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Too Close To The Sun - One4Review

Is it not about time there was a musical about one of the most charismatic leaders of the 20th century J F Kennedy? I know he is mentioned in ‘Assassins’ and I now believe there has been one other attempt to create one. Many of the myths and legends surrounding JFK will remain, as no one will ever be able to discover the whole truth.  I was personally too young to remember much about the man and can only vaguely remember his assassination but I have spent my whole life aware of both him and his legacy. I unashamedly admit to being both a BA Robertson and musicals fan and the possibility of getting the two in one was intriguing. Although still going through the development process B A’s musical left me in tears, physically shaking and having had a profound experience.  ‘Too Close to the Sun’ tells his story from the point of view of a past lover, utilising actual newsreel footage, BA’s unique musical interpretation and narration from Inga Arvad (Katrine Lunde). Inga Arvad was a renowned Danish beauty who despite being both older and having been twice married, seems to have had an undeniable lasting attraction for the youth who was manipulated into becoming J F Kennedy president of the U S A.  Joe Kennedy senior, JFK’s father, disapproved of the relationship and although he succeeded in preventing a marriage he was unable to stop the correspondence between the two.  Apparently JFK was unusually honest with Inga and all correspondence between the two was kept and treasured. This account of the relationship is imagined through meticulous research, dramatic and musical licence. This musical covers his early life, his inauguration, through the Cuban Missile Crisis to his assassination in 1963, utilising a wide variety of musical styles and one or two numbers I am longing to hear again.  Both BA and the actress playing Inga have superb voices and Inga’s style is totally fitting for the period.  I couldn’t believe the hour was over and hope its further development leads to a tour and West End season, which is exactly what I think it deserves, I would go out of my way to see it again. Katrine Lunde is a Norwegian actress who has performed at the Fringe with great acclaim in the ‘Anonomous Society’s’ Jacque Brel show.  This lady like BA has great stage presence and a phenomenal voice. *****

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