Ziegfeld Boy

Ziegfeld Boy is Smoke & Mirrors Productions’ salute to the beautiful Ziegfeld showgirls from 1907 to 1936 and echoes the colour and glamour of the MGM musicals.

Florenz Ziegfeld, in his ceaseless quest for perfection, interviewed 15,000 women a year to perform in his Follies — and only selected 3,000. He looked for girls with precise measurements (36-26-38), a perfected gait (the Ziegfeld walk), and a willingness to pose nude.

Josh Sanders may not have these measurements, however, he more than makes up for them with glistening pecs and abs, not to mention more than an occasional glimpse of glutes. He is a Boylesque one man spectacular (with help from his three dancers).

Sanders throws himself through a multitude of costumes with gay abandon while knocking out standard after standard with a crystal-clear voice that more than fills the Space Theatre.

From Judy Garland’s ‘The Man That Got Away’ to Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Heat Wave’, the show is ‘delightful, delicious and delovely!’ to quote Cole Porter.

Also featured are ‘Let Me Entertain You’, ‘Le Jazz Hot’, ‘Anyone Here for Love’, ‘Shadow Waltz’, ‘Shakin’ the Blues Away’, and one of my personal favourites ‘The Physician’ from Cole Porter’s Nymph Errant, made famous by Julie Andrews in the film Star! Sanders’ articulation is perfect in this rapid tour through the human body.

He is capably backed by three male dancers who perform in their own right, dress Sanders and change props with equal ease. I particularly enjoyed their roles in Sanders’ send up of 1950s crime films, Boy Hunt. They change costumes at the drop of a hat and support Sanders without dominating.

Ziegfeld Boy is performed to a backing track. This has its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is the show can travel anywhere without the need for an orchestra, it also means consistent tempo and optimal orchestration. The downside is the lack of flexibility for both performers and production crew.

There were a few malfunctions on the night I reviewed, but these can be put down to limited access to the venue to rehearse before performance and ‘breaking in’ a new cast member and did not affect the enjoyment of the production.

Josh Sanders is to be congratulated for the Herculean feat of sustaining a high energy Broadway style performance that allows him no time to rest. He belts out song after song, and even taps in one number.

I loved the bathtub scene featuring real bubbles. It reminded me of the ‘Milkshake’ number from You Can’t Stop the Music.

On a side note, Sanders has cleverly solved the mike pack concealment problem. Usually mike packs are worn around the waist. This is not possible in a Boylesque show as the costumes are titillatingly brief (or not there). Sanders wears his on top of his head, ingeniously hidden in a small stocking cap that blends with his hair colour.

Ziegfeld Boy is seductive, provocative and always entertaining! It is a high-camp flurry of flesh and feathers and a marvellous tribute to an era that should never be forgotten!

Barry Hill OAM

Photographer: Claudio Raschella