Emma Williams, Charlotte Wakefield, Stuart Matthew Price and Greg Castiglioni in A Spoonful of Sherman at the St James Studio Theatre, London. Picture: Ben Davies
A Spoonful of Sherman – A Celebration of the Life, Times and Songs of Robert B Sherman was performed at the St James Studio Theatre, London.
For two performances only we had the exquisite pleasure of witnessing the birth of a new musical revue based on the well-known catalogue of the late, great Hollywood songwriter Robert B Sherman (and of course his brother Richard) – writers of Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Aristocrats and more. Although American, their songs have always had an English music hall ring about them, which made this songbook musical a natural fit.
If their big Tommy Tune Broadway musical Busker Alley was struck with bad luck and never reached Broadway, it was beautifuly represented here with a powerful rendition of ‘Tin Whistle Tune’ from Charlotte Wakefield. The duo did have have a Broadway hit in 1974 with the big band era musical Over Here! The show had a swinging score and it being overlooked here would be my only criticism of this highly satisfying evening.
Wakefield, recently seen as Maria in The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, was joined by three equally talented performers. The multi-talented Stuart Matthew Price (whose cabaret act last year was equally brilliant) was hilarious as he ad-libbed during a nod to The Jungle Book, and then later gave us a moving rendition of ‘Hushabye Mountain’. Greg Castiglioni (fresh from the outstanding production of Titanic at the Southwark Playhouse) and the ever wonderful Emma Williams (star of Zorro and Love Story), who incidentally made her West End debut as Truly Scrumptious in the original cast of the Shermans’ Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, were also on top notch form.
Adding authenticity to the evening was Robert J Sherman, son of the missed composer, as narrator. Not only did he offer warm memories of his father, he also gave us a heartfelt rendition of ‘River Song’ from Tom Sawyer.
It was interesting to discover the songs of his grandfather Al Sherman, but his style was of a different time, so instead I would have preferred to hear more material from the composer’s other scores, such as The Happiest Millionaire. However, this piece is still a work-in-progress and a great one at that, with marvellous new vocal arrangements and musical direction from Colin Billing.
Also welcome were two beautiful ballads from Slipper and the Rose, wonderfully delivered by Williams and Wakefield in Act II. The cleverly arranged Chitty Chitty Bang Bang medley aptly concluded this enchanting evening with the Disneyland anthem ‘It’s a Small World’ providing an emotional encore.
I predict a great future for A Spoonful of Sherman. More performances are already being sheduled, so watch out and don’t miss this great cast in a well-deserved tribute.
Patrick Honoré
* These performances marked the launch of Robert B Sherman’s autobiographical book, Moose: Chapters From My Life
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