Musical Geek - Musical Theatre Reviews

Things are looking decidedly 'pink' at the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich at the moment and there is some distinct legal jargon in the air, you might want to look-up the phrase 'malum prohibitum' or on the other hand you could just ask Miss Elle Woods who despite only a 4.0 average in fashion merchandising and against all the odds has managed to qualify for a course at Harvard Law, this is of course Legally Blonde ! Hot foot from her success as Snow White in pantomime, Molly Hill creates another piece of stunning characterisation as Miss Woods with a crystal clear vocal to match. I'm sure nobody is quite sure why she feels the need to chase ex boyfriend Warner Huntington III (a gloriously self-centred performance from Jake Jones) all the way from Malibu to Massachusetts but, it's amazing what one will do for 'love'. If you are travelling that far you're going to need some support from your friends whether in person or as the obligatory Greek Chorus com

Like many societies it has been three years since Quarry Bank Musical Theatre Society have managed to bring a production to the stage, you might ask has it been worth the wait ? Well read on as this is a powerhouse production requiring a deep dive into a thesaurus for superlatives, these might be my words but, as the song goes, this is their story. Not often do you get to play a demanding (bordering I imagine on exhausting) lead role that even your closest friends might not recognise as you but, Carl Cook under a weight of costume and make-up brings a performance of epic proportions to the role of everybody's favourite ogre, Shrek, outstanding vocals (not to mention some pretty impressive farting and belching). Every self-respecting ogre needs a sidekick (or maybe even a 'noble steed') and that comes in an energetic and audience pleasing performance from Luey Pearce as Donkey, with a soulful vocal and milking the comedy element for every conceivable drop. Now the ogre has h

It is probably a sad indictment of the country that equality in its wider sense is still not quite where we would like it to be, despite all the hard work and pain suffered by the women at Ford Dagenham in 1968. However there is nothing sad about this production of Made in Dagenham by Star-Struck Theatre Company but, there is a deep vein of emotion, some powerful musical numbers and a story that I would challenge anybody not to be enthralled by. The root of the story is the fight (and I use the word unreservedly as it is a 'fight' in so many ways) by the women of the Ford Dagenham Plant to achieve equal pay with the men. You might think that should have been a given but, not in 1968 when females were still expected to run the house, bring up the kids, manage the finances and only take on a job as a last resort ! That isn't something that Rita O'Grady (played with passion by Vicky Bull) and her colleagues are happy with, I'm not sure that Rita expects to lead the off

There is a little piece of the Philadelphia Underworld that has currently taken-up occupancy at the Kinver High School Theatre and the local convent has been dragged into this seedy world after a murder is witnessed and a singer needs to be hidden prior to the trial. Made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the 1992 Movie, Kinver Light Operatic Society finally manage to bring their much delayed version of Sister Act to the stage and its absolutely worth the wait. Attiye Passey's vivaciously flamboyant performance as Deloris Van Cartier is just the tip of a musical iceberg that smashes its way into a responsive audience, a voice that could blow the roof off any venue and eyes that draw you into the story, suggests perfect casting. Said story is all about the relationships built between Deloris and the rest of the nuns at the convent in which she now finds herself (much initially to her chagrin it must be said) isn't it ? And there is a rich array of characters and voices in this partic

In a world that is dominated by the 'modern musical', it is always nice to be able to witness one of the classics and they don't come any more loved than The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein who could probably be defined as the inventors of the musical as we know it. Manor Musical Theatre Company have created a production that adheres to all that we remember and cherish about the story of the Von Trapp Family and the challenges of existing in Nazi occupied Austria during World War II. Pressure of performance for leading characters is nothing new but, there is so much riding on the portrayal of Maria Rainer that it needs an actor of some considerable capability and capacity which is exactly what Paula O'Hare brings to the performance, bags of enthusiasm and a voice of incredible quality. Richard Parry provides an equally formidable performance as Captain Von Trapp, the strong and initially foreboding type who runs his house like his ship (with a wh

'Everything I touch is turning to gold' is a lyric from the Petula Clark classic 'Colour My World' which has become a bit of an anthem for this musical, the story of three drag queens crossing the Australian Outback in a coach (they christen Priscilla, hence the title). I suspect that the production team from Willenhall Musical Theatre Company, Alf Rai (Director), Lindsey Vickers (Choreographer) and Rob Murray (Musical Director) can now apply that phrase to themselves after an outstanding opening night at the Mill Theatre in Sedgley. Much of the success factor comes from some majestic casting and incredible on-stage presence in every scene, let's be serious for many of the performers it is hard enough to maintain a convincing Australian accent throughout the production without having to stay balanced on high heels for much of the time as well. James Totney opening the show as Miss Understanding also had to overcome a slightly belligerent curtain that for one moment