Posted on

Album Reviews: Amélie The Musical / Cases / After You

A trio of cast recording reviews covers musicals Amélie The Musical, Cases and After You – each one a winner in its own way

“I have always thought I’d see the world”

© Pamela Raith Photography

True story, listening to the cast recording of Amélie The Musical for the first time last summer caused the biggest eruption of tears I’d had all pandemic long. It’s a show I’ve loved from the Watermill Theatre, to its UK tour and thence to The Other Palace, and none of its charm has been lost onto its move onto record here (it has been released on CD as of 1st April). Daniel Messé’s score and his lyrics with Nathan Tysen are charmant in the extreme, embracing the quirkiness of the central character but rooting her in a deep emotional truth of social awkwardness. Audrey Brisson was deservedly nominated for an Olivier and leads the ensemble beautifully, Chris Jared and Caolan McCarthy taking moments to shine too. And I swaer, if there’s another 79 seconds that is as achingly gorgeous as ‘How To Tell Time’, I will manger mon béret. Continue reading “Album Reviews: Amélie The Musical / Cases / After You”

Posted on

Musical news to brighten up a February day

Remember remember the fifth of November but Treason is coming in March… Ricky Allan and Kieran Lynn’s new musical will be premiering live online from Cadogan Hall from 12th-14th March and it is now revealed its cast. alongside a creative team with direction by Hannah Chissick, musical supervision by Nick Pinchbeck and orchestration by Matthew Malone.

The company includes Lucie Jones (Legally Blonde, Waitress), Oliver Tompsett (& Juliet, Kinky Boots), Daniel Boys (Falsettos, Nativity Rocks!), Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis), Bradley Jaden (Les Misérables, Wicked), Emmanuel Kojo (Oklahoma!, Show Boat), Rebecca LaChance (School of Rock, Beautiful), Cedric Neal (Chess, Memphis), Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Caroline Or Change) with Debris Stevenson (1st Luv, Poet in da Corner) as the show’s narrator. Continue reading “Musical news to brighten up a February day”

Posted on

Review: Peter Pan, Barn Theatre

A magical team surround Waylon Jacobs in this wondrous ‘one-man’ Peter Pan at the Barn Theatre

“Aren’t you going to do the voices?”

Something about Peter Pan always ends up making me cry. I know this but still, I wasn’t prepared for the way in which Alan Pollock’s adaptation, conceived and directed by Kirk Jameson for the Barn Theatre, completely poleaxed me. It’s a subtle reference that comes out of left field late on during this production, but it is achingly, gorgeously, done, a real reminder of the power of theatre to play with your emotions even during the most familiar of work.

This version of JM Barrie’s classic is billed as a one-man-show, as Waylon Jacob’s father checks into his hotel room and Zooms with his daughter to tell her a bedtime story. And though it takes him a moment to get into it, soon he’s using any and all of the things around him to magic up a storytelling masterclass. Jacob is superb as he embodies all of the characters we know so well, and is aided by a creative team that conjure up an atmosphere that is truly enchanting. Continue reading “Review: Peter Pan, Barn Theatre”

Posted on

Lockdown treat: All That Jazz

Supporting the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Featuring over 150 performers and musicians, reunited from across the world to present a truly unique, memorable and breath-taking performance of ‘All That Jazz’ from the legendary Kander and Ebb musical Chicago. Bringing together former Broadway, West End and International Tour company members, ‘All That Jazz’  provides plenty of razzle dazzle, featuring award winning stars that played the roles of Velma Kelly, Roxie Hard and Billy Flynn including Ute Lemper, Sally Ann Triplett, Debbie Kurup, Bonnie Langford, Sue Kelvin, Ian Kelsey, Michael Greco, David Hasselhoff, Annette McLaughlin, Gaby Roslin, and many more.

Text “SUPPORT” to 70111 to donate £5, or 70007 to donate £2 (UK ONLY) or donate any amount at www.madtrust.org.uk/covid 

Posted on

News: cast albums for The Little Prince, HouseFire and Treason

A trio of cast album announcements from the last couple of weeks offers a different way to help support theatres in these trying times

Nicholas Lloyd Webber and James D. Reid have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £200,000 for a special recording of The Little Prince musical album and provide over 70 people in the theatre industry with jobs during the current COVID-19 pandemic

Richard E. Grant, Kevin McKidd, Sierra Boggess, Tracie Bennett, Amara Okereke and Lorna Want will all lend their support to the project by playing principal cast members. Emma Lindars, Emma Harris, Sarah Ryan, Alison Arnopp, Janet Mooney, T’Shan Williams, John Addison, Oliver Lidert, Michael Pickering, James Gant and David Durham will also be part of the cast.

Audiences can choose from a range of available rewards from the crowdfunding campaign whilst also creating essential jobs. The full list of awards can be found here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-little-prince-the-album Continue reading “News: cast albums for The Little Prince, HouseFire and Treason”

Posted on

News: Jenna Russell joins A Night at the Musicals

Jenna Russell will join Christina Modestou as a live special guest for A Night at the Musicals on Sunday, 25 October 2020 at 7pm.

This performance will be live streamed while it plays to a socially distanced audience in The Large using a multi-camera set-up, broadcast globally with unlimited £10 tickets available up until 18 October 2020, increasing to £15 from 19 October 2020 during show week. There is only one chance to catch the performance; it will not be available to catch-up with afterwards. There are live socially distanced audience tickets available to purchase for £22 for those who can make it to the venue. Continue reading “News: Jenna Russell joins A Night at the Musicals”

Posted on

News: October UK theatre news update

We’re beginning to see the fruits of some more of the lockdown programming that has seen theatres across England respond in a variety of impressive ways

Nottingham Playhouse’s Unlocked Festival continues to rocket up the must-see list as it announces more details. Their local writing commission has ended up with two winners – Wayward Thread’s Hand Me Down and Lapelle’s Factory’s Shuck, both of which will now receive work-in-progress performances as part of the festival.

Casting has also been announced for James Graham’s Bubble, which will star the marvellous Pearl Mackie and the equally marvellous Jessica Raine. They join the likes of Mark Gatiss and Jade Anouka reading ghost stories on
Halloween, new work from Naomi Obeng and a concert starring Rosalie Craig, Sandra Marvin and Jodie Prenger. Continue reading “News: October UK theatre news update”

Posted on

News: Open air theatre casting news aplenty

St Anne Comes Home, St Pauls Church
29th-30th August

Iris Theatre’s summer season continues with this new folk musical by Jack Miles, which numbers Jordan Castle (The Light in the Piazza), Rebecca McKinnis (Dear Evan Hansen), and Mathew Craig (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4) in its cast.

C-o-n-t-a-c-t, outdoors in London
31st August – 10th October 

C-o-n-t-a-c-t is an immersive outdoor performance with a 3D sound design which audiences will listen to on their own headphones,The play will see performances from Charles Angiama (The Exonerated; My Week with Marilyn),  Louis Bernard (Radieuse Vermine), Chloe Gentles (Beautiful – The Carol King Musical), Max Gold (Endeavour; Poldark), Richard Heap (Buried Child; The Summer Before Everything), Aoife Kennan (ITV’s Victoria; For Services Rendered), Katja Quist (Earthquakes In London) and Laura White (The Play That Goes Wrong). The cast will alternate between three London locations; Tower Bridge, Greenwich and Clapham Common.

Roles We’ll Never Play, Turbine Theatre
13th September

The Turbine’s summer season will feature this one-off concert with performers delving deep into their wishlists – the company includes Natalie Paris, Tom Duern, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, Rodney Vubya, Lauren Byrne, Bernadette Bangura, Luke Bayer, Idriss Kargbo, Courtney Bowman, Michael Mather, Matthew Croke, Kelly Agbowu, Elander Moore, Eve Norris and Pearce Barron.

The Last Five Years, Minack Theatre
14th-19th September

Omar F Okai’s production of Jason Robert Brown’s two-hander will star Emma Kingston (Evita, In The Heights) as Cathy and Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis) as Jamie.

 

Posted on

News: The Barn Theatre Presents – The Music of Dominic Powell

The Barn Theatre has announced the cast for their sixth virtual concert, The Barn Theatre Presents: The Music of Dominic Powell, which will celebrate the work of musical theatre composer Dominic Powell (Cases).

The concert, which will be hosted by Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon, is the sixth edition of the Barn Theatre in Cirencester’s virtual concert series, The Barn Presents:, which celebrates the work of British musical theatre writers.

The concert will feature performances from Andrew Patrick-Walker (Brooklyn, Bat Out of Hell) and Maiya Quansah-Breed (Six) who were cast in the 2020 production of Dominic Powell’s musical Cases at The Other Palace’s Studio space, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. Continue reading “News: The Barn Theatre Presents – The Music of Dominic Powell”