Welcome to Theatre Scribbles!
Happy New Year!!!
525600 minutes... how do you measure, measure a year?
I have been a fan of musicals for a long time now, and have been thinking of this for a while; as I love shows, and I love writing - so why not?!
To explain just how big of a fan I am, let me tell you that I have a list on my wardrobe of things I want to see and cross them off as I go; show tunes are my favourite things to listen to; I listen to Elaine Paige on Sunday (EPOS) on the radio every week; I make sure that there is an extra copy of the programme when I see a show, as I like to rip the cover off mine and stick it up on my wall - I am now running out of space.
So as you can see, it is something I really enjoy - and that's all it is. I am no drama student or anything, and so I'm not writing this to critique things, rant and point at the nitty gritty etc etc. I don't even plan on doing star ratings, unlike most people. This is to only share my thoughts about things I have seen; mostly in Manchester, but maybe London if you're lucky - or New York if I ever become a millionaire ;)
I'm currently writing on a train to Nottingham, casually listening to Les Mis (my favourite btw), and though it's a bit after New Year, I thought what better way to get this started than with a quick overview on what I saw in 2014; I have been very busy as you will see and I couldn't get to London this year, so this is the best that Manchester has had to offer.
January
War Horse UK Tour, The Lowry - If you have gone through 2014, 100 years since WW1, without knowing what War Horse is about, then you have been living under a rock. And for anyone who has already seen it on stage, on film, or read the book it was based on, how can you not be moved (unless you have a heart of stone)?! The story of Joey the horse and his owner Albert on the front line is incredibly powerful, and Joey is definitely the star of the show. It is sometimes easy to forget that he is only a puppet, and not a real horse. I cannot recommend seeing it on stage enough; the film, as good as it is, pales in comparison.
*Insert giant gap here* Unfortunately, 2014 was a B-U-S-Y year. I had my final year of university, and then was spending the entire summer in Bordeaux.
Assignments/tests every week and being in a foreign country = no time for theatre trips =( *sob sob*
Everything else had to be fitted in 3 1/2 months, but thankfully, there has been quite a lot....
September
Jersey Boys UK Tour, Palace Theatre - I don't think I have ever been in an audience like the one I was in when I saw Jersey Boys. It's based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and includes many of their songs woven into the story - and I happened to know a fair few of them without realizing who they were by. By the end of the night, people were out of the seats and dancing in the aisles, similar to what it must be like at Mamma Mia every night. The stand-out performance HAD to be from Tim Drieson (Frankie Valli). It must have been such a difficult job to sing those songs, sound exactly like Valli and have that range, and he did it effortlessly. I also had my first experience at stage door that night, as I had my programme signed by Matt Gillet (Bob Crewe).
October
Elaine Paige in concert, Bridgewater Hall - This blog will not only be about musical theatre etc on the stage. If I can see someone in concert who is related to that world, how can I not write about it? And how can I not write about good old EP, the Queen of British Musical Theatre?!!!! As I said, I listen to her show every week, so how could I miss it? Well, as you would expect, she was incredible. She was celebrating an incredible 50 years on stage, and her voice had not faded away or changed in any way with age; and Memory gave me goosebumps all over my arms and legs. Her guest was Icelandic singer Gardar Thor Cortes; he had a beautiful voice, and if his version of Anthem is anything to go by, he should be in Chess =)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat UK Tour, Palace Theatre - This is an interesting one as it is the only show I saw this year that I had already seen before. In fact, it was the very first musical I ever saw. I was only about 8 and remember asking my dad why they were always singing and not talking like normal people... I had not seen it since then, and since I know better now, I took the opportunity to see it as an adult; and I still really enjoyed it as much as I did when I was younger. Lloyd Daniels was a perfect Joseph; Danielle Hope, though having a more mature voice than I remember, was a good Narrator; and how can you not smile at Matt Lapinskas' Elvis-Pharaoh?
November
West End Women, Opera House - This was another concert I went to featuring Ria Jones, Joanna Ampil and Kerry Ellis (!!), with guest star Rory Taylor (who I had already seen last year in RENT, and was just as good here as he was then), celebrating their careers with songs from shows from the past 40 years that they had been in: including Miss Saigon, Les Mis, Chess, Evita and more. I was obviously most excited about seeing Kerry Ellis and she did NOT disappoint, particularly with her beautiful acoustic version of Defying Gravity. Jo Ampil gave a nice version of Memory, and Last Night of the World with Rory, but I think the real suprise was Ria Jones. I hadn't heard of her before but her voice was amazing!! She belted out All That Jazz like I had never heard it before and she made Sunset Boulevard sound tempting - not even EP could do that!! (Fun fact for you, Ria played Norma Desmond in the original workshop but told ALW that she was probably too young to play her properly at the time.... perhaps the revival...?) I waited a while at stage door, but it was worth it as I managed to get the programme signed by all of them and told Kerry Ellis that seeing her live was a dream come true =)
December
Little Shop of Horrors, Royal Exchange - Feed me Seymour!!! (sorry, couldn't resist) This production of the story about a shy florist, the girl of his dreams and a man-eating plant was the first show I have seen at The Royal Exchange, and my first ever experience being in a theatre-in-the-round and let me tell you it was a fantastic production to have as my first. It was an ensemble effort and the entire cast was brilliant, but the star of the show HAD to be Audrey II herself, brought to life by Nuno Silva (who also provided the voice), CJ Johnson and James Charlton; I was on the edge of my seat waiting almost all the first half to hear that plant speak. There is a bit in the programme of how the crew put the ideas for the plant together and it is fascinating - realizing that the standard design wouldn't work in the round, they came up with a different design that didn't hide the puppeteers and could turn 360 degrees to make use of all that space, just like the rest of the actors. Instead of using the mouth as a speaking and eating tool all in one, she opens her stomach and it can swallow her victims whole! Instead of using one puppet for the entire second act, she grows with every feed! Her voice is seductive and threatening at the same time and has sometimes made me feel a bit uneasy at night..... There was also one particular scene at the end of the show that made me swear and jump out of my seat - I had to apologize to the lady next to me... I won't spoil it any further so all I can say is it is running until January 31st, so go and see it while you still can!! If I had to pick my favourite musical I have seen this year, then it would be Little Shop!
Shrek The Musical UK Tour, Palace Theatre - When I first heard that Shrek was becoming a musical, I thought someone had lost their marbles. Then I heard something from the soundtrack on EPOS, investigated and thought the songs were surprisingly good. So to anyone who thinks it's mad, after having seen it, DON'T WORRY, IT WORKS!!!! Like Joseph, I saw so many children there, and it is the great first-show choice for children (not just for the burp and fart jokes). It keeps the charm, humour and pop-culture references from the original, while adding an extra element added into the story that deepens the plot and develops the characters even more! The cast were fantastic, but if I had to pick one performcance, I'd say my favorite was Gerard Carey (Lord Farquuad); he was hilarious, and took the character to a whole new level, even making him a bit camp sometimes! Who I'd Be at the end of Act 1 gave me chills (it's the first time we really see Shrek open his heart up and be honest) and it is impossible not to sing along to I'm a Believer at the end! My friend and I also managed to find references to Les Mis, Lion King, West Side Story and Wicked - see if you can spot them.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime UK Tour, The Lowry - Since I started with one play at the Lowry this year, it seems fitting to end the year with one as well - that is also just as moving, powerful and intelligent as War Horse was. Based on the book by Mark Haddon, it follows the story of 15 year-old Christopher, a boy with Aspergers Syndrome trying to find out who killed his neighbour's dog. I won't spoil the plot any further than that, as I was expecting something different to what I got (no, I have not read the book). I have to mention Chris Ashby; he was SO GOOD!! He played Christopher, who is similar to Sherlock (well, the Benedict Cumberbatch version anyway) or Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory but even more insecure, with absolute ease; especially when he had to be vulnerable (anyone who's read the book would know the kind of moments I am on about) - and imagine my surprise when I found out he was the understudy!!!!!!!! I'm going to keep my eyes on him in the future... It finishes in Salford in a few days, but it is touring the country, so make sure you get to see it in a venue near you.
So that's 2014 for you. There are hopefully lots of bits and bobs coming up in the next few months, but my next post will be my review of Into the Woods =)
Charlotte
525600 minutes... how do you measure, measure a year?
 |
| I saw this lovely light display outside The Lowry in Salford, where I was seeing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in December this year |
To explain just how big of a fan I am, let me tell you that I have a list on my wardrobe of things I want to see and cross them off as I go; show tunes are my favourite things to listen to; I listen to Elaine Paige on Sunday (EPOS) on the radio every week; I make sure that there is an extra copy of the programme when I see a show, as I like to rip the cover off mine and stick it up on my wall - I am now running out of space.
So as you can see, it is something I really enjoy - and that's all it is. I am no drama student or anything, and so I'm not writing this to critique things, rant and point at the nitty gritty etc etc. I don't even plan on doing star ratings, unlike most people. This is to only share my thoughts about things I have seen; mostly in Manchester, but maybe London if you're lucky - or New York if I ever become a millionaire ;)
I'm currently writing on a train to Nottingham, casually listening to Les Mis (my favourite btw), and though it's a bit after New Year, I thought what better way to get this started than with a quick overview on what I saw in 2014; I have been very busy as you will see and I couldn't get to London this year, so this is the best that Manchester has had to offer.
January
War Horse UK Tour, The Lowry - If you have gone through 2014, 100 years since WW1, without knowing what War Horse is about, then you have been living under a rock. And for anyone who has already seen it on stage, on film, or read the book it was based on, how can you not be moved (unless you have a heart of stone)?! The story of Joey the horse and his owner Albert on the front line is incredibly powerful, and Joey is definitely the star of the show. It is sometimes easy to forget that he is only a puppet, and not a real horse. I cannot recommend seeing it on stage enough; the film, as good as it is, pales in comparison.
*Insert giant gap here* Unfortunately, 2014 was a B-U-S-Y year. I had my final year of university, and then was spending the entire summer in Bordeaux.
Assignments/tests every week and being in a foreign country = no time for theatre trips =( *sob sob*
Everything else had to be fitted in 3 1/2 months, but thankfully, there has been quite a lot....
September
Jersey Boys UK Tour, Palace Theatre - I don't think I have ever been in an audience like the one I was in when I saw Jersey Boys. It's based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and includes many of their songs woven into the story - and I happened to know a fair few of them without realizing who they were by. By the end of the night, people were out of the seats and dancing in the aisles, similar to what it must be like at Mamma Mia every night. The stand-out performance HAD to be from Tim Drieson (Frankie Valli). It must have been such a difficult job to sing those songs, sound exactly like Valli and have that range, and he did it effortlessly. I also had my first experience at stage door that night, as I had my programme signed by Matt Gillet (Bob Crewe).October
Elaine Paige in concert, Bridgewater Hall - This blog will not only be about musical theatre etc on the stage. If I can see someone in concert who is related to that world, how can I not write about it? And how can I not write about good old EP, the Queen of British Musical Theatre?!!!! As I said, I listen to her show every week, so how could I miss it? Well, as you would expect, she was incredible. She was celebrating an incredible 50 years on stage, and her voice had not faded away or changed in any way with age; and Memory gave me goosebumps all over my arms and legs. Her guest was Icelandic singer Gardar Thor Cortes; he had a beautiful voice, and if his version of Anthem is anything to go by, he should be in Chess =)Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat UK Tour, Palace Theatre - This is an interesting one as it is the only show I saw this year that I had already seen before. In fact, it was the very first musical I ever saw. I was only about 8 and remember asking my dad why they were always singing and not talking like normal people... I had not seen it since then, and since I know better now, I took the opportunity to see it as an adult; and I still really enjoyed it as much as I did when I was younger. Lloyd Daniels was a perfect Joseph; Danielle Hope, though having a more mature voice than I remember, was a good Narrator; and how can you not smile at Matt Lapinskas' Elvis-Pharaoh? November
West End Women, Opera House - This was another concert I went to featuring Ria Jones, Joanna Ampil and Kerry Ellis (!!), with guest star Rory Taylor (who I had already seen last year in RENT, and was just as good here as he was then), celebrating their careers with songs from shows from the past 40 years that they had been in: including Miss Saigon, Les Mis, Chess, Evita and more. I was obviously most excited about seeing Kerry Ellis and she did NOT disappoint, particularly with her beautiful acoustic version of Defying Gravity. Jo Ampil gave a nice version of Memory, and Last Night of the World with Rory, but I think the real suprise was Ria Jones. I hadn't heard of her before but her voice was amazing!! She belted out All That Jazz like I had never heard it before and she made Sunset Boulevard sound tempting - not even EP could do that!! (Fun fact for you, Ria played Norma Desmond in the original workshop but told ALW that she was probably too young to play her properly at the time.... perhaps the revival...?) I waited a while at stage door, but it was worth it as I managed to get the programme signed by all of them and told Kerry Ellis that seeing her live was a dream come true =)December
Little Shop of Horrors, Royal Exchange - Feed me Seymour!!! (sorry, couldn't resist) This production of the story about a shy florist, the girl of his dreams and a man-eating plant was the first show I have seen at The Royal Exchange, and my first ever experience being in a theatre-in-the-round and let me tell you it was a fantastic production to have as my first. It was an ensemble effort and the entire cast was brilliant, but the star of the show HAD to be Audrey II herself, brought to life by Nuno Silva (who also provided the voice), CJ Johnson and James Charlton; I was on the edge of my seat waiting almost all the first half to hear that plant speak. There is a bit in the programme of how the crew put the ideas for the plant together and it is fascinating - realizing that the standard design wouldn't work in the round, they came up with a different design that didn't hide the puppeteers and could turn 360 degrees to make use of all that space, just like the rest of the actors. Instead of using the mouth as a speaking and eating tool all in one, she opens her stomach and it can swallow her victims whole! Instead of using one puppet for the entire second act, she grows with every feed! Her voice is seductive and threatening at the same time and has sometimes made me feel a bit uneasy at night..... There was also one particular scene at the end of the show that made me swear and jump out of my seat - I had to apologize to the lady next to me... I won't spoil it any further so all I can say is it is running until January 31st, so go and see it while you still can!! If I had to pick my favourite musical I have seen this year, then it would be Little Shop!Shrek The Musical UK Tour, Palace Theatre - When I first heard that Shrek was becoming a musical, I thought someone had lost their marbles. Then I heard something from the soundtrack on EPOS, investigated and thought the songs were surprisingly good. So to anyone who thinks it's mad, after having seen it, DON'T WORRY, IT WORKS!!!! Like Joseph, I saw so many children there, and it is the great first-show choice for children (not just for the burp and fart jokes). It keeps the charm, humour and pop-culture references from the original, while adding an extra element added into the story that deepens the plot and develops the characters even more! The cast were fantastic, but if I had to pick one performcance, I'd say my favorite was Gerard Carey (Lord Farquuad); he was hilarious, and took the character to a whole new level, even making him a bit camp sometimes! Who I'd Be at the end of Act 1 gave me chills (it's the first time we really see Shrek open his heart up and be honest) and it is impossible not to sing along to I'm a Believer at the end! My friend and I also managed to find references to Les Mis, Lion King, West Side Story and Wicked - see if you can spot them.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime UK Tour, The Lowry - Since I started with one play at the Lowry this year, it seems fitting to end the year with one as well - that is also just as moving, powerful and intelligent as War Horse was. Based on the book by Mark Haddon, it follows the story of 15 year-old Christopher, a boy with Aspergers Syndrome trying to find out who killed his neighbour's dog. I won't spoil the plot any further than that, as I was expecting something different to what I got (no, I have not read the book). I have to mention Chris Ashby; he was SO GOOD!! He played Christopher, who is similar to Sherlock (well, the Benedict Cumberbatch version anyway) or Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory but even more insecure, with absolute ease; especially when he had to be vulnerable (anyone who's read the book would know the kind of moments I am on about) - and imagine my surprise when I found out he was the understudy!!!!!!!! I'm going to keep my eyes on him in the future... It finishes in Salford in a few days, but it is touring the country, so make sure you get to see it in a venue near you.So that's 2014 for you. There are hopefully lots of bits and bobs coming up in the next few months, but my next post will be my review of Into the Woods =)
Charlotte
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