Musical Geek - Musical Theatre Reviews

One of those stories that I’d be surprised if the public will ever tire of experiencing now touring again across the UK, if it was a simple tale of the success achieved by The Four Seasons it wouldn’t be as engrossing as it is, the trials and tribulations of a turbulent journey are what makes the story worth the telling and the current production tells it so very well. Frankie Valli (or Francesco Stephen Castelluccio if you want his real name) is at the centre of what is a gritty, real drama more than anything but, enhanced with some of the most iconic tracks that will ever grace a piece of musical theatre. Add the group ‘godfather’ Tommy DeVito, the real musical genius of Nick Massi and finally the super talented songwriting skills of Bob Gaudio and you have that perfect mix. Michael Watson is a confident and highly engaging (some subtly significant facial expression in addition to an amazing voice) as Mr Valli with an ‘i’, Simon Bailey frighteningly and realistically earthy as th...

It’s Panto Time again and Birmingham Hippodrome already have the bar set incredibly high after recent years, so there is a big challenge for Qdos Entertainment to bring something bigger, better and bolder than before. Can they do that would have been the question and the answer is .......... of course they can with everything from a flying horse carriage to a star-studded cast this is a couple of hours you should seriously take to lose yourself in the entertainment phenomenon that is pantomime. Back for his fifth appearance and with a sixth already sealed is the spectacular comedy appeal of Matt Slack, if anybody was put on this planet for pantomime it’s Matt, audience appeal, quick witted responses and a hit with the youngsters (even if the odd joke goes straight over their heads). You can’t stage a show of this stature without a top class songstress and they don't come with a higher pedigree than this Fairy Godmother in the form of soul diva Beverley Knight. Along with so...

This tale from C.S. Lewis is undoubtedly timeless and that makes it a challenge for every new production to be a bit different with some added audience appeal and the Crescent Theatre have managed that in a number of ways. Firstly there is a striking set, deceptive in simplicity but, with sufficient nooks, crannies and hidden rooms to house all the relevant scenes from the house of Mr Tumnus the Faun to Aslan's Camp, a triumph of design from Ruth Collins and her Set Team. Secon dly an array of stunning costumes attributable to some top rate design from Jennet Marshall and her Costume Team. Thirdly some innovative directing from Alan K. Marshall, not least of all an opening scene with all the characters from Narnia as human alternatives in a country war-time railway station montage. Equally the use of children dressed in white as Snow Spirits, although the audience is never quite sure whether they are on the side of the White Witch or not. Finally some superlative stagecraft...

If you’ve ever seen the movie of Singin’ in the Rain you may remember that Cosmo Brown calls Lina Lamont a ‘triple threat’, she can’t act, she can’t sing and she can’t dance. Joanne Clifton is actually the polar opposite of this, she can do all three and do them well, she’s also easy on the eye and has uncanny knack of being able to connect with an audience whilst still keeping the integrity of a character, a rare commodity. This is obviously the latest stage adaption of the 1983 movie and is a montage of stories headed by that of Alex Owens (Joanne Clifton), worker in a steel mill during the day, yet pursuing her dream of being a dancer at night. Sadly in a less than salubrious location and a far cry from the dance conservatory that she aspires to but, fortunately with support from (and a romantic relationship with) her privileged boss Nick Hurley, an engaging portrayal by Ben Adams proving there is much more than Boy Band to his performance capacity and her mentor ex ballerina Hann...

You might be disappointed if you were to attend this production and expect to see that number of spotty, furry canines on stage but, that disappointment would soon fade with the class puppetry, acting and musicianship of a multitalented cast. In the ever increasing vein of the hit production of ‘War Horse’ this is a feat of entertainment that amazes as well as delights, charms and beguiles the audience from beginning to end. From the moment we meet the enticingly normal Mr & Mrs Dearly (Morgan Philpott and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi) with their physically canine pets Pongo & Missis (controlled flawlessly by Oliver Wellington and Emma Thornett) you just know this will be a memorable experience. Having given birth to a large litter of puppies, they are stolen by Jasper & Saul Baddun (comical names and finely tuned comic acting from Lewis Griffin and Luke Murphy), henchmen of the deliciously bad, yet fundamentally fragile Cruella de Vil (a portrayal of domineering vulnerablity from...

Having already had one successful stage musical in the form of ‘The Girls’ based on the film Calendar Girls, Tim Firth teams up again with Gary Barlow to bring another to the stage, this time with the added likely ‘success factor’ of a catalogue of ‘Take That’ Hits to bank on courtesy of not only Mr Barlow but, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Robbie Williams. Casting for a group of fresh young talent to play ‘The Band’ via the television series ‘Let It Shine’, prime time viewing on BBC 1 earlier in the year a proven formula for discovering musical theatre talent these days. Much consternation after the guys from the group ‘Five to Five’ won the show, that their roles in this musical would be peripheral to the main action and concern that all the hype might have been for nothing. With this thought in my head I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as the lights dimmed, suffice to say if anybody out there is worrying that they have been duped and will not see something interesting, entertain...