Jekyll and Hyde

My local am-dram group are performing this in April so I thought I'd do a quick blog on the show, and mention a few of my fav songs! First performed on Broadway in 1997, Jekyll and Hyde tells the well known story of Henry Jekyll, a doctor who is intrinsically a good person. After carrying out some home made experiments on himself, an alter-ego, Edward Hyde is formed, who roams the Victorian streets in search of blood. The show originally ran on Broadway for 4 years, but was never able to become commercially successful, as it still ended up losing money. It never opened on the West End in London, although there have been a couple of touring versions. I went to watch the most recent touring version of Jekyll and Hyde a few years ago in the Liverpool Empire, which starred Marti Pellow, of "Wet Wet Wet" fame.. In my review I said that I wasn't really a fan of the show - there are far too many songs which don't drive the story forward in the way they're suposed to. I also said that the chorus numbers were excellent, so it's nice to go and revisit that now with my am-dram group and be able to sing some of these songs, and try and do them justice. Such as the one below, which is my favorite chorus number... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twRIdbAZlw0 My absolute favorite song of the show is a duet between the two female leads, Lucy and Emma. I could seriously listen to "In his eyes" all day long, and have linked the song below for you to listen to! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK4WsjmrJZU Our version of the show should be ok - I haven't heard the leads sing it yet, and having not watched any of The Bromley Players other shows before, I can't comment on the quality, but I can say that the sound of the chorus in the few rehearsals we've had so far is fantastic, and I can't wait to perform again!! So until next time.. Adios, David x

Victor/Victoria @ southwark playhouse

So I've been living in London now for quite a while, and with the exception of one or two shows at the fantastic soho theatre, i have mainly stuck to the commercial theatre that is londons west end! And although some shows are out of this world, and do attract some big names with even bigger voices, my wallet at the end of each month looks empty. So when I saw an advert that the southwark playhouse were putting on a musical that I knew nothing about for a tender, I thought why not! If it's bad then ive not lost much, and if it's good then I've found a cool new venue, a new musical and helped out the fringe, as well as it being cheap! As it turned out, it was so good I went back again a few weeks later (and even paid more because it was no longer in previews during my return visit). It was a real find! This musical opened on broadway in the 1990s with Julie Andrews playing an English singer in Paris looking for a job when she comes across toddy, a man who has the brilliant idea of dragging her up as Victor, a Polish count, and putting her in cabaret acts across the city with a lot of success! Firstly though, it was based on a film of the same name, also starring Andrews, for which she was given an Oscar nomination. Now, I had read about this a few years ago on Wikipedia when I was looking up Julie Andrews after watching Mary Poppins, but it didn't cross my mind until after I'd watched the show in southwark. This was I believe the first professional show of victor/Victoria in London, which is hard to believe after seeing the high quality of it! The story is good, the music is exquisite - and feels very authentic of 1930's Paris, which is when the musical is set. Le jazz hot is the big standout number, and whilst the lead didn't blow me away like andrews did in the YouTube clip I've watched hundreds of times since, she was perfectly adequate! The dancing and the choreography were what made the show such a highlight, and it really made the intimate setting of the railway arches of London bridge come alive as a smoky Parisian jazz club! I came out of the theatre both times wishing I could go back! It's just a real shame that the southwark playhouse has to relocate due to building works at London bridge. The venue was as much a part of the show as the music and the lighting and the costumes, and I really do believe that it wouldn't have seemed half as good if it was put in any other theatre in London. It was an absolute stomper of a show, and I'm so glad I got to see it. I'm going to leave you all with a clip of the immortal Julie Andrews singing le jazz hot from the film version. I urge you to watch her in all other fabulousness! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qsHVLaNsCSg David

Daytime tv is crap!

Now that Christmas is officially over, it seems that the broadcasting companies have gone back to putting their usual drivel back on the tv, so spare a thought for those os us who are subject to watching it! I've never been a fan of loose women or Jeremy Kyle, so knew today wouldn't be the greatest tv day, especially after being spoilt over the last few weeks, but I thought I'd have a nice lazy day seeing as its not very often I spend a day doing nothing. Now I wish I had done something! It is absolutely appalling! There is currently a program on called dinner date, which is like blind date with food! Which sounds like it could be fun, but it's not! On the plus side, it's brought me back to blogger! So hello! I think that now I've got an iPad I should use it properly, and so may use it it to blog! Good idea?! So tv is now off! Let me know what you want me to blog about! Tweet me or let me know in the comments section below. I will also be putting up some quick reviews of the shows Ive been to see in the last few months!