We Will Rock You @ The Liverpool Empire Theatre

With a book by Ben Elton, and songs written and originally performed by Queen, the We Will Rock You musical has appeared across the UK for nearly ten years.

Set a few hundred years into the future where musical instruments have been outlawed, WWRY tells the tale of young dreamer Galileo, who seeks to find a way of bringing music back to life. Along with Scaramouche, he is able to break free from the clutches of the Killer Queen, and start his journey into musical heaven.

Noel Sullivan as Galileo is perfectly cast. He has an excellent stage presence and is extremely charismatic. Amanda Coutts as Scaramouche is also a delight to watch, and has an extraordinary voice. Slightly miscast is Ashley Russell. Whilst her acting is very good, her voice isn’t suited to some of the songs she sings – her higher register is slightly screechy.

A major problem was with the sound. At times, the acoustics are too loud and so the singers are constantly battling with the band, giving an unbalanced sound and affecting the quality of the music. However, it is nice to see a live band playing all of the hits, which include "Don't stop me now!", "Killer Queen", "We are the Champions", and a very heartfelt version of "Only the good die young", which paid tribute to those stars who were lost before their time, including a recently deceased Amy Winehouse.

Another problem is the story, which is not as good as the songs which are being sung. It feels as if it was put together in a rush and without much thought, and at times is overlong. Some characters are undeveloped and aren’t utilised as well as they could be.

The set design is simple, yet effective. It relies heavily on video projections which add to the futuristic vibe.

A musical with Queen's back catalogue is always going to generate some interest, but the poor quality of the book does let the show down slightly. Despite this, everyone in the audience seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Down Our Street @ Liverpool Unity Theatre

FOLLOWING three sell-out runs in Wirral, and a series of rave reviews, musical play Down Our Street finally arrived at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre over the weekend.

Directed by Brian McCann and starring local legend Mickey Finn, Down Our Street charts the history of the Cammell Laird shipbuilding company based in Birkenhead, from the very beginning in the 1800’s to the present day.

Told through the eyes of the local people, the production follows the highs and lows of the company which is still going strong to this day.

The Active Drama production starts with a speech from founder William Laird about how Birkenhead will change for the better with the setting up of his company.

The town, he claims, will become a utopia with green parks and plenty of jobs for everyone.

What follows is anything but, with redundancies, immigration and privatisation all having an effect on the fortunes of the company and the locals.

What is particularly appealing about this production is that much of what happens is still happening today.

The locals of the late 1880’s muttering that the “foreigners are coming over here and stealing our jobs” is still a phrase heard across the region today.

There are some genuinely touching moments, as well as a lot of humour, with cameo appearances from historical figures including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Margaret Thatcher and even John Lennon.

A major problem with this production is that due to the time frame which is covered, there isn’t enough time to develop any of the characters. As a result, many are nothing more than over-the-top stereotypes, which makes it difficult to connect emotionally.

The musical numbers are undoubtedly the highlight of this production. Some of them, including the title number, are outstanding, and wouldn’t be out of place in a bigger production.

The singing is good, with only the occasional note going astray.

The choreography could be improved, as at times the placing of the characters in some of the numbers appears odd.

The 11-strong cast deals adequately with the material provided, and all play a number of different roles.

The younger members at times appear wooden and a lack of experience comes through, and even some of the more experienced members of the company seem to forget some of the lines to the musical numbers.

Standout performances come from Louise Thomas, whose Birkenhead housewife is something to behold, and Charlie Griffiths (who also produces the show). Mickey Finn is also pleasing to watch and plays a very convincing drunk who has lost everything.

A nice touch is that one of William Laird’s descendants is in the production. Ruth Laird, who is the co-founder’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter, gives a moving speech about her family’s pride in the legacy which has been created.

With a few re-writes, particularly in regard to the dialogue to include more character development, this could be an outstanding production.

5/10

Singin' in the Rain!

It's been a while since I updated the blog - apologies for that - I've been very busy looking for jobs and then I went travelling around Europe for around five weeks in total, and went to a wedding! But between all of that, I managed to jump on a train down to Chichester to see their reimagining of the film classic "Singin' in the Rain". It is well documented that the transition of this piece from screen to stage hasn't ran smoothly. There are a few versions which have been mounted both this side of the Atlantic and on the Great White Way, all without much commercial or critical success - would the Chichester production continue this run or raise the bar?!

I've been going to Chichester to see their big summer musical for around five years now, and while I always enjoy their big American musicals which they put on, it always seems like something is missing. 42nd street from 2010 was the best of the bunch leading up to this trip, but that has most definately changed now!

Singin' in the Rain, I can say with much joy, is one of the best musicals, nay.. best shows I have ever seen on the stage! The music was incredible, the dancing sublime, but it was the leading members of the cast that were the highlight - Scarlett Strallan, a performer I have seen only once before in Mary Poppins, was outstanding. Her voice was angelic, her dance moves fiesty. But it was the facial expressions and the acting that set her apart from many leading ladies I've seen - it was like going back into that era! The other leads were also very competent! The direction was excellent - a welcome return to the Festival Theatres Artistic Director - Jonathan Church.

The story to the show is simple - Hollywoods leading silent film stars have to make the transition to "talkie" movies, only the leading lady sounds like a strangled cat - a queue for Scarlett Strallens character to begin to dub for the Hollywood star, and also to fall in love with the leading man!

The costumes, the ensemble, the laugh out loud humour all added to make this a wonderful production, but the best part was during the iconic number (in the film Gene Kelly is tap dancing through the streets). In this production the stage becomes flooded from sprinklers above the stage and during the tap number, the first few rows (and where I was sitting) got soaked! It was extremely memorable and such a pleasant suprise as I was expecting much of the same from the previous musicals at Chichester!

Definately 9/10

Jekyll and Hyde at The Liverpool Empire

It has been two years since Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow last visited Liverpool in The Witches of Eastwick, and now he returns in another musical, Jekyll and Hyde.

Originally based on the books by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll and Hyde tells the story of Henry Jekyll, a Harley street doctor who wishes to rid the human race of carrying out evil deeds. After carrying out experiments on himself, Edward Hyde is born from the inside of Jekyll’s mind, leading to a carnage of murder through the streets of London.

As both Jekyll and Hyde, Pellow seems slow in connecting to the material. His spoken voice, particularly in the first act is very breathy, making it hard to decipher the dialogue. The ex-pop star improves greatly in the second half when Jekyll’s alter-ego is causing havoc in the city.

Sabrina Carter and ex-Wicked understudy Sarah Earnshaw, both excel vocally as the duo's love interests, but there are far too many power ballads in this show for them.

The chorus numbers are the best, though, with an 18-strong cast harmonising with ease which improves the general lacklustre score.

Ultimately this show is laden with too many numbers - many of which don't seem to move the plot forward. It also takes a long time to build any momentum - it is over an hour into the show before Hyde even makes an appearance.

That is not to say that this show is without its merits. A scene where Jekyll confronts Hyde, with the use of a video projection really gets across the argument that is going on within Jekyll and Hyde's head. The big number from this show - This is the Moment - also doesn't disappoint, with Pellow delivering a powerful vocal.

Despite some stand out moments, including the chorus numbers and a duet between the two leading ladies, you can't help feel slightly disappointed in the show as you leave the theatre - even if you are a fan of Marti Pellow.

Anthems - Kerry Ellis and Brian May at the Liverpool Philharmonic

West End singing sensation Kerry Ellis, and legendary Queen Guitarist Brian May brought their new concert tour “Anthems” to Liverpool this week at the city’s Philharmonic Hall.

Supporting their new album of the same name, Anthems showcased the talents of Ellis and May with a 90 minute set which included some of Queens greatest hits, with new lyrics written specifically for Ellis, as well as some of the songs which made her famous in the hit musical Wicked.

The evening started with a support band – Vintage Trouble, who attempted to warm up the crowd for the evening’s events with a mixture of soul and rock. Although very talented, the band didn’t quite connect with the Liverpool audience who were waiting patiently for the main event.

Kerry Ellis has an extremely good stage presence – she, as you would expect of a West End veteran, feels very at home on the stage, and interacts well with the audience. Aside from the outstanding vocals and watching May play guitar with gusto, it is worth coming to along just to see a side of the real Kerry Ellis, as opposed to the characters she has portrayed in London. Many of the songs she performed weren’t just sang, they were acted, which allowed the audience to connect with the lyrics.

There were a few problems with the sound and the equipment. At times, it was difficult to distinguish the words which were being sung as it was too loud, and a problem with the smoke machine meant that Ellis was prematurely covered with mist, which she joked off.

Some of the highlight included many of Queen’s hits – Somebody To Love, Save Me, We are the Champions, We Will Rock You and No-one But You, where Kerry Ellis performed a master-class in singing which yielded an impromptu standing ovation.

The Philharmonic is a strange venue to house a rock gig – especially as the audience are advised to sit during the performance, but by the end of the concert, everyone – young, and old – were on their feet singing along. The unmistakeable highlight of the concert was Defying Gravity.

It seems an off combination, bringing together a West End singer and the guitarist from one of the biggest rock bands the world has ever seen, but it works. During the show, Brian May explained that Ellis audition for a role in We Will Rock You, which he produced, and she blew him away. This led to them collaborating for the Royal Variety Show and producing an album together before embarking on this UK tour.

Fans of Ellis and May alike will undoubtedly enjoy this show. It is only a pity that it wasn’t performed in a standing venue, but as the audience demographic ranges from very young to very old, a compromise had to be made. Ultimately, this is one show you won’t want to miss.

The tour continues around the country, with a stop in Manchester on May 16th.

4 stars

Here is a clip of them performing one of the songs from the tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Ay953L2v4

30 Day musical song challenge - Day 3

Demonstrating how underrated you think a musical is.

This musical was extremely successful on Broadway - it won lots of awards and toured the US for a long time after it closed in New York. In this country it garnered excellent reviews - 5 stars from The Independent's Michael Coveney, 5 stars from Whatsonstage.com's Terri Paddock, 5 stars from Charles Spencer of the Times and a very positive review from Mark Shenton of the Stage.

However, after a successful run at the Lyric Hammersmith, it opened in The Novello theatre in the West End. It survived 12 weeks before it was forced to close due to poor ticket sales.

Although not under-rated by the critics, or by those who had a chance to see it in London, I have put this musical in this section, because I believe it was under-rated by the British theatre going public who didn't give it a chance - those who would rather have gone to see a big musical they could have seen three years later - a la Lion King or Billy Elliott. Because this musical deserved to be seen on a wider scale, but never got an opportunity to. That is why I have picked it for an under-rated musical.

Here is a link to the show.

www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_NprKfVNpKA&h=a0c82

Musical Song Challenge - Day 2

Day 2's musical song challenge is to post a clip or video of your latest musical obsession. At the minute, I haven't really got a musical obsession, but looking at clip recently of Broadway shows which have just opened introduced me to Wonderland - a contemporary new musical based on the stories of Alice and Wonderland. The tunes sound quite catchy, and the set looks really nice! I need to listen to the cast album (if and when it is released) before I decide whether it will become an obsession, but for now I'll post a clip of one of the songs x

Britney Spears the musical?

A few weeks ago I reviewed Thriller Live, which was a showcase of the music of Michael Jackson. Whilst not strictly a musical due to a lack of story, it has got me thinking about other artists who have had musicals made on the success of their back catalogue.

The biggest show, where this is the case, is of course Mamma Mia. It tells the story of a young girl who wants to find out the identity of her father so she can invite him to her wedding. Intermingled with the story is the music of Abba, from The Winner Takes it All to Super Trouper. According to an online encyclopedia, there are 24 of the Swedish groups hits laced throughout the show, which opened in London in June 1999. Since then it has opened on Broadway, been turned into a hit film starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, and toured the nations arenas, whilst still being one of the most popular shows in the West End. It is a ferocious beast of a show, still packing them in after more than a decade.

Another hit show, which has survived a number of extensions is We Will Rock You, which incorporates the music of Queen, and written by Ben Elton. This show is also bringing patrons into the Dominion in their droves, frequently selling out the 2000 seat theatre. There has recently been a UK tour, as well as the sit-down London show, and there is to be another which starts up later this year. There are also numerous productions running around the world.

Other shows which are based on the music of pop icons include Never Forget, the Take That musical, which had a short stint in The West End, prior to a UK tour. One feels that this show would have been much more succesful, were it not for the fact that Take That didn't endorse the show. Jersey Boys is another hit show, now enjoying its 3rd year in the West End and 6th year on Broadway, and The Buddy Holly story which seems to constantly be running somewhere around the country.

The new Spice Girls musical is currently being penned by Absolutely Fabulous writter Jennifer Saunders. If given the green light, this show is possibly going to generate an awful lot of interest, and could run and run.

My point is that these shows are popular - some more than others, but on the whole they put bums on seats. They provide the theatre going audience with something recognisable. Why would you go and shell out your £60 (+ in some cases), on a new musical you know nothing about when you can spend the same amount of money on a show that you can sing along to? These shows are "audience friendly", and herein lies the genius, and the danger. Musical theatre in this country is at a cross-roads. There are more duke-box musicals and musicals produced on the back of previously successful shows and films (The Lion King, Billy Elliott, Wicked et al), than brand new musicals, which means that there isn't really that much variety. This must be rectified in the future, if we are to enjoy the talents of our up and coming writers. If this does't happen, we will only see shows in the future that pander to the masses - shows which do not hve a heart and which don't have a brain.



In twenty five years time will you be the one who is queing up for Britney Spears the Musical, or We Will GAGA You? Because if the answer is no, then we all need to do something about the way that musicals are produced in this country. We all collectively need to support those excellent smaller shows to help them survive, rather than add to the thick pockets of the West Ends super producers. Shows like Spring Awakening and Love Story (which I recently went to see and enjoyed immensely) don't currently stand a chance, which is why they both closed so soon.

What do you think of the current state of musicals in this country and around the world? Would you be happy going to see Britney the musical in 20 yrs time?!

30 day song challenge

On facebook, everyone seems to be doing the 30 day song challenge, where they are given a title e.g. favourite song from a movie or most recent song you listened to, and ten you give your answer, along with a clip of that song from youtube.

Well I have decided to complete the alternative "musical theatre song challenge", which has the same premise, except that your answers must be songs from musicals! So without much further ado, I will start with Day 1 - Song from the first musical you saw.

I don't remember what the first musical I saw was - indeed I'd seen alot of Disney films. I remember going to see Annie at the Empire when I was about 12, but one Christmas before that I'd been given a copy of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Cats starring the late John Mills and Elaine Paige. I loved that film and watched it all the time, so here is a clip from possibly the most famous song from that show!






Why don't you start your 30 day musical theatre song challenge? Keep me updated with your choices in the comments area.

BOST presents BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

As you may or may not have read, I joined The Birkenhead Operatics Group last year and was then priviledged to be a part of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Floral Pavillion in New Brighton. This was then followed by a Christmas concert in Birkenhead.

Well now we are set to perform Disney's Beauty and the Beast at The Liverpool Empire Theatre from 11th May-14th May. Tickets are £22 for adults, £12 for kids and £50 for a family!

The story follows Belle, as she is kept prisoner by the demonic Beast in his castle. Over time, they learn to love one another, but not without the interference of Gaston, a brute of a man who tries to destroy the beast. Featuring classic songs such as Bell, Be Our Guest and Gaston, Beauty and the Beast really is a story for all ages!

Come and see! I'm only in the chorus, but the leads are outstanding, particularly the girl who plays Belle! Her voice is excellent! It's such a fun show to be a part of - I've really enjoyed the rehearsals!

Broadway Shows

Mark Shenton, the reviewer for the Stage, had recently returned from New York, where he has had a look at many of the new shows of the season which are all competing for Tony Award recognition, as well as the audiences cash. There are a record number of shows which have opened in the last few weeks, and so it is inevitable that there will be some which will close, as they lose in the battle of enticing the New York audience to come and see them.

It's been many year since I went to New York. Back then I wasn't really that interested in the theatre. The trip was an AS media studies trip to go and see a TV show being recorded, visit a few museums, take in the sights and to go and see a Broadway Show. Everyone wanted to watch the Lion King, but the only night we could go and watch the show was a Tuesday, and The Lion King didn't run on that day, so instead we opted for Chicago. Whilst the show was quite enjoyable, it didn't set the world alight for me as other shows since have done. Now I find myself envious of Mr Shenton, wishing that I could fly over to the Big Apple to watch some of the shows which have just opened.
One of these shows is Wonderland, which is a contemporary version of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, which is set in New York and focuses on a descedent of Alice. From what I have seen the show is visually stunning. The costumes also look very good, and the Mad Hatter looks, and sounds incredible. The score doesn't sound especially amazing, but there do seem to be a couple of memorable songs in there. The choreography doesn't seem to fit in with the music however - it seems to want to be all kinds of genre, and so much of it looks out of place. The reviews for the show haven't been especially kind, but then they weren't either to Wicked, which I loved. I doubt this production will transfer to the West End, and so I will have to just read lots about the show and then buy the cast album when it becomes available.

Anything Goes is another show which has recently opened. Of course, this show is a revival, originally opening on Broadway in 1939! Featuring instantly recognisable songs such as the title track, and It's Delovely, Anything Goes is one of the shows I desperately would like to see. This version stars Sutton Foster, who is argueably one of the current darlings of Broadway - this woman can currently do no wrong - everything she touches turns into a hit, and this is no exception! Looking at the clips on Youtube, this seems to be everything you could ask for of a classic Broadway show. It has exquisite costumes, show stopping numbers, and excellent tap dancing routines which are expertly choreographed! This is another show I would love to see!

Other shows which I would really like to see include Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and show for which he has secured excellent reviews. The clips for the show online look really good Daniel has obviously put in alot of work to ensure he is physically able to perform 8 shows a week. His dancing also looks very good!

The big musical hit of this season seems to be Trey Parker and Matt Stone's "The Book of Mormon". According to Broadwayworld, this show seems to be selling out every performance, and has queues around the block for returns. It seems to be the hottest ticket in town at the minute. There don't seem to be any clips of the show online yet, but when they appear I will try and post them, because this is one show I am excited about watching!

Mark Shentons favorite show of the new season is Catch Me if You Can, which is based on the film of the same name, starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo Dicaprio. The score is by Marc Shaiman, who also wrote the score for Hairspray. The show looks fun and enjoyable, and is another which I woul like to learn more about.

Some of the other shows which have opened have travelled across the pond. Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and Sister Act, are both hugely successful shows from London which are gracing The Big White Way. They have both undergone extensive re-writing to suit the American audience, and it is thought that the re-writes will be included back into the London version of Priscilla, which is still running. I am not really that bothered about watching either of these shows, although I wouldn't say no to a ticket!

Broadway this year seems to be enjoying a creative revival, with a huge number of new plays and musicals opening. I'd like to go and see a number of shows, but I fear it will be a while before I get a chance to jump over the pond. Hopefully, by the time I do, some of these shows will still be running!

Summer Shows

This year I haven't been able to go and see as much theatre as I would have liked. Now with the scrapping of the A Night Less Ordinary scheme, I will see even less. For the past five summers, I have travelled down to Chichester to go and see as many of the summer season shows as possible, and have in recent years been able to watch such gems as Sir Patrick Stewart in Macbeth, Enron and last years Pygmalion, starring Rupert Everrett.

Although this year, I won't be able to see a many shows, I am desperate to get down to Chichester to see at least two shows -Singing in the Rain starring Scarlett Strallen, and Sweeney Todd starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton. Both of these shows, I am sure, will be wonderful! I would also like to see the Terrence Rattigan plays,but we will have to see how my finances are looking, especially because I have just (possibly) purchased Olympics tickets for next year!

This summer, I would also like to g and see Jekyll and Hyde starring Marti Pellow, which is touring the UK. Another show I would love to see if the UK tour of Legally Blonde. I didn't go down to London to see this show, purely because I have seen the Broadway version on MTV, and I would rather have spent my money on seeing another show, which I did when I was down theee last (I went and watched the Michael Ball produced Love Story, which was lovely - Michael Xavier and Emma Williams were both robbed at the Olivier awards recently!). I am also probably going to see We Will Rock You, although I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to that show much - I've heard mixed reviews!

I would also love to get down to London again to see some shows in the capital. I am absolutey gutted that I didn't get a chance to see The Little Dog Laughed, or Fela at the National. Maybe one day my finances will allow me to take unlimited trips to the theatre in the name of Art, or maybe someone will employ me to write lots of reviews for the Guardian or the Times! One can only dream!

I am also looking forward to taking part in BOST's production of Beauty and The Beast!

Thriller Live @ The Empire Theatre

It may be nearly two years since the superstar's tragic death, but going by the reaction of the audience at the Liverpool Empire last night, it seems that the music of Michael Jackson is as popular as ever.

Brought to the stage by Adrian Grant, Thriller Live celebrates the back catalogue of one of the most talented stars the world has ever seen.

The show begins with an X-Factor style montage, complete with images of the king of pop and facts about his career. The only thing missing is te voice-over by Peter Dickson.

The first half follows Jackson's music as he sings with his brothers in the Jackson Five. Too many of these songs are lost on the audience and so it takes a while to build any atmosphere. Die hard fans may be engaged during this segment, but too many people around me started to grow restless.

The audience interaction is a nice touch, but goes on too long. Altogether there is a distinct lack of substance in the first half.

The second half of the show is much better, with a barrage of instantly recognisable hits. "Beat it" is a real highlight, as well as the title song. This is where the show really becomes alive, the catchy melodies and lyrics tearing deep into your soul.

Hayley Evetts, who reached the final five in the inaugual series of Pop Idol, sand many of the hit songs. Her vocals were excellent and she has a realstage presence.

The standout performance though, came from Nathan James, whos unique voie gave a real edge to Jacksons lyrics. The live band also gives an added energy to the production.

At times the music drowns out the singng, and there were a few problem with the sound last night.

The dancin and the choreography are outstanding. The whole ensemble give their all, performing much of the late singers complex routines with ease throughout the two hour show.

The set includes a series of screens, onto which projections are added to change the mood and the atmosphere of each era,

Not suprisingly, the show doesn't mention anything about Jackson's offstage persona. This makes the show slightly less exciting, as many people found his real-life antics just as interesting as his music and dancing, particularly his more recent years.

Despite the lack of extra substance to the show, Thriller Live is undoubtably an enjoyable ight out, showcasing the music of one of the legends of pop music. Fans of Michael Jackson are in for a treat.

6/10