REVIEW: Movies Meets the Musicals: Take 2, Scarborough Spa

Movies Meets the Musicals is variety entertainment at its best – high production values, classy costumes, clever staging and plenty of performance.

For this year, out is the Abba tribute and in is a Carole King segment from the musical which celebrates her life and work Beautiful.

There are also nods to other modern musicals including Dreamgirls, the Lion King and Shrek and the hit of the year La La Land.

Traditionalists do not despair. There is plenty for you – 42nd Street, High Society, Les Miserables, Chicago and Funny Girl to name a few.

Most of the cast remains the same as last year – Linda Newport, who also directs, Zoe Clarke, Mike Carnell and Simon Hollosi. They are joined by newcomer Laura Blanchard.

They shimmied, shone, soft-shoed and sang their way through two hours of some of the best known tunes from Broadway, the West End and Hollywood.

Opening with a cheery medley from La La Land, they set out their stall. The audience was in for a song and dance treat.

There was only five of them but they filled the stage with glitz and glamour, comedy and heart-ache.

Linda Newport – she’s a Scaborough legend who deserves the highest praise – racked it up with Memories from The Way We Were so there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

Then brought us down to earth with a bawdy bump with a cheeky re-write of Making Whoopee. Imagine an Octagenarian groom romancing his new younger bride on a cruise and you get the picture.

Her belter ballad Don’t Rain on My Parade was stunning. It’s the female equivalent of Sinatra’s That’s Life.

There was comedy too from Mike Carnell and Simon Hollosi as Shrek and Donkey and had the audience clapping and singing along to I’m A Believer. They also did an elegant duet – What a Swell Party – from High Society

The second half opened with a medly to celebrate the Great White Way - and included On Broadway, Lullaby of Broadway and the eponymous song from 42nd Street – a revival of which has opened to great acclaim in the West End. It included a tap dance number - that always gets ’em.

There was some sexy shimmin’ in the Chicago segment – with He Had It Comin’, Roxie and Razzle Dazzle ‘em. Mike Carnell perfectly captured the melancholy mood of Mr Cellophane.

An exotic touch came from a section from the Lion King, the mood changed again with Bring Him Home and On My Own from Les Mis and there was a softer, slower and successful rendition of the Judy Garland classic Get Happy.

The closing section was from Beautiful – plenty of Carol King numbers to sing along to – It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up on the Roof and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

The house was brought to its feet with Do the Locomotion – and everyone left singing their favourite tune.

The performance times are

June 5 to July 22

Monday - Saturday

July 27 - August 26

Thursday – Saturday

August 31 - September 16

Monday - Saturday

Doors: 7.30pm / Show 8pm

Tickets: £14, Concessions £13,

Kids go free with a paying adult, (extra child £8.50)

Box office: www.scarboroughspa.co.uk or via the Scarborough Spa box office: 01723 821888.