We take a look at what is being said about the musical, playing at Charing Cross Theatre until the 7th April.
Broadway World: *** “Ultimately, Bronco Billy is a fun show with some great performers and catchy songs. While a more developed plot would have been appreciated, it is still a show that will have you smiling throughout. If you’re a fan of pantomimes and/or a fan of country music, you’ll definitely be a fan of this!”
The Guardian: ** “The musical’s central romance is rarely combustible and neither are the troupe – everyone is too darn sunny. Aficionados of Hamilton-Barritt’s line in venal stepmothers will relish her scenes – all silks, snarls and piercing screams – but unfortunately this musical misfires.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “With a book by Dennis Hackin and music and lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, with additional lyrics by Michele Brourman, Bronco Billy really does sing. The words and songs work extremely well together creating cohesion and harmony. They do not have to rely on the ability of the cast to push the story along. The show is filled with catchy tunes that you hum to yourself on the journey home and with a sense of fullness in your heart. It is jam packed with humour and a sprinkling of silliness while driving home the importance of love.”
Time Out: ***** “Charing Cross Theatre has a hit on its hands. This joyful piece of storytelling, brilliantly performed by its cast, succeeds in being both sincere and funny. Not one thing or another, but entirely its own thing, it deserves to keep on travellin’ in London for a long while yet.”
The Arts Desk: **** “There’s a joy in this production that overwhelms its obvious flaws – after all, how often can you say that a six-foot man in a pink sequin jumpsuit is not the most ludicrous sight on stage? Perhaps in high summer spirits or in December with its slew of forced Christmas show jokes, Bronco Billy The Musical would be received differently, but I, and plenty more, came out smiling for a few precious moments before we turned on our phones and the latest news flashed up.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Any drama that the original film might have had is replaced with broad comedy; the Vietnam War’s influence on the characters’ lives is only briefly mentioned. It doesn’t have anything more original to say than Billy’s mantra of “Follow your dreams” and be loyal to your friends, but it’s colourful fun, and the way in which it doesn’t take itself remotely seriously is no bad thing.”
Stageberry.com: ***** “Overall, Bronco Billy The Musical delights with its farcical story and over-the-top humour combined with a charismatic cast and inventive staging – it’s a wild ride you won’t want to miss!”
London Pub Theatres.com: *** 1/2 “This is a good night out with some smart lines, a hard-working cast, good multi-genre songs and oodles of nutty charm. And that performance from Victoria Hamilton-Barritt is a gem.”
The Stage: *** “Charming adaptation hamstrung by an overcomplicated staging.”
All That Dazzles: *** “There is a lot to love about Bronco Billy – The Musical. A great story, brilliantly staged and with a stellar cast to boot meant this should have been an absolute triumph of a show… and I’m sure it will be in time. However, it would be remiss of me to gloss over its shortcomings due to what I perceived to be not enough rehearsing, and perhaps a couple of the more complex sequences that need a slight rethink to stop them coming across as messy as they did.”
Lou Reviews: **** “Bronco Billy may well make you reach for your ropes and juggling balls while allowing your February blues to warm up a little. With a small tweak or two, this UK premiere will bring out the cowboy/cowgirl in us all.”
Theatre Weekly: “The final scene perhaps sums up Bronco Billy The Musical; a frantic and madcap adventure, that serves as a tribute to the original movie, and other films of the era. Bronco Billy is a funny and uplifting show that truly takes its audience on a wild ride.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “The constituent parts are all pretty stellar. Give this company a show from the golden age, and I’ve no doubt they could win a West End transfer. But as it stands, it’s more of a curio – albeit a clearly well-funded one. Still, as a way to clear the winter blues, you could certainly do a lot worse, and when Billy and his crew croon “Ride with Us” with such enthusiasm, you’re left with little choice but to jump aboard.”
British Theatre Guide: “There’s so much to like about Hunter Bird’s production—its humour, music, wit and most of all messages of dogged determination that you can be anything you want to be is something to behold. It could probably be told in fewer songs and would benefit from a better distribution of those brilliant comedy moments, so we’re not left waiting for Constance’s return to the stage for the laughs. But this is utterly charming and a properly yeehaw triumph all round.”
British Theatre.com: *** “The story is exuberantly cartoonish : don’t go looking for subtle feelings, though Tarinn Callender as Billy manages to edge towards reality when he remembers a childhood in a Bronx boys’ home, Vietnam service, divorce and prison term, all delivered within minutes.”
To book tickets visit: https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/bronco-billy