Search - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harry Rabinowitz, Song & Dance Pit Orchestra :: Song & Dance [Original London Cast]

Marti Webb in emotional one-woman song-cycle

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 12/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"SONG AND DANCE, is actually two different programs ('Tell Me on a Sunday' and a dance piece called 'Variations'). 'Tell Me on a Sunday' was originally made as a concept recording for popular West End star Marti Webb, and it was so successful that Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to expand it with 'Variations' to become his 1982 musical SONG AND DANCE.



'Tell Me on a Sunday' is the story of an English hat designer called Emma (played by Marti Webb), who follows her new boyfriend to New York, and vents her romantic illusions and shattered dreams through a series of songs. It's a very demanding and relentless one-woman song-cycle, filled with great numbers like "The Last Man in My Life", and "Take That Look Off Your Face". Don Black's lyrics perfectly capture the rollercoaster of emotions, and Webb is a powerful force in the role of Emma.



Former Royal Ballet superstar Wayne Sleep led the dancers in the 'Variations' section (which occupies the entire second act of the show). For this section, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber took Emma's songs and used themes of them to litter throughout the orchestrations. The dance piece is used to explore Emma's story through the language of choreography (by Anthony Van Laast).



SONG AND DANCE opened at London's Palace Theatre to largely-postive reviews; later played a return season at the Shaftesbury; and opened on Broadway in 1985 starring Bernadette Peters.



[Universal/Really Useful Records 9874451]"