Get ready for a wild ride through the Wild West with the award-winning musical, “Bronco Billy – The Musical”!
Bronco Billy is one of Clint Eastwood’s Westerns and it has been reinvented into a musical comedy for the stage. It is on at the Charing Cross Theatre, a small and intimate venue where every seat in the house gives you a good view.
Step into 1979 through where a group of fast-drawing, trick-riding, disco-dancing Wild West roustabouts take you on a wild ride all over the USA. The conflict in the story comes from the moment when Bronco Billy, the leader of this rag-tag troupe, crosses paths with Antoinette Lilly, a determined Manhattan heiress on the run for her life.
In this lighter musical adaptation, featuring a script penned by the original screenwriter Dennis Hacklin, the cast is star heavy: Tarinn Callender shines as Billy, exuding magnetism and an incredible stage presence that’s complemented by Emily Benjamin’s radiant portrayal of chocolate heiress on the run for her life, Antoinette.
Our favourite, however, was Victoria Hamilton-Barritt who plays Antoinette’s wicked step-mother which is played to perfection with delightful nuances of humour, pastiche and elegance. Each of the three leads possesses remarkable vocal talent. The songs are quite generic in both style and theme touching on topics like love, reinvention, and overcoming life’s big challenges through friendship and believing in your dreams. They are catchy but not unique or thought provoking. Still, the performance lifted our spirits and left us smiling from ear to ear.
This show blends humor which at times seems farce-like with disco choreography which creates a layered experience depending on the audience. We enjoyed the costumes and Bronco Billy’s gun twirling and his troupe’s talent at tap dancing, lasso work, whip-cracking, gun and juggling.
Hunter Bird’s direction in the production is notably intricate, incorporating magic and illusions that occasionally make you jump out of your seat in delight or shock. Amidst this complexity, there are instances of stunning brilliance, such as a memorable slow-mo part during a musical number. It is without a doubt an ambitious show, even though in parts it is lacking some depth (perhaps due to trying to tackle a complex topic with humour which is always a challenge!).
Bronco Billy is am abitious production and you will be entertained. The show is on at Charing Cross Theatre until 7 of April. Tickets starting at £15 can be purchased from http://broncobillymusical.com/