Showing posts sorted by date for query concerts. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query concerts. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Saturday 7 April 2018
In Conversation With... Rachel Tucker | An Evening with Jason Robert Brown | Interview
If you google 'busy people' Rachel Tucker will surely come up. Always working on something new and exciting, Rachel is one of the hottest things both in London and New York. Set to star in the one night only An Evening with Jason Robert Brown concert at the Palladium, Rachel sat down to discuss everything about the concert and gave us an exclusive on what's next for her across the pond!
What’s the rehearsal process been like for this concert?
I haven't actually started yet! I've been rehearsing on my own but we do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then the show Wednesday night cause Jason's coming over. We have the scheduling and it's like 10-5.30 so it's gonna be... intense. We have a piano rehearsal with Jason on our own and then all together and there's back-up vocalists and singers and stuff, so, it's gonna be very intense. I'm really excited!
You’ve performed some of Jason’s songs before, can we expect to hear those or new ones in the concert?
Actually a bit of both. I have, what is called my 'handbag song' which I love and it's Stars and Moon that I sing at any given opportunity. It's my favourite classic Jason Robert Brown and... I don't know if I should say what else I'm singing or if it should be a surprise?!
How about a clue?
Okay well there's another old one and two more modern ones...
Very vague!
Okay so one is a really new, updated one that he wrote for a girl in a wheelchair, actually, a 13 year old girl. He wrote it very specifically so I'm really buzzed about that and singing some really lovely, brilliant songs.
Who or which song are you most excited for the audience to hear?
I'm a massive fan of Betsy Wolfe and Norm [Lewis]. I sang with Norm in New York on the Pulse charity single we did over there with Seth Rudetsky. Norm is just fabulous, and Betsy, I just can't wait to hear her sing live and to sing on the same stage as her!
Just to hear it all put together and to hear the best of Jason's work. He's chosen what he wants us to sing so we've had no say in it, he's chosen specifically what he wants to hear... I mean we've a little bit of a choice but it's very much his show and his showcase and that's what's so special about it; to be able to actually do what it is that he would love to be showcased.
If you could be in any Jason Robert Brown musical, which would you choose?
Goodness me! I would love to play the wife in Parade who sings You Don't Know This Man which is a fab song. What else? I love The Last Five Years- there's so many and they're all so good. I'd love to do Bridges of Madison County cause it's so beautiful. He's just so talented and his music stretches so far and into different genres and I love how much he pushes the musicians and the singers at the same time, it's really wonderful.
Why should people come to this concert?
I mean I just cannot wait to hear his stuff played with a 60-piece orchestra- the BBC Orchestra- that for me is just going to be so exciting. I've always been a huge fan ever since I first heard his music and I think the selection of stuff you'll hear with this orchestra and Jason playing -and I'm sure introducing songs and saying how and where they came about- it's going to be electric! It's gonna be like nothing anyone's every seen before, or heard before and it's live, live in London! Come from far and wide and get tickets cause it's gonna be one in a million!
While we’re talking I thought you'd like to plug your upcoming NY concerts?!
Yeah! So 54 Below, I'm very, very excited to go back in August, in summer so maybe more people can get out and over. I mean I haven't even started thinking about the show but I wanna do a real mixture of my favourites and some new stuff. I've had a lot of experience this last 4/5 months with new music and being sent stuff and learning stuff for auditions that I've just fallen in love with. All this new stuff that I would never have heard; so I'd really love to show that. Yeah I feel very excited about new stuff that has landed on my lap so I'm really excited to put a show together of it!
Sounds very exciting! Will you be coming back or are you planning on staying over there?
I don't know! I've been auditioning like crazy there and here and nothings solid yet so I don't know!? There's a big question around that!
I am doing the Williamstown Festival which is in New York over the summer, so, this is an exclusive!... It's a brand new musical that's happening now called Lempicka! I don't know if you know it?
That's amazing! Yeah it has the song Woman Is in it right? [side note: go listen to Woman Is because it's stunning!]
Yes, a beautiful song! So I'm doing the production of it, playing one of the parts with Carmen Cusack. I don't know who else is involved but it's a brand new piece and I'm really excited. So that's July/August at the Williamstown Festival that I'll be doing that! Then my gigs at 54 Below so a summer in New York!
The dream! Will Woman Is be one of your songs then?
Yeah it will be actually! The stuff from the show is just amazing. I'm really really chuffed to be on it and the creative team is great. The lady who directed The Great Comet, Rachel Chavkin is directing it so the creative team is amazing and it's nice to be involved in something new, so come and watch!
How exciting is all of that!? A huge thank you to Rachel for chatting with me, be sure to book your tickets for An Evening with Jason Robert Brown on Wednesday 11th April
Interview by editor, Olivia Mitchell
Interview by editor, Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Danny Kaan
Saturday 31 March 2018
In Conversation With... Carrie Hope Fletcher | When The Curtain Falls (Album) | Interview
Carrie Hope Fletcher must be one of the busiest people in the West End. During the last few years she's managed to write 4 books (and a novella), perform in various shows and concerts, continually upload YouTube videos and blog posts AND record and release an album. Her work ethic, bubbly personality and sincerity makes her a role model for many people and her debut album When The Curtain Falls is just another branch of motivational vibes for people to cling on to. I sat down with Carrie at her album launch to ask her a few questions about it...
What do you think will surprise people most about this album?
Well my dad's playing on it for a start, bless him. There's a song on the album, Summertime, which was the first song I ever learnt, my dad taught it to me so it only felt right to put my dad in the album. We've sort of rearranged some of the songs from how you'd usually hear them. Tom Barnes is the orchestrator on the album and he's done an incredible job of making the songs still sound like the songs we all know and love but just given them a sort of musical makeover.
What was the hardest thing about narrowing it down to just 12 songs?
Oh it was so hard to pick 12 tracks cause, how in the history of musical theatre do you pick 12 songs to fill 12 slots on an album? It was near impossible but every song has got a sentimental reason behind it for me personally and some of them remind me of pivotal moments in my life. It might have been a soundtrack that I was listening to at the time of something big going on in my life. So I feel like when you listen to the album from start to finish, for me especially, it feels like a good representation of my musical theatre soul.
If you could pick anyone, dead or alive to be on your next album, who would you choose?
I would pick the Sherman Brothers- I knew both of them. Bob Sherman who passed away a few years ago was a really dear friend of mine because he wrote the music to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins, both of which I was in as a child, so our families sort of became friends and he moved to London and stayed in London for about 10 years. He sort of became my adopted grandfather; we used to go over and visit him and make him earl grey tea and it'd be lovely to sing with him again.
How would you sum up the album in five words?
Oh 5 words! Normally I get 3, this is nice! Splashing out... maybe that's too many! Okay: magical, warm I'd say cause every song has got such warmth and love and passion behind it. Empowering, I hope! There's lots of songs on there that have been sung by amazing women and have been written by powerful women so I've sort of given my best shot at those. Childlike, I feel like there's an element of childlike wonder cause I remember how I felt as a kid, watching musical theatre and how it made me feel and that's kind of like why I do it now and I hope that when young kids come to the theatre and watch me on stage I can kind of in-still that in them as well. And enchanting is my final word. Only because when people ask how you'd like to be described as they walk away (not necessarily how they will describe me as they walk away!) But what I'd like them to, is enchanting.
Thank you so much to Carrie for having me at her press launch and taking the time on the night to answer some questions. Carrie's beautiful album, When The Curtain Falls is out now so go buy it! Enter my giveaway to win a signed copy of the album here.
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
Watch my vlog of the launch and interview with Carrie here
photo credit: Darren Bell
Sunday 25 February 2018
West End Live Lounge, The Other Palace | Review
West End Live Lounge (Concert)
The Other Palace
Reviewed on Sunday 11th February 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
If you're a regular reader of this site, you'll know that I am a huge West End Live Lounge fan, I've been going since they started and feel so proud watching them get bigger and better. The most recent concert was the biggest to date, taking over the main stage at The Other Palace; hosting a number of uber talented performers and providing a wonderful, chilled out, musical night. For anyone that doesn't know, West End Live Lounge is a concert every few months featuring some of the best the West End has to offer who perform a variety of non-musical theatre songs to entertain and raise money for a specific charity. This time, the musical theatre performers united to raise money for the charity Barnardo's. Our compère for the night was the fantastic Ian Stroughair (who wowed me before Christmas with his Velma Celli show) who opened the show with a bang and set the tone for the talent and joy to come.
As always every performance was top notch so I'm just going to mention a few stand outs instead of turning this into an essay! Firstly, the stunning Jodie Steele, fresh off her stint on BBC One's All Together Now, performed 'Castle on the Hill' with ease and smooth riffs which left us all wanting more. Equally riff-tastic was Emma Kingston who joined the West End Live Lounge family during her brief break from touring with Evita, to wow us all with her performance of Lady Gaga's 'Edge of Glory'. The always hilarious Natalie McQueen brilliantly put her own twist on the classic 'Hot N Cold'. All three ladies continually blow me away with their vocal performances.
Kayleigh McKnight was definitely an audience favourite with her breathtaking performance of 'Creep' which showed off her vocals perfectly and Cleve September brought back his signature loop pedal to create an eerie but stunning vocal performance of 'Spirits'.
Superstar Natalie Green gave a beautiful rendition of Adele's 'When We Were Young' whilst Brady Isaacs Pearce channeled Demi Lovato gloriously with her effortless performance of 'Skyscraper'. My final mention goes to Joel Harper-Jackson who's ridiculously long note in 'Wicked Game' should be put into the World Record books- glorious!
The West End Live Lounge concerts are truly joyous to be a part of because they not only celebrate the fantastic talent the West End has to offer but raise money for fantastic causes. I cannot wait to see what's in store for the next concert; my only hope is that the intimate feel can somehow be brought back. With the previous concerts there has been a very informal vibe but bringing the performance into a theatre did distance it somewhat and the audience stuck to the 'normal' theatre etiquette rules more. Obviously it's amazing to be able to fill a bigger space and allow more people to see and hear these outstanding performances but it's hard to strike a balance between having more space whilst still maintaining an intimate feel.
Regardless, this was a wonderful concert and I know the upcoming ones will be to so do yourself a favour and follow @WELiveLounge on twitter so you can snap up tickets as soon as they go on sale!
Monday 4 December 2017
Velma Celli's West End Christmas, Leicester Square | Review
Velma Celli's West End Christmas (Concert)
Christmas in Leicester Square
Reviewed on Sunday 3rd December 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Yesterday evening I hot-footed it from the Charing Cross theatre seeing Marisha Wallace's Soul Holiday concert, to the Spiegeltent in Leicester Square to see Velma Celli in concert and it was so worth the dash.
Velma Celli is the alter ego of West End performer, Ian Stroughair who's credits include Rent, Chicago and Cats; she is a fiery, shocking diva with the voice that dreams are made of! The first song set the tone for the concert with Velma entering from the back of the venue with a swooping, full of key changes version of 'Walking in the Air'. From then on it was joke after joke and belter after belter and was honestly one of the best and most entertaining concerts I've been to.
This alternative festive takeover was full of Christmas hit after Christmas hit and would have made even the coldest person feel festive. A personal highlight (although there were many) was Velma's rendition of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' which was heartfelt and a lovely moment.
The cabaret also featured two of the West End's finest: Liam Tamne and Rachel Tucker (who I'd already seen at Marisha's concert!) who gave some fantastic performances. Rachel and Velma's duet of 'Fairtytale of New York' was absolutely hilarious and reminded me of many drunken Christmas nights! Liam showed off his smooth voice and crystal clear riffs in 'Last Christmas' whilst Rachel gave a moving performance of Joni Mitchell's, 'River'.
Overall this was just a fantastic night; Velma Celli is a born performer with a voice and personality that instantly draws the audience in and keeps them until the very last moment. If you want a hilarious night full of incredible talent then get yourself along to any of Velma Celli's future shows and be sure to download her recently released, self titled album.
Saturday 18 November 2017
Rachel Tucker with Stagebox Choir, Shoreditch Town Hall | Review
Rachel Tucker with Stagebox Choir (Concert)
Shoreditch Town Hall
Reviewed on Friday 17th November 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
If you're a regular reader of this site, you'll probably have twigged that I'm a huge fan of Wicked star, Rachel Tucker. Most recently I saw her perform as a special guest at Kristin Chenoweth's concert and previously in Wicked and her solo concerts at the Zedel; every single time she has completely blown me away with her effortless performances and last night was no exception.
Rachel is a masterful performer, both in terms of her faultless vocals and her ability to embody and live every song she sings. She is magical in the way she transports the audience into her thoughts and make us feel the emotions she's portraying as if we're experiencing them ourselves. The way she interprets songs is unique, extremely moving and I find it incredibly impressive how she is able to switch so quickly from one mood to another.
During act 2 Rachel came off the stage to perform an a capella folk song which had the audience in enraptured silence but within moments of finishing she snapped back to her larger-than-life, joyous self and had the audience laughing out loud. That ability to manipulate an audience's emotions is truly remarkable.
The set list for the night included something for everyone from theatre classics such as 'Children Will Listen' to pop songs and a personal favourite, her own composition 'I'm Falling' which always wows me. This varied programme meant the night flew by and by the time it came to her second encore we still wanted more! Other stand outs included 'The Man That Got Away' and Kris Rawlinson's stunning arrangement of 'No Good Deed' which brings new life to the Wicked classic. Kris and Rachel make the perfect duo, bouncing off one another both comedically and musically. Also great, were Jodie Steele and Amanda Coutts who doubled as stage managers and back up singers- 'Proud Mary' was brilliant and got the entire audience on their feet!
With a few ex-Elphaba's and Galinda's in attendance, it was Emma Hatton who took the stage as the special guest of the night. Dressed in a suitably emerald dress, Emma joined forces with Rachel to perform a jazzed up version of 'I'm Not That Girl' and a lively version of 'That's Life'; the two work wonderfully together and it's so enjoyable to see them having fun on stage together. Also joining Rachel were the Stagebox choir who helped out with a notably touching performance of 'You Will Be Found' from Dear Evan Hansen.
Overall it was just a joyous night of glorious music. Rachel is one of the most versatile performers I've seen; funny, relaxed and charming, her voice is like no other. Powering through every song with her own personal style- belting it out and emotionally reigning it in with equal skill and motivation. Rachel is at the top of her game- a master of her craft who continually delivers time and time again. This was billed as Rachel's 'biggest solo concert to date' but I sincerely hope things get bigger and bigger for her as she continues to charm and wow audiences around the world... but preferably mostly in London so I can be at them all!
Watch my vlog of the concert here
Watch my vlog of the concert here
Tuesday 26 September 2017
West End Live Lounge: Woman, The Other Palace Studio | Review
West End Live Lounge: Woman
The Other Palace Studio
Reviewed on Sunday September 24th 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
If you're a frequent reader of Rewrite This Story (which I hope you are) then you will know that I have been to the previous two West End Live Lounges and raved about them to no end, so it's no surprise that last night's concert completely blew me away too. As always this will probably be a pretty long review because I want to praise as many people as I can, so go grab your drink of choice and get ready to relive an amazing night, or cry because you missed it!
Each West End Live Lounge raises money, with all proceeds from ticket sales and collections going to a specific charity, in last night's case, Women's Aid which helps women who are in/have been in abusive relationships; a cause which i'm sure we all agree is super important. So not only do you have an amazing night hearing some of the best the theatre world has to offer but you get to support a fantastic cause!
Last night's incredible line up was made up of: George Ure, Marcus Ayton, Brady Isaacs Pearce, Marisha Wallace, Liisi LaFontaine, Rob Houchen, Natalie Green, Matthew Harvey, Paul Wilkins, Rachel John, Kelly Agbowu, Sabrina Aloueche, Jodie Steele, Carolyn Maitland, Laura Tebbutt, Madalena Alberto, Emma Lindars, Lauren Ingram and Sapphire Soul.
Our compere for the evening was the ridiculously hilarious Samuel J Holmes who delivered gag after gag and was his own stand up act between performers.
Our compere for the evening was the ridiculously hilarious Samuel J Holmes who delivered gag after gag and was his own stand up act between performers.
Sapphire Soul were flawless as usual when they opened with a medley of classic Bond songs- the ladies, as their name suggests are full of soul and are just powerhouse vocalists which they proved again in act 2 with Bang Bang. From then on the energy was high and the first act flew by with some dazzling performances. Lauren Ingram's version of Crazy in Love was slowed down and sexy; Marcus Ayton's I Who Have Nothing was heart-wrenchingly beautiful as was Matthew Harvey's, Gravity.
Brady Isaacs Pearce was stunning as always with her emotive and heartfelt rendition of Jessie J's Big White Room; her clear, smooth voice is just so stunning to listen to and as I always say, she needs to be in a West End show NOW! Natalie Green as usual was fantastic, with her performance of If I Ain't Got You giving me chills!
The final trio of act one could not have been better; Rob Houchen had the whole audience in the palm of his hand with his insanely brilliant performance of I'd Rather Go Blind. I knew he could sing but man he's good! Kelly Agbowu then owned the belter One Moment in Time before Rachel John sent the whole audience to church with her Take My Hand/You've Got a Friend mash up. Needless to say, by the interval everyone was truly on a music induced high.
Act 2 was equally as good, if not better with banger and banger being delivered flawlessly by each and every person. Emma Lindars delivered Rolling in the Deep perfectly, with some added audience harmonies. Rachel John again wowed with My Kind of Love followed by Carolyn Maitland exquisitely performing Sia's Chandelier which could only have been made better if Maddie Ziegler was there to perform her iconic dance routine.
This act featured two impeccable duets; firstly Sabrina Aloueche and Matt Harvey with Girl Just Wanna Have Fun and secondly Paul Wilkins and Rob Houchen with Field of Gold. Both of which featured perfect harmonies and left me breathless. Kelly Agbowu's Chains was perfect and Jodie Steele's scarily relevant cover of Dear Mr President was beautifully, sincerely and emotively performed.
The final trio of act one could not have been better; Rob Houchen had the whole audience in the palm of his hand with his insanely brilliant performance of I'd Rather Go Blind. I knew he could sing but man he's good! Kelly Agbowu then owned the belter One Moment in Time before Rachel John sent the whole audience to church with her Take My Hand/You've Got a Friend mash up. Needless to say, by the interval everyone was truly on a music induced high.
Act 2 was equally as good, if not better with banger and banger being delivered flawlessly by each and every person. Emma Lindars delivered Rolling in the Deep perfectly, with some added audience harmonies. Rachel John again wowed with My Kind of Love followed by Carolyn Maitland exquisitely performing Sia's Chandelier which could only have been made better if Maddie Ziegler was there to perform her iconic dance routine.
This act featured two impeccable duets; firstly Sabrina Aloueche and Matt Harvey with Girl Just Wanna Have Fun and secondly Paul Wilkins and Rob Houchen with Field of Gold. Both of which featured perfect harmonies and left me breathless. Kelly Agbowu's Chains was perfect and Jodie Steele's scarily relevant cover of Dear Mr President was beautifully, sincerely and emotively performed.
Liisi LaFontaine and Marisha Wallace are the definition of powerhouses, their vocals, stage presence and overall auras are just impeccable. Marisha along with her own back up singers brought the audience to their feet with her faultless Whitney Houston medley as she sang her heart out to the gods and slayed the entire audience. Liisi slayed equally with her stunning performance of Uninvited but it was their closing number, Listen which absolutely blew the roof off of The Other Palace Studio. Now I've heard Listen several times when I've seen Dreamgirls but this performance was just mind blowing and proved why these ladies are getting all the hype and praise they are at the moment. Absolutely sensational!
So yes, this was an incredible concert. Shaun McCourt is a saint for putting so much time and energy into this impeccable concert for a wonderful cause and I hope the West End Live Lounges continue for a long time to come. If you want a night of hilarity, fun and vocal perfection then get yourself along to the next one and help out some wonderful charities!
Check out West End Live Lounge on Twitter for details of future concerts: https://twitter.com/WElivelounge17
Vlog of West End Live Lounge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hClGUk1_Sxk
Previous West End Live Lounge reviews: http://www.rewritethisstory.com/search?q=West+End+Live+Lounge
Vlog of West End Live Lounge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hClGUk1_Sxk
Previous West End Live Lounge reviews: http://www.rewritethisstory.com/search?q=West+End+Live+Lounge
Wednesday 16 August 2017
In Conversation With... Emma Kingston | Fiddler on the Roof | Interview
In my opinion, Emma Kingston has one of the absolute best voices on the West End. I've been fortunate enough to see her in a number of shows and concerts, including Les Miserables, In The Heights and most recently, the stunning Fiddler on the Roof at the Chichester Festival theatre. Emma was kind enough to sit down and discuss Fiddler, After Anatevka, her hidden passion and more...
Have you always aspired to be a performer or did you have a different dream when you were younger?
I've always wanted to be a performer. I used to sing Les Mis and Anything Goes with my dad all the time.
Have you got any hidden passions you’d like to pursue?
I love Psychology! As an actor I love getting inside a characters brain. I studied Psychology at A Level and I would love to further my understanding of why people are the way they are. Furthering my study's would interest me as well as it being useful as an actor.
What drew you to the role of Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof- are the two of you alike in any ways?
I'm jewish, so growing up Fiddler was always being quoted around the house. I used to watch the film with my grandma. Also, ‘Far from the Home I Love’ was the first song I ever sang in a singing lesson when I was 11.
How is this production bringing something new to the well-loved musical?
We are so lucky that our production in Chichester has amazing new orchestrations by David White and new choreography by Alistair David, bringing a fresh take on the brilliant musical.
 |
| Sam MacKay (Usnavi) and Emma Kingston (Vanessa) in In The Heights |
Do you feel any extra responsibility or pressure playing one of the few explicitly Jewish female characters in musical theatre?
I feel a responsibility to show the traditions in a way that people of other cultures can relate to. I want to show people that Judaism is a way of life as well as a religion. The community aspect for me is so important.
What’s your research process like for each role you take on, has After Anatevka helped add a new dimension to your portrayal?
For Fiddler I dived into researching about Russia pre 1905 and Russian attitudes towards jewish people. Also looking at Jewish culture in shetles in Russia. My paternal grandparents were children of immigrants from Lithuania and Oddessa, so I had lots of family history to draw on.
After Anatevka I am enjoying so much, especially now I understand so much more about Hodel. I’m loving reading her journey after she leaves home, and how Alexandra has filled in the parts of Fiddler that we don't see in the musical.
If you’d written After Anatevka would you have given Hodel the same after story?
Alexandra's story has portrayed so many aspects of Hodel's life during the Fiddler story and after that I thought about a lot. Especially the way she highlights her relationship with her sisters and Perchik. As I'm reading, I feel that the story all completely slots into place and I can't imagine her next journey any other way.
Tradition is obviously the central theme in Fiddler. Do you have any family traditions?
My family traditions are the Fiddler traditions! Every Friday night my family and I get together for a shabbat meal. We celebrate Jewish festivals like Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), Passover and many others.
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| Emma Kingston (Hodel), Simbi Akande (Tzeitel) , Rose Shalloo (Chava) in Fiddler on the Roof |
How do you keep your voice healthy? Do you have any vocal rituals?
Drink endless amounts of water and concentrate on centring your breathing.
If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
After Fiddler, I'm playing Eva Peron in the Hal Prince production of Evita, international tour and I can't wait! My mum is Argentine, so it's a huge bucket list role, much like Hodel in Fiddler is!
Whats a fun fact people might not know about you?
One of my first words was Archemeaies (the owl from sword in the stone) my parents were so proud haha!
What’s your best piece of advice for an aspiring performer?
Don't compare your journey to anybody else's. Be original. I read a quote by Steve Martin "Be so good they can't ignore you”, to me that means work as hard as you can on being the best you can be.
Thank you so much Emma for taking the time for this interview. Fiddler on the Roof runs until September 2nd.
Read my review of After Anatevka here and keep an eye out for an interview with Alexandra Silber and a giveaway!
Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
Sunday 18 June 2017
West End Live Lounge: Icons and Legends, Union Theatre | Review
Union Theatre
Reviewed Sunday 11th June 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
When I went to the first West End Live Lounge back in March, I didn't think it could get any better. I was wrong! Every single performance was absolutely outstanding and I was in awe of each and every performer, it was honestly one of the best concerts I've ever seen, full of so much incredible talent and just a wonderful night for a wonderful cause.
I could honestly talk in depth about every single performer because they all deserve a huge amount of praise but I fear that it could be the longest review in the history of reviews so I won't talk about everyone in depth but I will talk quite a lot so you might want to settle down and grab a cuppa!
The concert opened with a lovely performance of the Amy Winehouse classic "Valerie"by Katie Paine, which started the night on an upbeat, joyous note. Leigh Lothian (who created the concert series along with Shaun McCourt) and George Jennings then took us through the history of James Bond with a glorious medley of the hit Bond songs.
I have seen a lot of Sapphire Soul recently, both at the previous Live Lounge and as special guests and the Dreamgirls Unplugged concert and am a massive fan of their unique arrangements and brilliant voices and was very glad that they were a part of this concert. The glamourous girls sung a delightful version of "Over The Rainbow" and closed the show with a joyous Aretha Franklin medley which left everyone on a high. Ashford Campbell sung one of my favourite songs "Human Nature" and made me love it and his voice even more!
Now if Brady Isaacs Pearce doesn't become a West End star, I will personally knock on Cameron Mackintosh's door and demand he puts her in a show. At only 17 years old, her voice is insanely good and her overall stage presence is of someone vastly experienced. Brady sung a mash up of songs by the queen of stage Barbra Streisand and filled her huge shoes perfectly, giving the audience chills.
Cleve September has such a likeable personality which came across when he stepped on stage and explained he had only decided what to perform on the morning of the concert; going out and purchasing a loop pedal and kind of winging his way through. However, if we hadn't known this, we wouldn't have noticed. Cleve's performance of "Feeling Good" was unique and so fun to watch and he certainly seemed like an experienced loop pedlar (??) to me!
The first act flew by with stellar performance after stellar performance. Hannah Ducharme superbly performed "Hallelujah", Alexis Gerred absolutely owned "Come Together" and Sejal Kashwala gave an astonishing performance of "How Comes You Don't Call Me" which had me in awe of her voice. To end the first act, Kelly Agbowu sung the hell out of "The Show Must Go On" and completely blew the roof off the intimate venue which her effortless and faultless performance.
Act two included a few duets where the performers got to have fun signing with one another. Andrew Bateup and Marcus Ayton sung the Stevie Wonder favourite, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", Matthew Seadon-Young and Leigh Lothian performed "Careless Whisper" and Carolyn Maitland and Lauren Ingram sung a Billie Jean mash up. All three duets were fantastic and it's just a joy to get double the talent per song!
Perhaps my favourite part of the night was when two Whitney Houston classics were performed back to back with Ruth Brown singing "I Will Always Love You" and Emma Lindars singing "I Have Nothing". Both performances were completely awe-inspiring and just breathtaking. The talent of these ladies is just unbelievable and it's crazy that they're not international stars!
Oliver Savile channel his inner Frank Sinatra with "Let's Face The Music" and I'm sure made many of the ladies in the room swoon with his suave performance. Laura Mansell's Celine Dion mash up was so sensational and it was glorious to hear my favourite Celine song "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" performed so well.
Liam Doyle gave an upbeat rendition of "I'm Still Standing" before Natalie Green gave the penultimate performance of the night with Prince's "Purple Rain". I'm a massive fan of Natalie's voice and adored her performance so much, as it seemed did the entire audience.
Although an absolutely fantastic night of entertainment showing off some of the best the West End has to offer, the main reason for the concerts series is to raise money and awareness for charity. This concert was raising money for Mind which supports people suffering from mental health issues, a cause close to so many of our hearts and it's great to see so many people coming together for such a great cause.
If you couldn't tell from that very long review, I completely loved West End Live Lounge and know I will love all the future concerts. If you can get along to the next one then please do because you will definitely enjoy it. What's better that West End stars blessing your ears on a Sunday evening?!
Check out West End Live Lounge on Twitter for details of future concerts: https://twitter.com/WElivelounge17
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