JADAR

★★★☆☆

Classic golden-age musical Calamity Jane has moseyed on over to Manchester Opera House, but is it as (whip) crackin’ as the movie? And can Calamity’s story stand-out in an industry filled with feminist trailblazers, or will it be another Cinderella farce? Buckle up for the highs and lows of one of the most unique yet strangely divisive shows I’ve seen to date.

While Calamity Jane might not be one of the most popular and widely known musicals to come out of the golden-age, the tale of the real tom-boy gunslinger is based on the prestigious 1953 movie starring the spectacular Doris Day (a hard leading lady to live up to!). Based on the Watermill Theatre production starring Jodie Prenger, the current touring version is directed by the renowned Nikolai Foster and co-director Nick Winston.

This time, Carrie Hope Fletcher takes the reins as the fiery hearted, hootin’ tootin’, alcohol-guzzling, sharp-shooting cowgirl as she fights against gender norms, tells wild stories, makes friends with budding actress Katie (Seren Sandham-Davies), and eventually falls in love in a gold rush town.

The set by Matthew Wright is a jaw-dropping replication of a quaint Westen saloon, complete with its own mini-stage, piano and upstairs platforms. Its warm communal country buzz is nicely matched by the on-stage band of actor-musicians playing guitars, saxophones, trumpets, cellos, and coconuts! However, my initial astonishment with the set wore off after realising how static it would be but I did love the creative ways of bringing the wagon with its bobbing parasols and horse whinnies proving a comedic way of tackling something many shows would have resorted to screens for.

The choreography also worked rather well but it was nothing inventive. Admittedly, moments of the tap dancing felt a little lacklustre, but the more developed sequences with Carrie at the centre (performing with surprising swagger and grace for someone fairly new to dance), and the thrilling how-down number were some of the show’s standout moments.

Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster’s music was a little peculiar (being new to their works) but rather refreshing. The first and most popular song ‘Deadwood Stage’, with its famously catchy “whip-crack-away” hook, was difficult to distinguish with a microphone issue that was swiftly resolved by the next number. There’s a handful of fun flirty ditties and an endearingly folksy country song named ‘Black Hills of Dakota’, but ‘Careless with the Truth’ was the biggest earworm of the night, with repeated motifs throughout. You’ll certainly leave humming one of the songs but I can’t say there’s an abundance of powerful standalone musical songs.

The show’s titular cowgirl and her gumption seem to have survived the test of time, with the show updating the movie’s plot to cut out the crude Native American villainizations and opting for a more whimsical and carefree, albeit tame and unadventurous narrative.

Its blend of mischievous comedy and physical slapstick gags were ingenious, with a particularly nice touch when Calamity accidentally shoots a pigeon whose loud plod and slowly descending feathers had the audience belly-laughing in its absurdity.

Fletcher’s fiery rebuttals at men, her awkward flirtations, and her quirky sayings were also hilariously well-performed. Her powerful and raw performance of ‘Secret Love’ was truly awe-inspiring and added an extra dimension and sensitivity to her character. She plays Calamity with all the confidence and strength of Day but a pinch more heart. She has an incredible chemistry with Wild Bill (Vinny Coyle) despite his earlier sharpness. His solo, ‘Higher Than A Hawk’, is performed with a palpable tenderness despite the pauses in his guitar playing. 

Other standout performances included Richard Lock as the crazy hillbilly Rattlesnake and Samuel Holmes as Francis, with his cute acting skits and eccentric reactions to the townspeople’s threats.

Despite a charismatic cast, I found myself struggling at times to stay invested in the show. Be it with its fairly inconsequential and simplistic misogyny coded plot or the numerous one-dimensional lusty male characters sprinkled between a hillbilly or two. Act one wraps itself up fairly neatly, leaving you wondering where the story could actually go with one audience member saying that they felt there was no hook to entice them back in.

It was easy to predict that Calamity was aiming for a feminist story and would end up having her cliché Cinderella moment with the constant jabs at her buck-hide coat and the etiquette and expectations of “proper” ladies (in ‘A Woman’s Touch’). Even for show based on an older movie, the amount of misogyny left intact is brutal with her love interest (who we are supposed to like!) calling her “a green-eyed, snarlin’, spittin’ female” and viewing her emotions as “hysterics” and “female thinkin’”. He rejects her when she dresses masculine but then criticises her for “acting feminine” and having emotions, highlighting the hypocrisy yet never giving Calamity her dynamic empowering moment. The constant ridicule is uncomfortable to watch and feels extremely outdated for a show with a supposedly progressive heroine.

It’s clear that shows like Calamity are still in high demand with enormous queues on opening night providing the show’s popularity, especially in an era where movies seem to be translated to stage ever more prevalently. Fans of the original get to relive nostalgic moments, new-comers are introduced to a unique country musical sound, and theatre fans get to see a star-studded cast.

Despite some refreshing interactions and a handful of hilariously executed moments, the meandering and unsubstantial plot leaves me craving some emotional depth that wasn’t present. It’s a whip-crackin’ musical indeed and a lovely homage to the original, but maybe it’s the show’s proximity to the original that also hinders the show from further progression and depth. With some modernisation, Calamity could have been a poignant feminist revamp but tired tropes stifle the show’s ambitions. It’s a tragedy when a stellar cast are wasted in a show’s lack of direction – especially when the show is headed by so many innovative creatives.

While Calamity Jane might not be a perfect ride, it is not a complete calamity either. The lively cast of actor-musicians and a toe-tapping score are sure to blow musical fans away. The wandering and sometimes reductive plot may feel a little outdated but the show ultimately offers a night of laughter, powerhouse vocals, and whimsical western humour; it just lacks the drama.

Calamity Jane runs at Opera House Manchester until January 25 and tours the UK until September 27.

Photo: Mark Senior