Made it, Ma! Top of the World!

Fun Facts: James Cagney was one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild, before the union actors were at the mercy of the studio heads and often taken advantage of, having to work long hours in poor conditions for little pay. His response and fight against the ‘powers that be’ reflect his unwavering humanitarian spirit.

Target Audience: If you know the name James Cagney then the song “Yankee Doodle Dandy” may spring to mind and seeing this production would be a wonderful walk down memory lane! If you have to Google ‘Cagney’ he's clearly off your radar, however seeing this is totally worth the blast into the past!

Best Bit: To be perfectly honest, I have never loved tap, I wouldn’t say it is my favorite form of dance but I do respect the discipline and difficulty. However, Creighton’s skill, speed and swagger have elevated my opinion greatly! It was quite charming to be taken to an old world with his toe-tapping-hip-swinging moves, and to imagine the many audience members who sat gleefully through “Grand Old Fag” in days gone by.

Morning After Effect: While life looks totally different in this setting with the fashion, songs and dance – not much changes in this world, and perhaps we need more Cagneys and less Warners.

Verdict: This could very well be one of those little stones picked up Off-Broadway and polished into a Broadway gem.

James Cagney is surely playing a joke by reincarnating himself as Robert Creighton! The similarity is uncanny and Creighton has slipped into the shoes of this role with precision, tap shoes that is. Cagney is best known as Hollywood’s tough guy who began his career as a vaudeville before his rise to some of Hollywood’s most classic roles. He played multifaceted hoodlums in movies such as White Heat, Angels with Dirty Faces, Public Enemy and Taxi. He spent many years fighting the stereotype until he realized the power he had to influence these roles with greater complexity and humanity.

“I’m sick of carrying guns and beating up women” - James Cagney

He had a reputation for being equally as strong and determined off screen and constantly fought for the respect of actors throughout his career which lead to many conflicts with studio producer Jack Warner. Perhaps, it was Warner who inspired Cagney’s famous line “You dirty rat” - a line that was never actually said in a film and yet became famously associated to him. Cagney was hugely respected for his artistic ability, and despite his macho persona he was known to have a heart of gold and be extremely fair-minded.

Creighton’s obsession with Cagney began twenty years ago when he started writing music and lyrics for this production to honor the life and successful career of this interesting man, who evidently inspired him. By virtue, Creighton has reminded us of the many great films we may have missed entirely as well as unveiled new gems for the younger audience to watch. By bringing the “tough guy” back to life he has reminded us of a generation that stood for hard work, fighting for what is right and true, and fundamentally, standing up for yourself and those without a voice.

The energy on stage is exemplary with such heart and passion pouring onto the stage from the entire cast who are working extremely hard, and giving it their all! Danette Holden appears on stage in various roles giving each character an original and fun spin, while Bruce Sabath (Jack Warner and others) optimizes the old magnetism and sophistication of this era.

Cagney is charming and offers a pleasing assortment of original music by Creighton and Christopher McGovern with classic George M. Cohan favorites, including Give My Regards to Broadway, triggering James Cagney to smirk from the grave no doubt. Creighton’s retort “How will I be Remembered?” is the best way to sum up this exciting production. Mister James Cagney earns a well-deserved nod of respect and rejuvenation while Creighton gets his moment to shine, and the audience, well, we too have a choice as to how we will be remembered.

Reviewed by Nicola Quinn

27th January 2017
Westside Theatre Upstairs, New York City
Find me on Twitter: @newyorktheatre

View our show pages for more information about Cagney, Westside Theater Upstairs.