Hadestown - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

****

Music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell

Developed with & directed by Rachel Chavkin

The company of Hadestown

Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown is drawn from one of the strongest tragic storylines around: Orpheus’ love for Eurydice that draws him into the Underworld in his quest to rescue her from Hades’ grasp and return her to the mortal world. It’s a banger of a yarn and credit to Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin whose cracking songs and outstanding cast have breathed a bold life into this ambitious vision. The UK first encountered the show in its 2018 premier at the National Theatre. Now in the West End it’s a glorious fusion of a raft of musical styles, sung perfectly.

Dónal Finn and Grace Hodgett Young are the two doomed lovers. Both are magnificent with Finn possessing a gorgeously fragile tone that makes his number Wait For Me sparkle. Amidst the grown-up roles, Zachary James’ Hades offers a bass baritone the like of which is rarely heard in musical theatre. His is a towering performance of vulnerable cruelty. Gloria Onitiri is Persephone, wonderfully reprising the part from her time at the National, while in a sensational turn as (basically, narrator) Hermes, Melanie La Barrie cleverly weaves the tale’s threads together. Sung through, the show is an impressive performance from Tarek Merchant’s 7-piece onstage band. Rachel Hauck’s set design is ingenious - think Hell fused with New Orleans - brilliantly lit by Bradley King.

The show’s frustration lies in its crass shoehorning of a modern political agenda onto the Greek classics, with the narrative not being enhanced by the childishly oversimplistic That’s Why We Build The Wall that closes the first act.

But there is excellence on stage here and for what is (mostly) a bold piece of new writing, Hadestown is worth seeing.

Booking until 22nd December

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

Mandy Patinkin Live In Concert - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

*****

Mandy Patinkin

Here for a brief 8-gig London residency, Mandy Patinkin Live in Concert is a 90-minute audience with one of musical theatre’s most gifted and versatile performers.

Accompanied by the equally talented Adam Ben-David on piano, Patinkin took his audience on a whirl around the American Songbook that included a delicious detour through Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody too.

The evening’s setlist was an ingenious series of segues that saw numbers from writers including Loesser, Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein fused into medleys that Patinkin’s perfectly weighted baritone delivered deliciously.

Patinkin’s interpretations and acting through song was on point throughout - not least in Marc Anthony Thompson's heartbreaking composition My Mom and a thrilling Soliloquy from Carousel. His partnership with Ben-David is clearly well grounded, the musical synergy between singer and pianist being one of complete connection and the evening's penultimate number Being Alive proving sensational.

In a gig peppered with anecdotes, Patinkin spoke in equal measure of both his glittering Broadway career and his deeply valued Jewish heritage. Nothing however could have prepared the audience for Patinkin’s encore that he introduced simply as a song with a tragic background, written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. While such a build-up may well have led the packed Lyric Theatre to not unreasonably expect Somewhere Over The Rainbow, to hear the Homeland star perform the song in Yiddish, a mournful yet brave and proud celebration of his Jewish identity, was a moment in theatre that will live forever. Unmissable.

In concert until 19th November

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Aspects of Love - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

***

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Don Black & Charles Hart

Based on the novel by David Garnett

Directed by Jonathan Kent

Michael Ball and Laura Pitt-Pulford

Returning to the London stage and complete with re-vamped orchestrations, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black / Charles Hart’s Aspects of Love takes up a modest residency at the Lyric Theatre .

Michael Ball who starred in the original production as the young Alex, here tops the bill as the avuncular George, in this curious tale of love that according to Messrs. Black and Hart, changes everything.

Ball is magnificent and so too are his company of Laura Pitt-Pulford as Rose, Jamie Bogyo (Alex), soprano Danielle De Niese as Giuletta and Anna Unwin as Jenny (with on press night Millie Gubby as her character's pre-teen iteration). It all makes for a fabulously performed ménage à cinq that on closer inspection turns out to be a most unappetising minestrone of morals.

Technically, the show is a marvel. Not just in the actors’ glorious work, but in Lloyd Webber’s melodies married with John Macfarlane’s ingenious designs and projections, that make for an evening of exquisite stagecraft.

Ultimately though, the musical is little more than a sung-through panoply of privileged, priapic, polyamory. Go see it for the gorgeous songs.

Runs until 19th August

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Peter Andre takes over in Thriller Live - Review

Lyric Theatre

*****

Conceived by Adrian Grant

Directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd

Peter Andre (centre) and the cast of Thriller Live

For the run up to Christmas, Peter Andre takes over the leading performance in Gary Lloyd's Thriller Live.

Now in its 11th year, this remarkable piece of West End theatre that celebrates the dance and songwriting genius of Michael Jackson continues to pack out Shaftesbury Avenue's Lyric Theatre, cementing Jackson's reputation as the King Of Pop.

This website has reviewed the show in the past - however what makes Thriller Live such a standout evening of entertainment is its continued re-imagination of Jackson's catalogue, and Lloyd's passionate, timeless commitment to the production.

Andre brings a fresh interpretation to his numbers in the show and with the audience comprising not only Jackson fans, but Andre's devotees too, the atmosphere in the Lyric is deliciously charged. There is a unique energy to Andre's delivery of the classic songs that makes for a flawless night out.

Of course and as usual there is a "team" of performers who cover the role of Jackson, and alongside Andre on his debut night, the moonwalking Florivaldo Mossi was sensational too.

Peter Andre continues in Thriller Live until December 22nd

The show is booking until 26th April 2020

Photo credit: Betty Zapata

Beautiful Noise - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

**

Fisher Stevens

The producers of Thriller Live - now in its tenth year - presented the soulful and hearty vocals of Fisher Stevens as Neil Diamond in Beautiful Noise, on the West End stage for the first in a series of occasional future performances. This sweet gig however is strictly for Diamond fans who want to celebrate the life and music of the infamous solitary man, in the company of a live band and as much nostalgia as they can muster.

Telling the story of Neil Diamond’s rise to fame amid the birth of rock n roll and the glory of New York’s Brill Building, Stevens recounts countless Neil Diamond hits including ‘Cherry, Cherry’, ‘You’ll Be A Woman, Soon’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’ - arguably the one that everyone was waiting for. It’s not hard to see how Diamond became one of the best songwriters in America, recognised to this day. Lyrically stunning but lesser known songs ‘I am... I said’ and ‘Play Me’ further reminded the audience just what a talent he is, in case there was any questioning… probably not given that Stevens recognised most of the front few rows of the audience from his tours up north! 

Despite the incredible repertoire, the show’s accompanying presentation of stock footage and photographs ultimately gave Beautiful Noise the feel of a wet evening at Butlins. This sensation is only re-inforced by it taking place amidst Shaftesbury Avenue's starry line up of hit shows, to say nothing of being performed on the stage of (the electrifying) Thriller Live on its night off. There is no doubting Diamond’s talent, nor Stevens’ prowess as a tribute singer too, (complete with shiny shirts and growling filler anecdotes) but there’s simply not enough substance here to warrant the ticket price to anyone other than die-hard fans.

A lacklustre night, albeit of gorgeous music and strictly for those who prefer both their jeans and their songs sung, blue.

Future performances on Mondays 10th June and 8th July and on tour

Reviewed by Heather Deacon

Thriller Live West End 10th Anniversary - Review

Lyric Theatre, London


*****


Directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd

Casts, both old and new, on stage for the 10th Anniversary of Thriller Live

Celebrating 10 years at the Lyric Theatre, a memorable production of Thriller Live played to a full house last night. The show has been reviewed here in the past, consistently achieving outstanding  standards.

Adrian Grant’s vision, breathed into life by Gary Lloyd’s direction and choreography, together with John Maher’s intuitive understanding of Michael Jackson’s rock, pop and soul classics has created a fusion of excellence.

Lloyd’s genius sees him craft Jackson’s music into the human form, the cast’s non-stop movement proving an immaculately drilled display of modern dance, with the timeless songs’ lyrics and harmonies only being enhanced by Lloyd’s slick, perceptive routines.

The video displays remain breathtaking in both their ingenuity and, at times, stunning simplicity, as Maher’s 5 piece on-stage band faithfully recreate the Jackson sound.

The magic of the show’s anniversary night was made all the more special by a horde of ex-company members filling the stage half way through the second act, and causing  an impromptu standing ovation , together with post show speeches from the producers as well as Grant and Lloyd, with Grant in particular referencing his own personal connection  to Michael Jackson.

Thriller Live remains the most consistently outstanding show in town. There are no moments of tedium nor, unlike nearly every other big musical in the West End, any weak songs whatsoever. Each moment is carefully crafted perfection in a production that is world-class entertainment.

Booking until 29th September

Photo credit: Betty Zapata

Thriller Live Becomes the West End's 15th Longest Runner - Review

Lyric Theatre, London


*****


Directed and choregraphed by Gary Lloyd

This week Thriller Live celebrated becoming the 15th longest running show on the West End and its audiences thankfully still can’t get enough. From the first hip thrust, to the still incredibly relevant political numbers and the satisfyingly zombie filled Thriller Finale, the incredibly talented cast embrace each song, each moment and each moonwalk as if each note and step were the highest honour.

Director and choreographer Gary Lloyd presents a show that is unashamedly fantastical. Shooting Flowers have styled flashy versions of almost every costume you can recall the inimitable MJ wearing, that stun alongside Jonathan Park's steel and LED set. With Nigel Catmur’s lighting and one heck of a live band, the show is as seamless as any Michael show, even if on a smaller stage.

Michael Jackson wasn’t one to write songs that are easily forgotten, but the sheer volume of his catalogue means that there are more than a few surprises in this fabulous show. Dirty Diana seduces with some fantastic head pieces, while Remember The Time, complete with Egyptian poses and sass, bring the 90s flooding back. There’s also a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with the somber reflection of She’s Out Of My Life, sung with soul by the sweet Reece Bahia and a gender swapped The Way You Make Feel making everyone in the audience feel young and sexy while reminding them that Cleo Higgins (she of Cleopatra, Comin’ Atcha fame), is still a voice to be reckoned with.

Clichéd though it sounds, Thriller Live makes you feel alive - though perhaps not as lively and spritely as the unbelievably talented dancers, who fill the stage with as many backflips, high kicks, cartwheels and grinding as they can muster... which to be fair is the only appropriate reaction when Wanna Be Starting Something comes on. There’s even some comedy as cheeky Leslie Bowman interrupts the narration of the leads and the gorgeous Jamal Crawford is rejected again and again by Cleo. Throw in some baby faced young talent, this time Marcellus Virgo Smith, to portray Jackson's early years and you’ve got yourself one blinder of a show.

Out of the four leads, the closest we get to an MJ tribute is Dajiow, who encompasses Michael Jackson in every step and note, leaving many questioning whether it was really him singing Thriller… and it definitely was. The show isn’t a tribute though, but a celebration of the heart breaking, body shaking, crotch grabbing Man in the Mirror, who is still indisputably the King of Pop.

The West End's 15th longest running musical and yes, we can still feel it.

Now booking through 2017.

Reviewed by Heather Deacon

The Gruffalo - Review

Lyric Theatre, London


****

Adapted from the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The Cast

Returning to the West End for a remarkable fifteenth year, the Tall Stories Theatre Company again bring Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's tale of delightfully scary goings on in the deep dark wood, to London's Lyric Theatre.

The stage is vividly set with trees and logs as we meet Ellie Bell's Mouse who bravely and imaginatively scares off all her would-be foes with tales of the terrifying Gruffalo. Charlie Guest puts in three deliciously deplorable appearances as a fox, an owl and a snake in turn - with the kids in the audience being whipped into frenzies of participatory delight as the story unfolded.

Making up the cast of the three, Steve McCourt metamorphoses delightfully into The Gruffalo for the story's thrilling conclusion. It all makes for great seasonal children's theatre, with Rachel, my 5yo assistant for the visit, being thrilled throughout, declaring the Gruffalo her favourite character of them all!

If there's one criticism it's that the current casting carries just a hint of gender stereotyping with not one but four predatory males out to consume Bell's female mouse. Even so, at just under an hour's length The Gruffalo makes for perfect entertainment for the little ones, with Tall Stories promising a sequel of The Gruffalo's Child for next year!

Runs until 8th January 2017

Photo credit: Tall Stories

Seasons Of Larson - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

***

Directed by Grant Murphy

Jonathan Larson died tragically young, aged just 35. A writer who touched so many lives, it was an inspired idea that saw Katy Lipson and Guy James mark the twentieth anniversary of his passing by staging a concert to remember the man and his work. Seasons Of Larson was a journey back to “the end of the millennium” for an emotional roller coaster of songs, chosen to represent Larson’s best.

The evening had pre-recorded tributes from its performers played out as voicemails throughout the concert – a clever nod to Rent – which despite being cutely anecdotal style stories, in actual fact provided the audience with an opportunity to check back in to reality, shuffle themselves in their seat and prepare for the next (and for the most part self-indulgent) turn. 

Notwithstanding perhaps a little too much eye-closing, air-grabbing and (ahem) lyric-dropping there were some dazzling moments that stunned the audience, none finer than Debbie Kurup’s Come To Your Senses from Tick Tick Boom. Kurup’s performance stole the show, proving utterly believable from beginning to end. 

There was light relief from the endearing Noel Sullivan whose comedy timing and vocals were both on point as he delivered One Of These Days towards the end of the Spring Season, with the sassy Krysten Cummings adding many more laugh out loud moments in Out Tonight and Break Out The Booze.

Subtle and clever staging from Grant Murphy allowed the cast room to breathe, nicely making way for Anton Stephans’ rendition of I'll Cover You to totally bring the house down. 

The predominantly Renthead audience were clearly hungry for anything from that show. Within seconds of hearing the opening bar of any number, excitable murmurs and ear-pricking would ensue, none more so than for Seasons of Love. The song aptly fronted the concert’s second half, as of course it does the show and performed by the whole cast, it proved a very special and unique act two opening.

The evening proved a lovely tribute to the writer, with neat musical direction from Gareth Bretherton. Here's hoping a Larson show may come back to the London theatre scene soon.

Guest reviewer: Heather Lloyd

Thriller Live - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

*****

Conceived by Adrian Grant

Directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd

Dajiow

Marking seven years in the West End (along with an eye-watering global box office take of £150million) Thriller Live continues at the Lyric after a magnificent makeover.

At its heart the show is still the same juke-box musical, chock full of hits. But there’s no fictional fairy-tale woven around the songs of Michael Jackson here and nor does the show pretend to be a (potentially tedious) biopic. Thriller Live remains a simple yet lavish, tribute to the music, the styles and the dance that Jackson created, excellently performed.

A re-worked opening sequence hints at some of Jackson’s greatest hits before the ever-sensational Eshan Gopal, almost dwarfed by his super-sized afro wig, bounds on to the stage to take the show through the early Jackson 5 days. Young yes, but Gopal’s an old-hand in the show and his confidence is matched only by his ability, smashing ABC with flawless vocals and movement.

The essence of Thriller Live is not in having one actor play Jackson. In place of an overly structured, scripted piece, 5 leading performers dip in and out of the “Jackson” role, suggesting the style and the voice of the man and at all times performing as an inspired tribute rather than a tacky replica. The staging is enhanced by ingenious electronic imagery, with LED panels so subtly configured that real life-silhouettes can barely be discerned from Colin Rozee and Potion Pictures' animations.

Of this Jackson five, Alex Buchanan’s vocals are divine – never bettered than in a finely worked She’s Out Of My Life. Reflecting Jackson’s complicated and sometimes androgynous persona, Trenyce Cobbins, the sole female lead, offers a take on the performer’s presence that is as distinctive as it is assured. It is the immaculately manicured Dajiow however who captures the essence of Jackson at the height of his fame, sporting a look and poise that even at the show’s after-party made one do a double take. When Dajiow moonwalks it could be Michael.

The secret of the show’s success, aside from Jackson’s platinum-plated back catalogue, has to lie with director / choreographer Gary Lloyd who has stayed with the production from the outset. Jackson wrote the songs, but it is Lloyd’s vision that has translated concepts first revealed either in Jackson’s sensational videos or stadia performances and scaled them down to fit a West End stage, whilst retaining the creative essence of Jackson’s magic.

Aside from the precision Lloyd has drilled into his company whether the routine be body-popping, breakdancing, moonwalking, or zombies boogying, the dance maestro focuses at all times on an unpretentious flair that captures Jackson’s style and yet avoids mimicry. 

From a strikingly 70s Rockin’ Robin routine – all flared red and white costumes with the dancers moving seamlessly on heels that would give most people vertigo, through to a psychedelic angle to Can You Feel It, Lloyd’s vision is inspired throughout. The show’s title number is reserved to (almost) the very end – with Dajiow wearing the red leather jacket from John Landis' legendary video and Lloyd conceiving a routine that with a dozen or so dancers pays homage to Landis’ spectacular work, filmed with a far larger cast some 30+ years back.

Thriller Live offers no plot other than a glimpse of the dazzling arc that Michael Jackson’s work created. Sensational songs, stunningly performed! 

Booking until mid-2016

Thriller Live - Review - 6 Years In The West End

Lyric Theatre, London

****

Conceived by Adrian Grant

Directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd

The 2015 Company of Thriller Live

Any reason to re-visit Thriller Live is always a good one and there was a buzz in the air at the Lyric Theatre last week as the show celebrated six years since its arrival on Shaftesbury Avenue. It may carry 2,000 performances under its belt, but Thriller Live's cast and crew continue to define both freshness and excellence.

Lead vocalists John Moabi, Jesse Smith, Britt Quinton and Cleopatra Higgins, (reviewed here when she took over in the show) continue to deliver top-notch riffs and trills, making Michael Jackson's hits their own, as they narrate and hold the show together. The four leads take the audience on a journey through the singer's life and music, delivering facts and songs so convincingly that they almost suggest a personal connection with the King of Pop.

The Lyric's size and friendliness helps too, creating a bond between cast and audience that continues to reach out across the fourth wall. A stand out moment of the current show is Dangerous, in which Michael Jackson and the male dancers captivate and almost intimidate the audience through Gary Lloyd's skilled choreography. Higgins' take on P.Y.T offers another show stopping moment as the singer owns the stage amongst the male dancers, giving her flawless vocals to one of Jackson's biggest hits.

The show continues to be stolen by its sensational dance, with a nod to Chloe Ferns whose strength and technique make her a delight to watch. John Maher's band remain exceptional although not as fully appreciated as they perhaps deserve, hidden behind a wall. They still deliver enough punch to ensure that come the finale, the audience are up, as one, to dance and sing throughout the theatre.

Simply put, six years on, Thriller Live still wows the West End.


Now booking until September 2015 

On The Town - Review

Lyric Theatre, Broadway

*****

Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Based on an idea by Jerome Robbins
Directed by John Rando

l-r Jay Armstrong Johnson, Tony Yazbeck and Clyde Alves

On The Town is a classic Broadway show and under John Rando's direction and Joshua Bergasse's inspired choreography, this whimsical tale of three sailors on 24 hours’ New York shore leave makes for flawless musical theatre.

Where to start? Under James Moore's baton, Leonard Bernstein's sumptuously symphonic score is perfectly performed by a 30+ band, deliciously heavy on strings and brass, making for the largest orchestra to be found on Broadway. The show's staging is ingeniously simple, with Beowulf Boritt's projections creating a careering cab as convincingly as Coney Island.

But it is the brilliant performances on stage that define this production as one of the greats. Tony Yazbeck, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Clyde Alves are the love-seeking seamen, with Yazbeck's Gabey demonstrating how beautifully this actor has settled into the role, have played it since early workshop runs. His Lonely Town is a spine-tingling take on the timeless number.

The show famously revolves around Gabey's search for Ivy Smith or “Miss Turnstiles” a former beauty queen of the NY subway. Megan Fairchild is Smith and her ballet is just jaw-dropping. Bergasse precisely sculpts her fine movement, making it impossible to look elsewhere as she glides through her routines. Her introductory song, the Presentation Of Miss Turnstiles, only reinforces the quality of this production’s dance-work.

Gabey's two pals provide much of the perfectly timed comedy of the night. Johnson's virginal Chip, is devoured by Alysha Umphress' taxi driving Hildy. Umphress re-defines "maneater" and the couple's duet Come Up To My Place, sung as her cab improbably screeches through New York, is just the most  inspired stagecraft. The final coupling of the show, Alves' Ozzie who incongruously pairs up with Elisabeth Stanley's perfect creation of repressed society lady Claire, make for another union of faultless dance and vocal work. Their big number, Carried Away complete with dancing dinosaur, is a hoot.

The show drips genius. In supporting roles, Jackie Hoffman as Smith’s drunk and incompetent singing teacher Maude P Dilly (along with some choice cameo appearances later in act 2) is all that a buffoon-like baddy should be, whilst Michael Rupert as Pitkin, Claire’s much cheated upon fiancé brings just the right amount of affronted bombast to another deliciously implausible creation. Elsewhere, popping up in numerous tiny roles is Phillip Boykin’s perfectly booming baritone. Boykin has only just wowed London as Crown in the Open Air Theatre’s Porgy and Bess, so as a visiting Brit in New York it is a true joy to re-encounter this gifted performer.

Who can say if On The Town will transfer across the Atlantic? London deserves it, though truth be told a show that is such a fabled New York fantasy will simply never be bettered than when it plays, to perfection, on Broadway. Go cash in your air miles, stowaway on a ship, or paddle across the Pond if you have to. This is song and dance at its very best – A Helluva Show!

Now booking until 2015