As a teenager in 1956 I left the cinema after seeing "High Society" in a lovely feel good mood.
For the film had everything, glamour, humour, catchy songs, pathos.
Sixty years later  on the twelth of March 2013 I sat amongst the audience at Wales Millenium centre for the opening night of the stage production and waited and watched, for the same oomph factor to kick in, sadly it never did.
Certainly not in the first half which was bland, and very slow.
 Though the set was attractive, and the moving of scenery cleverly done by the cast, and Sophie Bould's slick costumes changes showed off her beautiful figure and provided glamour, there was nothing really memorable about the first half of the show, and I was finding it hard to warm to any of the characters. The only relief from tedium came from the dancers, who I thought were excellent throughout.
The pace did pick up a little in the second part, with great comedic moments from Teddy Kemper as Uncle Willie, and katy Lee as the young Dinah. That was great casting. Truly the only part of the show I would remember
Michael Praed was suave, and likeable, as Dexter but looked uncomfortable when singing, as if very much aware of his limitations in that field.
I felt the dueting of the musical number "True love"  was awful, there was no depth of tenderness in it for me.
The film will always remain a favourite evergreen,  starring as it did Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Grace kelly, and the charismatic Louis Armstrong.
It's a hard act to follow, and though the cast of the stage production try hard, the evening's performance for me was just mildly pleasant.