THEGAYUK

Tag: Three Star Musical Review

The latest Three Star Musical Review from THEGAYUK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rock The Ballet, Peacock Theatre, London

    The Bad Boys of Dance’s new show “Rock the Ballet” bills itself as “a high-octane intersection of classical and contemporary set to a soundtrack of popular music”, so you wouldn’t be expecting much poetry or lyricism, and you’d be right. These dancers twist and turn and gyrate in a display of virtuososity, which is both breath-taking and exhausting to watch.

    That said, it got off to a rather slow start. The first act, labelled Beautiful Day, with the boys in casual jeans and polo shirts, tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to meld a boy meets girl, falls in love with girl, falls out and falls back in again storyline to a pop soundtrack of U2, Coldplay and Donny Hathaway.

    Choreographed by Adrienne Cantera, who also brilliantly danced the central female role, this first act didn’t really coalesce until the final U2 “Beautiful Day”, when finally Cantera and all the boys came together in a dazzling whirl of energy. It was here too that the choreography most matched the music it was set to. Till then there had been bursts of invention, punctuated by too many moments of what I can only describe as mark till ready filling in. I also rather unkindly w ondered if we got a bit too much of Canterra, superb though she is. After all it was the guys we had come to see, and this first act harked back to old fashioned glorification of the prima ballerina. Apart from a few thrilling sequences from James Boyd, the boys took something of a back seat.

    All this was put to rights in the second act, when all the boys were at last given their chance to shine, and there was no doubting it was the boys the audience had come to see. It opened with a darkly atmospheric rendering of Brotzjor’s “Olafur Ornald”, and I had rather hoped that this more lyrical opening was an indication of how things were to go. However it wasn’t long before we were back to the energetic, pumping pop of the first act, only this time it was sexier, the boys in tight black pants and white vests. In particular, Blake Zelesnikar, who had caught my eye in the first half, was finally given his moment, first in a sexy duet with Canterra and then on his own. Judging from the audience reception, and the screams of delight from some of the girls (and no doubt some of the boys), I wasn’t the only one to notice him. This boy has sexual charisma in spades. James Boyd too got some amazing solo work in this half, and was the first one to show off his rippling torso. When all the guys finally got their shirts off and danced topless, there was no doubting that this is what the audience had come to see. It was also at this point my critical faculties deserted me. So who cares if it’s not exactly artistic? When Zelesnikar is flexing his muscular torso, nothing else seems to matter. Putting their jackets back on, they came out for an encore of (fittingly) “Sexy and I know it”, one by one stripping off their jackets again and flirting with the audience. By this time everyone was screaming for more, and I couldn’t really blame them.

    It’s not a show that’s likely to appeal to dance purists, and in all honesty it’s a bit safe, especially when you consider what Michael Clark was doing to pop music twenty odd years ago. But if you want to see some sexy boys, strutting their stuff and showing off their virtuosity (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) then this is the show for you.

    Rock the Ballet runs until June 28th at the Peacock Theatre.

    3 stars for the show (that’s the critic in me)
    5 stars for Zelesnikar (OK, so I can be shallow.)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Brassed Off

    ★★★  | Brassed Off

    Set in 1992, Brassed Off tells the story of a small Yorkshire mining town as their pit faces closure, unemployment looms, families struggle and communities rally round to campaign to keep the pit open. But as the saying goes, “where there’s muck, there’s brass”, here in the form of the colliery brass band; whose elderly band leader, Danny, has a dream of taking them to the Royal Albert Hall as finalists of a national competition.

    When Gloria, a beautiful young fugal horn player, arrives back in her home town from London, the band welcome her with open arms and the affable Andy falls in love with her. But she isn’t necessarily what she seems, and with the threat of the pit closure growing ever closer, the boys start to wonder why she has a National Coal Board logo on her briefcase.

    Based on the film of the same name, Brassed Off was a poignant play about the struggles of a community fighting to maintain its livelihood. The play had some genuine laugh out loud moments in the first act, but as the story unfolds and the situation of the lead characters becomes more desperate, the second act took a more downbeat turn, with a few laughs here and there, but a lot of sad developments to the story. It was a credit to both the cast’s performances and to the writing that you felt such sympathy for the characters as their lives and community were being slowly torn apart.

    James Robinson was most notable for his portrayal of Andy – with a natural performance of his character’s cheeky jack-the-lad persona. The remaining cast gelled well together and the sense of camaraderie and community on stage came across as genuine and believable. There were also some very well written roles for the female characters, in particular the determined Rita, excellently portrayed by Helen Kay. Unfortunately, some of the speech was a little quiet at times making it difficult to hear; meaning some of the audience missed out on some of the sharp dialogue.

    The brass band performed on stage, played by a combination of the actors and members from a local band, and did a fine job with some uplifting and moving numbers. The play was heavier on the narrative than the music and the only criticism to be levelled was that perhaps the band didn’t play enough throughout the show and especially towards the end.

    The play had a strong political message about the erosion of the coal industry and the impact on small communities. That said, despite the elements of comedy, this was a play whereby, regardless of your political leanings, you left the theatre feeling emotional as a result of the plight of the likeable characters and the empathy garnered towards them as they struggled through. The play did such a good job of drawing you into the lives of the on stage community, that even the upbeat ending seemed bitter sweet. Overall, Brassed Off was an emotional piece of well written and performed drama.

    Brassed Off is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 10th May 2014. Further details and booking details can be found at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Fame, Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    ★★★ | Fame, Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    Based on the film and classic TV series, Fame follows the trials and tribulations of a group of young students studying at the New York School of Performing Arts as they hone their skills in music, dance and acting, as well as falling in love, clashing with the establishment, battling personal demons and dabbling in the dark side of fame.

    The show follows a small group of students from first meeting to graduation, looking at the challenges they face in their academic studies, their artistic studies and their personal lives. Issues such as drug use, love, sexuality and illiteracy are all canvassed as the friends make their way through their time at school.

    The first thing that was noticeable was how the show did feel very fresh and had been updated completely for the 2014 tour. There were iPad’s, mobile phones and references to Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Rhianna aplenty and the show looked and sounded bang up to date. The variety of musical styles and the vocal gymnastics reflected the modern setting and the dance routines covered a wide variety of styles, from hip hop and street dancing to classical ballet and a flamenco inspired number.

    The show boasts around 20 songs which flow in rapid succession giving the show more of a feel of a musical revue than a piece of musical theatre. The opening number “Pray I Make/Hard Work” set the tone of the show nicely and was modern and contemporary. “Tyrone’s Rap” and “Dancin’ on the Sidewalk” were up-tempo numbers, both of which were infused with a display of hip hop and street dancing. But the standout song was saved for the finale, with “Bring on Tomorrow” being a traditional rousing conclusion to the proceedings which was well performed by the ensemble.

    The cast were multi-talented, with the whole ensemble being able to sing, dance and act, with some even playing multiple musical instruments. The most notable members of the cast were Alex Thomas, who played dancer Tyrone, and who danced a variety of styles with ease and naturalness. Joseph Giacone was in fine voice and entertained as the hormonally challenged Joe Vegas, putting in a comedic and enthusiastic performance, nowhere more evident than in his musical tribute to his overactive “little Joe”. Molly Stewart also put in a great turn as the underdog, Mabel Washington, and surprised everyone with her powerful voice in a soulful, gospel inspired number.

    The set was fairly bland, with very little by way of scenery, set changes or props, but it did provide for a space for a live band on stage, which added to the musical revue feel of the piece. The story itself was fairly thin but was functional. There was little in terms of character development, but this did not come across as a show which was about an in depth story – the attraction here was the music and the well-choreographed set pieces of a variety of dance styles.

    The show hits the mark for its target audience and is theatre for a younger generation. It was fun, vivacious and energetic. Fame thankfully doesn’t take itself too seriously and never attempts to be anything other than what it is, which is a fairly shallow but fun and undemanding piece of entertaining song and dance.

    Fame is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until the 5th April 2014 before continuing on its national tour

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Happy Days The Musical, Sheffield Lyceum and UK Tour

    ★ ★ ★ | Happy Days The Musical, Sheffield Lyceum and UK Tour

    The Cunningham family are back in this new musical which transports the audience back to Arnolds Malt Shop for a huge slice of 50’s Americana, where Richie Cunningham and his friends and family rally the community to save their favourite local hangout from a corporate takeover. Along the way, they have dance contests, wrestling matches, learn about love, fulfil their dreams and rekindle old romances, all under the watchful eye of the ultra-cool Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzerella. But will their fundraising efforts be enough to save their beloved malt shop?

    Written by Garry Marshall, the original creative force behind the popular TV series, and with Henry Winkler (the original “Fonz”) on board as a creative consultant, this new musical rocks ‘n’ rolls onto the stage in this national tour.

    The first thing noticeable from the very start of the show was how well cast it was, with each of the actors looking remarkably like their television counterparts, in particular, Andrew Waldron who played Ralph. The show exploded to life with an upbeat ensemble piece as the opening number and from thereon in, the show progressed with an almost relentless barrage of songs, 21 in total, which, in a show with a running time of around 1 hour 45 minutes, meant that the next musical number was never more than a few moments away. The original songs were actually quite catchy upon first listen, but never memorable, with a fairly good weighting of up-tempo, rock ‘n’ roll tinged numbers interspersed with a couple of ballads.

    There was no faulting the vivaciousness of the young cast, all of whom threw themselves into the show with an almost unstoppable energy. The set was simple, mainly using fold out sections of the main set to create the different locations and whilst the set was never spectacular, it was functional for the production. The lighting and costumes were colourful and compounded the energetic feel of the show, with the whole thing feeling fresh and modern which juxtaposed with the 1950’s setting slightly.

    Former Sugababe, Heidi Range, impressed with her performance and a great singing voice which shone through particularly well in the ballads. Ben Freeman had an unexpectedly good singing voice although came across as a little aloof at times as he strutted across the stage as “The Fonz”. Cheryl Baker undertook an excellent turn as Marion Cunningham and Andrew Waldron provided an enjoyable comic performance as Ralph Malph. But the whole cast really gave it their all throughout the show and their enthusiasm was undeniable.

    One of the aspects where the show faltered was in its sound, with a number of the audience commenting on how the volume of the orchestra completely drowned out the casts ‘s voices on the majority of the musical numbers, making the lyrics almost inaudible and leading to the production to come across as “shouty” at times. This was a particular shame when other songs were appropriately balanced in terms of music and voices. The show also came across as a little forced and when the audience were encouraged to their feet for the final sing-along, it felt contrived and stilted.

    When you consider everything that this show has going for it, you would expect it to be greater than the sum of its parts. But despite the catchy songs, a decent cast and the colourful energy of the show, there was just something missing which led to the show feeling hollow and a little soulless. Happy Days comes across as a hybrid of Grease and Hairspray, but doesn’t reach the heights of either. It was an enjoyable enough piece of theatre, but ultimately, was fairly forgettable.

    Happy Days is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum theatre until 22nd February 2014 before continuing on its national tour.

    Information can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/happy-days-14/ or at the shows official website at http://happydaysthemusical.com/home

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and UK Tour

    ★★★ | Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and UK Tour

    Set in the backwoods of Oregon in 1850, Adam Pontipee is a burly woodsman who lives on an isolated farm in the mountains. On a visit to town to trade goods, he decides to take himself a wife and meets the feisty Milly who agrees to marry him. But when they return to the farmhouse to start their married life together, Adam introduces her to his six ill-mannered, uncouth and rough and tumble brothers.

    But the brothers are diamonds in the rough, and following a little smoothing around the edges, Adam takes his brothers to the town social, where they meet and fall in love with their prospective girlfriends. But when the lovesick boys return to the farm, they pine for their girls, so decide to head to town and bring them back. But with the girls distressed at being kidnapped and the farm cut off from the town for the winter by an avalanche, will true love win through?

    This vibrant and colourful revival of one of the most popular musicals from the golden age of MGM Studio’s was great fun. The show itself is twee, old fashioned and, at times, very camp, but therein lies its utterly infectious charm. The songs include “Bless Your Beautiful Hyde”, “Going Courtin’” and “Wonderful, Wonderful Day” and were proficiently performed by the cast. The songs were interspersed with some exuberant and energetic dance numbers, with somersaults and acrobatics aplenty. Both the town social (the main set piece of the first act) and the finale were particular highlights. The stage was crammed full of talented singers, dancers and musicians, all of whom performed a number of well-choreographed and enjoyable pieces.

    In terms of the cast, Sam Attwater, who plays Adam was unable to perform on the night, and his shoes were ably filled by Alex Hammond. Hammond’s deep voice and gruffness in his singing neatly mirrored the wooden roughness of the wilderness setting. Helena Blackman, who was runner up on “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” was in fine voice and provided a good turn as the go-getting Milly. The rest of the brothers were made up of an attractive and very buff set of young men who proved that they had been chosen for their talent as well as their looks by being more than capable of some great dancing and singing. The remaining ensemble made up the townsfolk and nicely rounded out the cast.

    Director and choreographer Patti Colombo has added some nice touches, such as a variety of dance styles, ranging from some ballet inspired pieces to an abundance of lively barn dancing, and also including some musicians on the stage during some scenes or to act as bridging tool in scene changes. The music was typical of the country genre and in good keeping with the setting of the show, with violins, acoustic guitars and mouth organs aplenty.

    The detailed and effective set looked great, with the stage being easily and smoothly transformed from the forest to the town to the interior of the farmhouse. The set was awash with wooden buildings, furniture and props which fitting in nicely with the feel of the show. The lighting was well thought out with a green tinge enhancing the forest, good use of silhouette at times and a warm glow in the outdoor scenes. All of the costumes were colourful, with flowing gowns and smart tunics and added nicely to the vibrancy of the whole thing.

    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers a whole had a really light feel to it and was undemanding, foot tapping, enjoyable entertainment. The story itself is a little thin and quaint, but the reality is that this is good old fashioned entertainment which harks back to a more innocent time and is more than capable of entertaining the audience without the use of special effects or elaborate mechanical props. It is a credit to the musical itself to think that 60 years after being written for the big screen, the stage show can still bring a smile to the face of theatre goers.

    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum until the 15th February 2014 before continuing on its national tour. For information and tickets visit
    http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers-14/ and the official website at http://www.sevenbridesthemusical.com/sights-sounds.html

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dick Comes Again

    ★★★ Once again, Leicester Square Theatre has provided an outrageously camp panto that hovers on just the right side of obscenity.

    Dick (Dave Bibby) and his trusty but drunk sidekick, Dave the Cat (Nick Read), agree to help Alice Fitznicely (Laura Hyde) sail the Leaky Vessel up Streaky Crack to find her family jewels and the key to her chas-titty belt. They are aided and hindered along the way by Sofonda Cox (Soho legend, The Very Miss Dusty ‘O’), Queen Runt (Paula Masterton) and Fairy Bell-End (Laura Curnick).

    With a few of last year’s jokes re-used, this production could, perhaps, have benefitted from some more original material, but it’s a small complaint. The old jokes are still relevant and the new ones manage to shock and delight in equal measure – there were a few audible gasps from the middle-aged ladies sat in front of me who shrieked and squealed throughout the evening.

    The innuendos come thick and fast in almost every line of Stuart Saint’s script with moments of genuine hilarity. Plenty of twerking and some superb performances from the very colourful cast further enhance the deliciously filthy pantomime atmosphere.

    The best laughs of the night, for this critic anyway, come from Dave the Cat, a drunk sexed-up version of Puss from Shrek (complete with dodgy Spanish accent). Nick Read performs his role brilliantly and shines through an already bright cast. Laura Hyde’s Alice is another particularly splendid performance, playing the role in the time-honoured over-the-top panto manner.

    Golden showers, S&M, Asian ladyboys and even a 14” dildo complete the ingredients for this fun Soho night out with plenty of suitably cringe-worthy audience participation.

    DICK! COMES AGAIN: BIGGER, LONGER, HARDER! plays at the Leicester Square Theatre until 19 January.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

    ★★★ | Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

    Andrew Lloyd Webber’s biblical musical continues its national tour with this colourful, energetic and enjoyable production of the enduring and well-loved family show.

    This sing-though musical tells the story of Joseph and his eleven brothers. Joseph is favoured by his father and is given a Technicolor coat, which causes his brothers to become so jealous of his favourable treatment that they take him into the desert to kill him. However, seizing an unexpected opportunity to make some money, the brothers sell him into slavery instead and Joseph is taken to Egypt where his ability to interpret dreams is put to good use by the Pharaoh. The two hour show is jam packed full of songs that you can’t help but know the words to, including “Any Dream Will Do”, “One More Angel In Heaven”, “Close Every Door” and “Jacob and Sons”.

    This quality production was much better than anticipated with the staging of the show being very well put together. There’s good use of the set and scenery with the stage constantly looking full, but never overcrowded. The universally talented cast all performed very well and sounded excellent together. The sound produced by the ensemble cast (especially the brothers) when singing together was superb and their varied voices fitted perfectly together. The casting for the show, in terms of vocal performances was spot on. In particular, Andrew Bateup (making his professional debut) stood out for his enthusiasm and vivacious performance and Rob Wilshaw provided a notable performance in the role of Joseph, handling the show’s best known numbers with aplomb.

    Visually, the show was vibrant, colourful and full of an enthusiastic and energetic cast and effective choreography. As expected, the costumes, set and lighting were all awash with a variety of colours, and the whole thing came across as a fun and lively production which was professionally put together. The lighting in particular was incredibly well done. In terms of the production and performance of the show, there was very little to criticise.

    The main issue with the show was despite the fact that the production was updated, modern and well put together, the songs themselves have not aged as well as some of Rice/Lloyd Webber’s other early productions (such as Evita). Whether this is a result of over familiarity or just the way in which musical theatre has evolved over the years, the play itself felt a little dated. That said, the show, thankfully, didn’t take itself too seriously, with a couple of knowing nods to the audience, which was a welcome addition.

    Overall, if you are looking of an evening of pleasant and undemanding entertainment, then this is a show worth seeing. The show delivers on many levels, particularly in terms of production, but also in terms of nostalgia (most people of a certain age will remember doing this show as their school play), in terms of good family entertainment and in terms of enjoyable, if fairly cheesy, fun.

    Joseph is currently playing at Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 30th November 2013. For information and tickets, visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or visit the show’s official website at www.josephthemusical.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Evita, Sheffield and National Tour

    ★★★ | Evita

    The glamour, passion and politics 1940’s Argentina are brought to life in this revival of one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most successful musicals which is back on national tour.

    In 1934, a young and naive country girl, Eva Duarte, falls for a singer and pressures him into taking her to Argentina. Filled with her ambitions to be a singer and actress, she quickly realises the harsh reality of life in the city when he leaves her. Sleeping her way up the ladder, from secretary to model and from radio star to actress, she attends a charity function held by Juan Peron, an aspiring politician with his sights on clawing his way to the presidential seat. They come together, both in love and to further their careers, much to the disapproval of a number of Peron’s political allies. But whilst Evita charms the nation, the corrupt nature of their reign starts to show, her greed and power hungry desires come to the forefront and her body starts to become increasingly frail as she begins to succumb to illness.

    There are a number of reasons to recommend this production. Starting with the music, the show is performed as a sing through musical, and is absolutely crammed with classic songs, including “Another Suitcase, Another Hall”, “You Must Love Me”, “”Oh, What a Circus” and the show stopping, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. The orchestra played beautifully together and the balance of the volume between the music and the vocals was perfect, allowing for both the music and the lyrics to be appreciated. It was also good to be reminded of how well written, enjoyable and powerful the music and songs are when performed live.

    The ensemble cast were incredibly talented and all performed strongly, sounding superb when singing both together and undertaking their solo parts. Mark Heenehan was well cast as Juan Peron, demonstrating his commanding voice and compelling stage presence.Sarah McNicholas gave a heart wrenching performance of “Another Suitcase, Another Hall” and Nic Gibey was ideal as the sleazy crooner Magaldi. However, the standout performance of the evening was by ensemble member Joel Elferink, who managed to consistently out-sing and out-act most of the cast in his numerous parts.

    The play itself was more political in its storyline than the well-known film version and the play moved along at a swift pace, meaning the near two hour running time flew by. There were some well put together set pieces, in particular, “Buenos Aires”, “Peron’s Latest Flame” and “A New Argentina”, which were well choreographed and performed. The set was versatile and well utilised, although did seem cluttered at times, the use of the lighting was atmospheric and effective and the costumes were beautifully put together.

    With so much to recommend it, it is a shame that the two leads were the weak link in both the production and the cast. Marti Pellow was better than expected as Che, but his, performance appeared both forced and strained at times, in contrast to the much more natural performances of the other cast members. Madalena Alberto played the title role with some enthusiasm and she had a good voice, but she lacked the charisma and presence of the character that she was playing, making her performance slightly less believable. Her delivery of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “You Must Love Me” were the stand out moments of her performance. Their performances did steadily improve over the course of the show and eventually won me over, but it is a shame when the “stars” of a musical are eclipsed by the rest of the cast for the majority of the show.

    Overall, the show was an enjoyable evening and was a well put together production which turned out to be better than anticipated. The music continues to stand up today and despite the show being around 35 years old, this production still sounded fresh and contemporary and was generally well performed by a talented cast, despite what could be argued as a slightly miscast pair of leads.

    Evita is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until the 13th July 2013 before continuing its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | A Chorus Line

    ★★★ A Chorus Line

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