Review: LAMTA’s Part of Your World  is a tonic of a show to get us into festive spirits

Part of Your World – The Magical Music of Alan Menken is on at Theatre on the Bay until December 7, 2024. This musical revue is tribute to the award winning and prolific Menken. His prodigious repertoire includes scoring songs for Disney films and Broadway productions. Part of Your World is presented by LAMTA and stars LAMTA students from all its cohorts. LAMTA is the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy, established in 2018. The show wraps up a hugely successful year for LAMTA, including the raved about production of Spring Awakening, directed by Sylvaine Strike. LAMTA has been so successful that only three of its graduates – the 3^rd year graduates (final year) were available to perform in Part of Your World. The other nine have been employed in professional shows such as My Fair Lady at Artscape and The Adams Family at The Homecoming Centre and on other shows.  It is testament to the training at LAMTA that the students have already been snapped up by the musical theatre industry. It is incredible that they literally go straight from the academy into the industry. Not all students go on stage. With skills in all the areas of musical theatre, including technical and back stage, many students take on roles behind the scenes.

Direction and staging of Part of Your World is by Julie Dickson (guest director), and LAMTA’s Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander. Vocal coaches are Amy Campbell and Kurt Haupt. The show, featuring 28 hits by Menken from Disney and Broadway is a fitting celebration to the scale of Menken’s body of work and is a wonderful showcase for LAMTA and its triple threat students – performers who can act, sing and dance. Part of Your World is primarily a show of song but there are strong dance elements throughout, such as a knockout tap sequence. The dance is seamlessly woven with voice and works beautifully.

As noted in the programme, that even if Alan Menken’s name “doesn’t ring a bell, the melodies…” in the show “will instantly trigger memories and transport you back to the time, the place, and the emotions you felt upon hearing them.” Songs by Menken have left an imprint on animation, stage and film. Menken, in his 35 year career, has won eight Academy Awards (more than any living artist), Golden Globes, Grammys, Drama Desk Awards and a Tony. His influence on musical theatre and film is immense. His work includes The Little Mermaid  and Little Shop of Horrors and the ripper of a song, Whole New World.

The LAMTA students are vibrant and energetic as they interpret Menken’s songs, conjuring up a strong sense of the pieces and the stories of the musicals. Part of Your World is visually a richly textured show- Hollywood glam with flashes of bling. I loved the interplay between solo and ensemble work and the range of vocal talents in the company. Lighting is magical – evoking a Broadway Marquee of lights which chase each other. Direction tempers each number with zest with exquisite placing in the stripped down but glam space. I was at the first preview of the show and there was a standing ovation.

LAMTA’s Part of Your World – The Magical Music of Alan Menken is a tonic of a show- sheer entertainment to get us into festive spirits. The lights are alluring and glittering as they beckon us into the wonderful world of Alan Menken, featuring 28 of his hit songs, performed by the fabulously talented LAMTA students and graduates.

✳ Featured image: Scarlett Pay from LAMTA (Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy) sings a song in Part of Your World, featuring hits by composer Alan Menken, at Theatre on the Bay until December 7, 2024. Pic: Mark Wessels.