Willemijn Verkaik In Concert - Review

Cambridge Theatre, London

***

Willemijn Verkaik, originally from The Netherlands, is best known for playing Elphaba in the West End production of the internationally adored musical, Wicked. She’s performed the role in 4 countries and after storming Broadway in 2013, is the only actress to have sung the role in three languages. Additionally, Verkaik is known for her performances as Kala in Disney’s musical Tarzan (in Germany), as well as lead roles in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Mamma Mia.

The evening marked Verkaik’s second London concert in as many years and after her previous roaring success, two of Wicked’s current and past Glindas, Suzie Mathers and Savannah Stevenson, joined her, alongside current West End talent Tyrone Huntley and Celinde Schoenmaker. Verkaik’s vocals were flawless throughout the informal evening and it’s no wonder that she’s been entrusted with one of the most vocally challenging roles in the canon, across the globe, for nearly a decade. 

It has to be said about the high belting performer that, despite all of her deserved success, there is a quirky awkwardness to her character that keeps her wholesomely grounded. In her self-deprecation and an ability to laugh at herself, she is nothing less than endearing. In a bold move, Verkaik broke down the barriers of simply sticking to a typical musical theatre set, by introducing decade-spanning pop and folk numbers. Particularly well received was a George Michael medley that closed the first act.

However, despite the 90 minutes of vocal gymnastics, one must question the actual reason behind producing the concert - or rather the seemingly lack-there-of. Less well received on the night was an acappella mash-up of numbers from Wicked, sung as a trio between Verkaik, Stevenson and Mathers. The medley, while at points impressive, was occasionally vocally sloppy and not to the standard that would be expected of three Broadway and West End leading ladies. The arrangement came across as all too quickly thrown together, dragged on for far too long and seemed to fail in carrying the audience’s interest. 

This messy "last-minute" vibe can in no way be applied to Theo Jamieson’s 8 piece band, with the musical director's keyboard playing proving crisp and precise, pouring pure class into each number. Similarly the skill displayed by violinist Ciaran McCabe was nothing short of breath-taking. McCabe's performance in one of Verkaik’s own songs, A Little Smile, was one of the gig’s most moving moments. 

The highlight of the evening however was unquestionably Verkaik’s duet with Huntley, the West End wunderkind and a wow in both Dreamgirls and Jesus Christ Superstar. The pair brought the audience to silence with a stunning rendition of the 80’s power ballad, How Do You Keep The Music Playing. Huntley’s vocals were faultless and it is no wonder that he is the most interesting and promising talent in Britain at the moment.

Reviewed by Charlotte Darcy

Willemijn Verkaik In Concert - Review

****

The Dutch singing sensation Willemijn Verkaik In Concert at The Ambassadors Theatre was always going to be highly anticipated. Having sung the role of Wicked’s Elphaba in three different languages (an un-precedented feat) and recorded the voice of Elsa in Disney's Frozen in Dutch and German, a one off London concert to let the audience know a bit more about the lady behind the voice was long overdue. 

Joined on stage by musical director and pianist Tom Deering as part of a quartet of musicians, before the show started it did seem questionable if a theatre venue rather than a more intimate concert one would have been more appropriate. This doubt was quashed by the presence of Verkaik entering the stage and beginning her programme with A Piece of Sky from Yentl and something was quite evident, this is a lady that loves to sing. Not just that, but Verkaik offers no pretentiousness. Just the opposite. An endearing humility that is a pleasure to witness – an honesty very evident during her story of auditioning for the role of Aida in her early career and the layers of make-up and tissue paper she put down her bra to look fuller figured, witty and relatable to all the female performers in the audience!

The first act in particular contained some real crowd pleasers in terms of song choices that displayed Verkaik’s higher register impeccably such as You’ll Be In My Heart from Tarzan (in which she currently stars in Stuttgart) and Frozen’s Let It Go which she sang bilingually. Revelatory were middle voice songs that had more contrast in terms of vocal colour such as Adele’s Turning Tables and The Winner Takes it all, the later sung to acoustic guitar so tenderly.

The guest performers of Victoria Hamilton Barritt and James Fox gave strong vocals, in particular during the trio of Aida’s A Step Too Far. 

With a vocal stamina arguably unrivalled in musical theatre, Willemijn Verkaik In Concert cemented this status. Her delight in both singing and in she has achieved, is certainly refreshing. Perhaps a musical programme with more comedic interaction with her guest performers could have just been the icing on this very classy cake, but overall the night was certainly a triumph for Willemijn Verkaik.

Guest reviewer: Francesca Mepham

Jason Robert Brown - Live In Concert - Review

Royal Festival Hall, London

****

Jason Robert Brown

Returning to a London concert for one night only, New York composer Jason Robert Brown plus West End guests, performed to an adoring Royal Festival Hall. Opening the gig with the overture from Honeymoon in Vegas, his latest to show to open (and after 3 months, close) on Broadway, there was an air of refreshing even if disarmingly honesty self-deprecation as Brown told his audience that the show was "the latest in a long series of shows you're not going to see over here!”

Musical director Torquil Munro had assembled an impressive orchestra for the evening, though given the venue’s vast expanse, a little more attention needed to have been paid to the sound-mix that occasionally went awry.  In what was to prove an event of two quite distinct halves, the evening’s first section was, for the most part, little more than a simply entertaining line-up. It was post-interval however that Brown’s selection of both singer and song became jewel-encrusted. 

Memorable from act one was wunderkind Eleanor Worthington-Cox’s What It Means To Be A Friend from Brown's paean to teenage angst, 13, whilst Bertie Carvel offered a touching reprise of his Leo Frank from the Donmar Warehouse's 2007 production of Parade of 2007. The highlight of the half however was Laura Pitt-Pulford (who merited a second half re-appearance) re-visiting her Lucille Frank, also from Parade only this time the Southwark Playhouse’s 2011 production. Pitt-Pulford's You Don't Know This Man offered a performance of beautifully measured power alongside quite possibly the best example of acting-through-song of the night.

Act two kicked off with a medley from The Bridges of Madison County, another of Brown's briefly lived Broadway shows - and whilst Caroline Sheen was exquisite as Italian immigrant Francesca, singing opposite both Matt Henry and Sean Palmer, too often the numbers suggested a Gaelic rather than Latin pulse, or maybe that was down to the hall's acoustics too. It took a one-off composition from Brown, Melinda, drawn from a fusion of the music of 1970's New York for the second half to truly ignite. Beautifully channelling a Billy Joel inspired sound, Melinda offered a rare moment to witness Brown's dazzling keyboard skills.

Amy Booth-Steel got the evening’s  The Last Five Years chapter underway with a beautifully nuanced I'm Still Hurting, though it was to be Cynthia Erivo's I Can Do Better Than That that saw this “national treasure in waiting” of musical theatre Festival Hall’s roof clean off!. It was tough on Oliver Tompsett who had to follow Erivo with a thoroughly decent (but by now, completely overshadowed) Moving Too Fast. In a number that was to see her powerfully duet with Brown, Willemijn Verkaik was on fine form with And I Will Follow. 

Whilst Brown's melodies are consistently ingenious, his lyrics vary. The caustic irony he imbued in The Last Five Years and in Parade was a mark of genius that matches Sondheim’s best for its pinpoint, minimalist dissection of the human condition, yet the evening's snatches of The Bridges Of Madison County seemed to lack the perceptive wit of his earlier years.  

Amara Okereke led a Drew McOnie choreographed Brand New You routine from 13, complete with a nearly drilled adolescent NYMT ensemble reprising their West End premiere from some years back, before Brown took the microphone again to encore with a passionate Someone To Fall Back On.

Seeming genuinely taken aback at the blazing warmth of his reception, Brown commented to the crowd who stood as one to salute him, that he "doesn’t see that every day!” Much like fellow American Scott Alan who himself only recently played London, one senses that both New Yorkers feel more appreciated on this side of the pond than back home.

Jason Robert Brown should return here soon, to a more intimate venue and for a (better rehearsed) residency of modest length. His talent as writer, pianist and heavenly-voiced singer too is unquestioned and what is more, London loves him.

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown - Review

Playhouse Theatre, London

***

Book by Jeffrey Lane

Music and lyrics by David Yazbeck

Directed by Bartlett Sher

Ricardo Afonso and Tamsin Greig

Pedro Almodovar's seminal film Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown famously captured the liberated spirit of post-Franco Madrid in a story that celebrated not just the women of the movie’s title but also the Spanish capital itself. The glory of Almodovar's vision however does not translate to the stage. Whilst some of the musical’s acting may be top-notch, its plot creaks and the mania of Madrid's scenic and atmospheric spice that so imbued the movie, is much missed on the Playhouse's cramped stage.

Billed on the posters as equals, Tamsin Greig and Haydn Gwynne are Pepa and Lucia, respectively the lover and long-estranged wife of Ivan and although both actresses are sensational, this is Greig's show. Mastering the comic subtlety of anger, in a potentially Olivier winning turn, Greig alone merits the (discounted) price of a ticket. Lucia meanwhile really has suffered a breakdown since Ivan abandoned her and Gwynne captures the desperate essence of this woman’s manic fragility. Lucia’s number Invisible, a sad self appraisal of the best years of life having passed her by, is exquisite in its heart rending poignancy.

Ricardo Afonso delights as a guitar strumming taxi driver. This coolest of cabbies, (and jonathanbaz.com has consistently raved about Afonso’s genius) commands our gaze and it’s only a shame that the show does not afford his character more airtime. Willemijn Verkaik, surely the eurostar of modern musical theatre, turns in a gamely supporting role as a lawyer with a surprise up her sleeve.

Aside from the ever talented Michael Matus’ many minor roles in the ensemble, that’s it for the excellence. Jerome Pradon fails to convince that his Ivan is the irresistible swordsman the writers intend, whilst Anna Skellern’s Candela struggles to be even a two-dimensional representation of a dumb, panic-stricken model. The desired level of farce does not come easily to this show and its ridiculous sub-plot about a terrorist at large, that would have been a lame thread even before last week’s tragedies in Paris, now just seems awkwardly embarrassing.

There are other pockets of talent to be found. Ellen Kane’s flamenco-flavoured dance work (enhanced by Holly James’ outstanding movement as the Matador) is always a treat to watch and much of Yazbek’s music (including a lovely motif that offers a nod to Carmen’s Habanera) is a delight. But much like Afonso’s taxi driving, the show's lyrics career and lurch alarmingly from wittily tight to utterly trite. Fans of the uber-talented Tamsin Greig and Haydn Gwynne won't be disappointed. Fans of the movie will be.

Now booking until 9th May 2015

Scott Alan Greatest Hits Volume One - Review

****

In the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, Scott Alan has released Volume One of his Greatest Hits. Whether you are a newcomer to the work of this talented New Yorker or a devoted fan, there is something for everyone in this 19 track pot-pourri, including a heartfelt couples of pages of liner notes from none other than our very own uber-critic Mark Shenton, a close friend of the composer.

Such is Alan’s respect amongst the performing community, that as with his live gigs, the cream of both Broadway and the West End are credited on the album. He includes a coven of former trans-Atlantic  Elphaba’s  (I counted five but am happy to be corrected) – and indeed it was Kerry Ellis singing Never Neverland (Fly Away) at London’s Pheasantry a couple of years ago that introduced me to Alan’s work. This time round it is Stephanie J. Block who gorgeously frames this paean to childhood, whilst Ellis’ Behind These Walls proves again why she is one of the UK’s leading musical theatre leading ladies.

Several tracks are a nod to Alan’s stage musical Home, that a London audience was treated to a full chamber performance of last year. Shoshana Bean’s take on the title number Home is as gorgeous a performance as you will ever hear from this woman, whilst Liz Callaway’s Goodnight perfectly captures the tragic poignancy of the show’s endgame. Other treats amongst the tracks are Willemijn Verkaik’s magnificent Watch Me Soar, whilst Brit boys Hadley Fraser, Oliver Tompsett and Stuart Matthew Price also make listening to the album a joy.

Within this set of Greatest Hits is perhaps one of the greatest recordings of recent years with Alan being never bettered than when he writes from experience. Inspirational in his publicly declared battles with depression, his Anything Worth Holding To, sung here by Cynthia Erivo, probably the UK’s brightest emerging musical theatre star and in a version arranged by Ryan Martin, is just heartbreakingly sublime.

To be fair, there is much upbeat fun recorded too. Eden Espinosa’s I’m a Star is a witty look at today’s oft-seen desperation for fame, with Espinosa giving just the right amount of punch to Alan’s pithy perceptions. 

The album makes for either an ideal gift or a personal treat and with Alan having re-arranged and orchestrated many of his numbers anew and with all pre-existing recordings being re-engineered for the occasion, this collection is much more than a cynical bundling of work to stack the aisles and the download servers ahead of the festive season. Go buy Scott Alan's Greatest Hits. The album may make you laugh and cry. It will certainly make you smile and think.

Available from Amazon and iTunes

Andrew Lippa In Concert

St James Theatre, London

****

Carrie Hope Fletcher raises the roof as Andrew Lippa accompanies

A packed house at the St James Theatre saw Andrew Lippa's London debut. For two hours and accompanied by a stellar cast of the capital's musical theatre talent, the New York composer (actually a Yorkshireman by birth) presented a collection of his showtunes.

Lippa was quickly into a selection of songs from Big Fish that recently opened on Broadway. One of the show's finer compositions, I Don't Need A Roof, sung by a wife reflecting upon her near unconditional love for her dying husband, was given the most moving of interpretations by Jenna Russell. I reviewed Big Fish last month (link here) and commented then that it seemed unlikely to transfer to London and indeed it closes on Broadway in a few weeks. Up close however, the show's songs took on a beautiful resonance and seen in this more intimate setting, were a producer to consider a modestly sized off-West End or chamber production, it may well prove a hit.

Willemijn Verkaik was masterfully elegant throughout with Big Fish’s Time Stops, a duet with Lippa, proving to be another of the evening's tender highlights. Earlier, when Verkaik had sung the line "it's my turn to fly" from The Wild Party's number The Life Of The Party, there was the sweetest of ironic presciences, as she was performing with Lippa only 24 hours before making her debut as Wicked-London's Elphaba. 

The stunning turn of the night was Carrie Hope Fletcher and her take on Pulled from The Addams Family. Injecting humour, presence and a vocal impact even bigger than her amazing hair, the young performer very nearly took the St James’ roof off. Other highlights included Ashleigh Gray's Live Out Loud, whilst a duet of Lippa and Tam Mutu in This River Between Us proved to be a masterclass in calm professionalism in retrieving a song when both performers dry.

Lippa's patter throughout was witty and refreshingly self-deprecating as he referenced the number of his shows that have closed early over the years. His newly written You Are Here however, from I Am Harvey Milk, penned for a large male chorus and offered here as his solo, showed glimpses of what must be a truly inspiring number when sung by an ensemble.

Simon Beck stepping in on piano as needed, with Hannah Ashenden's subtly elegant cello work gave a neat finish to an event that again demonstrated classy management from producers Stuart Matthew Price and James Yeoburn.

Pasek and Paul - Live at the London Hippodrome

Hippodrome, London

****

Justin Paul and Benj Pasek

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, a wunderkind brace who are the current creative young darlings of Broadway were in London for just one night. Unknown on this side of the pond outside of the musical theatre bubble, they nonetheless packed out the Hippodrome’s Matcham Room and attracted some of London’s top talent to join them in a late-evening showcase presented by Nathan Amzi.

An uber-talented pair, Pasek’s keyboard skills are exquisite and in performance the two dovetail together in perfectly synchronised harmony. They recently enjoyed Tony nominated Broadway success with their seasonal offering A Christmas Story, preceding that with the off-Broadway musical Dogfight helmed by Wicked director Joe Mantello. The cast recording of Dogfight has already been reviewed here and its fair to say that it reflects a carefully crafted tale, including action, tragedy and passion in equal measure. Based upon an unlikely and complicated love that emerges from a cruel prank played by a troop of US Marines before they ship out to war, the show’s lyrics demonstrate a perception and wisdom that belies Pasek and Paul’s youth. On stage in London, the Dogfight selection included the impressive First Date / Last Night along with the painfully poignant Pretty Funny, the latter sung by London’s Elphaba in waiting, Willemijn Verkaik. Amongst their achievements, as television songwriters the two men contributed Caught In A Storm to the TV series Smash. This song, also performed by Verkaik was a disappointment, sung by a voice that was too old and too polished for the number’s underlying mediocrity and not helped by Verkaik’s casual and untidy appearance that was at odds with the venue's glamour.

And thereby hangs the paradox of Pasek and Paul. Some of what they write is inspired and even if their patter went on too long, their refreshingly self-deprecating style along with a handful of numbers that Tom Lehrer would be proud of, served to remind us quite how razor-sharp their perceptive wits are. Yet the ballad With You Everywhere That You Are whilst having noble intentions and written as a memory of loved ones lost, came across as soppy and shallow, lacking the honesty of emotion with which Scott Alan easily seems to infuse his songs. Performing live, this pair who have been hailed as the next Rogers and Hammerstein bear a scary resemblance to Ant and Dec The Musical.

Yet their strengths undoubtedly outweigh their weaknesses and by some measure. Oliver Tompsett gave a beautiful version of Do You Remember, reminding us all why he is such an acclaimed performer, though perhaps the star turn of the night was Lauren Varnham whose take on the Pasek and Paul’s Perfect from their Edges song cycle, was a spine tingling moment. Clad in a simply elegant black dress, Varnham who had impressively dashed from performing From Here To Eternity looked as good as she sounded. The night closed on a standing ovation. Pasek and Paul may be inconsistent, but when they’re on their game they’re genius. 

Wicked

Apollo Victoria, London

****

Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Book by Winnie Holzman

Directed by  Joe Mantello

Louise Dearman

There is never a bad time to return to Oz and so it was a pleasure to be invited back to the Apollo Victoria for a final glimpse of the cast under Gina Beck and Louise Dearman, as their take on Schwartz's mega-musical draws to a close.

A feature of London's West End since 2006 and with the show still a Broadway hit, Wicked continues to be a tale, that if you are familiar with L Frank Baum's story of Dorothy, will amuse you with its wit and if you have no background knowledge whatsoever, still works as a charming tale of rivalries overcome and friendships formed amidst conflict and adversity. 

Wicked can be viewed as a very simple magical piece about friendship and trust. However there is also Elphaba's rejection by society from the moment she is born and the consequences that such contempt can spawn. Louise Dearman's take on Elphaba, the misunderstood emerald green girl destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West is almost faultless. Hers is a complex character, good and innocent at the outset and only seeking affection. Shunned because of her skin colour (an allegory for our own racist world) she learns to hate only because hatred is what the world has shown her. Dearman's mezzo-soprano performance is breathtaking and 'Defying Gravity', the show's spectacular act one closing number and 'No Good Deed' continue to raise the roof at the Apollo. Dearman is unique in the show's global history as the only actress to have played both Elphaba and her opposite, Glinda. 

As Elphaba's antagonist, the elfin Gina Beck is everything that the saccharine-sweet soprano Glinda should be. Nominally the Good Witch, she flips effortlessly from being wise, warm and motherly to care free and witty with her early number 'Popular' cleverly showing how innocent yet still manipulatively scheming the so called good witch can be.

Whilst the two leading ladies give a formidable double act, other notable performances on the night came from Stuart Ramsay whose understudying of The Wizard, despite being much younger than most actors who play the role, gave a surprisingly genuine warmth and Sam Lupton's Boq was also a refreshingly endearing turn. The role of Fiyero was also an understudied performance, this time by Jason Winter who disappointingly lacked impact and presence for such a pivotal supporting responsibility.

Even on a return visit, Susan Hilferty and Eugene Lee's designs remain breathtaking with the Wizzamania sequence in particular leaving the audience grinning. No gimmicks, just a combination of story, characters, music and costume all coming together to create perfect musical theatre.

Elphaba's ambition and determination define the show as a feel good musical and as act two ends, again free of gimmicks, Schwartz's For Good remains one of the greatest celebrations of friendship in the canon. The song's lyrics might groan just a bit, but the two-part harmonies alone define its magic.

Now booking well into 2014 and with Willemijn Verkaik soon to take over as Elphaba, Wicked remains an innovative celebration of good triumphant over evil staged with wit, flair and some of the best showtunes of recent years.


To book tickets for Wicked, click here