VICTOR/VICTORIA
Victor/Victoria chronicles the story of how passionate Victoria Grant (Laura Fygi) comes to Club Chez Lui in Paris and, with the help of the openly-gay Carroll Todd (Matt Grey), she goes under-cover as Count Victor Grazinski, the famous female impersonator from Poland, in order to get noticed. "Victor" works at a swanky night club in Paris and becomes the toast of the town. Things get complicated when she meets the man of her dreams - King Marchan (Jake Macapagal) - who is a gangster from Chicago, and who falls in love with "her". Victoria faces the dilemma of choosing between the man of her dreams or her passion for singing and performing.
This version of the Broadway musical of the same title is fun to watch, mostly because of its captivating storyline, witty lines, and the razzle dazzle of the setting, complemented by the spectacular set, jazz music and the song-and-dance routines. For jazz fans, be prepared for a treat because the scores and lyrics will bring you to the traditional essences of the genre, and what better way to do this than Laura Fygi and the like? Ms Fygi's voice is captivating, as with her performance as Victoria Grant. She somewhat reminds me of the original Victoria Grant - Julie Andrews - but this is in no way a distraction, because she delivered a good show as Victoria Grant.
The rest of the lead characters were well delivered as well by international talents such as Nicole Stinton, Jake Macapagal, Matt Gray and Claude Girardi. However, I felt that this pool of impressive international talents overshadowed the local members of the cast. Actors such as Shane Mardjuki, Daniel Boey, Gene Sha Rudyn and the like didn't quite make it for me, especially in the same show as the aforementioned international lead actors. The problem with the local actors was that they were not quite in tune with the Broadway style. To add to the situation, their accents were detracting and felt forced and fake. However, the cast as a whole showed great chemistry and energy. Even the spectacular dancers (with the exception of a few moments where they could have been more in tuned and synchronised) delivered high energy routines and sexy jazz routines successfully.
One thing that I felt could have been executed better was the comic timing of the witty lines in the brilliant script. I felt tickled for many moments in the show, but it was not delivered as well as it could have been, and hence I didn't feel enough so much as to laugh out loud (as I would love to). However, as the show progressed towards the end and the complexity of the plot unravels, the audience is treated to better comedy from the dramatic irony that the storyline offers, giving the audience a few moments of good laughs.
All in all, a fun show and a decent attempt at a Broadway musical.
