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Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
@philhopkinsuk
8:41 AM 1st May 2019
arts

Ghost The Musical – Leave It In The Movie Theatre!

 
It is almost six years to the day that I last saw Ghost the Musical and the fact that I could not even remember seeing it - until I consulted my trusty archive - probably says more about the show than it does my memory!

Yes, it was an iconic film but sometimes I feel producers should resist the temptation to wring every last dry dollar out of something originally intended for the silver screen.

Ghost is definitely a show for women – I am about to be vilified once more by the chorus of me tooers – because it is dripping in romance with more ooze than a septic limb and, in truth, it is anchored by just one song, Unchained Melody with very few other memorable numbers.

And when a ladies chorus of ‘Ahs’ emanated from behind me as Rebekah Lowings’ Molly finally sees her dead beau once more, I found myself fidgeting in the stalls and straining to see my watch.

Ghost is the story of lost love with Molly and Sam at its heart. Just as their romance is about to blossom into marriage he is murdered, she has to come to terms with his death, there are some financial shenanigans involving a close friend of the couple but, in the end, all’s well that ends well thanks to medium Oda Mae who makes contact with Sam as he languishes somewhere between Heaven and Purgatory!

Rebeka Lowings had a lovely voice but, sometimes, lacked the emotional depth in her acting. Listen to Colm Wilkinson singing Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. He has the ability to draw tears from a stone because he wears his heart and soul in his voice and, with few exceptions, this only comes with age.

Niall Sheehy as Sam was workmanlike and had a good, strong voice but it is not a memorable part because this is not the most memorable of shows, despite the fact that it has been expanded, freshened up and decorated with enough programme hyperbole to satiate the ultimate West End luvvie!

However, good comedy does play its part in lifting musical mundanity and Jacqui Dubois did just that, taking the role of whacky and somewhat dubious medium, Oda Mae, made so famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the film. She kept the show lively and moving.

Make no mistake this was a packed house and they were on their feet at the end, however, when you see shows week in and week out the bar is high and it is not hard to spot a lesser mortal in the line-up of Gods!

When you are trailing in the regional wake of Motown the Musical and Kinky Boots, you have some hard acts to follow and I am sad to say that Ghost the Musical, despite its auspicious associations with Hollywood, is a lesser musical when compared to some of the Grade A predecessors that have graced the Alhambra stage.

Until Saturday 11th May 2019