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Book review: The Half – Simon Annand

The Half – Photographs of Actors Preparing for the Stage by Simon Annand

Just a quickie for this book as The Half – Photographs of Actors Preparing for the Stage by Simon Annand was released in 2008. But with an imminent new exhibition of these photos and a bargainous copy of the book popping up on Ebay, I thought I’d take the plunge.

And I’m glad I did as it is a proper work of art in its own right. Annand has been photographing actors for over 25 years and as such, has a veritable treasure trove of shots to share with us, resulting from the trusting relationships he has built up with so many, from the new kids on the block to veritable dames. Continue reading “Book review: The Half – Simon Annand”

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Album Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber Unmasked: The Platinum Collection

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Unmasled

Andrew Lloyd Webber marks his 70th birthday with a new musical anthology –  Unmasked: The Platinum Collection – taking in shows new and old with some surprises along the way (Beyoncé, Lana del Rey, Duncan from Blue )

“Oh what a circus, oh what a show”

Upon reaching 70 this year, Andrew Lloyd Webber is clearly in a reflective mood and hot on the heels of his autobiography Unmasked released last week, comes this new compilation album Unmasked: The Platinum Collection. Available physically as a 2CD or 4CD version (the latter with a 40 page book of liner notes and tributes), this collection looks back on a career spanning nearly 50 years and features some new twists on the material as well as reminding us of the old favourites.

Over the four discs, 17 of Lloyd Webber’s shows are represented here (Jesus Christ Superstar tops the list with 8 tracks, Evita and Phantom just behind), alongside assorted one-off songs (such as ‘Amigos Para Siempre’ from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Gary Barlow co-write ‘Sing’ from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee). But for ALW fans it will be the unreleased stuff that makes the mouth water – five new orchestral suites and a smattering of new recordings featuring the likes of Lana del Rey (a winsome ‘You Must Love Me’ and Gregory Porter (a spirited ‘Light At The End Of The Tunnel’. Continue reading “Album Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber Unmasked: The Platinum Collection”

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Andrew Lloyd Webber celebrates 70 years with ‘Unmasked: The Platinum Collection’

In celebration of his 70th birthday this March, new compilation ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION will be available March 16th through UMC / Polydor.  

The collection is personally curated and overseen by Lloyd Webber to include classics from his earliest work starting with 1968’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through his most recent School of Rock. 

Newly recorded songs from superstar artists Nicole Scherzinger (“Memory”, Cats), Gregory Porter (“Light at the End of the Tunnel”, Starlight Express) and Lana Del Rey (“You Must Love Me”, Evita) add to the collection of his cherished works from the past five decades. 

The set also contains recordings by world-class performers such as Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Michael Ball, and released for the first time, Beyonce singing “Learn To Be Lonely” from the 2005 Academy Awards with Lloyd Webber accompanying on piano. 

UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION is available as 2 CD and 4 CD editions. The 4-disc version contains an exclusive 40-page book with a personally penned introduction from Lloyd Webber and more in-depth notes on each track, written by respected theatre critic and Lloyd Webber biographer Michael Coveney, together with personally written tributes from Barbara Streisand and Glenn Close among others. 

Pre-order 2 CD Edition

Pre-order 4 CD Edition

Continue reading “Andrew Lloyd Webber celebrates 70 years with ‘Unmasked: The Platinum Collection’”

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Review: Evita, Phoenix Theatre

“What’s new, Buenos Aires?”

As the ‘new’ is ushered out of the Phoenix, set to tour the UK from next summer, there’s a return to the tried and tested, the old if you will, as Evita returns to the West End. Bill Kenwright and Bob Thompson’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s slice of Argentinian politics has been touring on and off for nearly 10 years now and it was actually in London at the Dominion just a couple of years ago.

So in some ways it can be a little hard to get too excited by the reappearance of such a stalwart, especially when there isn’t the presence of someone like Elena Roger to truly electrify the show as she did in the 2006 revival. That’s not to detract from Emma Hatton’s stirring performance here – subtle and characterful, always searching for the meaning rather than the big belt in this notoriously tricky of roles to sing. Continue reading “Review: Evita, Phoenix Theatre”

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Saturday afternoon Evita treats

With Evita about to open once again in London, this edition of Saturday afternoon treats is a Perón spectacular.

First up is a collection of ‘Don’t Cry For Me’s’ – I love the newer versions of Madalena Alberto (the incumbent Eva) and Elena Roger which are more subtle (at least at first) interpretations but there’s also something thrilling about the full-on diva mode it provokes in Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige and their wardrobes.

But then I delved a little deeper and was simply blown away by the clips of LuPone’s performance in the first Broadway production so there’s a hugely charming take on ‘Buenos Aires’ and a scorching version of ‘A New Argentina’ that is breathtaking. The stirring choreography of Elena Roger’s own ‘Buenos Aires’ remains an absolute delight so I thought I’d stick that on the end too.

Continue reading “Saturday afternoon Evita treats”

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CD Review: Evita 2006 London Cast Recording

 “Just a little touch of star quality” 

 
I haven’t done many reviews of soundtracks to shows since starting to cover CDs on here, focusing more new writing and solo albums from MT performers, but I don’t know why not as I listen to them just as much. The first I’ll cover will be the OLCR of the 2006 revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Evita, a production which revitalised this stalwart of a show in a way that I didn’t think possible and introduced me, and the rest of London’s theatregoers, to the glories of Argentinean star performer Elena Roger.

 The soundtrack, edited highlights rather than the full score, captures much of what made that production so vibrant so that it doesn’t really matter that we don’t have any of the striking visuals and choreography that accompanied this Latin American infused remounting. The orchestrations have been totally refreshed in line with this re-envisioning and with Roger’s singing leading the company, there’s just a greater sense of authenticity about the whole shebang. Continue reading “CD Review: Evita 2006 London Cast Recording”

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2011 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations

Best New Play 
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris – Royal Court
End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter – Trafalgar Studios
Sucker Punch by Roy Williams – Royal Court
The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane – Garrick
Tribes by Nina Raine – Royal Court

Best New Musical
Fela – National Theatre Olivier
Legally Blonde – Savoy
Love Never Dies – Adelphi
Love Story – Duchess

Best Revival 
After the Dance – National Theatre Lyttelton
All My Sons – Apollo
King Lear – Donmar Warehouse
When We Are Married – Garrick Continue reading “2011 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations”

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2011 What’s On Stage Award nominations

THE SPOTLIGHT BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Zoe Wanamaker – All My Sons at the Apollo 
Helen McCrory – The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar Warehouse 
Jenny Jules – Ruined at the Almeida
Kim Cattrall – Private Lives at the Vaudeville 
Nancy Carroll – After the Dance at the National, Lyttelton 
Tracie Bennett – End of the Rainbow at Trafalgar Studios 

THE SPOTLIGHT BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
David Suchet – All My Sons at the Apollo 
Benedict Cumberbatch – After the Dance at the National, Lyttelton 
Matthew Macfadyen – Private Lives at the Vaudeville 
Rory Kinnear – Hamlet at the National, Olivier & Measure for Measure at the Almeida
Simon Russell Beale – Deathtrap at the Noel Coward & London Assurance at the National, Olivier 
Toby Stephens – The Real Thing at the Old Vic  Continue reading “2011 What’s On Stage Award nominations”

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The 2010 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Best Play
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris (Royal Court)
Cock by Mike Bartlett (Royal Court)
Sucker Punch by Roy Williams (Royal Court)

Best Director
Howard Davies for The White Guard (National’s Lyttelton) & All My Sons (Apollo)
Nicholas Hytner for The Habit of Art (National’s Lyttelton) & London Assurance (National’s Olivier) & Hamlet (National’s Olivier)
Laurie Sansom for Beyond the Horizon and Spring Storm (National’s Cottesloe)
Thea Sharrock for After the Dance (National’s Lyttelton) Continue reading “The 2010 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards”

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Review: Passion, Donmar Warehouse

“How can I have expectations? Look at me…”

Expectations are a funny thing. When Passion was first announced way back at the beginning of the year I was completely over-excited, Elena Roger returning with Jamie Lloyd directing to recapture some of that Piaf magic and a Sondheim musical I’d never heard, it really was one of my most anticipated theatrical events of the year. Fast forward to September and I am quite frankly close to being Sondheimed out with all of the productions celebrating his 80th year and there had been dark murmurings about how good Passion actually was.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondehim and book by James Lapine, Passion is based on a film (Passione d’Amore) which was inspired by a book, Fosca. It centres on an unlikely love triangle: Giorgio, who is a soldier engaged in an affair in Milan with Clara, his married mistress, is billeted out to a provincial outpost where he meets his new regiment. He also meets Fosca, the sickly, obsessive cousin of his commanding officer with whom he strikes up an uneasy connection which soon changes his very understanding of the nature of love. For this production, some of the score has been cut by Sondheim, lyrics amended and even Lapine has got in on the action, reworking some of the book. (As it is the first time I’ve seen this show, I can’t comment on any of these changes and for your information, this is a review of a preview on 13th September) Continue reading “Review: Passion, Donmar Warehouse”