Tim Rice - My Life In Musicals - Review

G-Live, Guildford

*****

Read my interview with Sir Tim Rice

Before writing this review, I have to declare an interest. I am neither personal friend nor relative of Sir Tim Rice and I have only met him briefly, in a professional capacity, on a couple of occasions. However, throughout my 60 odd years Tim Rice’s songs have been part of the soundscape to my life and the lives of my family. From my own youthful encounter with Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat while at school, through the mega hits of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita and then through to my own kids growing up in that whole new world of The Lion King and other Disney animated-features, Rice’s lyrics have been there. And thus it was as much in homage as in artistic interest to sit in a full house in Guildford and enjoy an evening of Tim Rice – My Life In Musicals.

This show was first reviewed early last year when Rice trialled it over a very brief 4-venue tour. This year the itinerary is gruelling – 20 shows in less than a month covering the country from Bradford to Truro, but if the number of venues has been stretched, the quality of the evening remains world class. Rice is perched on a bar-stool onstage throughout, as Duncan Waugh’s 4-piece band and a quartet of West End singers give life to a raft of songs from his life’s discography. When the moment is right, Rice himself steps forward to offer anecdotes linked to the songs and his own remarkable career and collaborations with so many composers. Songs from Joseph get things going, with an unexpected poignancy in the number Close Every Door To Me, which in the show is of course sung by the imprisoned Joseph in Egypt and which today resonates with the 100+ children of Israel (and other nations) currently held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

As Rice moves on to talk about Superstar (his abbreviation of the show’s title) he explains Andrew Lloyd Webber’s genius in fusing rock music with a more classical musical theatre structure, and the decision of the music publishers for both Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and subsequently Chess, to on all three occasions release the album well in advance of the show. With hindsight, such a strategy speaks volumes for the underlying musical strength of a Broadway or West End show – the melodies and lyrics alone generating huge support and admiration even before one actor has set foot on a stage.  Singers Shonagh Daly and John Addison brought an Evita medley to life, with Madalena Alberto, herself an accomplished Eva Peron in a more recent iteration of the show, offering up a gorgeous Another Suitcase In Another Hall.

Rice wraps up the first half with a briefly moving introduction to Anthem from Chess, suggesting that the song’s lyrics are now more appropriate than ever. Rice clearly has a love for his country, demonstrated if for no other reason than by his commitment to taking this show on the road across virtually the entire land. His intro gave Anthem’s already powerful lyrics, an even stronger punch.

The second act kicked off with Chess’s Someone Else’s Story beautifully sung by Daly, before the impressively guitar-wielding Sandy Grigelis performed a stirring Fight The Fight from From Here To Eternity. The evening also continued with the display of Rice’s EGOT collection (Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Oscar) with the “Oscars” tribute comprising a medley of Evita’s You Must Love Me, segueing into Can You Feel The Love Tonight and then A Whole New World from Aladdin. The two Disney numbers of course have been massive in their reach and to see their writer sat simply on a stage on a stool, in a UK regional venue, tapping his feet to his lyrics being perfectly sung, is quite simply a privilege. 

The 8 gifted singers and musicians on stage are testament to the thousands of individuals, both performers and crew, to whom Rice's creative genius has given employment over the last six decades. Add on the millions worldwide who have been entertained by Rice's talents and it is clear that his global footprint is quite simply remarkable. Rice’s modest and self-effacing presence on stage belies his achievements as the greatest living musical theatre lyricist.

An evening in the company of Sir Tim Rice remains an all time high.

Touring until 15th May - details here

Aspects of Love - Review

Southwark Playhouse, London


***


Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart
Based on the novel by David Garnett
Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle

Jerome Pradon and Madalena Alberto

In a rare London revival, Jonathan O’Boyle brings Aspects of Love down the M6 from Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre to the Southwark Playhouse, delivering a show that wavers between a confection of complex cliché and a homage to the male ego.

Driving the narrative is Alex, (Felix Mosse), a man possessed with such apparent animal magnetism that he is rendered irresistible to the opposite sex from adolescent girls through to women approaching their third age. But for all that Alex may have been imbued with this Lothario-like psyche, it hasn’t rubbed off on Mosse, a young man who lacks both gravitas and vocal presence. As a consequence, too much of this production, especially in the second act, becomes literally in-credible and at times tedious. And in the #MeToo era especially there needs to be questions raised about performing a show that references a mutual love, even if non-consummated, between a 34 year old man and a child 19 years his junior.

Most of O’Boyle’s company turn in sound performances with fine work in particular from Kelly Price as Rose, the show’s leading female and Eleanor Walsh as Jenny, her daughter. The acting accolades of the night however belong to the cast’s more senior members with Jerome Pradon putting in a polished turn as George, Alex’s uncle and an incorrigible romantic. A man who hopelessly falls for any woman who chances to wear the gown worn by his first late wife, Pradon’s priapic predator masterfully steals his every scene, his acting through both song and presence proving immaculate. Madalena Alberto plays Giulietta, George’s Venetian lover. Alberto is the very essence of excellence in a role that is woefully too small for her sensational talent.

Aspects of Love, inhabiting that obscure fairy-tale world of love that Sondheim mastered far more effectively in A Little Night Music, demands flawlessness across the board if its creaking conceits are to work and the cynical 21st century disbeliefs of its audiences be suitably suspended. This requirement extends to the band too, for while Richard Bates’ trio put in a fine shift on Lloyd Webber’s score, the noble Lord's melodies crave a bigger ensemble of musicians if they are to soar effectively.

Fringe treatments of musical theatre can often be magical. Here however, a difficult story makes for an evening of uneven entertainment.

Runs until 9th February 2019

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

The Fix - Review

Union Theatre, London

****

Music by Dana P. Rowe

Book & lyrics by John Dempsey

Directed & choreographed by Michael Strassen

Lucy Williamson

The timing could hardly be better as Michael Strassen reprises his take on The Fix. With the United States hurtling towards what is likely to be the most fiercely contested Presidential election in decades, John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe's satirical expose of the American political machine is apposite to say the least.

Fra Fee is the naive Cal Chandler - who when his Senator father dies in his mistress' bed is ruthlessly thrust into the race for political power by his scheming mother Violet. While Violet may be the power behind the Chandler throne, pulling the strings is her late husband's brother Grahame, crippled by polio and with an eye on a seat in the judiciary. Oh, and there's been a romantic liaison between Violet and Grahame too - think of Hamlet, Macbeth and The West Wing all hurled into a blender and you start to get close to the Machiavellian machinations of the aspirational Chandler administration.

The acting is fine throughout - and Fee marks the emergent Chandler well, convincing us of the young man's reluctance to have been dragged from his privileged but youthful primrose path, into the glaring scrutiny of public life and politics. There's charming supporting work too from the talented Madalena Alberto as Tina McCoy, a stripper who wins Cal's love, tempting him away from his loveless marriage of convenience. 

The show however is driven by the astonishing performances of Lucy Williamson as Violet and Ken Christiansen's Grahame. Williamson's performance is a powerhouse. In a show that is un-mic'd (see below) her performance is one of the few that offers vocal magnificence, with passion and nuance elicited from every syllable. 

Christiansen, who only last month was wowing the Union's audiences in Little Voice, yet again nails his character's manipulative duplicity. Flawless in both voice and presence, alongside Williamson, the pair steal every scene they're in.

There is magnificent supporting work too from Peter Saul Blewden and Alastair Hill who between them offer up a range of incidental characters, all crucial to the narrative.

This is the first production at The Union Theatre's new space across the road. The building is a beautiful improvement and Sasha Regan should feel justly proud of what she has achieved. But, the acoustics of the new place need a lot of careful thought as sat in the third row, too much of the show's lyrics proved inaudible. Likewise, when action was played out low down on the Union's floor, it becomes invisible to those of us further back. These are very early teething days for the new venue of course, but in the old place, audiences were barely raked and there was little need for mics. The new space offers much gorgeous opportunity for sure, but it also presents challenges that future producers and directors must learn to overcome.

For the most part, Strassen's direction and choreography are a thrilling fusion of sound and vision, enhanced by Josh Sood’s 4 piece band. Simply staged and with an occasional use of the American flag Strassen cleverly evokes the darker side of USA politics. Viewed from Britain, the 2016 Presidential race sees Donald Trump frequently held out as an almost pantomime villain. The closing scene of The Fix however argues otherwise. There's a strong suggestion, as Strassen places the sensational Williamson behind a lectern, maniacal and eyes-blazing, that Hillary Clinton is the more devious contender.

Runs until 6th August

Photo credit: Darren Bell