High Society, Barbican

Clique ici pour la version française 🇫🇷

In 2024, the Barbican Centre had the wonderful idea of ​​reviving Kiss Me, Kate—one of our favorite Cole Porter musicals. It starred Stephanie J. Block (whom we loved in Falsettos) and Charlie Stemp (whom we loved in Mary Poppins and Crazy For You). Sadly, we missed that fantastic show. So, we were thrilled to see Cole Porter back on the Barbican’s programme this summer with a new production of High Society. We have a long history with this musical.

For starters, Philip Barry’s play The Philadelphia Story is brilliant. Adapted for the screen by George Cukor in 1940, it became one of our favorite films—a hilarious screwball comedy and whimsical romantic comedy featuring an exquisite trio: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. We’ve watched it over and over again. In 1956, Charles Walters filmed High Society, a new musical adaptation starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. It inevitably lacks Katharine Hepburn’s spirited wit. While the film is certainly well-executed, it misses the charm that comes from the banter between Hepburn, Grant, and Stewart. Fortunately, Cole Porter’s music is delightful, as always, lending the film a distinct sparkle.

It is precisely that sparkle we’ve come to the Barbican Centre to find on this summer evening. To begin with, we’re delighted to be back. It is arguably the London venue with the most comfortable seating and the best views, no matter where you sit. Overall, we enjoyed the show. Tracy Lord, a fabulously wealthy young heiress, is about to get married. But her ex-husband and a couple of journalists crash the festivities, threatening to jeopardize the wedding.

Rachel Kavanaugh’s direction is not revolutionary; it relies heavily on theatrical flourishes and the witty quips delivered by the cast. Admittedly, one cares relatively little about the actual plot or the marital woes of this Long Island upper-crust milieu. What keeps us captivated is Arthur Kopit’s finely honed writing and the biting dialogue—lines that seem to carry the lingering shadow and voice of Katharine Hepburn (at least to our ears). The show is thoroughly enjoyable, and the cast is remarkable. Perhaps what we missed, amid all the farce, was a touch of genuine emotion. The production breathes lightness and exudes mischief, yet it is a little stingy when it comes to matters of the heart.

We quickly get over this, however, dazzled as we are by Tom Rogers and Jon Morrell’s flamboyant sets and costumes, all brought to life by Anthony Van Laast’s breathtaking choreography. We had already admired his work in Tina: The Musical; here, in High Society, he seems to be in conversation with Cole Porter, elevating the melodies to new heights. Visually, the production is a feast for the eyes, playing on the old-fashioned charm we had been hoping for. We happily let ourselves be enveloped by this world of carefree ease, pastel hues, pianos, and frills. For that feeling alone, the show is worth seeing. Then, swept up by the whirling dancers and a brilliant finale, a sense of nostalgia sets in—nostalgia for an era we never knew and a gentle way of life we ​​will never experience. So, we heed the call of one of Cole Porter’s finest songs, « Let’s Misbehave, » and head out into the London night to indulge in a few shenanigans of our own.

https://www.barbican.org.uk/