July 22, 2013
If you love music from the sixties then this is the show for you! "Save the last dance for me" is a new musical set in the summer of 1963. It's the age-old story of boy meets girl, set at an American airbase, with two sisters on holiday in nearby Lowestoft.
With thirty hits from the sixties, we follow the two lovers through their holiday romance, meeting her disapproving parents, and then their inevitable reunion. Curtis, the lead male, is black, which, given the time the musical is set in, leads to some fairly obvious problems. This is something which could have led to much more interesting commentary on racism in the sixties, but, apart from some predictable "jokes", the theme isn't really developed in the show, which is a shame.
Indeed, the characters/storyline seem to be written to fit in with the music rather than the other way around. Several songs, whilst well performed, did not add any real character development to the story or show. The first act seemed particularly stilted in this respect, although the second act had more pace.The female lead singer, playing Marie, was excellent- she had a very clear voice and was particularly good in her rendition of "The Magic Moment" in act one. I thought the Sergeant also had a very soulful voice.
This show would be perfect for anyone who enjoys sixties' music, and it was extremely well-received by the (older) audience. The storyline, however, was underdeveloped, predictable and even a little banal in places. Admittedly, some parts were funny (Sonya the sword swallower....for example) but overall the plot was quite flat. The music was well-performed by the band and if what you want is to listen to, sing along with and clap to old sixties tunes then it'd be a good night out. A fun night but not, perhaps, for everyone.