In yet another format tweak, Strictly Come Dancing this coming weekend moves further away from ballroom competition to light entertainment fluff by having a Broadway week.
Leaving aside the question of why the British Broadcasting Corporation decided not to refer to it as West End week and therefore highlight UK rather than US theatre, it’s an interesting move that should at least highlight the delights of musical theatre, even if it’s likely (as indicated by the video above) that they’ll concentrate on the narrow, populist end of the spectrum. Chances of a dance routine choreographed to a number from London Road are, I suspect, slim.
Anyway, it’s nice to see Jason Donovan donning Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat once again. I’m not in a position to comment on Len Goodman’s comment about preferring Phillip Schofield in the role - the only professional actors I’ve seen don the coat have been BBC’s Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead, and (showing my age here) Jess Conrad at the Vaudeville Theatre.
A few years ago, I would never miss an episode of Strictly and would Sky+ every episode of It Takes Two. In recent years, as the format has been pulled apart and stuck back together and the show becomes less about learning to dance and more about flinging props around without falling over, I’ve become less enamoured. But my love of musical theatre means that I shall be watching this weekend’s shows with interest.
I won’t be watching Saturday’s show live, though. Because I’ll be out in the West End - and not Broadway…
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