A Round-Up of 2018

Let's face it - 2018 has been MAD! With all everything going on in the news and all, it seems all we're waiting for is The Last Leg to explain all this rubbish in plain English, or just to escape it all - maybe that's why we like theatre etc etc so much...? Anyway, let's not look back on all the squabbles and instead look back on many trips including:

• 12 Power Ballads (at least!)
• 11 West End hits
• 10 Angsty Teens
• 9 Drag Queens Dancing
• 8-0 Days A-Travelling
• 7 Love Triangles
• 6 WI Ladies
• 5 Singing Films
• 4 Shakespeare
• 3 Mean Heathers
• 2 Kinky Boots
• And a Rapping Treasury Secretary

(You have no idea how hard that was to put together!)

So as per every year, here's my look-back at 2018 - and I'll TRY to not mention Hamilton every time, but that's going to be extremely difficult!

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Performance of the Year Award:

Male: Our first contender is from the very first show of the year, Around The World In 80 Days, for Michael Hugo as the French valet Passepartout. Following that was Jason Pennycooke as the Marquis de Layfaette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton. Summer gave us Ken Watanabe in The King and I and John McCrea in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, while Autumn had Craig Els as the delightfully evil Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, Jonathan Bailey's Jamie (formally Amy) in Company and Callum Francis as Kinky Boots' fabulous Lola.
To be honest, Bailey came close to at least tying, if not topping this guy, but in the end, I just couldn't. This year, it goes to Pennycooke's co-star, Michael Jibson, who played King George III in Hamilton - even though he was only on stage for 10 minutes! It's no surprise that he won the Olivier Award for his performance. 

Female: This has been a lot harder to choose than the men! I'd first like to mention Cassidy Jenson as she was the best performance from Chess (even with Michael Ball there (still love you Michael)!); then there's Kelli O'Hara's 2015 Tony winning performance in The King and I, Marisha Wallace's Effie in Dreamgirls, Kaisa Hammarlund and Jenna Russel in Fun Home and Sophia Ally as the titular Matilda. In the end, I'm choosing one from Company, which houses two contenders: Patti LuPone's Joanne shouldn't be a surprise to be mentioned here, but this has to go to Rosalie Craig. This production has been completely revolutionised, and Craig's Bobbie is at the heart of it. 

Understudy of the Year Award: Looking back I'm quite amazed I haven't done this one before, so I'm hoping to rectify this right now and honour all the amazing actors who act as understudies, often for multiple characters. Winning the first one is a girl who I saw play one of my favourite characters in theatre: Miriam Teak-Lee, who I saw as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. I was initially gutted not to be seeing Rachel John but the second she came on during The Schuyler Sisters, that feeling vanished. Angelica has connected with me as a person in a way I haven't felt since I was introduced to Les Mis' Eponine (both characters suffering from unrequited love now I think about it... haha!) and I loved Miriam's take of her. She's now unfortunately left the show, but I cannot wait to see what she does next. 

Almost-but-not-quite Award: In this category we had lifeboats in Titanic, handbags in The Importance of Being Earnest (despite Kerry Ellis starring as Gwendolen, I'm just not a fan of farces and a lot was either underacted or overacted) and Gerald Santos' Thuy in Miss Saigon (sorry, was NOT a fan). But I'm sadly going to give this to one of the two John Wilson Proms this year to celebrate Bernstein's 100th birthday, the one in question being West Side Story. The reason I chose this one was despite the fabulous cast, I was really let down by it being a stripped down concert version rather than something like Oklahoma the year before. On The Town a few weeks later was an improvement, and it did also get a TV broadcast rather than just through the radio. Perhaps this is just me being a bit over-hyped beforehand but West Side Story is considered THE best musical of all time, and John Wilson (as much as I love him) knows this! For me, it deserved SO MUCH MORE!

Leaky Eyes Award: Unlike last year, there have been a few tear-jerking ones this year that could have given me watery eyes (remember: I don't cry easily): Miss Saigon for obvious reasons and there was a particularly emotional moment in Hamilton that was close. Spring Awakening was close too, but I'm going to give this one to Fun Home. It may not have made me cry as such, but it was the one that moved me the most. After seeing the show (at the Young Vic in London), I called my parents and had a good talk with them about my day and the show. That was my emotional response to it, and it's rare that I get something like that from a show. I bloody well hope it transfers, because more people need to see it!

Laughed-Till-I-Was-Sore Award: Probably the hardest category this year, as plenty of shows had funny moments. Perhaps the perfect mother-daughter date in Calender Girls? Or maybe Twelfth Night at the Young Vic (although let's be honest, anything with Gerard Carey in it is going to be funny), and also Heathers: The Musical was an honest adaptation of the cult classic. SIDENOTE: I have now finally seen the film after going to my best mate's house on Christmas Eve to watch it. Anyhow I'm going to hand this to The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, done by Mischief Theatre. Why this one you ask? Well, it comes down to one particular moment that had my Mum looking like she was about to wet herself with laughter and my Dad's eyes out of his sockets...! No spoilers. 

Danced-Till-They-Dropped Award: This is going to be a tie, as I simply cannot choose between them: Hamilton (again!) and Kinky Boots. Everyone knows about Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography, but similarly for Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell knows how to put on a big dance number - especially for Lola and her Angels dancing in those heels!

On-Screen Award: It's been a FANTASTIC year for musical films, as at least 5 of them had a major release this year (though I haven't seen A Star Is Born or Mary Poppins Returns yet, but will put a review up as soon as I do). In the beginning of the year, Coco gave us a new fabulous Mexican-inspired soundtrack, winning on Oscar for Remember Me. Then the summer gave us the humongous guilty pleasure/big fat cheese fest in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Either of these could have won this, or any NT Live I've seen. But in all honesty, all things considered, it is a no-brainer. This has to go to one film that came out, like Coco, at the start of the year and set the entire world on fire. It may not have got the greatest reviews, but it smashed the box-office, and the soundtrack became legendary instantly. It even sprouted a covers album just a few weeks ago, featuring the likes of Panic At The Disco, Sara Barailles and Pink! Step forward The Greatest Showman!  

Costume of the Year Award: Another hard one. I had already whittled it down to a two way between Hamilton (for obvious reasons) and Kinky Boots, specifically for the Angel's costumes and all those boots. Wicked was also a possibility too. But a (very) late entry has just pipped the post of these giants: I am going to give this to Doctor Dolittle. I loved the circus costumes, but this is particularly for the puppeteers costumes, all white, cream or similar colours so you even forgot the puppeteer was there. It seems strange to give a costume award for this reason but I just have to. Quaack quack! (That's "Thank You" in duck..... I think...? Dr, was that right?) 

Blew-My-Mind Award: This HAS to go to Hamilton. It's an absolute no-brainer. I was still in disbelief I had seen it when I was leaving the theatre - it's not just a normal theatre trip, but an experience. Now, if A.Ham hadn't been in contention, what would I have gone with you ask? Probably Dreamgirls; so if you haven't seen it yet a) get in quick as it is closing in a matter of days or b) they've announced a tour with dates/cast etc TBC.

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A lot of 2019 shows have already been announced - and boy does it look good! Soon, I'm hoping to see the Royal Exchange's production of The Producers, and speaking of which, they're also putting on West Side Story starring Gabriela Garcia (In The Heights) as Maria - which is also running round my birthday! Speaking of the Manchester area, there's loads of new tours of shows I haven't seen before, from Mowtown: The Musical, to Hair and Ghost; plus the Hope Mill Theatre will be doing Mame, starring Tracie Bennett. Six, a new musical already achieving some sort of cult status in the theatre community, will be coming back to the Lowry at the end of the year (and thank god too as I didn't have a chance to see it this year!).
London looks good too, as some BIG Broadway transfers are happening: Waitress and Come From Away in the next couple of months and Dear Evan Hansen in November!

As to what is confirmed, well, I'll be storming the barricades with Mormons and wizards...

In February, I'll be seeing the new Les Mis tour, and June brings us The Book of Mormon as it plays in its first UK venue outside of the West End - both will be playing at Manchester's Palace Theatre. And, at the end of July, I'll be going down to London to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - the Potternerd in me going a bit out of control now....

Plus, also in February, I'll be catching a concert featuring someone who's not only a legend in the theatre community but is also (officially) a Disney Legend as well.... Hmmm, I wonder who that could be...?

Have a wonderful New Year and see you in 2019 - let's hope we survive it.....!