Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Sam MacKay. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Sam MacKay. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, 23 May 2016
Hamilton Dream Cast
My Hamilton obsession has been out in full force recently and the prospect of it coming to the West End in 2017 has got me ridiculously excited and kind of nervous. I'm praying that I'll get tickets and that I won't have to sell a body part to pay for them!
So with all the Hamilton fever going around, I wanted to do my own dream cast for the show (I was inspired by this post.) Before I start I want to say that I basically want the whole of the In The Heights cast to become the Hamilton cast so there's going to be a lot of them in this....!
Alexander Hamilton (Lin Manuel Miranda) - Sam Mackay
I know there are many people who would agree with me in saying that Sam would be the perfect Hamilton. He's currently playing the role of Usnavi in In The Heights so we know he has the chops for it and what would be more perfect than stepping from Lin's first musical baby into his second?
Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom, Jr) -Paapa Essiedu
I was actually struggling with who to cast as Aaron Burr (Sir), but the lovely Hayley suggested Paapa Essiedu who is currently starring in Hamlet. Who knows if he has any musical talent but if he does then sign him up to wow the audiences, his acting abilities are insane so he would definitely perform the hell out of Burr!
King George (Jonathan Groff) -Jon Jon Briones
I know this is a super random one, but the scheming side of King George really reminds me of the Engineer from Miss Saigon. I'm probably the only one but I'd certainly love to hear Jon Jon Briones put his own spin on You'll Be Back! King George and the Engineer would be a dream team for revolution!
George Washington (Christopher Jackson) -Joe Aaron Reid
Do I even need to explain this one? Joe is the obvious choice to take the role of George Washington. Not just because he'd be following in the footsteps of Christopher Jackson going from Benny in In The Heights to this role, but because Joe's voice is insane and I know he would bring a new and fresh interpretation of Washington.
Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs) -Ramin Karimloo
Now I know this is kind of a stupid one and will 99.9% never ever happen but I would love to see Ramin try this role. I'd just love to hear him do What'd I Miss and having him on the West End stage is pretty wonderful. Honestly though, Daveed Diggs is a hard one to replace so I'll just have let the casting directors make the decision for me!
Hercules Mulligan/James Madison (Okieriete Onaodowan) -Tosh Wanogho-Maud
Tosh is currently starring in Showboat and wowing the audiences. His voice is so special and unique and I would love to see what he'd bring to the characters originated by Okieriete. They also have an uncanny resemblance to each other?!
John Laurens/Philip Hamilton (Anthony Ramos) -Cleve September
Cleve is one of the biggest up and coming stars right now, he's currently playing Sonny in In The Heights to immense praise and I know he'll be absolutely incredible in Hamilton. He's got a stunning voice, amazing rapping skills and is really just the whole package! Cleve is just the natural choice for this role and I would certainly place money on him being a part of the West End cast.
Angelica Schuyler (Renee Elise Goldsberry) -Christine Allado
I did warn you that I was basically going to cast the whole of In The Heights and Christine is 100% a force to be reckoned with. Her voice is incredible to say the least and I would love to hear her sing Satisfied, I can imagine the sassiness already! Christine is a wonderful actress too and definitely has what it takes for this role although I can really see her in any of the female lead roles. Theatre Gods, do your work please!
Eliza Schuyler (Phillipa Soo) -Philippa Stefani
Phillipa to Philippa, both extremely talented! Philippa S has sure got some pipes on her, we've seen her vulnerable side in Ghost and her sassy side in In The Heights so of course she'll be brilliant; I just know her rendition of Burn would bring the house down! Whether she ends up in Hamilton or not, I think I'm gonna have to start a petition to hear her sing it!
Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds (Jasmine Cephas Jones) -Emma Kingston
I recently saw a video of Emma singing in the Hamilton medley at West End Fests and she sounded incredible! I think she'd be brilliantly suited to the show and perfect for the roles of Peggy/Maria! Her voice is the definition of flawless- she could sing the phone book over and over and I would be satisfied (pun intended) so her singing Say No To This night after night would be heaven!
I'm going to be counting down every day from now until the show finally opens in the West End and I can't wait to find out the cast and I really hope some if not all of the people above end up in it but if all else fails and none of the people on the list make the show, I'll be happy to do the one woman performance!! Please though theatre Gods, just let this be the cast. Thank you.
I was actually struggling with who to cast as Aaron Burr (Sir), but the lovely Hayley suggested Paapa Essiedu who is currently starring in Hamlet. Who knows if he has any musical talent but if he does then sign him up to wow the audiences, his acting abilities are insane so he would definitely perform the hell out of Burr!
King George (Jonathan Groff) -Jon Jon Briones
I know this is a super random one, but the scheming side of King George really reminds me of the Engineer from Miss Saigon. I'm probably the only one but I'd certainly love to hear Jon Jon Briones put his own spin on You'll Be Back! King George and the Engineer would be a dream team for revolution!
George Washington (Christopher Jackson) -Joe Aaron Reid
Do I even need to explain this one? Joe is the obvious choice to take the role of George Washington. Not just because he'd be following in the footsteps of Christopher Jackson going from Benny in In The Heights to this role, but because Joe's voice is insane and I know he would bring a new and fresh interpretation of Washington.
Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs) -Ramin Karimloo
Hercules Mulligan/James Madison (Okieriete Onaodowan) -Tosh Wanogho-Maud
John Laurens/Philip Hamilton (Anthony Ramos) -Cleve September
Angelica Schuyler (Renee Elise Goldsberry) -Christine Allado
I did warn you that I was basically going to cast the whole of In The Heights and Christine is 100% a force to be reckoned with. Her voice is incredible to say the least and I would love to hear her sing Satisfied, I can imagine the sassiness already! Christine is a wonderful actress too and definitely has what it takes for this role although I can really see her in any of the female lead roles. Theatre Gods, do your work please!
Eliza Schuyler (Phillipa Soo) -Philippa Stefani
Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds (Jasmine Cephas Jones) -Emma Kingston
I recently saw a video of Emma singing in the Hamilton medley at West End Fests and she sounded incredible! I think she'd be brilliantly suited to the show and perfect for the roles of Peggy/Maria! Her voice is the definition of flawless- she could sing the phone book over and over and I would be satisfied (pun intended) so her singing Say No To This night after night would be heaven!
I'm going to be counting down every day from now until the show finally opens in the West End and I can't wait to find out the cast and I really hope some if not all of the people above end up in it but if all else fails and none of the people on the list make the show, I'll be happy to do the one woman performance!! Please though theatre Gods, just let this be the cast. Thank you.
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.
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| 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
Thursday, 15 October 2015
In The Heights, King's Cross Theatre | Review
From the moment I stepped into the King's Cross theatre and was transported from the busyness of London rush hour to a bustling Subway station in New York, I knew this show was going to be something special. I'd heard the buzz since previews began and with all the hype around Hamilton I was expecting great things from the brainchild of Lin-Manuel Miranda, and oh boy, I was not let down at all!
In The Heights is set over the course of 3 days and centres on a small community living in Washington Heights in the Northern tip of Manhattan- a place where the doors are always open, the music is always flowing and theres always gossip to be heard. The community is full of the hopes and dreams of those trying to build a better life whilst keeping their traditions with them. In The Heights won four Tony awards in 2008, a Grammy Award and was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Miranda's mix of typical musical theatre melodies with a rap score perfectly creates an energy and story that you can't help but fall in love with. Combined with Drew McOnie's athletic, racy and hip-swivelling choreography the show has an urban salsa vibe which totally complements the West Side Story-esque plotline.
Each musical number is delivered impeccably by the stellar company and superb band. Sam MacKay's Usnavi tells the struggles of wanting to leave but needing to keeps his roots exquisitely; whilst Joe Aaron Reid's Benny combines both comedic and emotional scenes in a seemingly flawless way whilst interacting perfectly with the other characters namely Kevin (played by David Bedella) and Nina (played by Lily Frazer) both of whom's killer acting and vocals make every scene pop and flow. Jade Ewen's incredible belting skills are shown off in her portrayal of Vanessa and a special mention must go to Victoria Hamilton-Barritt who despite being heavily pregnant still manages to dance and sing like crazy! The whole company are harmonious and truly feel like the community they are portraying.
Luke Sheppard's production creates the perfect night out with an electrifying energy that will leave you wanting to salsa your way to the box office to book another night in Washington Heights.
***** 5 out of 5 stars
***** 5 out of 5 stars
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