Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Funny Girl. Sort by date Show all posts
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Tuesday 27 March 2018
Liza Pulman Sings Streisand (UK Tour), Live at Zedel | Review
Liza Pulman Sings Streisand (Concert)
Live at Zedel: The Crazy Coqs
Reviewed on Monday 26th March 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
One-third of cabaret group, Fascinating Aida, Liza Pulman is on the road once again with her show that celebrates and honours the icon, Barbra Streisand.
Liza and her phenomenal band The Stardust Ensemble, have created a vibrant 90-minute set which showcases Ms Streisand's fantastic career and musical style. Liza takes pieces from from Barbra's remarkable 6 decade's of music and weaves them into an entertaining show which fuses wit and personal anecdotes to tell the story of Barbra Streisand.
Streisand has a huge catalog of songs so of course they can't all be performed, but Liza brings together a variety of well and lesser-known pieces to draw together Barbra's vast career whilst making each and every one, iconically Liza. Whilst taking influence from Barbra's vocal technique and attitude to music, Liza is not a tribute act, instead she shows off her own vocal range and musicality through the stunning music Barbra has performed.
The night is opened with a pacy version of Don't Rain on my Parade from Funny Girl to which Liza added a jazzy, swung feel and set the tone for the night ahead. Throughout the night Liza is witty as she tells the story of Barbra's life alongside her own personal anecdotes which wind the two together as if Liza is channeling Barbra.
A personal favourite moment for me came a few songs in with an expressive and energetic rendition of Miss Marmelstein. Delving into the story Liza explained that Barbra has only actually been in two Broadway musicals (perhaps due to her self confessed fear of performing), the first being I Can Get It for You Wholesale. The show received lukewarm reactions until Ms Streisand stepped out in act two to perform this song, received an instant mid-show ovation and was catapulted to fame! Liza shows off her humourous side in this fantastic lament about no one calling her by her first name. Ironically, when this song was released by Columbia Records, Barbra's name was spelt wrong!
Accompanied by Andy Taylor's beautiful guitar playing, Liza gave a moving performance of Sleeping Bee before shining with New York State of Mind. After a brief interval for a costume change, Liza showed of her's and Barbra's diversity with an emotional performance of You Don't Bring Me Flowers. The Stardust Ensemble led by MD Joseph Atkins were stellar throughout and seemed to love performing alongside Liza. Their chemistry is evident and it's really lovely to watch.
The night ended with two of Barbra's most iconic songs, Happy Days Are Here Again and People, both of which were performed astoundingly by Liza who's vocal range and stability is impeccable. Her charisma and natural stage presence draws the audience in and her knowledge and love for Barbra Streisand helps the night flow in an entertaining but sincere way. I don't doubt that Barbra would be honoured to hear and see Liza's fantastic celebration of her music and career.
Liza Pulman sings Barbra Streisand is touring round the UK
Saturday 5 November 2022
Full Cast Announced for Doctor Zhivago In Concert
Full casting is announced for Doctor Zhivago- In Concert playing at the London Palladium for one-night-only on Sunday 7 May 2023.
Ramin Karimloo and Celinde Schoenmaker will reprise their 2019 roles as ‘Yurii Zhivago’ and ‘Lara Guishar’ and are joined by returning cast members Kelly Mathieson (‘The Phantom of the Opera, Into The Woods’) playing ‘Tonia Gromeko’ and Charlie McCullagh (’42 Balloons’ and ‘Bonnie & Clyde’) playing ‘Pasha Antipov (Strelnikov)’. Nadim Naaman (‘Broken Wings’, ‘Rumi: The Musical’, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’) will feature as ‘Viktor Komarovksy’.
The cast is completed by Maisey Bawden as ‘Olya’, Cavin Cornwall as ‘Alexander Gromeko’ and Emma Norman as ‘Anna Gromeko’ with Tilly-Raye Bayer as ‘Young Tonia’, Olivia Clark as ‘Young Lara’ and Samuel Newby as ‘Young Yurii’.
Doctor Zhivago- In Concert at The London Palladium is dedicated to the show’s composer Lucy Simon. Producers Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson said, “We were so saddened to learn of the passing of the brilliant Lucy Simon. She was a talent beyond words and we are honoured to dedicate this concert production of one of her favourite works to her”.
Based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago tells the story of Yurii Zhivago (Ramin Karimloo), a political idealist, physician, and poet whose life is tossed by the tides of history as he is torn between a life with his close childhood friend and wife, and the passionate and mysterious Lara Guishar (Celinde Schoenmaker).
Ramin Karimloo and Celinde Schoenmaker will reprise their 2019 roles as ‘Yurii Zhivago’ and ‘Lara Guishar’ and are joined by returning cast members Kelly Mathieson (‘The Phantom of the Opera, Into The Woods’) playing ‘Tonia Gromeko’ and Charlie McCullagh (’42 Balloons’ and ‘Bonnie & Clyde’) playing ‘Pasha Antipov (Strelnikov)’. Nadim Naaman (‘Broken Wings’, ‘Rumi: The Musical’, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’) will feature as ‘Viktor Komarovksy’.
The cast is completed by Maisey Bawden as ‘Olya’, Cavin Cornwall as ‘Alexander Gromeko’ and Emma Norman as ‘Anna Gromeko’ with Tilly-Raye Bayer as ‘Young Tonia’, Olivia Clark as ‘Young Lara’ and Samuel Newby as ‘Young Yurii’.
Doctor Zhivago- In Concert at The London Palladium is dedicated to the show’s composer Lucy Simon. Producers Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson said, “We were so saddened to learn of the passing of the brilliant Lucy Simon. She was a talent beyond words and we are honoured to dedicate this concert production of one of her favourite works to her”.
Based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago tells the story of Yurii Zhivago (Ramin Karimloo), a political idealist, physician, and poet whose life is tossed by the tides of history as he is torn between a life with his close childhood friend and wife, and the passionate and mysterious Lara Guishar (Celinde Schoenmaker).
With a book by Oscar nominee Michael Weller and lyrics by Tony nominee Michael Korie and Emmy nominee Amy Powers, Doctor Zhivago features a sweeping score by two-time Grammy winner and Tony nominee Lucy Simon.
Doctor Zhivago- In Concert is directed by Jordan Murphy (Sunset Boulevard, Matilda, Mary Poppins) with musical direction by Adam Hoskins (The Secret Garden, Dr Zhivago, Camelot).
Olivier and Tony Award nominee Ramin Karimloo made his name in some of the West End's most enduring productions, most notably The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. He originated the role of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies in 2010 before making his Broadway debut in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables.
Karimloo has also performed show tunes on a series of solo recordings, including his second album, 2019's From Now On, which landed on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. He is currently starring as Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl on Broadway.
Celinde Schoenmaker is a Dutch actress and singer, known for appearing as Fantine in the West End production of the musical Les Misérables and as Christine Daae in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera. Other London theatre credits include Jenny Lind in Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory. She also played Renate Blauel in the Elton John biopic Rocketman.
Doctor Zhivago- In Concert is produced by Lambert Jackson and Positive Sum Productions.
Founded by Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson in 2018, Lambert Jackson were recently nominated for an Olivier for Best Play for their production of Cruise at the Duchess Theatre with a successful return run at the Apollo Theatre this August/September. They are arguably one of the most exciting theatrical production companies in the UK at the present time. Having been put on the map by their production of the UK Premiere of Doctor Zhivago the musical, they entered the global pandemic with vigour and determination, creating one of the largest online concert series the UK has ever seen, Leave a Light On and leading the way with streamed productions such as The Last Five Years, BKLYN, title of show, Songs for a New World - the latter opening the West End at a sell-out concert at the London Palladium.
Founded in 2022, Positive Sum Productions was created to cultivate original theatre, and celebrate existing shows already loved by many.
TICKETS CAN BE FOUND AT www.lwtheatres.co.uk
Tuesday 29 May 2018
A Little Princess, Southbank Centre | Review
A Little Princess
Southbank Centre
Reviewed on Monday 28th May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★
After the recent success in the UK of Big Fish and The Addams Family, Andrew Lippa's lesser-known show A Little Princess was brought to the west end for it's UK Premiere at the Southbank Centre. Telling the story of Sara Crewe, a girl sent from Africa to a boarding school in London where she meets mean girls and a strict headmistress, this is a sweet story, with melodically beautiful songs and a heartwarming moral.
As Miss Minchin, the headmistress who's a melange of Miss Trunchbull, Mrs Lovett, Mdme. Thenadier and others, Amanda Abbington was good. In her musical theatre debut she did well to convey the tiredness of the character but lacked menace. Vocally she was a little lacking and tended to speak-sing but still gave a pretty solid performance and I look forward to seeing her tackle future theatrical roles.
Danny Mac was dashing as ever as Captain Crewe, with wonderful vocals alongside a sweet connection with the children of the cast. The pacing of the show itself is funny and means that all the characters are a little under-developed. We got to see a lot of Captain Crewe at the start but as the show went on (especially in Act 2) everything felt rushed. With some rewrites this could be a lovely show and it would be great to see Danny having a bit more time to shine. Mention must go to his stellar performance in the pattersong-esque, Timbuktu.
Equally deserving of more time to shine was the stunning Rebecca Trehearn who always manages to steal her scenes. As Miss Amelia, the ditsy sister of Miss Minchin, Rebecca gave a wonderfully humourous performance and shone in her solo, Once Upon a Time.
Alexia Khadime and Adam J Bernard as Aljana and Pasko gave vocally stunning performances despite being a little overpowered by the orchestra at times.
This was the first production which had actual children playing the children and it was them who stole the show. All the young cast did a great job of owning their roles, with Jasmine Nituan giving a heartfelt, funny performance as Sara's best friend and maid, Becky.
Jasmine Sakyiama is truly a star in the making. Her performance as Sara Crewe was 100 miles a minute from the start with her vocals and emotive facial expressions never failing. Of all the children, Jasmine also had the strongest diction which made her stand out even further. Keep an eye on this girl because she's going to go far!
Nic Farman's lighting added a mystical, magical vibe to the story which was lovely and took the show from a simple concert to an emotive production.
Despite enjoying this production, it does need some edits. I'm no one to say what these edits should be, but Act 2 felt extremely rushed and there were a number of moments that felt unnecessary/over-extended. However, the cast were great and I hope this isn't the last we see of this sweet show in the UK.
Sunday 4 June 2017
In Conversation With... Rachel Tucker | UK Tour | Interview
Rachel Tucker is basically theatrical royalty, with a an impressive resume, an incredible voice and an extremely dedicated following. Currently touring the UK and about to start her second stint at the Zedel in London, Rachel was lovely enough to discuss what we can expect in her concerts, how she stays motivated, her dream role and much more...
What are some of your career highlights so far?
Wicked on Broadway, it was my absolute dream. The I'd Do Anything programme was a highlight, I loved it, it was great. Oh Wicked 10 is definitely the most recent highlight, it was amazing and a great night.
What keeps you motivated to keep working even when you're knocked down?
I guess the belief in myself, I know I can do it. I think people get confused with not getting the job, they think that it's a personal thing and 99% of the time it's not. It's just you're not right for them or at that particular time or moment for whatever their reasons are. But it's about remembering that it's not me, it's them. I mean not them, but their choice, not because I'm bad but because they don't want me.
Elphaba is obviously a very iconic role. How do you add your own spin on such well known songs and characters?
I try and approach it with a fresh look at it and as close to Rachel as I can because I think it's important to not copy and not be what everybody else thinks you should be and also because it's boring to do it the way someone else has done it when you're not being true to yourself. I'm a very honest person and I think it's very important to be honest with everything you think and how you approach the music and songs and interpret it as close to yourself as you possibly can.
You have a lot of repertoire, so what can people expect when they come and see you perform your solo concerts?
I like an eclectic collection of songs. I've grown up with old school musicals and entertainers and also love very current stuff like Ed Sheeran and I love standards, like some jazz standards. I also love modern musical theatre as well as the old stuff. So yeah, a real mixed bag. A real collection... and a few surprises thrown in for good measure!
If you could bring any guest star on stage with you, dead or alive, who would you pick?
Sammy Davis Jr, Bette Midler and Sting. Oh and probably Beyonce!
You've performed in a variety of venues both in shows and on tour. Do you prefer the bigger, elaborate ones or the smaller, more intimate ones?
They're all different, each of them brings a different thing. The intimate ones I think will be good to start out for me because they're more informal and I love that. You know, I'm not a formal girl, I love being casual and being able to see people and their reactions so that'll be nice. But I also love the big theatres where you have to look up to the balcony and get people joining in and singing along. So I like both.
You're taking this tour to Broadway with 54 Below, but would you ever consider touring it over there?
I think maybe in time, I mean it's taken ten years for me to be able to realistically tour the UK and these things I think take time so I think it'll be a little while longer before doing anything like that in America.
What's one talent you wish you could have?
I wish I could read music or play an instrument. Specifically the piano!
What are some funny moments you had either on stage or off stage?
Oh wow.... funny moments. I'm trying to think what ones I can tell you! At one point when I first did Wicked, I came back from holiday and I completely left out the whole bit of why Elphaba snatches the green bottle before 'Popular'. I literally couldn't remember a word of it and poor Gina Beck had to prompt me and say "was it because your mum was.....?" and she had to literally recite the whole paragraph and I just agreed with her. It was very scary!
Have you ever sneezed or got the hiccups in a performance?
Oh yeah completely. When I did The Wizard of Oz in Belfast, someone sneezed to me and I couldn't finish my lines cause I was laughing so hard. So absolutely, yes.
If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
Ohhh which show would I do next? I'd probably do a new show, a brand new show to originate and create a new role, yeah.
If you could go back to any era, when would you go to?
I think I'd go back to the 60s or actually probably the Hollywood MGM era like 20s or 30s
What is your go to karaoke song?
I recently went with my friend and I did 'Simply The Best' by Tina Turner!
What's the best piece of advice you've received or would like to give to someone hoping to get into the performing industry?
You've got to absolutely know your worth, know how good you are and be realistic with yourself and whether you can hack this industry. And think seriously if there's something else you could do then you probably should go and do it because you know, there was nothing else I could do and I think you've got to be very dedicated and very driven and passionate and care a lot about it. And have patience, it takes years and years to get anywhere. It doesn't just happen over night!
A huge thank you to Rachel for taking the time to talk to me. All of Rachel's shows at the Zedel are currently sold out but you may be lucky and get a return! All information about her upcoming dates can be seen here.
Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
Tuesday 11 February 2020
Five Reasons To See Once the Musical
A beautiful, heartfelt story of an unlikely friendship between a Dublin busker and a Czech musician, we present five reasons why you should see Once on it's current UK tour...
The Pre-Show
Before the show even begins, Once offers a unique experience and welcoming atmosphere as the audience enter the theatre. The fantastic cast made up of actor-musos (more on that later) are performing a number of joyous Irish songs as if in a local Dublin pub. I particularly enjoy The Auld Triangle which Susannah van den Berg leads wonderfully. Also worth mentioning is the seamless transition from the lively pre-show tunes, to the haunting opener Leave, which settles the audience and paves the way for the journey of Once.
It's Surprisingly Funny
When I first saw this show, I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. From the start there is a warm humour that feels (mostly) natural and realistic. Little giggles between the cast as they bounce off one another are enjoyable to watch, as are the jokes between Guy and Girl. From their first interaction, the pair (Daniel Healy and Emma Lucia) have an engaging relationship full of banter, sarcasm and honesty that's endearing to watch and brings light to the sometimes deep emotional moments.
Emma Lucia's Accent
Yes, this is an unconventional reason to see a show, but I was so impressed by Emma Lucia's excellent accent that I had to mention it! The combination of Czech with twangs of Dublin mixed in is so excellent. Emma is a magnetic performer, who we instantly warm to. The character of Girl is so optimistic that you can't help but root for her, and Emma brings this gleeful optimism to life fantastically.
The Power of Ensemble
Once is one of the most wonderfully ensemble fuelled pieces I've ever seen. Often the cast move like one entity, all invested in each others stories. These group transitions bring a motion to moments which could otherwise run the risk of falling flat. The reprise of Gold is a truly exceptional moment in musical theatre, as the entire cast come together as if using one breath to sing.
The Musicality
Of course you can't talk about Once without mentioning the music and those that perform it. The folk/rock score is what put the original film firmly on the map, with Falling Slowly becoming a staple on any musical theatre playlist. Not only is Once a love story in terms of romance, but it's also a love letter to music, with every song carefully thought out and performed. It's amazing to hear the folky, Irish, guitar led music, and it's even more impressive to watch it performed live by a cast of actor-musicians. Every cast member is an incredibly talented musician and it's sensational how they are able to tell a story and really engage the audience through music.
Once is currently playing at the New Victoria Theatre until 15 February and then continues its tour
Tuesday 3 October 2017
The Toxic Avenger, Arts Theatre | Review
The Toxic Avenger
Arts Theatre
★★★★
When seeing this show, you should take it like it takes itself: not too seriously. Based on the 1984 cult movie, The Toxic Avenger received its New York premiere in 2009 before enjoying a short run at London's Southwark Playhouse in 2016. Most recently it played at the Edinburgh Fringe and has now opened a limited run at the Arts Theatre.
Set in New Jersey, where pollution has over taken the city, we meet Melvin the dweeby teenager (in love with the town's blind librarian) who is thrown into a vat of toxic waste, becomes the Toxic Avenger and vows to take justice into his own hands. The plot is bonkers but easy to follow and the production celebrates this wackiness with a clever and genuinely funny script. The fourth wall is broken and it becomes a game of spot the musical theatre reference; from Hamilton to Mary Poppins to Phantom- they're all in there somewhere!
The humour is unashamedly crude and whilst this is refreshing to see on stage, it sometimes becomes a bit too much. With the same jokes repeated several times and therefore loosing any impact. The "blind girl almost walking off the stage" was especially repetitive.
Whilst not all of the music is particularly memorable, the cast perform it with exuberance and stellar vocals throughout. Mark Anderson is wonderfully awkward but gentle as Melvin and 'Toxie'; his voice is beautiful and he overacted just enough to avoid the whole thing becoming too silly. Natalie Hope's vocals are outstanding, both as Toxie's mother and the woman who's to blame for the pollution: the mayor! She is humourous, sexy and an all round, brilliant entertainer. Emma Salvo as Sarah is funny and crude but still sweet; her Oprah obsession is hilarious and her vocals are fantastic. The rest of the towns people are impressively brought to life by Ché Francis and Oscar Conlon-Morrey. From the town bullies to the hairdressers with "indistinguishable accents", they do a stellar job.
Takis have done a great job of using the space of the small Arts Theatre well, with a clever set design that means the stage never feels cramped. It's simplistic but effective as are the costumes which also have many musical theatre references within them. It's a very cleverly done show in terms of intricate details.
This is a non-pc show thats fun, lighthearted and silly. If you're easily offended then it's not for you but for a blast of fun and some sublime vocal performances then pop along to the Arts Theatre.
The Toxic Avenger runs until December 3rd at The Arts Theatre.
Friday 5 January 2018
Bananaman The Musical, Southwark Playhouse | Review
Bananaman The Musical
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Thursday 8th January 2018 by Nicola Louise
★★★
Since his first appearance in 1980 Bananaman has become somewhat of a cult classic and it’s not hard to see why. A relatively geeky young kid eats a banana and he turns into a superhero known as Bananaman, a super strong, super fast, spandex dressed muscle man with not many brain cells.
With the book, music and lyrics by Leon Parris and directed by Mark Perry, the legend of Bananaman comes alive in this comic musical. From the moment you walk into the theatre you’re transported into the world of comics: Acacia Road, Beano Town where Eric Wimp and his mother live.
The show opens with the bad guys; Dr Bloom played by Mark Pickering and General Blight played by Carl Mullaney, both of whom worked well together and it felt like they had walked straight out of a comic strip into the real world; bouncing off each other perfectly. Pickering is considerably smaller then Mullaney which just adds to their evil comedy duo.
Eric Wimp is the boy who can turn into Bananaman himself, but as his original self, he’s a small skinny boy who has trouble saying hi to the girl he likes. With a cast full of adults playing 15-year-olds you’re always worried how well it’s going to turn out, are you going to believe it? Will it start to get old real quick? Luckily this was not one of those times, Mark Newnham played a very convincing 15-year-old and a strangely convincing geek, he showed real emotion when he thought everyone hated Bananaman and it got you feeling sorry for him.
Bananaman himself was completely different to Wimp and Matthew Mckenna brought the cartoon hero to life, he was tall and handsome and worked well to bring comedy to those one-liners. Seeing this show with my 9 year old nephew really got me to see it from the shows intended audiences side and although he may not have gotten all of the jokes in the show he did say; "It’s the way he said them made them funny". Kids aren’t going to get everything, we know this, but if you can make something sound funny for them and have the adults laugh, you’ve done a good job
Now every hero needs a sidekick right? Bananaman did, although most sidekicks are not necessarily talking birds, or Crows, in this case. That’s right, Bananaman’s sidekick is a talking crow and it’s not until Eric is hit with lightning that makes him able to turn into the superhero is he able to talk to him. I love that they’ve used a puppet for this with Jodie Jacobs as the puppeteer. I thought she brought the Crow to the front of the show and she became my main focus... even if she wasn't really meant to be! This is the same when it came to Jacobs singing, a wonderful voice and she hit every note perfectly, but I feel toning it down just a little would have taken the focus off of herself and her character and allowed the audience to focus more on what was happening on stage around her.
Other main characters included Wimps love interest, Fiona Mullins, played by Emma Ralston who played the non-damsel in distress perfectly, Chief of Police: Chief O’Reilly played by TJ Lloyd, Lizzii Hills who plays Mrs Wimp & Brian Gilligan who played the Mad Magician. All of whom worked well together to make you feel like the Acacia Road was a real community of people who will always look out for each other no matter what.
I would recommend this show for children 8+ and adults alike, especially those adults who remember the cartoon, the music and lyrics of this show which fit in perfectly with the comic book feel whilst the fight scenes are a perfect ode to the old style comic books.
Bananaman runs at the Southwark Playhouse until January 20th 2018
photo credit: Pamela Raith
Friday 8 December 2017
Rapunzel (Pantomime), Theatre Royal Stratford East | Review
Rapunzel (Pantomime)
Theatre Royal Stratford East
Reviewed on Thursday 7th December 2017 by Nicola Louise
★★★★
It’s Christmas! Which can only mean one thing ... It’s Panto time!!
‘Oh no it isn’t’
‘Oh yes it is’
...you get the point!
Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to Theatre Royal Stratford East's performance of Rapunzel, not exactly a show you’d think would work as a pantomime, but it surprisingly did. Throw in Goldilocks and the Three Bears and apparently, you’ve got yourself a story.
I have nothing bad to say about the cast, they were brilliant from beginning to end. Our story starts with a little warm up to the panto from baby bear and Witch Maddy’s aid, Egor, a bird that has a heart of gold but has fallen into the wrong crowd.
Baby Bear, Harry as he wanted to be known, does a very good job of getting the crowd going and Gemma Slater (Harry), clearly knows how to work with children. When Egor (Gary Wood) joined Harry on stage, the two created pantomime magic before the show had officially begun.
Rapunzel, the girl locked in the tower with the long luscious locks was amazing, carrying the wig of long hair on her head, she managed to run around the stage with ease. My only concern was that during her first song, Joanne Sandi, (Rapunzel) seemed to struggle to have her voice heard over the music and seemed to be having to shout. However I think the conductor realised this as the music dropped a little and she was able to be heard.
Unlike most pantomimes, this one didn’t have a hero, instead, a heroine. Goldilocks played by Australian actress Julie Yammanee, a strong-willed young girl who only wanted an adventure and got more than she bargained for. Julie’s interpretation of this fairy tale character you either love or hate, was done in such a way that you couldn’t help but love her, her upbeat rock number stole the show.
Now, no panto is complete without the Dame, or the evil witch in this case, Witch Maddy, played by Rada trained Michael Bertenshaw, a different type of Dame. While they’re usually bigger guys dressed in over the top outfits and wigs, Witch Maddy was slim and slender… and old! The story goes that Witch Maddy needs Rapunzel’s hair to create a potion to make her young. Michael brings a lot of jokes for the adults, mostly women as she makes a lot of menopause jokes, but also manages to get the men in the audience to laugh as well.
Sidekicks … every villain needs them, every villain has them, Witch Maddy’s villains went by the names of Iggy, played by Raj Bajaj and Lizzy, Juliet Okotie, two humans under Maddy’s spell who were once Lizards. As side kicks I found them quite irritating, there’s over the top and then there’s Iggy and Lizzy, but as Baby Bear’s parents, I found them hilarious and they worked as a team much better; especially when Juliet, as Mrs Bear started singing how Baby Bear should have listened to her, it went on and on but got funnier every time, the parent’s in the audience related while Mr Bear stood to stage left, leaning and rolling his eyes.
I never want to see the bad in any show I see but there’s always going to be at least one or two points. When we first see Rapunzel and her little mouse friend played by the versatile Stephen Hoo, he makes a small Brexit joke, now I agree, it was quite funny but I feel this was a little unnecessary, it didn’t get too much of a laugh and it’s a little dated now.
A couple of the scenes went on a bit too long, for example, and without giving away any spoilers, the mum and dad scene was sweet, and it did choke me up a little, however, it did lose its magic by repeating the same line from the song over and over again. It worked for Mrs Bear yes, but I think this scene should be shortened to pack in a bit more punch. I also thought the end song was a bit too long, it was about togetherness and friendship and as sweet as it was, you do start to think to yourself ‘ok great, we get it! Next!’
I’ve not seen many pantos in London where they have songs written for the show which I love because it makes it that bit more personal. Witch Maddy sang snippets of chart songs but it worked with her character, I loved that the songs in it were original and the song Goldilocks sang, in my opinion, was the best.
Overall, I was sceptical about this show but it worked, and I was happy I got to see it. I think there are a few things that could be worked on but overall, as Panto’s go, it was up there with the greats.
Rapunzel runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East until 13th January 2018.
Photo credit: Scott Rylander
Thursday 5 October 2017
The Addams Family (UK Tour), Grand Opera House | Review
The Addams Family (UK Tour)
The Grand Opera House, Belfast
Reviewed on Tuesday October 3rd by Damien Murray
★★★★
This Irish and UK premiere tour production of the musical comedy, The Addams Family was an entertaining and fast-paced production of Andrew Lippa’s funny musical about a less than conventional family and its ancestors.
Right from the off, it was obvious that this was not going to be ‘One Normal Night’, as – during the overture – a finger-clicking hand appeared through the letter box; the hand of an unknown person (in this case, probably a ‘stage hand’!!).
Mainly played out on the superbly old and run-down eerie mansion befitting to such a weird and spooky family, the functional set designs, with moveable staircases and great use of the two side balconies, helped greatly with the good pace of this production.
Despite the family’s appearance, values and lifestyle, this atmospheric piece is not so much scary as it is a funny musical with great one-liners that, thankfully, are never just throw away lines for the experienced cast.
We were then introduced to a mixed bag of weird ancestors who looked almost normal when compared to the central family of the piece.
They made up a well-used ensemble, which, despite its relative lack of numbers, produced some excellent harmonies during choral pieces (e.g. 'One Normal Night' and 'Move Toward The Darkness') and provided solid support throughout in vocals, dance, movement, visuals and as a distraction during scene changes.
While the Act 1 finale, 'Full Disclosure' (Part 2) was a great production number, the orchestra and cast rose to the challenge here with the varied and difficult score, which - apart from the variety of tempo changes from one song to the next - had to cope with a degree of musical fragmentation caused by lots of start/stops throughout many songs and challenging underscoring.
While the great musicality of the tango rhythms made numbers like 'Trapped', 'Secrets' and 'Not Today' stand out here, it was the orchestra’s sheer accuracy of performance and the visual impact of the dancers in the production number, 'Tango De Amour', that combined to make this an irresistible musical highlight.
'Pulled' was another highlight because of Wednesday’s strong vocal performance, while the flamenco flavoured music of 'Let’s Live Before We Die' impressed and 'But Love' provided a little vaudeville-style distraction between scenes.
There were some soft ballads in the varied score, including the gentle, 'The Moon And Me', while 'Move Toward The Darkness' was unusual in that it is rare that a ballad is used as a finale number, but it did allow for some great choral work.It was good to see the reprise of the up-tempo, 'When You’re An Addams', being used to send all home happy after the ballad finale.
Choreography was a strong element in this production and the concepts were well-executed right from the opening production number, 'When You’re An Addams', when we knew that there was going to be no problems with dance, as this song’s varied choreography included lots of arm movements and samples of line dancing, the bunny hop and the twist. The moon ballet was well-staged ('The Moon And Me'), while it was a nice touch to use a ‘young’ Wednesday to highlight the emotions of the song during Happy Sad.
The nightmarish family in this macabre musical was effortlessly brought to life by the talented principals, including Cameron Blakely as the Latino-looking and hen-pecked husband, Gomez, who supplied some touching moments in the song, 'Happy Sad', yet also managed to deliver the song’s humorous lines on cue, while always maintaining the right comic timing to get the laughs when needed.
Samantha Womack as the very much in-charge and matriarchal Morticia was both tall and elegant and looked the part in her long black ankle-length dress and long black hair like Crystal Gale. Boasting dead-pan looks that could kill, this was a very confident performance from a total all-rounder with a great voice and good stage presence who perfectly captured her character’s dry wit. She also proved to be a most impressive dancer, especially in the song and dance number, 'Just Around The Corner', which allowed her to show her macabre emotions of joy.
However, for me, the star of the show was Carrie Hope Fletcher’s manipulative daughter, Wednesday. This amazingly talented girl is a strong performer with a great voice and real stage presence and this was highlighted in her performance throughout, but especially during the ‘coming of age’ song, 'Pulled'.
In the absence of Les Dennis, due to illness, his understudy, Scott Paige, was more than deserving of this role and impressed greatly both in his acting, comic timing and vocal ability, especially as he was acting so much ‘out of age’ in this part. Despite playing the loveably crazy uncle, Fester, he provided lovely vocals during his gentle ballad, 'The Moon And Me' and as the show’s narrator character.
Dickon Gough had a dream role as the ever-growling zombie-like butler, Lurch, and played one of musical theatre’s great non-speaking parts exceptionally well, while Grant McIntyre, as Pugsley, played the younger brother with a grown-up attitude well.
There was good support from Charlotte Page’s fully-disclosed Alice, Dale Rapley’s typical American parent, Mal, and his college student son, Lucas, played by Oliver Ormson, while Valda Aviks’ eccentric Grandma was good, but I would like to have seen more of her character’s outspoken and irreverent attitude.
Perfectly-timed sound effects and special visual effects like the thunder and lightening, the monster in the box and the use of individual ancestors in the portrait painting all added to the success of this slick production.
Thanks to the brilliant lighting, costumes, props, make-up and hair, this was a visually stunning show from its strong opening to its unusual ballad ending … absolutely ‘finger-clicking good’ throughout!
The Addams Family runs at the Grad Opera House, Belfast until October 7th.
Photo credit: Matt Martin
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