Back in 2022, Broadway heartthrob Jeremy Jordan reprised his role as Clyde Barrow for two concert performances of Bonnie & Clyde at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. From these now legendary concerts, the UK has enjoyed two massively successful West End runs as well as a recent national tour. Having long regretted not catching the concert version, I had a sneak preview at the pro shot ahead of its official release.
Calling this a concert is a disservice to the immaculate production. Prior to this, many musical concerts were performers singing at microphone stands with some dialogue thrown in. Bonnie & Clyde takes the rule book, rips it up and sets a new impossibly high standard for all future musical concerts to aspire to. This is however less a concert and closer to a fully staged performance with set, lighting and costuming as impressive a full production, with the dusty colour pallet transporting you to 1930’s America.
This recording is the perfect meeting of live performance and cinema. The cinematography is beautiful, with sweeping shots and close ups capturing the emotion. Keeping the crowd noises fully in captures the live experience beautifully, a failing of many pro shots that have come before. The roar of the crowd for both Jeremy Jordan (Clyde) and Frances Mayli McCann (Bonnie) when they first arrive is electric!
The chemistry of the leading pair is nothing short of magical. Their connection is undeniable from Clydes puppy dog eyes complementing Bonnie on her smile, to her subtle adorning looks during ‘This World Will Remember Me.’ With two prolific real life criminals, it could be easy to dislike them, but the pair strike the perfect balance with extreme likability.
The music is of course fantastic, penned by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Death Note) with lyrics by Don Black (Sunset Boulevard). It has everything from the hilarious ‘You're Goin' Back to Jail’ to the tender in ‘Dyin' Ain't So Bad’ to down right menace in ‘Raise a Little Hell.’ Fans of Jeremy Jordan will be used to his beautifully smooth, crisp and clear vocals. Here however, he completely steals the show with his gritty and raw performance of ‘Raise A Little Hell.’ His rasp and power make you feel his characters rage as he spirals further into becoming a more prolific criminal. He gives an absolute masterclass in this performance, that really set the benchmark for everyone who has since played the role to aspire to.
Having seen Bonnie & Clyde several times, my experience has altered on different occasions. This however is the absolute gold standard for this show. Whether you have seen the show already or not, I can’t recommend streaming this wonderful show enough.
Note: I was gifted early complimentary access to the stream. Irrespective of whether gifted or bought, I always ensure that my reviews are fair and based on my honest opinion alone.
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