Look up the phrase ‘singular sensation’ in the dictionary and staring back at you will be a picture of Edward Kleban. The composer and lyricist had a huge impact on Broadway, not least thanks to his work on A Chorus Line, which opened off-Broadway in 1975 and eventually closed in 1990 having played a staggering 6137 performances. So, what better a central character for a musical? A Class Act tells the story of Ed, from his humble beginnings in New York through to the heights of his fame following A Chorus Line and – sadly – all the way back again. For anyone who’s ever wondered how a musical is created, it’s a must-see.
For BROS, this is also the chance to put on the London amateur premiere of the show, in the intimate surroundings of Hampton Hill Theatre – most recently the scene for the sell-out success of Made in Dagenham. Our cast of just 11 performers are busy putting the final touches to this toe-tapping musical, with a fabulous score which includes wonderful songs such as “Paris Through the Window,” “I Choose You,” “What I Did For Love,” and of course a world-famous routine that’s simply sensational.
What the critics said about A Class Act
Whether in the US or here in the UK, A Class Act is showered with praise from critics. Below is just a small taste of the positive reviews this musical about musicals has received.
“Something about A Class Act, a small musical with a big heart, captured my emotional core. The story of a talented guy who wants nothing else in life but to be publicly recognised for his true passion, but for various reasons, including his own personal demons, never gets fully discovered before passing away at a relatively young age (48) is something we can all relate to.” – Robert Bullen for The Huffington Post
“The score is full of gorgeous music. Many putting-it-together shows of this type rely on stringing together songs that people already know. A Class Act is about the discovery of songs you don’t know. If you’re a fan of serious musical theatre, you’ll recognise both the quality of their form and their inherent sense of longing, their constituent desire to make sense of the world.” – Chris Jones for The Chicago Tribune
“A Class Act is a polished little gem of a musical about the making of musicals. Don’t miss it.” – Jennifer Reischel for The Stage
“In a nutshell, A Class Act still lives up to its title.” Elyse Sommer for Curtain Up
“A Class Act is a moving and emotionally charged tribute to a man who had an impact on the Broadway musical theatre a generation ago.” – Thomas Burke for Talkin’ Broadway
BROS needs YOUR support
While staging the UK amateur premiere of this wonderful show is a privilege, it also carries huge responsibility with marketing a show which very few people have heard of. And our hugely talented cast need YOU to come and support them.
Tickets for the show are already on sale here, and cost just £15. As is tradition, we are hoping that many of our our BROS alumni will be supporting our first performance on Tuesday 5th June, and we then continue with nightly performances until Saturday 9th June, plus a special matinee performance on the Saturday afternoon.
We hope to see you for this wonderful musical about musicals.
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