A Conversation With West End Personality - George Beet
I am fortunate to have so many acquaintences and friends both in training and within the theatre industry George Beet is just one of them currently appearing in the Broadway classic 42nd Street at The Theatre Royal Dury Lane in London's West End. When I approached George Beet with my questions he was more than happy to answer.
Where did you train?
Bird College
What is your favourite number to perform?
My favourite number is a strong tie between "With Plenty of Money and You" and the title number, "With Plenty of Money and You" is great because its all of us boys together and obviously the stairs is one of the most iconic moments in musical theatre history.
How would you describe the choreography?
The choreography is very stylised, Randy Skinner always says it’s not Tap, it’s jazz but with tap shoes on. It’s intricate and dynamic and you have to match everybody else on stage. I would describe the choreography as eye catching, intricate, clever, mesmerising and sophisticated.
Performing eight shows a week performing with high energy do you find challenges?
Eight shows a week is definitely a challenge but it’s such a huge show that the minute the overture starts you feel a buzz which carries you through to the end. Also we have ice baths which definitely help ease the pain in our legs and feet!
What would you say makes the show appealing to audiences?
The show is a spectacle, there are parts of the show that make the audiences eyes light up and there’s something incredible about seeing such a huge ensemble on stage all dancing together. Just like the Rockettes in New York. You don’t find that in any other west end show. It’s also a classic piece of theatre. Whilst it’s exciting to have new shows in the west end I think it’s equally as important to keep traditional shows. It’s shows like 42nd Street that made me want to perform when I was younger. It’s like a piece of history and to do it in such an iconic theatre is just the icing on top of the cake!
How many costume changes do you/ensemble have in the show?
We have 6 changes in Act 1 and 4 changes in Act 2. The quickest change we have is into the stairs where i have less than a minute to change from a black tail coat suit in to a white and gold suit. This includes changing socks, having my tap mics re-wired into the gold shoes. It’s stressful but it’s all choreographed and we all seem to be on auto pilot whilst doing it so we all manage it.
Since joining the company would you now say that tap is the hardest discipline compared to the others?
I wouldn’t say it’s the necessarily the hardest but it’s hard in the sense that we have to have impeccable timing as a company.
Would you say the show is dance heavy compared to the singing and acting aspect?
Yes I would say it’s a very dance heavy show. The audience don’t come out raving about the scenes, they come out raving about the huge ensemble numbers which is nice for us as the show relies heavily on us whereas in other shows the ensemble are much less featured.
Do you feel that the audience's energy create an impact to the overall performance?
Yes we love the audiences energy, it makes our job worth while when we hear a big cheer or see a standing ovation which is luckily most performances.
What dance takes the most concentration/complex routine?
The most complex is the stairs, you have to think about everything as it’s so intricate and also a bigger risk of falling/ tripping if you zone out!
What other musical could you compare 42nd Street to?
I don’t think 42nd Street can be compared to another musical. It’s the biggest show with the biggest cast. Working with a cast this big doesn’t happen very often and I can’t think of any other show that’s similar. Obviously there’s shows with tap in like Top Hat, Singin in the Rain, Anything Goes etc which are all fantastic shows in their own right but there’s something so great about having such a big cast.. yes I would say it’s harder to stand out but that’s not what we’re here to do, we’re here to be so in sync with eachother, that’s what gives it the wow factor. Almost like an army of dancers.
Special thanks to George Beet for meeting me outside of stage door and for taking time out to answer the questions.
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