Covid-19 may have cut her time in Waitress short but Lucie Jones Live at the Adelphi is a great reminder of the leading lady she is and will surely continue to be
“We’re after the same rainbow’s end”
Back in February, Lucie Jones took a break from performing in Waitress as the show’s composer Sara Bareilles took over the lead role of Jenna for a limited run. The musical had already set a closing date for the summer but who could have predicted that Jones, and co-star David Hunter, would never get to do the show again.
The only small benefit is that far from sitting on her laurels in the break, Jones made her solo West End concert debut by nipping back to the Adelphi on one of its nights off/ And that concert was recorded for posterity, now being released digitally on the usual platforms and physically here, where an exclusive bonus disc is available.
Naturally, Lucie Jones Live at the Adelphi comes across as a supremely professional production, an entertaining and balanced collection that hits all the marks of reflecting back on her career (the highlight there being an orchestral revamp of her Eurovision hit ‘Never Give Up On You’) as well as stating her case to be regarded as a top tier leading lady (Funny Girl in her future?).
Backed by the 22-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra and special guests John Owen-Jones and Marisha Wallace, Jones glides between the likes of Kander + Ebb and Jason Robert Brown with ease, nailing the bombast of ‘Bring Him Home’ but equally unafraid to strip back ‘Moon River’ to harp and cello to find real tenderness. Definitely worth a listen.