Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Kings Theatre Southsea March 2014

I remember watching the film when I was a child on a Sunday afternoon on my Aunt’s colour television. It starred Howard Keel, Jane Powell and Russ Tamblyn (The youngest brother) who had already captured my admiration for his performance in the Film “Tom Thumb”  The colourful costumes and the acrobatic dances enthralled me  most about it. I had forgotten the story as well as many of the songs since it has been a good many years since I watched the video with my own children, but as soon as Sam Attwater  came gliding out on a raft singing “Bless your beautiful hide” in his suede tasselled jacket and trousers the memories came flooding back like a switch in my brain. From that moment, the show was filled with vibrant energy and magical colour.

Set in the Oregon in 1850, Adam Pontipee(Sam Attwater) comes to town to trade supplies and to find himself a wife with no intention of leaving empty handed. He spots the lovely Milly (Helena Blackman) tough and hardworking in a bar and proposes immediately. Far fetched as it is, Adam is in a hurry and Milly’s time is running out having turned down townsmen’s proposals in the past. Besides that, Adam is terribly handsome and the idea of living in a cabin in the hills with her own husband was a perfect dream. However when the newly weds arrive, she is presented with six truly uncouth brothers to share her home with.

Once she is over the initial shock, she decides to teach them some manners and grace in the hope of finding them wives of their own. Cleaned up and dressed appropriately they go to town for a social event and meet some ladies. The evening ends in a brawl caused by Adam and they leave unwelcome to return. The boys have become love sick and cannot do any work.  Adam comes up with a plan after reading about the capture of Sabine women by the Romans in one of Milly’s books. They sneak back into town and each kidnap their women. When they cross the gorge they invoke an avalanche that restricts the passage from town until the spring time.

The story itself would certainly not appeal to any modern  thinking woman now but I have a sneaking suspicion that hidden beneath the modern exterior, real men would be a little like those brothers if left unattended, fending for themselves in a log cabin far from civilization. I see glimpses of similar behaviour in pubs occasionally. Equally I think even the classiest of women are attracted to raw, rugged tough men as opposed to their respectable jacket and tie office workers.

The elegant Helena Blackman gave a fabulous performance bringing Milly to life with acting and dancing .   Her powerful yet somehow calming voice told the story in the classically written songs.

The costumes were stunning and Patti Columbo’s direction and choreography was awesome especially in in the  barn dance scene with the brothers and townsmen leaping all over the stage with their axes in attempt to impress the girls  who equally  danced amazingly  with their full skirts whirling around flashing frilly bloomers  with high kicks to the toe tapping music.

It was a fantastic experience and I had the feeling of wanting to jump out of my seat and do si do but alas I was in the front seat of the lower circle and would’ve done myself some damage. It was lovely to see the audience packed with all age groups keeping this old style of musical theatre alive. I thoroughly recommend this show to anyone who just wants to feel good.

Check out http://www.sevenbridesthemusical.com/index.html

Marianna xx