For the socialites of New England, it will be the Wedding of the Year: seven hundred guests, magnums of Veuve Clicquot and the beautiful, sophisticated Tracy Lord as the bride-to-be. And the groom? Read more …
According to the invitations, that honour goes to self-made man, George Kittredge. And even if George is, well, not quite from the top drawer - and a little dull - his upright character perfectly matches Tracy’s reputation as a paragon of virtue.
But then on the eve of the nuptials, Mike Connor, a down-at-heel reporter from one of New York’s scandal sheets, turns up to cover the wedding. And this rugged ‘man of the people’ is immediately smitten with the divine Miss Lord.
Even worse, Tracy’s first husband, the charming playboy, C. K. Dexter Haven, also drops in unannounced. Their marriage may have ended tempestuously, but Dexter is still dangerously attractive.
Add an estranged father, a confused mother, a meddling younger sister, an amorous uncle, a lovesick photographer, a not-so-hushed-up family scandal, mix well - and you have the makings of a very potent cocktail indeed!
The well-loved numbers are given a beautiful performance with a band, under the baton of Jon Beales firing on all cylinders, supporting the cast which features a particularly strong chorus.
In detail, the show sometimes lacks finesse.
Durnin’s production is at its best in the show’s more intimate moments.
The acting performances are universally strong, even if the same cannot quite be said of the singing, which is variable.
Kopit and Porter's depiction of the Long Island jet set says much about over-privileged party people, but retains a fizz that keeps it going till all passion is seemingly spent.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry from Friday May 26, 2017, until Saturday October 14, 2017. More info: www.pitlochry.org.uk
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