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!