From the writers, producers, creators and director of the huge success that is Dreamboats and Petticoats, Save the Last Dance for Me will take you back through the ‘music and magic’ of the early 60’s, a time when each passing week brought another Rock’n’Roll classic.
Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, Shine on Harvey Moon), featuring the unmistakable music of Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman, and with authentic recreation of the sound of Rock ‘n’ Roll, this nostalgic, feel-good journey will transport you back to music’s golden era as we follow two teenage sisters through the summer of ’63.
For the first time without their parents, the siblings embark on a holiday to the seaside. Full of freedom and high spirits they meet a handsome young American who invites them to a dance at the local U.S. Air Force base… but young love and holiday romance is never as simple as it sounds, and the sisters soon realise that while the world around them is still watching itself in black and white, life and love can be much more colourful.
Featuring the classic hits of Pomus & Shuman including… Teenager In Love, Sweets For My Sweet, Turn Me Loose, Here I Go Again, Viva Las Vegas, Little Sister, His Latest Flame, Suspicion, Can’t Get Used To Losing You, Save The Last Dance For Me and many more.
Starring in the show is Antony Costa, from the boyband Blue and, as he prepares to bring the show to the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells I asked him…
What can you tell us about the show?
It’s called Save The Last Dance For Me and it’s a great 60’s musical full of fantastic music and it also has a great love story running through it too. In the show I play an American Air Force guy who meets two sisters who have gone on their holidays for the first time without their parents. the younger sister falls in love with my best mate and it’s all about their love story.
The show is full of great songs, but very different songs for you to be singing.
Oh yes, very different from what I’m known for, of course, but this is the music that I was brought up on. The songs are very familiar to me and I just love singing them week in week out.
How tempted are you to slip into an Elvis impression?
Every night mate! I absolutely give it some mate don’t you worry about that. I was brought up on Elvis so I try and do my Dad proud.
What’s it like, now that you have a family, to be away touring?
Obviously I’m not gonna sit here and say that it’s the easiest thing to do, it’s actually one of the hardest things to do. Having a family and being on tour, like with a lot of actors and “musos”, it’s trying to balance everything out. We’ve all got bills to pay and a mortgage or rent to pay and stuff like that so you’ve got to be a little bit selfish in the fact that you need to work, and you have to go where that work takes you, to be able to afford everything. But it works out ok, and I try and get to see the family as much as I can.
I guess it’s a little easier if the show is a lot of fun to do.
It really is, and this is a great fun show to do. The cast are all so brilliant and we’re always hangin’ out together. Everyone works great as part of a team and there’s no egos in the show or anything like that. We all really get on and it’s a really fun show to be a part of.
How different is it from performing in Blood Brothers, which you’ve done before?
Blood Brothers is probably one of the best musicals that was ever written but this production is very different to that one. This show has a happy ending and, as those who have seen it will know, Blood Brothers doesn’t – especially for my character. People leave with smiles on their faces in this one and they used to cry their eyes out in that one – but that’s the nature of the beast, that’s theatre.
Will you be doing more shows after this one?
I’d love to do more, yes. Next year is another year and I’m already looking for my next project and what to do. I’d love to do more theatre and I’d like to work with Bill Kenwright and his team again, because they have been so good to me over the years. So, who knows, watch this space!
And what about Blue?
We’ve got a couple of gigs coming up this summer but we’re still on a break and taking time out and doing other things, which I think is great because there are no rules to being in a boyband any more. We love that we can do other things and then get back together and do a couple of gigs and have a good laugh together. It’s keeps everything fresh. it really does.
Save The Last Dance For Me appears at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from Monday 4th – Saturday 9th July with evening performances at 7.30pm and matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets are available online at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01892 530613.