Streaming worldwide until 17 April – book via www.rememberingtheoscars.com
4****
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
While we must wait until 2022 for Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara’s live tour of Remembering The Oscars, this hour-long show gives us a preview of the spectacular production they have planned.
After an opening red-carpet routine featuring iconic songs from films including Flashdance, Dirty Dancing, The Gay Divorcee and The Way We Were, Aljaž and Janette introduce dance routines from Oscar categories – reintroducing a Best Choreography award.
The Behind-the-Scenes film, available as part of a post-show pass along with an interview with the couple, highlights the unusual rehearsal process and the short time available for filming, and the finished show is unbelievably slick considering the time pressures on the production. Director and choreographer Gareth Walker has included plenty of variety in music and dance styles to please the entire family, and the dancers – Ash-Leigh Hunter, Ediz Ibriham, Grace Walker, Natasha Mould, Joshua Moore, Kate Kenrick, Scott Coldwell and Stuart Rouse – are at the top of their game.
Aljaž and Janette’s routines, from the romance of Romeo and Juliet’s Kissing You to the sultry tango from Scent of A Woman are flawless – and of course they do THAT lift from Dirty Dancing. Their onstage connection is wonderful to watch. For the ballroom dances Aljaž’s partner is Ash-Leigh Hunter, and these dances are beautifully choreographed and danced. Janette gets to show off her singing in a couple of numbers, and the incredible Janine Johnson and Giovanni Spanó provide the classy vocals. Janette is obviously having the time of her life in the Disney section, with numbers from The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen and Mary Poppins that will bring the house down in a live show.
Remembering The Oscars is fantastic family fun – a must-see for Strictly and film fans