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Tag: Four Star Musical

  • Theatre Review | Avenue Q – National Tour

    Theatre Review | Avenue Q – National Tour

    ★★★★ | Avenue Q, National Tour

    Fresh out of college, looking for somewhere to live and clutching his useless degree, Princeton arrives on Avenue Q, where he meets affable (if lazy) Nicky, his closeted gay roommate, Rod, and Kate, a nursery teacher with big ambitions. The gang try and navigate the trials and tribulations of life, whilst discovering what the internet is really for, why taking a date to a strip club is a bad idea (especially on a school night) and why you should never throw a coin off the top of the Empire State Building.

    At one point in the story, Rod settles in to read his favourite book, Broadway Musicals of the 1940’s, and if you part the fur on this show a little, you will find that underneath it all, Avenue Q is very much a traditional musical at heart, with a will they/wont they love story, a sultry love rival and some ups and downs along the way. One of its particular strengths is in its beautifully crafted musical numbers, which flip between a good excuse for a laugh (The Internet is for Porn) and sweeping songs which progress the narrative (There’s a Fine, Fine Line).

    The script remains sharp and funny, with a rapid fire delivery of gags, and a story which nestles a number of social issues into the comedy without ever preaching. Rod struggles to come out of the closet, and his ode to his best friend (and secret crush) is filled with sadness. Princeton is a little lost in life, Kate feels that she is destined for bigger things and the perverted Trekkie Monster spends his day, shall we say, (ahem) socially isolated.

    With many of the cast playing multiple roles, Tom Steedon steals most of the laughs as Trekkie Monster and Nicky; whilst Cecily Redman belts out the musical numbers with a stirring voice; and the cast effortlessly bring the puppets to life, to the point where you find yourself more focussed on the puppets than the actors.

    If you have ever wondered what an adult version of Sesame Street might look like, then Avenue Q has the answer. The show remains laugh out loud funny, with some close to the knuckle humour which perfectly blends comedy with poignancy to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

    Avenue Q is at Sheffield Theatres until 3rd August 2019 before continuing on its national tour

  • Joseph And the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Review: A camp classic and this version puts it over the top

    Joseph And the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Review: A camp classic and this version puts it over the top

    ★★★★☆ | Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

    (C) Tristram Kenton

    49 years after it originally debuted, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is back and is as good as ever!

    Now playing at the fabulous (and best venue in London) The Palladium, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat boasts a cast that is first rate and leaves the audience wanting more. The show, based on the ‘Coat of many colours’ story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis, begins with Joseph (Jac Yarrow) being given a colourful coat by his dad. He’s then sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and then climbs back to the top. The show is considered a camp classic and this version puts it over the top!

    Sheridan Smith is very good as the narrator – she guides us through the show effortlessly, and cheekily – it looks like she is having as good a time as we are. Jason Donovan makes an all too very brief appearance as the Pharaoh (with an excellent Elvis Presley-like imitation), in his gold harness-style outfit dutifully displaying most of his upper torso and legs – Jason has still got it. Yarrow, making his West End debut, is absolute perfection as the main character Joseph. Currently training at the Arts Educational School, Yarrow is the strongest voice in the show, and his rendition of ‘Close Every Door’ right before the end of the first half literally brings down the house. It’s a stunning West End debut by someone so young and very talented (he is only 21). And Donovan, who played Joseph in a 1991 version (also at the Palladium, has come full circle and weathered it very very well.

    The show does not rely on razzle-dazzle sets and special effects – it’s all about the actors and talent on stage – and they more than deliver. The sets are effortlessly perfect, and the cast of children, most of them playing adult characters (a few with fake beards) make the show charming and enduring. But the show, on the technical side on the night I saw it, had sound problems. The audience could not quite understand Donovans’ lyrics, while, in a show that is mostly sung and not spoken, makes a big impact on the storytelling for those of us seeing it for the first time. But’s it a minor quibble – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (written by a very young Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) is lively and fun and should continue to bring this to audiences to come, probably for the next 49 years.

    Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at The Palladium until September 2019, book tickets here

  • Theatre Review | Kinky Boots – National Tour

    ★★★★☆ | Kinky Boots, National Tour

    When his late father’s shoe factory is on the brink of closing down, Charlie readies himself to shut down the business; but a chance encounter with Lola, a drag queen, changes his fortunes, as he realises that the factory needs to continue making men’s shoes, but by doing so, needs to exchange brogues for high heels, and make a range of quality shoes for drag artists. But how will the new venture go down with the workers in Northampton?

    Kinky Boots is one of those shows whose reputation precedes it, and for its inaugural UK Tour, it does itself proud. For a touring production, Kinky Boots is a big show which oozes west end quality in its presentation and is slick, polished and professional; the set is superb, with its factory paraphilia littering the stage and the live orchestra only adds to the atmosphere.  Putting aside the rather flimsy plot, the show is all about the big production numbers, especially the gymnastic qualities of Everybody Say Yeah at the closing of Act 1, and the glamorous finale Raise You Up.

    From his explosive entrance in Land of Lola to a tender, powerful delivery of Hold Me In Your Heart, Kayi Ushe is absolutely delicious as Lola, stealing the show as he easily transitions from cracking camptastic cabaret to moments of tender vulnerability, standing head and shoulders above the cast. The rest of the cast are perfectly serviceable, but to be fair to them, it’s hard to compete with such a dominant stage presence.

    Based on a true story, and with songs by Cindi Lauper, Kinky Boots is packed full of colour, glamour, sequins and high energy musical numbers; and provides for an uplifting, smile-inducing, feel-good piece of theatre which effortlessly entertains and proves to be tremendous fun

    Kinky Boots is at Sheffield Theatres until 22nd July 2019, before continuing on its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    THEATRE REVIEW | Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    ★★★★ | Standing at the Sky’s Edge

    Standing on the Sky’s Edge is a new musical which centres around Sheffield’s Park Hill Flats housing estate, and cleverly overlays three stories of three families over three decades as they take residence in the now infamous building. From the ground breaking optimism of the buildings with “streets in the sky” in the early 70s; through the estates decline in the 80s and 90s and onto the current regeneration projects, the show delicately weaves the lives of the seemingly unconnected families together whilst looking at the social and economic changes faced by the city and its residents.

    Richard Hawley (known for his music with The Longpigs and Pulp) provide a mixture of new and old songs which melt seamlessly into the narrative and which are well spaced, well performed and slot nicely into the proceedings; whilst Chris Bush’s script is warm, witty and brims with northern charm and humour.

    But mostly, and at the show’s heart, are stories about love and how it can be tested in so many different ways; wrapped up in a love letter to any building which you can call home and to the city itself.  A husband who has given up, and a wife who won’t; a young couple who face tragedy and a young woman trying to break free of the ghost of girlfriends past all address the central issues with genuine emotion and a warmth radiating from the stage.

    The production is instantly accessible, with characters that feel familiar almost immediately, and some fast paced and assured direction from Robert Hastie, providing a feel of the business and hustle and bustle of the estate. The ensemble cast blend beautifully together as the years portrayed merge into one; and Faith Omole took everyone by surprise with a singing voice so serene, it quite literally stopped the show.

    Despite being a very local piece of theatre, there is enough in there to entertain those unfamiliar with the flats or its history; and makes the trip to Sheffield worthwhile, and being home the message, loudly and clearly, that home is where the heart really is.

    Standing on Sky’s Edge is at Sheffield Theatres until 6th April 2019.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Waitress, Adelphi Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Waitress, Adelphi Theatre, London

    ★★★★☆ | Waitress, Adelphi Theatre

    (C) Alistair Muir

    An American musical about a waitress who bakes amazing pies to cope with life sounds too whimsical for words. You’d expect to come out of the theatre feeling more nauseated than if you’d eaten an oven full of apple pies with whipped cream. This belter of a show is a surprising gem, though. Yes, it’s feel-good and frothy with sections that play out like a sex comedy but it’s also poignant and achingly sad, at times.

    Based on the 2007 indie flick, it’s the story of Jenna (Katherine McPhee), a small town diner waitress who’s unintentionally become pregnant by her abusive loser husband who she dreams of leaving. To complicate things further, she’s smitten with her obstetrician (David Hunter). It’s also a story of the power of female friendship, with her colleagues, ditzy virgin Dawn (Laura Baldwin) and fierce Becky (Marisha Wallace) supporting her in her dilemma.

    Katherine McPhee is staggering with a voice that could shatter the hardest of heart as she belts out the repertoire of rock/folk songs by singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles. She’s amply paired with David Hunter as the likeable and unlikely heartthrob doctor. It’s a sweet rom-com with cracking music and a versatile set that sweeps you off to small-town America.

    There’s nothing not to like here. The songs are great, if occasionally forgettable, the cast nail it and the story is watchable. It’s fun and occasionally thought-provoking. Well worth seeing.

     

    Waitress plays at the Adelphi Theatre, until October 2019, Book Tickets Here

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Follies, National Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Follies, National Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Follies

    follies national theatre review

    If you are a huge theatre fan, love musicals, and worship the ground Stephen Sondheim walks on, then you’ll love Follies.

    Playing in its second run in two years at the National Theatre, Follies is true and pure Sondheim. At the ripe age of 88, Sondheim currently has another hit show in the West End – the critically acclaimed and very popular Company. But Follies is a certain kind of musical – a musical that will perhaps only appeal to the die-hard Sondheim musical theatre fan.

    Follies lusciously and lavishly tells the story of former Follies girls, in 1971, coming back to their soon to be demolished theatre for a reunion. It is a brilliant idea for a show and is executed to flawless perfection. The women range in different ages and are at various stages in their live, but they will always be Follies girl, past performers of the “Weismann’s Follies” musical revue, that played in that theatre between the World Wars. While the next day the building is going to be demolished to make way for a parking lot, the women have one last night to reminisce about their time as Follies Girls and their younger and more glamorous selves.

    The book of the musical, by James Goldman, takes a look at these women through rose-tinted glasses in a story that is all illusion, smoke and mirrors.

    And while there is no proper character development, some of the women do get to shine in a cast that appears to be dozens (40 actually). Tracie Bennett smashes the Sondheim classic ‘I’m Still Here’ while Dawn Hope passionately sings ‘Who’s That Woman.’ Janie Dee excels in ‘Could I Leave You’ and Joanna Riding drips with emotion while singing ‘Losing My Mind.’

    Yes, Follies is a show that showcases the ladies. And while some of the men (Peter Forbes and his younger self Harry Hepple), and Alexander Hanson, get their moments, Sondheim shows his enthusiasm, appreciation and love for the ladies. For it’s their show, it has and always will be.

    Winner of Best Musical Revival at last year’s Olivier Awards, Follies is playing until Saturday, May 11, 2019.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | 9 to 5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | 9 to 5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | 9 to 5 the Musical

    (C) Photo Pamela Raith

    Dolly, no last name needed, brings to the West End the musical of her huge song and hit film 9 to 5, and it’s a hoot!

    How could we forget the film, which starred Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as secretaries at Consolidated Companies who turn the tables on their misogynistic boss? The song has endured more so than the 1980 film, so it’s perfect that it’s been turned into a musical.

    9 to 5 the Musical had a brief Broadway run in 2009 and finally it’s here in London at The Savoy Theatre. Natalie McQueen is just about perfect and a dead ringer for Parton in the role of Doralee Rhodes, secretary to the flirting and very handsy boss Franklin Hart Jr. (a very good and game Brian Conley). Amber Davies is in the Jane Fonda role as Violet Newstead, who is newly divorced and finds herself starting a new job at Consolidated, while Caroline Sheen is Lily Tomlin in the role of Judy Bernly, who has worked at the firm for years yet keeps on missing out on promotions that go to men. One day Judy accidentally puts rat poison in Mr Hart’s coffee (or at least she thinks she did), but when Hart finds out he threatens to call the police so the ladies kidnap him and attempt to find dirt on him, which of course they do. But from start to finish, accompanied by fun songs and a dazzling set, and great performances from the cast (which also includes Bonnie Langford as busybody Roz Keith), 9 to 5 the Musical will drive you happy if you let it!!!

    Of course, there are some cringe-worthy moments, especially when Mr Hart grabs his balls and plays with his nipples during one song (‘Here for You’), while society has moved on about this sort of treatment of women in the workplace with the #metoo movement in full force. But overlook these as we all have a good time watching the show. And it’s Dolly who is our narrator in the beginning, middle and ending (a video, not her in real life, unfortunately) who sets up the story and then winds it up. ‘9 to 5’ is no longer a rich man’s game, it’s all for us to enjoy!

    9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL plays at the Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, until 31 August 2019, Book tickets here.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Come From Away

    come from away theatre review

    Before September 11, 2001, no one had ever heard of the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland. But on that horrible, horrible day, the townspeople (no more than 10,000 people) welcomed in and took in thousands of people who were on Westbound planes that were diverted to this place in the middle of nowhere.

    This story is told in the musical Come from Away. Winning many awards in its Washington D.C. and Broadway runs, this popular show has arrived into London with much anticipation. And the show surely lives up to it.

    Gander has a small airport, where the nearest Starbucks in four hours away, and where there are a total of 550 hotel rooms. But on 9/11, 6,579 people were grounded in Gander. And it was the townspeople who opened up their homes, and hospitality, to these passengers who at the time at arrival had no idea as to what was happening (this was before everyone had mobile phones).

    The characters in this show are based on (and is most cases share names of) real Gander residents and the passengers on these planes. The actors play both the passengers and citizens, switching roles every now and then. While it does get a bit confusing in the beginning, as the show rolls on and the music starts to kick in, Come from Away gets more uplifting, until it, and the residents of Gander, have really won us over.

    Beautiful songs such as ‘I Am Here’, beautifully sung by Cat Simmons, whose son was a firefighter in NYC, ‘Stop the World,’ sung by Robert Hands and Helen Hobson who were passengers and ended up falling in love, and ’Something’s Missing,’ sung by the entire company after the 9/11 passengers all left Gander – show us how the human spirit was alive and well the week the world changed. With incredible book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and sharp direction by Christopher Ashley, Come From Away may not only bring you to tears, but it will also lift up your spirits.

    It had been announced that there will be a feature film adaptation of Come from Away, with Sankoff and Hein writing the script and Christopher Ashley as director. I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie version of this moving and cathartic musical. 

    Come From Away plays at the Phoenix Theatre until 19th September 2019. Book tickets here.

  • Theatre Review | Kiss Me, Kate – Crucible Theatre

    ★★★★☆ | Kiss Me, Kate – Crucible Theatre

    Written by Cole Porter in the 1940’s, Kiss Me, Kate is a delightful, old-fashioned musical, combining the classic elements of mistaken identity, a will they/won’t they love story, a bit of swindling and a bunch of likeable characters all interwoven with an appealing collection of songs by one of the best composers of the era.

    Porter’s tale stages a play within a play, telling the story of Fred Graham, an actor and director who casts his ex-wife as his co-star; and finds himself in hot water when one of his other leading men signs off a gambling debt in his name. He tries desperately to keep his musical production of The Taming Of The Shrew on track, as a couple of inept gangsters show up to collect the debt and Grahams relationship with his ex-wife sways between love and hate. But as everything falls apart and the backstage bickering starts to mirror the story on stage, Graham does everything he can in ensuring that the show must go on.

    The songs from Kiss Me, Kate are some of Porter’s most sterling work, with an overarching jazzy vibe which made the musical numbers delightfully catchy. The songs still sparkle and fizz with wit and humour, and there is a show-stopping number at the opening of each act. “Another Openin’, Another Show”, “Tom, Dick or Harry” and “Too Darn Hot” were all proper toe-tappers, and the multiple reprises of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” were delightfully laughter inducing.

    Edward Baker Duly and Rebecca Lock were superb as the quibbling couple, whilst Dex Lee was criminally underused as Bill and his triple threat status certainly makes him one to watch; but stealing most of their scenes were Delroy Atkinson and Joel Montague as the ham-fisted mobsters. Paul Foster directs with a steady hand, whilst Strictly choreographer Matt Flint keeps the musical numbers light and fun. Only the costume and set design let the show down slightly, with too much of a cartoonish feel to both to really work.

    Kiss Me, Kate is firmly established as a classic, traditional musical and this is a fun, frenetic and frivolous production which, as a sucker for an old-fashioned musical, I found very hard to resist.

    Kiss Me, Kate is at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 12th January 2018. Visit their website at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre, London

    ★★★★☆ | Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

    (C) Matt Crockett

    Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie!’ And damn right they should be. And it’s one year old!

    Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, in case you haven’t heard by now, is the heartwarming story of Jamie – a young man from Sheffield who is different from the other kids in his class.

    When his teacher asks her students what they want to be when they grow up, one says doctor, another says lawyer, while Jamie says that he wants to be a drag queen! Supported by his mother and her best friend, along with some of his best mates, who all happen to be girls, Jamie’s dream may eventually come true! But first, he has to overcome prejudice, as well as the school bully (and also an unloving father who has practically disowned him), to be able to be who he wants to be!

    Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opened to critical acclaim at the Sheffield Crucible in 2017, and has been playing to practically sold out audiences for exactly one year at London’s Apollo Theatre in the West End.

    It’s a heartwarming and enduring story that’s actually true. It’s based on the life of Jamie New – who appeared in a 2011 BBC documentary called Jamie: Drag Queen at 16. With Music by The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells, and Books and Lyrics by Tom MacRae, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is touching, but at the same time manufactured in the way Kinky Boots is (we all know how it is going to end).

    John McCrea is brilliant as Jamie – he really works the stage in those high high heels! And he’s a dead ringer for the real Jamie! Rebecca McKinnis is great as Jamie’s mum Margaret, and she does get a show-stopper or two (‘He’s my Boy’ may bring a tear to your eye).

    In a bit of stunt casting, Michelle Visage is the teacher, but it’s Shobna Gulati who plays, and is fierce, as Margaret’s best friend, and one of Jamie’s staunchest supporters.

    It’s a feel-good show with a feel-good message, and isn’t that we all need right now!

    Book tickets to see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie!

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Company, Gielgud Theatre, London

    ★★★★☆ | Company

    The stage legend that is Patti Lupone is gracing London’s West End with her presence in a new revival of Stephen Sondheim‘s Company.

    Lupone is not just a star, she is a STAR, having played Evita in the first New York City production in 1979 (Elaine Paige was the first Evita in London’s West End in 1978).

    In Company, Lupone is not actually the star and lead of the show, but every time she is on stage the audience seems to gasp and hold their breath.

    But Company is not at all about her character (an older wiser woman who doles out advice), it’s about Bonnie (played by Rosalie Craig, recently seen in the mega-critically acclaimed The Ferryman), who seems to live in a world full of couples (and of course in this modern society one of the couples is gay). All of her friends are in a relationship, but it’s her, who at her surprise birthday party (which is not really a surprise as someone tells her about it) at the tender age of 35), that she realises that she is single and alone in a couples world.

    Originally a musical about a single man (Robert), showcasing a single strong professional woman is just the message that is needed right now in this #metoo time.

    While Bonnie trots along, there are clever sets (by Bunny Christie) that float in and out of the stage like picture frames. And a scene-stealing moment takes place when, right before his gay wedding, Jamie (a superb Jonathan Bailey – give him his own show NOW), starts to hyperventilate and talk 100 miles a minute as to whether he will go through his wedding – it’s a brilliant turn.

    But the show stealer is none other than Patti Lupone; when she sings the classic ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’ you just want to lick your lips and savour each second. Sitting on a cocktail chair, she sings absolutely delicious, and when she says “I’ll drink to that,” you just want to melt. For me, her song is the most memorable part of the show, and it is an absolute gem.

    Marianne Elliott’s production of this 1970 show is as modern and up to date as possible, but please, more more more Lupone next. Here’s to the lady who steals the show!

    Company plays at the Gielgud Theatre until March 2019, Book tickets now (with no fees)