Posts with the label lucie jones
Showing posts with label lucie jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lucie jones. Show all posts
Wednesday 28 June 2017
Scott Alan, Hippodrome Casino | Review
Scott Alan (Concert)
The Hippodrome Casino
Reviewed on Sunday June 25th 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
The Hippodrome Casino is fast becoming one of my favourite venues as I see more and more brilliant performances. Scott Alan's concert was no exception, with gorgeous music, brilliant singers and a hilarious commentary throughout, it was a perfect night. After spending the weekend covering West End Live for Stage Faves then heading to The Theatre Cafe to see Rachel Tucker and Marisha Wallace, I hot-footed it over to the casino for a night of music from one of my favourite musical theatre composers.
I have adored Scott's music for as long as I can remember, I don't recall exactly how I found it but it's been with me for most of my childhood and I've been scouring youtube for every version of each song for a long time and have fallen in love with every single one. Although Scott has performed in London a number of times, I have never been able to attend so when I reached out to Scott on twitter and he was kind enough to offer me a ticket, my stagey heart was ready to burst and I was ecstatic that I would finally hear his songs performed live by a host of incredible performers.
Both acts were a celebration of Scott's career with the stars taking the stage to perform theirs and Scott's favourite compositions. Scott joked how each song he writes is depressing, even his happy songs are emotive ballads which is extremely true and for me, someone who thrives on emotional, depressing music (I have playlist just for it) it was all I couldv'e asked for.
My personal favourites of the night were the stunning Lucie Jones, who dashed straight from West End Live to perform 'Never Neverland' and 'Home' both of which were devastatingly gorgeous. Jodie Jacobs who I've been lucky enough to see in 27 and Lizzie performed 'Stay' which showed off her epic voice and Kieran Brown gave a heart-wrenching, powerful performance of one of my favourites, 'Again'.
Another favourite section of the concert was when Scott introduced three competition winners who were each going to perform. He encouraged the audience to be extremely supportive of them both in the concert and generally in the performing industry and explained how he loves showcasing new talent. Erin Caldwell was the first of the three winners, performing 'Always' so beautifully. Her tone, clarity and control was just incredible and you could've heard a pin drop. A masterclass in graceful performance. Secondly we had Sabrina Basile with 'And There It Is', Sabrina's acting throughout the song was impeccable, her voice is effortless and beautiful but her overall interpretation of the song really made it something special. The final of the three, Bill Harvey was introduced with a candid chat from Scott about depression and how it affected him, saying that he'd felt like he was the "only person to wake up heavy" and how dark things got for him but that we can all make our way out of the darkness and heaviness. Bill performed the beautiful and emotional 'Anything Worth Holding Onto' with a sincerity which shone through and drew the audience in.
Scott's personality is just infectious and he carries the whole concert with his own unique brand of crass inappropriateness and self-deprecating humour. There were laugh out loud moments from start to finish and the entire concert, which of course overran it's anticipated hour and a half run time by almost an hour, flew by. Scott is candid and honest and whilst he is humorous and shocking, he quickly slips into his own world when performing himself and you can see how much music means to him. I especially loved 'Simpler' which was heartfelt and touching.
As I said before, each and every performance was absolutely brilliant and I could say fabulous things about all of them but that would mean we'd be here all day! Scott's music is touching and truthful and it's crazy that the whole world don't know about it and him. If you get the chance to see Scott or any of the performers in concert then take the opportunity up and you're guaranteed a fantastic night!
Tuesday 7 February 2017
Reasons You Should Go And See RENT
So last night I saw the 20th aniversary production of Rent for the third time and it had the exact same impact on me, I was happy, sad, moved and just completely blown away. It truly is an impeccable production.
I reviewed the show when it was on at the St James (which you can read here) and other than small tweaks and the show of course being performed in a larger stage, not much has changed with the transfer so instead of writing another review I thought I would just do a post of me fangirling about the show and why you should go and see it!!
Firstly, THE CAST. This show wouldn't be a quarter of what it is without the incredibly talented cast. Every single member is powerful, committed and strong in their roles, there's a true feeling of community and it really feels as though you're watching real life play out on stage. Philippa Stefani is the true standout for me, her performance is just raw and heartbreaking and so well constructed that it's physically painful to watch. I can't help but watch Philippa every time she is on stage and it's just a joy to see her talent, passion and grit shine through on stage. Philippa's performance as Mimi is worth the ticket price alone! Billy Cullum is everything Mark should be, he's dorky but passionate and absolutely the perfect person to play the role. His voice is fantastic as well as his acting and its just brilliant. Lucie Jones and Shanay Holmes are perfect as lovers Joanne and Maureen; both having stand out solo moments and working harmoniously as a pair, again its perfect casting. Ryan O Gorman has such a soulful voice and is insane as Collins. Last night is had the pleasure of seeing Harrison Clark as Angel and he was great! He's stepped into the role wonderfully and pulls of the role with ease and grace. After seeing this cast I can't imagine anyone else playing the roles!
Another reason you should see this show is of course because of THE MUSIC. Jonathan Larson's score is as stunning and moving now as it ever has been and will leave you with tingles, tears and love. Each harmony is stunning and every note feels in place, nothing seems forced or over performed. The music truly does stand on it's own but along with the wonderful cast it is just a dream.
Lee Proud's CHOREOGRAPHY adds a whole new layer to the show, the movements are quick and seem spontaneously natural. They are precise and inventive but not at all intrusive to the storytelling.
There's a billion more things I could say about this production but honestly you just need to experience it for yourself. It's really like nothing I've experienced before and it's hard to put this perfection into words so just get a ticket, immerse yourself in the show, soak every moment in and experience it for yourself.
Rent is playing at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley before touring much more of the country. For information about the show and to buy tickets, visit www.rentonstage.co.uk
To read my full review of Rent, visit: http://www.rewritethisstory.com/2016/...
To see my vlog of Rent, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WYv1d7h9Q
To see what a Rent obsession looks like, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu1G2n8EQFM
Wednesday 14 December 2016
Rent, St James Theatre | Review
Measure your life in love and measure this musical in love. A brilliant revival of a much loved show which will remind you to live and love.
Rent
St James Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 13th December 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Rent is one of those iconic musicals which shaped a generation; its melodies and storyline are so touching that the show became a cultural phenomenon when it premiered 20 years ago off-Broadway. It tells the story of a group of people living in a New York, East Village squat who are all affected by HIV, drugs and homelessness. The show's prevailing theme is that of living in the moment: there's truly "No Day But Today."
Bruce Guthrie's production is gritty and industrial, with metal scaffolding, Christmas lights and boxes covered in graffiti creating the dim abrasive world in which the story is set. Lee Proud's choreography is fabulous, especially in La Vie Boheme and Contact. The quick, sharp movements add to the frenzied feeling of the show and add a slightly more modern feel to the show compared to other productions I've seen.
The whole company is impeccable. I cannot fault anyone; every lead and every ensemble member is completely committed to their character and the stunning voices allow Jonathan Larson's melodies to soar and dip, whilst causing the joy and pain of all those watching. Billy Cullum and Ross Hunter shine as the impoverished roommates bouncing off each other wonderfully and their performances give the base and heart to this amazing musical. Philippa Stefani as the club dancing Mimi is rough but vulnerable; I was in complete tears by the end of her performance and was just in awe of how committed to her role she was and how it clearly affected her until the very end- a mesmerising performance to watch. Ryan O'Gorman as Tom Collins is perfect casting. Ryan's voice is off the charts goose-bump inducing and he is fully emotive on every single note. The acting performances all round are faultless especially with Lucie's Jones' over the top performance as the struggling artist Maureen Johnson. Shanay Holmes as Joanne has the most incredible chemistry with Lucie- 'Take Me Or Leave Me' is certainly a standout moment. Angel played by Layton Williams is everything and more, I need sass lessons from this wonderfully talented man! I could go on about every other character but lets just leave it at them all being completely and utterly exemplary. The whole company is a tight unit and its clear how special this piece is to all of them.
Rent has lived on for 20 years and as we can see from the 'house full' signs outside the St James that it is still a booming and resonant success. Jonathan Larson's musical is as poignant as engaging as it ever has been. Rent is heartbreaking beautiful and will inspire a whole new generation 20 years on from its original production.
The run at the St James Theatre has currently sold out but make sure to go and see the show whilst it continues to tour around the country.
Rent Official Website: www.rentonstage.co.uk
Reasons You Should See Rent: http://www.rewritethisstory.com/2017/02/reasons-you-should-go-and-see-rent.html
Watch my Rent vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WYv1d7h9Q&t=15s
Monday 1 February 2016
Lucie Jones, Waterloo East | Review
The Waterloo East theatre was host to an incredible one night only cabaret from Lucie Jones last night and I'm sorry to rub it in your faces but you missed an epic night if you weren't there!
Lucie entered the stage in a sparkling silver dress and immediately belted out the Annie classic, Tomorrow, wowing the crowd from the get go.
After a number of hilarious anecdotes, we got to the X Factor days when Lucie introduced Anton Stephans who belted out a beautiful song and Lucie (along with some audience participation) performed Sweet Child of Mine.
As the night continued, Lucie sung songs that had been prominent throughout her amazing career such as Somebody To Love, Bring Him Home and an acoustic version of Poker Face (complete with unexpected harmonies!!)
Samantha Barks was another guest who joined Lucie on stage to sing an acoustic version of Justin Bieber's Sorry, which I NEED to be released as a single!! Samantha then sung a soulful jazz number, which was, of course, absolutely stunning! Danyl Johnson was the final guest, who, with a belt-tastic duet of Bridge Over Troubled Water made me fall a little bit in love!
A personal favourite of the evening was the hilarious Musical Theatre Boys song which had me in extremely ugly hysterics! Lucie's bubbly personality had the whole audience laughing throughout and by the end of the night it really felt as if we had all bonded during this intimate performance. The closing number With You left everybody speechless and was a fantastic end to a fantastic night.
Lucie is truly a force to be reckoned with, she's not only got the pipes to sing anything and everything, but her magnetic personality and natural personality, along with stunning sparkly dresses, make her a performer you just can't help but love.
If you want to witness the hurricane of amazingness that is Lucie Jones, you can watch her in the upcoming performances of Legally Blonde at the Leicester Curve!
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