Dansicals

Musicals full of dance are a-plenty in the West End for 2013. Musicals such as Singin’ In The Rain, A Chorus Line and Top Hat have taken to the stage in a whirlwind of umbrellas, high-cut leotards and sparkling character shoes. In addition, tap shoes feature in two of these musicals alone, showing the sheer abundance of dance. Many elements prove A Chorus Line, which opened at the end of February this year as an astounding success such as the characters the catchy songs and the high-kicking chorus. Ultimately, A Chorus Line is the story of a singular audition and the fight for employment by eight hopefuls and has become one of the most popular musicals, originally running for 15 years and now back in London. Ironically, out of some 2,000 people auditioning for a role, only one was successful in getting a dancing role, and she does not even make the final eight of the storyline. However, A Chorus Line was succeeded as the longest-running Broadway show by Cats. Another musical which focuses heavily on dance and is also returning to UK stages for a 2013 tour. It seems the dance-heavy musicals could be ousting those which hold a more even split of music and movement and perhaps focusing even less on the narrative. Musicals such as Chicago, Cabaret and Billy Elliot are all pushing those song-heavy, opera-style musicals off the map. Billy Elliot in particular showcasing the elite world of ballet that is so tough to crack rather than focusing on musical theatre or any jazz hands at all. Some shows which have smashed box offices have achieved this with no dialogue whatsoever. Highly successful productions such as Stomp, Kate Prince’s Into The Hoods and Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words have consequently prompted the coining of the phrase, "dansical" rather than musical.