The original film version of The Karate Kid was an instant success when it hit cinemas in 1984, and it has spawned a sprawling franchise of movies, TV series and video games that continues in popularity today. One of its great strengths is that audiences can buy into the ethos of the story because it is inspired by the real life experience of its creator Robert Mark Kamen.
Kamen himself has written the book for this new stage musical version, with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini. Life is all about balance, the story tells us, and the creators of this show have certainly worked hard on achieving balance in putting it together. It is not a sung-through musical, and there is indeed a finely judged balance between the musical numbers and the passages of straight action and dialogue. This leads to some particularly strong storytelling, which enables us to really invest in the characters and get on board with the show’s underlying moral messages.
Teenager Daniel LaRusso has moved to California from New Jersey with his mother Lucille, who is starting a new job and hopes to build a new life, leaving behind the sorrow of having lost Daniel’s father. While Lucille is wildly optimistic, Daniel immediately finds challenges fitting in at his new school, and falling for the friendly Ali Mills doesn’t help, because her reluctantly jilted ex-boyfriend Johnny Lawrence doesn’t want Danny on the scene.
Johnny is a member of the dojo Cobra Kai, taught to use karate as a way of spreading fear by the terrifying sensei John Creese, and he and his friends bully Daniel. But Daniel finds an unlikely ally in Mr Miyagi, the handyman from their apartment building, who is a master at karate, which has been in his family for generations.
The central thread of Daniel learning the true ways of karate, and finally turning Johnny away from the dark side, are balanced with Daniel’s growing love for Ali, his deepening relationship with Mr Miyagi, for whom he becomes almost a surrogate son, and the battle of conscience for Lucille as she comes to terms with the fact that her little boy has to grow up and make his own decisions.
It is amusing to think that the original film was made just 4 years after The Empire Strikes Back and, although we know that the story is based on Kamen’s own journey, it is hard not to draw parallels between Mr Miyagi’s tutorship techniques through repetitive tasks (wax-on, wax off) and especially the catching of flies with chopsticks, with the training of Luke by Yoda. Similarly, the final scenes as good triumphs over evil through Daniel’s new-found mental discipline bring us to a richly satisfying conclusion.
Gino Ochello makes a spectacular professional stage debut in the role of Daniel. A tremendously appealing presence on stage, he combines strong vocals with real command of the complex movement, and his clean cut all-American boy demeanour makes him a natural for the character.
There is good onstage chemistry between him and the players he has so many set pieces with, from Sharon Sexton who has some power vocals as his doting mother, Abigail Amin who brings us a level headed Ali, and Adrian Pang, the meditative Mr Miyagi whose transitions from monosyllabic master to delivering some moving songs make him the show’s spiritual focus.
Matt Mills cuts a menacing figure as the villain of the piece John Creese, while Joe Simmons is easy to dislike as Johnny Lawrence, and equally easy to accept as someone who was drawn into a life of hate but who can be redeemed.
Also noteworthy among the cast at the midweek matinee I visited for this review is El Haq Latief, who made their debut as understudy in the role of Freddie Fernandez, who befriends Daniel. Latief gave a tremendously assured performance and received a well deserved round of applause from the cast during the curtain calls.
Derek Mclane’s stage set, formed from a series of swiftly moving screens, provides a suitably Japanese inspired backdrop that incorporates early ‘80s California kitsch, aided by costumes and wigs by Ayako Maeda and Tommy Kurtzman, and beautifully subtle video projection from Peter Nigrini adds a layer of slowly moving texture along with lighting by Bradley King.
An impressive nine-piece band in the pit under the direction of Chris Poon delivers a tuneful and at times pretty punchy score.
One of the most striking aspects of the staging is choreography by Keone and Mari Madrid, which combines aspects of contemporary dance with martial arts. The use of a ‘chorus’ of dancers mirroring Mr Miyagi is a particularly effective way of adding visual interest and a spiritual aspect to his physical performance.
Director Amon Miyamoto certainly achieves that sense of balance in the production, delivering spectacular physicality at all the right moments, while allowing periods of calm reflection. To quote his clearly heartfelt programme note “May this work rise beyond division and travel across the world, gently yet powerfully reminding us that peace is not a distant ideal, but a choice we make, together”.
While few of the musical numbers quite have the power to stick in the memory, the overall sweep of the story, the excellent choreography and staging, and the fine performances from the cast and ensemble make The Karate Kid a memorable experience, and it is a hugely entertaining and uplifting story that reminds us to believe in peace and have hope for the future.
The Karate Kid is at Liverpool Empire until 6th June with tickets available here, and it then continues touring to a further eight UK venues before heading across the pond for a two-month run in Toronto.
Star rating: 4 stars
Production photography by Manuel Harlan
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