Posts with the label uk tour
Showing posts with label uk tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uk tour. Show all posts
Wednesday 25 July 2018
Madagascar The Musical (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review
Madagascar The Musical (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 25th July 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
On a scorching summer night, the New Wimbledon Theatre played host to the opening of the high-energy, larger than life Madagascar The Musical. Based on the 2005 DreamWorks film of the same name, Madagascar follows a group of animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves in The Wild.
Fabian Aloise's choreography is wonderfully modern whilst not being overly cheesy. The children accompanying me especially loved the flossing and it's evident that Fabian know's what the show's target audience want. The cast of humans and 'animals' fill the space brilliantly and create a sense of motion throughout. This movement works hand in hand with Tom Rodgers' sets which are simplistic but vibrant and transition us well from one location to another. Howard Hudson's lighting is warming and especially effective in the more high-intensity group numbers where it feels like a party in the theatre.
The cast are superb; even in the sweltering heat they don't falter and give us intensity and power from start to finish. Medically challenged giraffe, Melman is embodied perfectly by Jamie Lee-Morgan who wanders round the stage in a somber but truly lovable manner whilst Tammika Ramsay as Gloria is sassy and commanding. As the zebra who dreams of escaping the zoo, Antoine Murray-Straughan is humourous and eccentric and his many talents are showcased especially during his brief rap and dance sections.
As the leader of the pack, Alex the lion, Matt Terry is impeccable. From his superb falsetto, riffs and generally beautiful tone, it's clear why he was voted the winner of X-Factor 2016. But, Matt's acting and dance performance is equally as strong as he owns the stage and draws the audience into the story.
Watching the show you completely forget these are not the same characters from the film. The costumes and puppets are so cleverly done that you even forget there are real humans on stage! The ensemble do a stellar job of playing a number of characters and completely transform themselves right in front of our eyes. Mention must also go to Jo Parsons as King Julian who has the audience in the palm of his hand with his epic performance of Move It.
The music of Madagascar is genuinely catchy and it's a show that both adults and children will appreciate and enjoy. If you want some light-hearted fun with a host of crazy characters and stellar performances then Madagascar is the one for you.
Madagascar runs at the New Wimbledon Theatre until July 28th before continuing it's tour.
photo credit: Scott Rylander
Fame The Musical (UK Tour) | Press Launch
1980 musical theatre favourite, Fame opens in a new reincarnation which Keith Jack (Nick) says "feels like the iconic film and series which made Fame great" tomorrow (26th July) at the Manchester Palace Theatre, before continuing it's tour. Featuring memorable songs such as Think of Meryl Streep, There She Goes, I Want To Make Magic and of course the title song Fame, the musical tells the real-life version of breaking into the performing arts and confronts many of the struggles young adults face, "we're not here to sugar coat it" says Mica Paris.
I was lucky enough to see the amazing cast in their penultimate day of rehearsals as they gave us a sneak peek into the show and whet out appetites for what's sure to be an energetic, thrilling show.
Choreographer and director, Nick Winston introduced the show and set us up to hear and see a few numbers. First up a full-out rendition of There She Goes performed by Stephanie Rojas (Carmen) and the cast. From the first moment they began, the energy was infectious and it's genuinely thrilling to see such talent on stage, Rojas is feisty as the Latina who dreams of being famous and I already anticipate her performance as being outstanding. Also notable is the fact that there are a number of actor musicians featured throughout which add to the real life feel and really transports us to a vivacious theatre school. Jorgie Porter exclaimed how excited she is to be performing in her first musical and how "it's constant all the time", Keith added that Nick's aim with the show is to make it fast paced and to feel like New York in terms of being ever moving and full of verve.
Keith Jack gave a truthful rendition of I Want To Make Magic whilst Molly McGuire was hilarious as and lovable as Serena, it will be lovely to see their relationship play out on stage. When asked about the show Keith told us that it's so special because "the cast and director and the entire team have made this electric, buzzy show" and hopes audiences will "be able to relate to a certain character and latch onto to something in the story."
Jamal Kane Crawford's performance of Dancing on the Sidewalk tired me out just watching! Full of energy he completely commanded the space. Alongside Mica Paris the pair create a realistic, but heightened portrayal of a student and teacher who are at odds. Paris' performance of These Are My Children left us all in awe at her effortless vocals. A lovely thing is how supportive the cast are of one another, all cheering each other on and embodying the family feel of being in school together, something which I think will definitely translate to the whole production. When chatting to Mica, Keith and Jorgie after the performance, this was even more evident and they all echoed that the team feel and talent of everyone is what makes the show so special for them.
The title song of Fame features the iconic lyric "remember by name". When asked what they would like to be remembered for I was met with semi-silence as it's a pretty deep question but each person had a lovely, heartfelt answer. Jorgie would love to be remembered for "making a fun situation out of anything", Mica would like to be remembered for "showing anyone that no matter what people tell you, you can be what you want to be and you should do what you feel". Finally, Keith told us a lovely story about his grandad who consistently made people happy and how it inspired him to do workshops for people to try and make them happy; so he would like to be remembered for "bringing light to people... although I'll probably be remembered for being Scottish!"
Keith rounded off with: "I think people will come to the show and get what they expect, plus even more" so if you want all the energy, excitement, romance and pure storytelling from Fame, plus even more then book your tickets for the 2018 UK tour.
Post by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Tristram Kenton
Wednesday 11 July 2018
The Band (UK Tour), Edinburgh Playhouse | Review
The Band (UK Tour)
London Palladium
Reviewed on Tuesday 10th July 2018 by Fiona Wickerson
★★★★
The story opens with the main protagonist proclaiming how she grew up with ‘The Band’ and judging by the enthusiastic cheers from the audience it seemed pretty clear that many of them did too! The opening few scenes are full of fun and pace, as we see the bubbling enthusiasm of a group of five best friends, obsessed with seeing The Band for the first time. The dialogue was witty and the actors charmingly recreated the energetic enthusiasm found only in 16 year-old teenagers.
‘The Band’ themselves appear regularly, in true musical fashion, to perform all of Take That’s greatest hits. Wearing the classic outfits and performing the deliberatively overly-choreographed dance routines, they really captured the spirit of Take That in their heyday.
In sharp contrast to the sweet enthusiasm of the first few scenes, tragedy strikes, and the friendship group breaks apart. The Band’s acoustic, haunting singing worked beautifully and the mournful scenes of transition were handled with tenderness and emotion.
Fast forward twenty-five years and the once-girls have all settled into very different lives, in very different places. The older Rachel, (played by Rachel Lumberg) performs with wonderful realism, portraying the balance of a woman who has had a happy life, but has never been able to quite let go of the sadness that haunted her teenage years. As the friends come back together for the first time in twenty-five years, the show really starts to come into its own. Every member of the audience could find something in common with the forgotten dreams of youth and the paths you never thought you would walk down.
Queue some very humorous scenes involving a water fountain and the audience were completely charmed by the four women. It seems a little ironic that in a musical called The Band, from which a TV series has sought out the five winning members, the five boys were actually in the background for the majority of the story. The leading ladies absolutely stole the show, quite rightly, with their brilliant comic timing, sincere emotion and charismatic stage presence. In fact, it really worked for the performance that the boys and the main characters never directly interacted with each other. ‘The Band’ were always a dream for the girls-now-women, and though very important to their lives, it was the friendships underneath that the women realise they should never have lost.
With only 16 performers in the entire show, the cast did an excellent job of creating the on-stage energy normally only found in much larger cast productions. The quick costume changes and creative use of props made the stage feel full of life. The show was a sell-out and I have rarely seen an audience so engaged and invested in a show. The rip-roaring finale scene had the audience on their feet and the night ended on a real high – success!
The Band runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until 14th July before continuing it's tour.
Tuesday 3 July 2018
Thriller Live (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Thriller Live (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 2nd July 2018 by Valerie Field
★★★★
Thriller Live is currently running in the West End as well as being on a UK Tour. Whilst theres no plot, it's clear that audiences are loving it due to it celebrating and drawing together the songs of music legend, Michael Jackson in a glitzy, concert format.
As soon as the show began the two leading performers, Britt Quentin and Shaquille Maurice Hemmans involved the audience and took us from a theatre to a concert. This audience/cast co-ordination lasted throughout the entire night and provided a lot of fun.
The performances of all the cast, dancers and singers were great, with not a weak link among them. The individuals who stood out to me most were Rory Taylor, especially with his moving performance of She's Out of My Life and Adriana Louise who gave a vocally exceptional performance throughout. Also, the young boy singing as Michael was outstanding.
Eddy Lima's resemblance of the Great Michael Jackson was
uncanny at times; especially when he did the iconic moonwalk across the stage. It was almost as if he transformed into Michael in front of our eyes.
Another interesting part of the show were the special effects which worked very well, especially the screens on stage which again add to the concert vibe. I was very surprised when the screens opened to reveal the fabulous band who kept the night going with energy and precision. Mention must go to the two guitarists, Alan Salmon and Rob Minns who were fantastic.
The show's namesake, Thriller, was performed towards the end of the second half and although the set and costumes and performances were good I felt they could have made more of it.
However, all in all this is a great feel good show and a fantastic celebration of Michael Jackson songs through the ages. Don't go for a plot but if you want a fun night out with good music, Thriller Live is well worth a visit.
Thriller Live runs at the New Victoria theatre until July 7th before continuing it's tour.
Sunday 1 July 2018
A Stagey Guide To Singing... Dayle Hodge and Michael Watson | Jersey Boys (UK Tour) | Stagey Sunday
Happy July stagey people and welcome to the first instalment of this month's Stagey Sunday. This month, instead of focussing on a specific show, we're looking at vocal tips and advice from theatre professionals. As a classical singer in training, I find hearing about other people's vocal journeys and advice super interesting, so I hope others who are hoping to get into performing or just general theatre fans will find it interesting and fun too!
This week's advice is brought to you by the two Frankie Valli's of the current UK Tour of Jersey Boys: Michael Watson and Dayle Hodge...
What has your vocal journey been like?
Michael Watson: I always loved singing, I found my voice as a child and kind of carried on from there. As I progressed into shows, I met various teachers along the way who taught me their different ways.
Dayle Hodge: I’ve always sung from a very early age. In fact I was probably singing before I could speak and always had Disney sing-a-long videos on at home and singing was always something that I just kind of did. I was part of the school choirs and things like that but I never went to a choir in a way of “I’m going to go to a choir, I want to be a singer”, I just sang. I started performing at a very early age, I went to theatre school when I was 2 and did my first professional job when I was 4 so I’ve always been performing.
This week's advice is brought to you by the two Frankie Valli's of the current UK Tour of Jersey Boys: Michael Watson and Dayle Hodge...
What has your vocal journey been like?
Michael Watson: I always loved singing, I found my voice as a child and kind of carried on from there. As I progressed into shows, I met various teachers along the way who taught me their different ways.
Dayle Hodge: I’ve always sung from a very early age. In fact I was probably singing before I could speak and always had Disney sing-a-long videos on at home and singing was always something that I just kind of did. I was part of the school choirs and things like that but I never went to a choir in a way of “I’m going to go to a choir, I want to be a singer”, I just sang. I started performing at a very early age, I went to theatre school when I was 2 and did my first professional job when I was 4 so I’ve always been performing.
I did have singing lessons as I got older but not really proper ones until I went to Arts Ed sixth form when I was 16. Obviously being a boy you go through your voice breaking; my voice broke when I was 13 and it took a while to get it where it needs to be and back into a place where I was comfortable singing again but in terms of the journey I just always sang.
What/who got you into music?
Michael: It was probably Michael Jackson and my mum really! She used to play a lot of music in the car and I loved that
Dayle: Growing up I always watched so much Disney and I’m still a big Disney fan now (not many people aren’t!) so Disney put me in that direction. The first show that I loved and always was singing at home was Oliver. When I was a kid I wanted to be in it so that’s probably what made me want to get into performing. I’m also a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury and his voice is one of, if not the best, male voices ever so he’s a real inspiration to me.
You’ve had a pretty diverse career vocally. How do you adapt to various styles/genres and when did you find your Frankie voice?
Michael: I kind of had the falsetto there already for Frankie and my singing teacher, Mark Meylan helped me hone it to be able to do it everyday and to strengthen it. I think if you can keep your you voice supple enough and do enough exercises, you can sing any style really.
It’s about maintaining the voice. You always want to bring your voice back to zero after you’ve sung anything so I would do a warm up and a cool down. As long as you can keep your voice around that level you’ll be good!
Dayle: It’s interesting because someone came in to do a talk with us at college and basically said “we don’t think people can be that different… If you’re in Phantom we’re not gonna see you for Mamma Mia” and I completely disagree with that, as you can see from my CV. I think you can adapt and you can change and it’s all just about knowing your voice and how to use it. Everybody’s voice is different, obviously you can be taught technique and skills but only you know what your voice can do, so you have to find your way of doing it and making it work.
The singing teacher can help you do that safely and technically correct. The best singing teachers that I’ve worked with, use exercises that they have created and developed themselves rather than using somebody else’s technique which for me is brilliant. It’s them saying, "I was struggling with this so I developed this to help with that" and I can take their advice and ideas to put that to use myself. There are some parts that I love to use and some bits that don’t work for my voice. So it’s just about knowing your voice and how you use it. Obviously some people are very much suited to one style and can’t necessarily sing others or they have a smaller range so in regards to doing different styles I think using your voice and practising different things, not just what you find easy is the best way to develop.
How do you maintain good vocal health? Do you have a tips of tricks for when you’re feeling down?
Michael: I have a few things! I think the best thing any singer can do is stretch their whole body through yoga or something like that because you’ll find that tension in your voice can come from weird places in your body. You could have a bit of tension in you hip and it can affect your jaw. Or your alinement could be off so your jaw is poking forward and you didn’t realise so you’ll get fatigued quicker, so stretching is vital.
In terms of illness, I like to use day nurse. Don’t steam too much. I use a thing called accent method if I’ve got a cold which is connecting to the breathing. Don’t warm up too quickly or push the voice and also don’t try to ignore it; you want to feel as free both physically and mentally as possible. If you have something else on your mind it can distract from focussing on your voice so it’s important to be free and relaxed.
Dayle: Loads of water. Drink as much water as you can, even if it means you’re on the toilet every 5 minutes, just drink loads because it’s so good for you. If I feel my voice is getting tired I steam which puts high intensity water onto the vocal cords at a temperature that’s very hot and clears any rubbish that’s on your cords. And rest is a key thing, that’s what your voice thrives on really; the more rest it can get, the better it will be. I look after myself a lot, I don’t drink really or go out partying in loud places very often because you have to shout over the loud music and that will affect your voice.
In terms of if you’re struggling and feeling under the weather, again those things with water and steaming will help, if you do it all the time. I don’t really take anything other than before a show I take gaviscon to stop any acid reflux, but I don’t like to reply on taking pills or anything like that because to me you’re then just covering up anything that’s damaged and then you could damage it more.
What is your pre-show warm up like?
Michael: So I come in, if I’m feeling a bit stiff I’ll have stretch then I’ll chill out for a bit. If I’m feeling tired I’ll do a bit of accent method which gets the breathing connected. Then I start with slow humming, some lips trills and a lot of tongue loosing exercises particularly for this role, and then some jaw loosening exercises. Then going higher into my falsetto with a lip trill, a bit more falsetto and I should be done at that point. The warm up only really takes about 10 minutes but with the stretching and stuff it’s about half an hour.
Dayle: I have a singing teacher that I see every couple of weeks and have a lot of exercises that she gives me. With singing the Frankie Valli stuff it makes your tongue very tight so I do a lot of tongue loosening exercises which get your tongue out of the way of where you sing. The more space you can create in your mouth, the easier it is to sing. The top of your mouth is a dome so if you get your tongue out of the way of that, the sound can just swell in there. I do those exercises on my own and then we do a full company warm up which is more scales and stuff which get me to the notes which I’m going to need for the show. On my own it’s more of a mechanical warm up to make sure that the mechanics of my voice are ready and then with the full company I use that to get the notes in my voice warm and ready for the show.
Who would your dream duet partner be?
Michael: Well besides my fiancé, I think I’ll go for Celine Dion. Her voice is unreal. Or if I wanted to look like I couldn’t sing, I’d go with David Phelps who would school me, he’s got an amazing voice!
Dayle: Oh that’s a good question! I’d definitely go with Freddie Mercury!
What’s your top piece of advice for aspiring performers in terms of finding and maintaining your voice?
Michael: My best advice is to find the right teachers. If you’ve got a voice that seems to do what you want it to do then just keep going and don’t think about it too much. With the voice it’s all about bringing it from a place of joy and fun; don’t think that you have to try so hard and that it’s a rough journey. Find it fun. Your voice is meant to be strong naturally- a baby never loses it’s voice when it cries! So you’re just getting rid of habits you’ve formed as you’ve grown up so just enjoy the journey because your voice wants to go to the right place. You have to study it though; a book I like is called Finding Your Voice by Barbra Houseman, I worked with Barbara and she’s fantastic so I’d recommend her book to anyone.
Dayle: If you want to do it, you’ve got to be very serious about doing it. It’s a very overpopulated industry and there’s always going to be somebody that’s better than you so you have to work hard to get what you want and to where you want to be. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it though, if you really want it bad enough, go for it and don’t give up.
Give yourself the best opportunity you can, don’t go to an audition after being out the night before cause you’re not going to be giving it your best and if you’re not the best then you’re not giving yourself the greatest opportunity to get the job. All the things I said about looking after your voice, do that and keep on top of things. Keep your voice active and moving but don’t overwork and make sure you rest!
A huge thank you to Dayle and Michael for chatting to me. Both can be seen as Frankie Valli in various Jersey Boys tour stops around the UK. More information can be found here.
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
See you next Sunday for a BATTY Stagey Sunday ;)
Photo credit: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg
Give yourself the best opportunity you can, don’t go to an audition after being out the night before cause you’re not going to be giving it your best and if you’re not the best then you’re not giving yourself the greatest opportunity to get the job. All the things I said about looking after your voice, do that and keep on top of things. Keep your voice active and moving but don’t overwork and make sure you rest!
A huge thank you to Dayle and Michael for chatting to me. Both can be seen as Frankie Valli in various Jersey Boys tour stops around the UK. More information can be found here.
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
See you next Sunday for a BATTY Stagey Sunday ;)
Photo credit: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg
Wednesday 20 June 2018
Matthew Bourne's Cinderella (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Matthew Bourne's Cinderella (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 19th June 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Making a return to the stage after debuting 20 years ago, Matthew Bourne's Cinderella is a departure from the traditional setting we know and instead takes place in 1940's London against the backdrop of war, air raid sirens and the blitz. Sergei Prokofiev wrote the hauntingly desperate score during the Second World War so it's seems only fitting to set the ballet then.
Act One begins with the dancers appearing in grey, depressing London before transitioning to Cinderella's blacked out house. This initial darkness shows the desperation and loneliness that our lead character feels from the onset. In the house we are introduced to a number of creepy, bizarre characters who become more and more excited as they receive their invites to the ball.
Ashley Shaw's Cinderella is surprisingly comical and and exciting to watch. Her duet a dressmaking dummy was a personal stand out moment and highlighted Shaw's versatility as a dancer and an actress. As her romantic lead, Andrew Monaghan is tormented but powerful throughout. The two are wonderful together and create moments of theatrical brilliance.
The traditional 'Fairy-Godmother role is subverted in this production to be an Angel played by a man, Liam Mower. Mower does an outstanding job is his sharp white suit, of guiding Cinderella whilst also appearing to be an all seeing protector of London who at one point rushes off to seemingly intercept a bomb!
Lez Brotherston's set is a love letter to Wartime London. It is intricate but simplistic and highlights iconic London scenes such as Embankment and the Underground with flawless grace. The use of film and the train station are especially reminiscent of Brief Encounter and allow us to be transported to a painfully magical time. The Café de Paris is particularly moving as it becomes a smashed shell of war torn London.
This is a show with a modern twist that is full of enough heart and magic to make you want to watch it over and over. There is extravagance and simplicity in equal measure and this is a truly unmissable fairytale.
Matthew Bourne's Cinderella runs at the New Victoria Theatre until June 23rd
photo credit: Johan Persson
Friday 1 June 2018
Shrek (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Shrek (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 31st May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Leaving the theatre after seeing Shrek, my nieces had beaming smiles on their faces and said "it was amaaaaaaaaazing", if that's not testament enough to the show then I don't know what is. This show is aimed at children, and they clearly love it.
If for some reason you've never heard of Shrek, it tells the story of an ogre whose swamp has been invaded by fairytale characters, banished there by leader of Duloc, Lord Farquaad. Shrek is sent on a mission to save a princess from a tower who is more than meets the eye.
Steffan Harri bursts onto the stage with energy and a brilliant portrayal of the iconic Scottish ogre. Steffan is a joy to watch; he genuinely seems to enjoy his time on stage as well as providing some beautiful singing, especially during Who I'd Be. There is a depth to Shrek which is lovely to see played out on stage and he emotively puts the message across that being yourself is the best way to live.
As Shrek's companion, Marcus Ayton is hilarious as Donkey. Marcus is close enough to the original portrayal by Eddie Murphy that the character from the film isn't lost, but unique enough to still keep the role surprising. Marcus has sass and facial expressions for days and is truly joyous to watch on stage. Plus his voice is killer!
Laura Main is energetic and eccentric in her portrayal of Princess Fiona. She puts a smile of your face whilst providing a humourous, vocally strong performance. Her chemistry with Steffan is also great and the pair bounce off one another well, especially during I Think I Got You Beat.
Samuel J Holmes is certainly the stand out of the show as Lord Farquaad. His quick humour and stage presence are outstanding. I'm sure everyone mentions how bruised his knees must be, but it's seriously impressive that he moves with such agility every night. Samuel knows how to work both the audience and his cast mates; particularly humourous last night was when he picked up a dropped cloth mid monologue and asked his guard to take it back to costume. This not only had the audience in stitches but also had his cast mates evidently hiding laughter.
All the iconic fairytale characters also appear in the show, with Jemma Revell as Gingy and the Sugar Plum Fairy stealing her scenes with her insanely good vocals. Equally as brilliant is Lucinda Shaw who plays the Dragon and the Fairy Godmother. Her voice is off the charts good and I can't wait to see what other roles she tackles in the future as she's surely destined for stardom.
This production is smooth and exciting, with great lighting and sparkle to make it a magical show for children and adults alike. One thing which fell flat personally, was I Know It's Today. As someone who's never seen the show before, I was only aware of this song, performed so brilliantly by Sutton Foster. In previous productions it's staged with a young Princess Fiona, a teenage Fiona and the current adult Fiona but in this production the two youths are replaced by puppets. This is most likely due to costs which is understandable but it was a little too cheesy for me.
This is a great family show that fans of the film series will love. Solid performances all round, clever songs and a whole load of musical theatre references thrown in, Shrek is certain to thrill anyone who sees it.
Shrek runs at the New Victoria Theatre until June 10th, before continuing it's tour.
photo credit: Helen Maybanks
Wednesday 23 May 2018
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 22nd May 2018 by Becca Cromwell
★★★★
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is based on the life, trials and tribulations of singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner Carole King. The story begins in 1950s Brooklyn, where a bright eyed and bushy tailed Carole goes to 1650 Broadway, New York City, to sell her song. Producer Don Kirshner buys the song, and offers her a contract. From there, she meets Gerry Goffin, her soon-to-be husband, and they collaborate on a song. Their collaboration brings them hit after hit and soon enough they are a successful musical duo, with Carole writing the melodies and Gerry writing the lyrics. Things are not always sunny however, as Gerry and Carole divorce and Carole goes on to release her album Tapestry, which won her Grammy awards and allowed her to play a sold out concert at the Carnegie Hall.
Bronté Barbé, gives an incredible performance and Carole. She captures Carole perfectly, from her mannerisms to the recognisable voice. Barbé astounds from the beginning, right through to the very end, giving a performance that must be extremely hard to match night after night.
Gerry Goffin played by Kane Oliver Parry, is a lovable character who makes some big mistakes. Kane plays him brilliantly with astounding vocals.
Honorable mentions must go to Amy Ellen Richardson, Matthew Gonsalves and Adam Howden, who play Cynthia, Barry and Don respectively. These characters are some of the most important people in Carole’s story, and the portrayal of these characters is excellent.
Throughout this particular performance, there were unfortunately periods where the singing could not be heard over the volume of the band, which means some of the hits including the Loco Motion and Will You Love Me Tomorrow were not as spectacular as I had hoped. However, the singing that we could hear was extremely good, with harmonies that were marvellous.
The quick changes performed by the ensemble cast are mind-blowing, leaving the audience gasping as they effortlessly switch costumes within seconds.
The set, designed by Derek McLane, works well within the show. The simplicity of it and the continuous use of the piano allows the actors to truly transport us back to Brooklyn in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I particularly enjoyed the 1650 Broadway set, which served as various offices and performance rooms.
The entire ensemble give fantastic performances and the show is thoroughly enjoyable. I had high expectations, all of which were met for a fun-filled night out at the theatre.
Beautiful continues its UK tour into June, so grab your tickets for the final venues whilst you can!
Summer Holiday: The Musical (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Summer Holiday: The Musical (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 22nd May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Based on the 1963 Cliff Richard hit, Summer Holiday: The Musical, taps into nostalgia and humour as a group of youngsters hop on a bus to live their dreams and go on a whirlwind adventure of self-discovery and love. The story follows four mechanics who, on a quest for the perfect summer holiday, travel around Europe on a double-decker bus as they plan a travel business. Along the way they meet a three person girl group and a runaway singer. Romance, laughter and catchy songs ensue.
Having not seen the film (it came out 33 years before I was born) I was not sure what to expect but this production delivered on so many levels and pleasantly surprised me. The humour is predictable and the plot isn't anything special but this is a high-energy, feel good show that's perfect for warm summer nights of escapism.
The set is basic but the big red bus certainly provides the wow factor. Steve Howell's design is simplistic without being basic and really helps highlight Racky Plews' fantastic choreography which is certainly one of the finest aspects of the production. The mixture of dance styles are extremely impressive. There are some West Side Story vibes as well as fabulous rock and roll moments. I didn't expect this show to be so choreography heavy but was very dazzled. The sleek movements are pulled off by the entire cast to great affect. There were a few errors such as dropped props but the professional cast did a wonderful job of covering up and making mistakes a part of the show.
Summer Holiday's cast give high-energy performances matched with strong vocals. Ray Quinn as Don gives an especially strong performance although his different accent whilst singing vs speaking did throw me a bit. However, he is a very strong singer, dancer and actor and is perfect for the role- suitably cheesy but well-rounded. As runaway singer, Sophie Matthew gives a lovely performance, with her bright eyes gleaming from the stage and her vocals shining during act two especially.
Each cast member does a great job of looking as though they're having fun on stage. This show is a real team piece with everyone working together well; particular stand out's are Billy Roberts as Steve and Alice Baker as Alma.
Summer Holiday: The Musical is lighthearted fun, perfect for those who want to reminisce on the 60s as well as those experiencing the story with fresh eyes. Take a break from the weight of the world and board the red bus for a few hours of carefree, musical fun.
Summer Holiday: The Musical runs at the New Victoria Theatre until May 26th before continuing it's UK tour.
Monday 14 May 2018
Miss Saigon, Palace Theatre, Manchester (UK Tour) | Review
Miss Saigon (UK Tour)
Palace Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 10th May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Boublil and Schönberg's Miss Saigon is one of my all time favourite musicals. I saw the show twice at the Prince Edward theatre and have watched the 25th Anniversary film countless times. The stunning music, moving story and all round spectacle, makes it one of the most emotive, moving and timeless musicals.
Telling the story of 17 year-old Kim, this classic musical set during the Vietnam War, is a story of love, pain and heartache. After watching her village burn, Kim is forced to accept a job in a Brothel, run by the Engineer. There she meets Chris, a GI, and their doomed romance begins.
Adapted from Puccini's opera, Madame Butterfly, this features one of the most swooping and virtuosic scores. Boublil and Schönberg's music draws you in from the opening notes and perfectly accompanies the high emotion and mental state of the characters. Expertly played by the outstanding orchestra, it's a complete and utter joy to hear the intricately stunning music live. The orchestrations are worth the ticket price alone.
At this performance the role of Kim was played by alternate, Joreen Bautista who's natural youth and vulnerability shines through from the moment she steps on stage. Vocally she is extremely strong but there were a few times where I was longing for just a bit more oomph. However, there's no denying that Joreen is a star in the making and at only 17 I'm sure she has an amazing theatrical career ahead of her. Kim's love interest, Chris, is played by Ashley Gilmour who is perfectly torn in the role. Ashley's vocals are outstanding, especially his performance of Why God Why? The two have great chemistry with one another and bounce off each other throughout the whirlwind romance.
Ryan O'Gorman plays Chris' fellow GI and later on crusader for the Bui Doi, John. Again the duo have a clear chemistry and genuinely seem like very close friends. Ryan's vocals are supremely strong and his character development throughout is fantastically clear and well thought out.
As the infamous engineer, Red Concepción is wonderful. His constant transitions from friendly to evil, mean you can never decide whether he's a 'goodie' or a 'baddie'. Red has perfectly mastered the humourous side of the role and has balanced it well with the mean, calculating side to create a well-rounded, multi-layered character. His performance of The American Dream is one of the most memorable theatrical experiences.
The supporting cast are equally as impressive, Gerald Santos as Thuy, Aicelle Santos as Gigi and Elana Martin as Ellen do a wonderful job of progressing the story, emoting their scenes and delivering stellar vocals.
Miss Saigon is musical theatre at it's best. A direct transfer from Broadway, this touring production has lost none of it's sparkle and is full of so many intricacies that the experience is visceral and moving.
Miss Saigon begins a 6 week run at the Bristol Hippodrome from May 16th.
photo credit: Johan Persson
Thursday 10 May 2018
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), New Theatre Oxford | Review
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)
New Theatre Oxford
Reviewed on Tuesday 8th May 2018 by Nick Fisher
★★★★
Carole King rightly occupies a place in the pantheon of great American songwriters and this lively production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, is a fitting tribute to her musical legacy.
The performance begins with King, propelled to stardom by her solo album ‘Tapestry’, sitting at her piano in Carnegie Hall. All too quickly, we are taken back to her teenage years, living with Mum in a Manhattan apartment striving to become a songwriter. She is revealed as a slightly awkward yet determined teenager who meets her future writing partner and husband, Gerry Goffin, when studying education at college. After she becomes pregnant, the pair marry and embark on their career as hit-makers for Don Kirsher known as the ‘man with the golden ear’ who made stars of King, Neil Diamond and Neil Sedaka amongst others.
We are taken at a rapid clip through some classics including, ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ originally performed by the Drifters, ‘Will you Love Me Tomorrow’ by the Shirelles and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling by Barry Mann and the Righteous Brothers. The show portrays vividly the look and feel of Kirshner’s song-writing factory, a rabbit warren of cubicles inhabited by young writers, desperate to write hits for the Billboard 100. At the factory, the pair meet friends and competitors, lyricist Cynthia Weil and composer Barry Mann. The witty and smart Weil and the comic, charming Mann, provide a light-hearted secondary duo who are destined to live happily ever after. Indeed, the pair have been married since 1961 which is in sharp contrast to King and Goffin who both remarried 3 times following their divorce. In fact, it is during this intensely productive period at the factory when the first cracks appear in their relationship. Goffin’s desire to stay out every night to immerse himself in the music scene conflicts with King’s desire for domesticity coupled with an intense desire to make it as a songwriter.
In Act 2, we are taken, albeit it at a slightly slower pace, from 1962, with ‘Chains’ initially released by the Cookies and in 1963, covered by the Beatles. We are then treated to some classics, ‘Walking in the Rain’, and ‘It’s Too Late’, culminating in a wonderful rendition of ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman’ originally recorded one year before her divorce from Goffin in 1968. The final scene takes us back to the Carnegie Hall show in 1971, the year when King released her seminal solo album, Tapestry, one of the best-selling albums of all time. It is at this point when Goffin makes a final appearance. The pair had lost contact since King’s move to Los Angeles in 1968 and Goffin takes the opportunity to express his appreciation of how much she had achieved in her career. It doesn’t matter if this actually happened, it portrays a deep love and respect for the woman and the writer. In any case, in a statement following his death in 2014, King described Goffin as her ‘first love’ and how he had a ‘profound impact’ on her life.
Overall, this is a rip-roaring musical roller coaster ride. The quality of the music, led by Musical Director Patrick Hurley, really cannot be faulted, from the tight harmonies and wonderful choreography in Act 1 to the evocative songs in Act 2. This is not a history lesson in any sense even though this is a period rich in social and political change including the racial integration of the University of Alabama in 1963 and the height of the Vietnam War in the early 70s. Was King affected by these momentous events and did it affect her music? Almost certainly, but at the end of the day it was Goffin’s lyrics which serve as a narrative for the time.
This brings us to the performances. Bronté Barbé is superb as Carole King. Her voice is captivating and her performance of Natural Woman was incredibly moving and captured perfectly a tumultuous stage in King’s marriage to Goffin. Playing Goffin was Kane Oliver Parry who had a palpable chemistry with Barbé. Nevertheless, his Brooklyn accent was unconvincing and needs more work.
Almost eclipsing Barbé was Amy Ellen Richardson as Cynthia Weil. She brought maturity and depth to the role including stand-out performances in ‘Walking in the Rain’ and ‘He’s sure the Boy I Love’. Her partner, Barry Mann was sensitively played by Matthew Gonsalves and he introduced some moments of real humour.
Carole King will always be a shining star of world music. She has written or co-written over 400 songs recorded by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Diana Ross and the Beatles. She has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, recorded 25 solo albums, the second of which, ‘Tapestry’ remained at the top of the Billboard 100 for a record-breaking 15 weeks. Come to this performance, stick some dimes into the jukebox and join the baby boomers dancing in the aisles in celebration of a cultural icon.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is at the New Theatre Oxford until 11th May 2018
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