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Album Reviews: Sleeping Beauty the Musical / 9 to 5 the Musical / Girlfriends

This trio of musical theatre album reviews features Sleeping Beauty the Musical, 9 to 5 the Musical – West End Cast Recording and Girlfriends (London Musical Theatre Orchestra)

“When life seems uphill, remember you’re still ascending”

A bit of googling about Joel Harper-Jackson (what, you don’t do it too…?) came up with this studio cast recording of Sleeping Beauty the Musical. A musical adaptation of the fairytale with book and lyrics by Ian Curran and music by Simon Hanson and Peter Vint, it is a rather amiable treatment of the story and a perfectly serviceable set of tunes. Truth be told, this isn’t a score to really set the world alight but then not everything has to, especially when allied to as classic a tale as this. Harper-Jackson and Maria Coyne both impress as the central couple of Prince Perrault and Princess Aurora whose growing relationship is the cornerstone of the show and ultimately quite affecting here. Continue reading “Album Reviews: Sleeping Beauty the Musical / 9 to 5 the Musical / Girlfriends”

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Review: 9 to 5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre

As 9 to 5 The Musical announces its closing dates and forthcoming cast changes, I go along because I can’t resist Bonnie Langford

“Respected and high class,
I don’t have to kiss ass
For the first time since I’ve been employed”

The pictures above should give you an indication as to who the real star of 9 to 5 The Musical is, no matter how red the trunks (or surprisingly long the legs) of David Hasselhoff. I first saw this cinematic adaptation in 2012 on its UK tour and loved Bonnie Langford’s performance so much it ranked in that year’s best. So her return to the show in its West End debut last year was great to behold (even if it didn’t quite tempt me along to see it again).

It’s a curious one, Patricia Resnick’s adaptation of her own film sprinkles the story with the rhinestone glitter of Dolly Parton’s songbook, far beyond the iconic title track and is possessed of a huge spirit of fun. But the tale itself, of the struggle for women’s equality in the workplace, demands a little more gravity than it ultimately gets here. How seriously are we meant to take sexual harassment when it is accompanied by the Colgate smile and eye twinkle of the Hoff. Continue reading “Review: 9 to 5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre”

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Re-review: All change on the Strand for Dreamgirls and Kinky Boots

All change on the Strand for Dreamgirls and Kinky Boots post closing notices at the Savoy Theatre and Adelphi Theatre respectively, and I revisit both.

“Never let ‘em tell you who you ought to be
Just be”

Come mid-January, the Strand will look a fair bit different for theatregoers as both Kinky Boots and Dreamgirls have posted advance closing notices, leaving the Adelphi and the Savoy respectively on the same date, Saturday 12th January.  As sad as it is to see any show close though, both of these musicals have had a fairly decent run (Kinky Boots opened in August 2015, making it nearly 3 and a half years; Dreamgirls in November 2016, reaching two) and given how merciless the commercial market can be, I think both productions can hold their head up high with their West End runs.

And getting ahead of the game with those closing notices means that people still have many the opportunity to catch either or both of these shows before the final curtain. (I should add too, that both shows have announced that they will be touring the UK going into 2019.) I’ve paid both a revisit relatively recently and am happy to report that they both remain well worth seeing, due to some mighty fine performance. Oliver Tompsett has only just stepped into the role of Charlie Price but he is nigh-on perfect casting and his majestic voice suits Cyndi Lauper’s score down to a T and he’s clearly getting on well with Simon-Anthony Rhoden’s impressive Lola. Continue reading “Re-review: All change on the Strand for Dreamgirls and Kinky Boots”

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Re-review: Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre

“I am freedom, I’m constriction
A potpourri of contradiction”

A cheeky trip back to Kinky Boots (my third time) – here’s my review from last time. I’ll just say Matt Henry continues to be fiercely amazing, the wholesome David Hunter is perfectly (re)cast as ol’ Charlie boy, and Elena Skye manages the not-inconsiderable feat of stepping into Amy Lennox’s shoes as the hilarious Lauren. It’s still a lovely, lovely show and I’m really pleased that it appears to still be doing really well. Now put the nose on the Charlie!

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The Curtain Up Show Album of the Year 2016 nominees

Best UK Cast Recording
American Psycho – Original London Cast Recording
Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined – Original London Cast Recording
Funny Girl – Original London Cast Recording
Half A Sixpence – 2016 London Cast Recording
Kinky Boots – Original West End Cast Recording
Mrs Henderson Presents – Original London Cast Recording

Best American Cast Recording
Allegiance – Original Broadway Cast Recording
The Color Purple – New Broadway Cast Recording
Fiddler On The Roof – 2016 Broadway Cast Recording
Lazarus – Original Cast Recording
On Your Feet! – Original Broadway Cast Recording
Waitress – Original Broadway Cast Recording

Best Solo Album / Non Cast Recording
Cheyenne Jackson – Renaissance
Lin-Manuel Miranda – The Hamilton Mixtape
Idina Menzel – idina.
Kristin Chenoweth – The Art of Elegance
Nadim Naaman – Sides
Samantha Barks – Samantha Barks

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Album Review: Kinky Boots (Original West End Cast Recording)

“I am freedom, I’m constriction
A potpourri of contradiction”

With rather serendipitous timing, the West End cast recording for Cyndi Lauper’s score for Kinky Boots is released just in time for the show’s Best New Musical victory at this year’s Olivier awards. And it is particularly good news for fans of the show as up until now, we’ve had to make do with the Broadway cast recording and their, challenging shall we say, approach to the requisite British accents.

Recorded live at the Adelphi with the original West End cast (including Best Actor in a Musical winner Matt Henry and nominees Killian Donnelly and Amy Lennox), it’s a welcome addition to playlists and CD collections everywhere.

The live recording is be a double-edged sword – there can be more raw energy than one might expect from a recording booth and that comes in the form of an audible audience. I quite like to hear their laughter, especially when it is from something familiar as in the comic genius of Lennox’s performance of ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ here, but the applause at the end of each track is jarring when listening to the album as a whole. And I’m not 100% certain but I’m pretty sure there’s someone coughing a couple of times which is a shame (though perfectly replicates sitting through pretty much any show!). Continue reading “Album Review: Kinky Boots (Original West End Cast Recording)”

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The Curtain Up Show Album of the Year 2016 winners

Best UK Cast Recording
American Psycho – Original London Cast Recording
Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined – Original London Cast Recording
Funny Girl – Original London Cast Recording
Half A Sixpence – 2016 London Cast Recording
WINNER: Kinky Boots – Original West End Cast Recording
Mrs Henderson Presents – Original London Cast Recording

Best American Cast Recording
Allegiance – Original Broadway Cast Recording
The Color Purple – New Broadway Cast Recording
Fiddler On The Roof – 2016 Broadway Cast Recording
Lazarus – Original Cast Recording
On Your Feet! – Original Broadway Cast Recording
WINNER: Waitress – Original Broadway Cast Recording

Best Solo Album / Non Cast Recording
Cheyenne Jackson – Renaissance
WINNER: Lin-Manuel Miranda – The Hamilton Mixtape
Idina Menzel – idina.
Kristin Chenoweth – The Art of Elegance
Nadim Naaman – Sides
Samantha Barks – Samantha Barks

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Re-review: Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre

“Funk it up till it’s ostentatious
Dress it up, it feels contagious”

Now extended through to May next year, the signs for Kinky Boots look cautiously positive though nothing is certain in the cut-throat world of new musicals and on this second viewing, it really does feel like a well-deserved success. Jerry Mitchell’s production is a ray of tightly choreographed, dragged-up sunshine but what I loved about going back was finding that several of the tunes from Cyndi Lauper’s accomplished score have successfully navigated earworm territory to become properly memorable. 

‘Everybody Say Yeah’ and ‘Raise You Up/Just Be’ end the show’s two acts in brilliantly rousing fashion, ‘Sex is in the Heel’ and ‘What A Woman Wants’ give Matt Henry’s Lola ample opportunity to fill the stage with exuberant personality and Amy Lennox continues to pretty much steal the show, not least in ‘The History of Wrong Guys’. And Killian Donnelly effortlessly smooths over some of Charlie’s more dubious character flaws (poor Nicola…) by scorching through hits like ‘Soul of a Man’. Continue reading “Re-review: Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre”

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Re-review: Return to the Forbidden Planet, Palace Theatre Manchester

“Live long and prosper-o”

There’s no doubting that I do get spoiled around my birthday and so part of a weekend trip home saw eight of us head over to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to see Return to the Forbidden Planet, on a night which saw the end of their tour. I’ve already seen this production (review here) but the show is just one of those evergreen delights for me that I could just watch over and over, even if it isn’t the most perfect piece of theatre (that first half remains too long).

It was entertaining to catch their final show of this run too, there’s always a special air to these performances and you could definitely see the cast having fun, both with us and each other – we were made to reverse polarity for perhaps a little longer than was strictly necessary and it was nice to see all the ensemble members get their chance to shine in the extended finale. I don’t know what the future will hold for the Forbidden Planet, its retro charms remain perhaps rather niche, but you can rest assured that should it pop up again on tour, I’ll be there – hands above my head – reversing polarity.