When I went: 21 May 2013

Music Owl Hoot rating: 4/5

Location: Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Broadway, New York

Performers: Billy Porter (Lola), Stark Sands (Charlie), Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren)

Creative team: Cyndi Lauper (music and lyrics), Harvey Fierstein (book based on film), Jerry Mitchell (director and choreographer)

Approximate price: £100

Special points: Basis on a true story

Best bit: The dancing

If I could change one thing: More killer songs

Review:

The musical:

Cyndi Lauper’s musical treatment of the 2005 film’s subject matter has won great critical acclaim, including a Tony Award for Best Musical and for Best Original Score. While I do really like the book and the lyrics, I would not agree that it is as strong musically as something like Matilda, but it does make for a very enjoyable and entertaining show.

This performance:

By the time I saw this on Broadway in May 2013, Billy Porter had honed his performance as Lola so finely that he was a joy to watch throughout, and worked very well with Stark Sands as Charlie. Annaleigh Ashford was very likeable as Lauren and a steadying influence in the plot.

One thing I noticed about this Broadway audience was that they got a lot more involved than West End audiences; they laughed louder, cheered harder and stood up quicker to applaud the cast. Perhaps this is an illustration of British reserve versus American forwardness.