The Story Of Musicals

[garth cartwright]

I'm not a fan of musicals - Buddy is the only one I can think of having voluntarily attended - but no doubt they are a fascinating and highly lucrative genre. And this great doc' really told how the UK came to dominate the world with 'em - from the humble Boyfriend to, well, I guess it's the next episode with Phantom and such. Worth watching just for the clips of Lionel Bart - what a brilliant character, Oliver surely is the greatest musical? - who I'd heard a lot about via a friend who grew up next door to him in the 80s and is always willing to regale a tale of mad Lionel and the interviews with the likes of Robert Stigwood - of all the queer music managers none came close to RS when it came to making moolah: he had Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Jeez! And the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton. What does one man do with such a huge fortune? I'd like to know. Grand to see troopers Tommy Steele and Paul Williams and the bloke who played Fagin and the woman who did Evita telling their tales. the young Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber have to be the ugliest men ever - they actually look better now they're older. Tho ALW still has the air of a camp goblin about him.