Musical Geek - Musical Theatre Reviews

There’s a level of professionalism in this production that makes me wonder if it really should be taken to a much wider audience, I would always hesitate to use a word like flawless, so perhaps let’s call it consummate and something that Emma-Jayne Gladman as Director and Hayley Gibbs as Musical Director must be exceptionally proud of, Rob Gladman’s set design additionally adds just the right atmosphere to proceedings. I’ve not been to the Hinckley Concordia Theatre before, it’s a little gem of a facility, somewhere I’d recommend more people, whether local or not, visit and if the standard of this show is anything to go by, you’ll not be disappointed with what you see. Jonathan Larson’s emotional story set in the poverty stricken East Village neighbourhood of Manhattan confronts many sensitive topics head on and this cast would rival any in handling all of the challenges in exemplary fashion, what makes it such a triumph is the acting and vocal skills which are quite simply of top-...

After Les Miserables last year and finding out that Phantom of the Opera was the challenge for 2018, I seriously thought this society had 'bitten off more than it could chew', we are talking a difficult piece of theatre for even a highly trained adult cast and surely they can't surpass the exceptional standard from last year. Suffice to say I was wrong, because this is performance art that is beyond your average superlative, delivered with style and professionalism to a richly appreciative audience. Creatively bubbling away at the centre of this highly accomplished and intensely portrayed production is a triumvirate of formidable characterisations, Alex Cook's outstandingly powerful Phantom, Alex Cooper's vocally unparallelled Christine (that is a West End Voice and the last voice I said that about is now understudying Fantine in the West End production of Les Miserables !) and Oliver Keeling's sophisticated and charming performance as Raoul. Gifted performa...

If patrons are traditionalist fans of this Cult Comedy Horror Musical then there might be some concern around a staging of Little Shop Of Horrors that breaks some of the previous standards but, since many would say that art is ultimately interpretative then nothing should be beyond the realms of possibility and Maria Aberg has created something just a little bit ‘left field’ with the assistance of some highly inventive set and costume design from Tom Scutt. Attention to detail is quite astonishing, particularly with some scaled down, typical New York City skyscrapers wheeled around by the ensemble cast in shopping trolleys and with costumes printed with the same run down city images. Even Mushnik’s Florist Shop is reduced in size but, is used to provide an array of settings and to house the plant itself, Audrey II is a vivid modern alternative to the super-size flytrap puppet that might be remembered from the 1986 Movie. Voiced by the sadly now departed Levi Stubbs (original le...

Probably the epitome of a 'modern musical' but, still with some connection to a classic, 'In The Heights' is an early work from the now much renowned Lin-Manuel Miranda and there is no doubt that this laid the foundation for the now supremely successful 'Hamilton' but, in my mind it also has a feel of West Side Story about it. In this case the 'Heights' referred to is 'Washington Heights' a predominantly Hispanic-American populated area of New York City and the story is very much about community, family and friends highlighting the complexities of relationships. Muscom (Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company) have chosen this challenging piece for their next production and I was lucky enough to be able to see the Final Dress Rehearsal which I have to say went incredibly well and can only bode well for the performances to come, Much credit must go to the production team who may not have realised quite what they had taken on but, have created somet...

Back in September of 2017 one of my earliest reviews covered this production as part of a short run in Rowley Regis, I commented at the time that it deserved a wider viewing public and more performances. Well it's back on what is billed as 'The Sassitude Tour' and having already completed two performances at the Crestwood Theatre in Stourbridge, it's now taking up residence for a further two nights at the Blue Orange Theatre in Birmingham, an intimate venue that brings an even 'sassier' side out of the cast. Disenchanted by Dennis T. Giacino isn't your average story about princesses, these ladies aren't looking for a Prince Charming or a 'Happy Ever After' they're breaking out of classic 'princess mode' and telling it, loud and large, to the audience how that's not the reality at all. So if you're still lost in the way these stories are portrayed by the likes of Walt Disney, be prepared for something different but, equally (...

It’s rare that what is probably one of the quintessential musicals is ever produced using anything other than the standard style and format and I guess it remains to be seen whether this colourful, dynamic and above all different interpretation is remembered for its differences, however it certainly should be as it sparkles in the open-air environment of the Kilworth House Theatre. Director & Choreographer Andrew Wright has reinvented the story from the Book of Genesis interlinking the traditional biblical piece with a more modern story of Joseph rejected as a child by his friends (rather than his brothers) simply for being different which addresses some wider modern life concerns. Matthew Jeans is a vibrant and confident Joseph, shadowed by (on this occasion) Isaac Williams from the Red Team of youngsters as Young Joseph, touching and engaging moments when the two lock eyes to sing some short duets at poignant moments throughout the performance. Shanay Holmes Steward is an e...

Probably the least likely venue for this rather revealing musical, the intimate surroundings of the Old Joint Stock Theatre with the audience in close proximity must have been a slightly unnerving prospect for the male cast of the Full Monty Musical. However some inventive directing and choreography from Adam and Pippa Lacey allows action almost inches from the public to feel like a much larger and more expansive arena and a set consisting of just a small amount of scaffolding is transformed into a multitude of locations. Alex Wadham’s confident Jerry and Oliver Britten’s almost broken Dave build a deeply empathetic relationship at the centre of this story about deflated, out of work steelworkers in Buffalo, New York. Jerry’s idea to stage a male strip show purely to meet the maintenance demands of his ex wife is greeted initially with laughter and derision but, is ultimately destined for success as they build their team soon to be known as Hot Metal who will provide ‘the goods’ and ...