberton Beddini and John Conroy as Bates.

Musical numbers

The performance runs 2hrs 45mins, including one interval.

Cast album

Featuring 18 tracks from the London production of Top Hat, the cast album was released by First Night Records on 27 August 2012.

Principal roles and cast members

The show features a cast of thirty one and a fifteen-member band.

Critical reception

After its world premiere, most Top Hat critics appreciated the spectacle but agreed that the plot was weak; “the plot, for want of a better word, doesn't bear too much close inspection”, said Christopher Hart in the Sunday Times. The musical was also criticised for its length. “The second half could be cut down by a good 15 minutes“, according to Exeunt magazine.

Michael Billington of The Guardian wrote, “The evening can be quickly summed up as 'great songs, daft book'". Paul Taylor of The Independent said, “The producers of this irresistible show, a freely adapted version of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, don't subscribe to the precept of deferred gratification”. London Evening Standard critic Henry Hitchings described the show as “a bit slow hitting its stride”.

Top Hat received positive reviews on blogs, with Zoe Craig describing it on the Londonist as “pure, fun, cheery escapist entertainment”. Bechtler's set design and Deamer’s choreography were praised (“This clever collaboration is clearly evident in every scene transition as the cast dance and interact with the set, making the whole changeover seem like a fluid part of the story") on BestOfTheatre.

Awards and nominations

Despite its mixed reception by critics, Top Hat won the Best Night Out award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2012, won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, Best Choreographer (Bill Deamer) and Best Costume Design (Jon Morrell). The musical was also nominated for five Whatsonstage.com Awards.