Various composers, Aljaž and Janette – A Christmas to Remember: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara (co-creators and choreography) and Company (Janine Johnson, Adrian Hansel [featured singers], Robbie Kmetoni, Faye Huddleston [lead partners], Aimee Hipson, Alex Sturman, Kiera Brunton, Nick Stuart [ensemble]), Gareth Walker (director and choreographer), Matt Howes (music supervisor). Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, 3.12.2022. (JPr)
Slovenian dancer Aljaž Škorjanec and Cuban-American Janette Manrara are rightly immensely standard although they not seem on Strictly Come Dancing the place they first gained wider public consideration and married throughout their time on the present. It is 4 years now since I final noticed them stay of their Fred Astaire tribute, Remembering Fred, on the London Palladium which I described as an ’absolute pleasure’, as is their 2022 A Christmas to Remember now touring to 13 venues till mid-December (for info click on right here).
The concept behind the present is to take us by an creation calendar-style countdown of the twelve days earlier than Christmas. Aljaž and Janette have a straightforward chemistry on stage – not a given even when they’re married – they usually have a look at what Christmas means for them, particularly the alternating years they spend in Slovenia (‘a white winter wonderland’) and Miami (‘Santa Claus in flipflops and sunglasses’). Plus, there’s loads of self-deprecating humour starting with the toll the opening medley – from ‘Holidays are Coming’ to a rampant jive to ‘Oh, What a Night’ – takes on a now closely perspiring Aljaž which he blames on not doing Strictly anymore. Of course, he proves in the course of the two-hour present simply how extremely match he’s, certainly each him, Janette and their six backup dancers are, since it’s a high-energy, fast-moving (in additional senses than one) present. Janette’s peak doesn’t fail to get a point out after all, so when Aljaž suggests a Christmas tree will not be as tall as he remembered it when he was younger, Janette feedback the way it nonetheless seems to be large to her!
The set is a straightforward one: central steps rise to a slim platform in entrance of three LED screens, leaving the stage naked apart from some Christmas timber. Ryan Howard’s ever-changing photos which we see all through the efficiency are very subtle in giving the dancing all of the festive environment wanted from an early snow globe to hints of a snowy Slovenia, a sunny Miami, and in a while, as a backdrop to the traditional Christmas tune ‘Oh Christmas Tree’ after we magically see Santa crossing the moon (ET-like) and a gold star land on prime of a fir tree. There are a number of adjustments of glitzy or festive costumes and through A Christmas to Remember you’ll hear many of the songs that are performed endlessly elsewhere presently of 12 months. They are fabulously sung – if a contact too loudly amplified – individually or collectively by the soulful Janine Johnson and Adrian Hansel. At instances their voices – which blended collectively so very nicely on many events (together with a splendid ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’) – tended to overwhelm the frequently-employed backing tracks at instances.
Triple menace is turning into an overused time period lately however could be utilized to Aljaž and Janette as a result of not solely are they partaking and humorous, however in addition they dance and sing too. There had been so many highlights within the present, although – for me – a few of the greatest moments had been when Aljaž and Janette sang ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, Aljaž (in his purple smoking jacket) crooning ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and Janette (in an attention grabbing Santa minidress) having nice enjoyable singing ‘Santa Baby’. Also, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas with out The Nutcracker and it will get a glance in after the interval starting with Aljaž and Janette passing by the viewers.
We hear from Aljaž how ‘There’s one factor my Janette likes greater than Christmas and me, it begins with a D and ends with a Y’. Her ideas of watching Frozen at Christmas leads us into an prolonged Disney sequence starting with the evocative ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ although Aljaž remarks how Frozen will not be actually a Christmas film to which Janette replies, ‘I needed to get Disney in the show somehow!’
Finally, its Christmas day and the hope from them each is – as Janette tells us – that they’ve helped ‘create some beautiful new Christmas memories for yourselves’. Referring to their pleasure of performing Aljaž says (a scripted or unscripted?) ‘We take these moments for granted’ which he shortly corrected after bringing the home down laughing.
Throughout the present there had been some good dancing, not simply from Aljaž and Janette, however a really, very proficient ensemble together with the lead dancers accompanying Aljaž and Janette when not dancing collectively, Faye Huddleston and Robbie Kmetoni. There was loads of waltzing, foxtrot, salsa, jive and rock ‘n’ roll: that and every thing else we noticed is strictly what you’d anticipate from a present like this. The closing medley the place I may select ‘Run Rudolph Run’, ‘Frosty the Snowman’, ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ending with everybody boogieing away to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ had brough the viewers within the Cliffs Pavilion to its ft clapping and cheering.
Earlier we had heard from Aljaž how for him and Janette an important issues presently of 12 months are ‘love and kindness’. He requested us to ‘Be kind to someone you never met, a stranger or family member. Be kind to anybody, you never know how much your smile will change someone’s day’. Well, Aljaž and Janette made everyone smile within the theatre and kickstarted Christmas 2022 for a lot of, together with me.
Jim Pritchard