Aladdin, Prince Edward Theatre

It has been about a month since I last went to the theatre; I know what you are thinking, how does a theatre addict like myself last a month without going. Well luckily my treatment includes lots of Elaine Paige on Sunday, BBC WestEnders, musical films and bad singing to get through it. It has also been a long time coming for me and my Beez (Kaz) to have a theatre trip. We had been anticipating the long awaited Broadway transfer of Disney’s Aladdin in London, which I will come on to. Was great catching up with ma Beez, giggles the whole way to London, despite my gas (sorry Beez) and the T**T that hit Kaz’s wing mirror. Thankfully after driving 2 miles while holding it through the window (hilarious) it clipped backed in. We had a little trip to the Victoria and Albert museum in Kensington for their special Curtain Up exhibition which celebrates 40 years of London theatre, part of the 40^th anniversary celebrations of the Olivier Awards. Was great walking around, looking how times have changes, history of programmes, mixing the sounds and my favourite part trying on the costumes. We then had a relaxing chill in Leicester (a.k.a Lichester) Square where we mulled in the sun; having devilish thoughts. Then it was time for Aladdin.

The Prince Edward Theatre is in the heart of the LGBT community on Old Compton Street. I have been to this theatre a few times, first to see Mamma Mia with Nanny Cora before its move and more recently in 2014 to see the latest production of Miss Saigon. It is a lovely theatre holding over 1600 audience members each performance and owned by Delfont Mackintosh. It has hosted some of the most well-known musicals in the West End including Evita, Chess, Anything Goes, Crazy for You, West Side Story, Mary Poppins and Jersey Boys. Now it hosts Aladdin. Disney transferred the much loved 1992 animated musical film into a stage production. In launched in Seattle in 2011 and then to produce regional and international productions. It opened on Broadway in 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. I have not discussed the plot as I thought everyone reading this blog would know it. If you don’t, why not? It tells the tale of young homeless Aladdin who is coerced into finding a magic lamp, who finds out this magic lamp contains a genie and Aladdin uses three magic wishes to win over the beautiful princess Jasmine. Aladdin was nominated for 5 Tony’s in 2014 including Best Musical, Best Book (Beguelin), Best Original Score (Menken, Ashman, Rice and Beguelin) and Best Choreography (Casey Nicholaw) with James Monroe Iglehart winning the Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical as the Genie (well deserved). The album was later nominated for Best Musical Theatre Album at the 2015 Grammy’s (won by Beautiful, The Carole King Musical). It will be interesting to see how Aladdin competes at the 2016 Olivier’s Awards, but I would bet on Trevor Dion Nichols being nominated for his portrayal of the Genie.

I have to start by mentioning how blown over I was with Trevor Dion Nichols who played the Genie, an iconic character anyone will admit, being portrayed by the late and great Robin Williams in the 1992 animated film. Nichols had played the Genie on Broadway, I think as an understudy or replacement, but recently relocating to London to star in the West End production of Aladdin. He was by far the most charismatic, talented, funny and wonderful person on that whole stage. He certainly was the star of the night and that showed in the response he got from the audience, most standing to applaud such an energetic performance. He has the best song in the show, ‘Friend Like Me’ and boy does he do it justice. A 7 minute, non-stop musical number, with a Disney medley honouring the work of Disney legends Howard Ashman, Stephen Swartz and Alan Menken with Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid, being featured. This was also one of the most visually amazing parts of the show. It involves magic, glitter, quick changes, illusions and an explosion of confetti into the audience. I cannot get over this one scene; I want to see it over and over again. There are clips on the Internet of the Tony performance but this does not capture one bit how amazing it is to sit among it, plus it is a snippet of the full scene. If you do not enjoy anything else about Aladdin, Nichols’ performance will have you gagging for more and he will draw you in to the Arabian magic.

I have to admit apart from Nichols I was not blown away by the rest of the cast. I had seen Dean John-Wilson recently at the St James’ Theatre in Miss Atomic Bomb where I thought he was really good. Thus I was really looking forward to seeing him as the protagonist in this show which had received fantastic reviews. I am not sure what it was but I thought his voice was not the best and no way compared to Nichols’. The same was said for Jade Ewen playing Jasmine. A former Sugababe I was having high hopes for this performance, again I was completely underwhelmed. The songs sung by Ewen and John-Wilson did nothing for my inner romantic side, so ‘A Whole New World’ was disappointing, vocally, not visually (wait!). Jafar was played by Don Gallagher who is a well-known TV and stage actor but I felt this performance was very panto-esque (I love a panto, but there is a place and time). Whether this was aimed at the kids I am not sure. I enjoyed Peter Howe as Iago, who does the most fantastic human version of an animated parrot, the reference to Iago as a parrot in the film was good and he even sounded like the Iago in the film. Irvine Iqbal played the Sultan, who albeit not in it much had a really amazing voice so it was a shame he only really has one (big) number. Instead of the monkey Abu as Aladdin’s side kick he has three mates, Babkak, Omar and Kassim (I liked Kassim, played by Stephen Rahman-Hughes), and I understand it would have been difficult to portray a tiny monkey on stage, but I think I would have preferred a monkey as opposed to three mates, although there is a reference to Abu in the Prince Ali number. Also there is no tiger (Rajah).

I think the creatives of Aladdin outweigh the cast by a million, excluding Nichols’ of course. With the hero of Disney, a god of musical theatre and a talent not many can top, you can’t really go wrong when you have Alan Menken writing the music for a stage show, and again this is something he has exceeded in. With old classics such as Arabian Nights, One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali and of course A Whole New World what can go wrong. With lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, Tim Rice (another fantastic Disney and Musical theatre lyricist) and Chad Beguelin (who also writes the book) it really is a fantastic score. It was great to hear some of Ashman’s work that was cut from the original animated film, the song Proud of Your Boy I have fallen in love with and High Adventure is a catchy little number too. I always think it is hard to beat the classics and the newer songs which were written for the stage version don’t live up to the classics. A Million Miles Away was a bit flat for me, although hearing it on the Broadway cast album does sound better and ‘These Palace Walls’ has been forgotten.

Some of the scenes were absolutely beautiful and were mesmerising which is not an over exaggeration at all. Scenic design was by Bob Crowley, illusion design by Jim Steinmeyer, and Lighting by Natasha Katz. The scenes start to become out of this world with Diamond in the Rough leading to Friend Like Me. The stage turns into an actual Sahara goldmine. Everything is so sparkly and dazzling, the lion sand monster comes to life and you just do not know where to look. The transformation of the stage during Friend Like Me and the illusory effects are just fantastic and it really gives off that magical vibe. I cannot give too much away as it will spoil the show if you see it. Katz does an amazing job with A Whole New World, again the stage transforms into the night sky, with shooting stars, perspective changes and the love between Jasmine and Aladdin comes to life with the lighting arrangements. It really was a spectacular moment, and yes there is a magic carpet ride, beautiful!

All of this wonder is added to by the gorgeous costume design by Gregg Barnes. From the dramatic bold colours off all the characters to the innocent and rich white of the Prince and his entourage they were all so beautiful. The Arabian feel for costumes was definitely captured within the costumes and there was so much bling it was fabulous. Some of those costumes are bound to have weighed a ton (I should know I spent a good 20 minutes at the V&A trying them on). And I am assuming this would be down to make-up design (Milagros Medina-Cerdeira), anyway whose ever idea it was to put glitter on the bald head of the Genie, for me this was the icing on the cake, or the glitter on the head (haha! Bad joke sorry). If (or when) I go bald at least I have the comfort of knowing I can sparkle in the light of having no hair with body glitter on my head, YES!

I do feel I have been over critical to Aladdin. I really enjoyed the show but it was definitely the creatives, set design, illusions, costumes, sparkle, glitter and of course Trevor Dion Nichols’ performance as the Genie that won the show for me. Aladdin is currently selling at the Prince Edward Theatre until June 2017. It really is a lovely production to SEE. Please get in touch on Twitter fellow musical fans, AaronBurgess89

Funny Girl at the Savoy

It was another West End trip for myself and Nanny Cora last weekend (18^th June 2016) to see Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre on the Strand in London. Of course it was a fantastic trip with laughter and giggles and the show was amazing. A new underground was visited by Nanny Cora, High Barnet, as we would be on the Northern line. I was very impressed with the disabled access at High Barnet as there was no need to use stairs. However despite a quick energetic spurt my Nanny Cora we missed the train by seconds so we thought while there we can have a quick toilet break until the next train to Charing Cross arrived. The toilets were absolutely minging, I was nearly sick and I will definitely not be going to them public toilets again, funny though! London is full of wonderful people and me and Nanny Cora both like to people watch and comment on all the lovely people we meet. We also reminisced about when me, her and Grandad went to the London Eye, the weather being awful we went to some random pub which is on The Strand next to the Savoy and laughed about that. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to pop to Trafalgar Square to see a bit of West End Live but I am sure it was a fabulous day.    

Funny Girl is a semi-biographical musical about Fanny Brice, the American Broadway star and comedian. The story focuses on her career and relationship with Nick Arnstein. Funny Girl made its Broadway appearance in 1964, starring Barbara Streisand who went on to star in the 1968 film of the same name which was based on the musical. I have wanted to see Funny Girl for ages as there is one song everyone will know as it has featured in huge films and has become one of those songs people forget comes from a musical, I’ll let you guess, answer below. Streisand reprised her role for the West End production which came to the Prince of Wales theatre in 1966. Since its close in Broadway (in 1967) and the West End (I think also in 1967) there had been some minor national tours but no actual full scale revival until 2015 at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. I tried to get tickets but couldn’t as it sold out within one day. The revival had a new revised book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (original by Isobel Lennart who went on to write the film adaptation), known for his work on La Cage Aux Folles, Kinky Boots and starring in Hairspray. When it was announced this revival would be moving to the Savoy for a limited period I needed to get tickets. Funny Girl, despite its well-known score and huge fan base, has not won any significant awards. The London production was before the introduction of the Lawrence Olivier Award and the Broadway production was nominated for 8 1964 Tony Awards however not winning any, mainly due to that year being up against Hello Dolly.

Funny Girl was due to star Sheridan Smith as Fanny, and she received mostly rave reviews from her time at the Menier and then the transfer to the Savoy. However due to recent difficulties she has faced in her personal life she has been indisposed for about 6 weeks I think now. Since her indisposition her understudy, Natasha J Barnes, has taken on the role of Fanny Brice, who starred as Brice after Smith’s departure from the Menier production. Barnes’ performance is fantastic and she received an immediate standing ovation as she entered the stage for the final time at curtain call. She absolutely deserved this reaction and goes to show how much understudies are often undervalued. Barnes’ own reaction to this standing ovation goes to show how genuine she is and how much she appreciated every clap she heard. She was really really good. It must have been absolutely terrifying taking on this role for 8 performances a week. Barnes is naturally funny, and I think you would have to be, taking on the role of Fanny Brice. Parts of the show you could tell a joke had to be written in but it was her facial expressions and natural witty presence on stage that made her Brice unmissable. It was the Rat-tat-tat-tat scene that had me in stitches, first of all I wasn’t sure if this was part of the comedic writing, but it became apparent that her fake moustache was not supposed to keep falling off, but it did, and even Barnes’ had to laugh at some point. It is this part of theatre and watching musicals live that I absolutely love, each performance is different and this was certainly a funny part of the show. As well as funny and genuine Barnes had a wonderful voice and her version of ‘Don’t rain on my parade’ was fantastic, especially the reprise during the finale. I was originally gutted about not seeing Sheridan Smith, and I wish her all the best for getting better, but similar to my experience of Sunset Boulevard, I am very pleased to have experienced Natasha J Barnes as Fanny Brice.

The hunk of the show, Nick Arnstein, is played by Darius Campbell, known better by his single first name for Pop Idol and Popstars. Since this he has gone on to be a platinum selling recording artist, actor and film producer. I didn’t know this was Darius until after the show where I took a much closer look at the programme; couldn’t properly due to the horrible seats of the Savoy. Darius plays Arnstein well; his suave handsomely rugged appearance is lovely to watch and his singing is obviously good, albeit the role of Nick Arnstein is not the biggest singing part in the musical. I also can’t believe how bloody tall he is, especially as Fanny is typically played by a short actress. There were two other members of the company who I really enjoyed watching, Marilyn Cutts playing Fanny’s Mother Mrs Brice and Joel Montague playing Eddie Ryan, the guy who is secretly in love with Fanny (I believe) and who helps her be the star she becomes. The song these two sing together, ‘Who taught her everything she knows?’ was also one of my favourite of the show and shows the distance Fanny is creating between her previous self to her new found fame. Both these stage actors are a real credit to this production of Funny Girl.

Talking about the score, with music composed by Jule Styne (Gypsy) and lyrics by Bob Merrill, it has become one of musical theatre’s much loved soundtracks, with the most poignant and well known having to be ‘Don’t rain on my parade’ which has featured in many TV shows and films since its creation; this lead me to want to see Funny Girl in the first place. With a gorgeous Overture and Entr’acte by Styne, other songs that grace the audience every night include, ‘People’, ‘You are woman, I am man’, ‘Henry Street’, ‘Sadie, Sadie’ and ‘The music that makes me dance’. I have to admit the score hasn’t left a particular song in my head as many musicals do and I am not rushing to download the Funny Girl soundtrack but it did have some great tunes; I would say Gypsy, Styne’s other massive hit, has a better composition of songs than Funny Girl does.

Michael Mayer directs this new production of Funny Girl with Michael Pavelka designing the set. The staging I felt was fairly minimal with usually only a few props, table and chair on stage at any one time. The thing I absolutely loved about the staging, which reminded me of when I saw Mrs Henderson Presents, was how Pavelka portrays a theatre stage when on a theatre stage. This was for me the best part of the staging and it worked really well. With direction from Mayer transition from front of stage to backstage was seamless. The lighting for me was fantastic in this show and when I found out Mark Henderson (winner of this year’s Olivier Best Lighting award for Gypsy) was behind this I wasn’t surprised. Henderson has produced some fantastic lighting for productions and Funny Girl is not exempt from this. During the Overture the graceful, slow appearance of a lilacly stage on a stage was beautiful and throughout the show it was theatrical when it needed to be and emotional when it was necessary. The scenes for when Fanny is on stage as a performer the choreography is good but not overwhelming. Costume design again was great for Fanny Brice (I loved the theatrical war scene costume for Barnes) and everyone was dressed appropriately for that era and the needs of the scene.

It is strange that it has taken around 50 years for a full Funny Girl revival, since some of the songs are well known musical theatre songs. Funny Girl is at the end of the day a musical comedy and it did genuinely make me laugh, albeit sometimes not intentionally. Saying that, Funny Girl is an emotional production depicting the life of Fanny Brice and how fame is not all it is cracked up to be, possibly reflecting aspects of current life for some. The last few scenes really do have an impact on the audience and Barnes performance brought her to tears, she was fully deserving of her standing ovation and I wish her all the luck for the rest of her time as Fanny Brice and everything for the future. Funny Girl is playing at the Savoy until October 2016, where Dreamgirls will take over residency at the Savoy (I still need to get my tickets, I will do this Beez!). I hope it is not another 50 years until Funny Girl graces the stage of the West End or the wider UK theatres on tour. Please get in touch on Twitter AaronBurgess89

All or Nothing, The Mod Musical - Norwich Theatre Royal

I met with Mother in Norwich and had a lovely Portuguese meal (you can guess which chicken restaurant we went to) last night (9^th June 2016). Was a lovely change as I don’t often take Mother to the theatre as she has a habit of using the darkened auditorium, despite the noise and lights from the stage, to catch up on sleep (you did well last night Mother only one mishap in the second Act but I blame the Pinot Grigio). We went to see All or Nothing, The Mod Musical at Norwich Theatre Royal, as she used to be a Mod. After seeing the show we realised that Mother was a second wave of Mods in the 1970’s/80’s not in the 1950’s (haha sorry Mother aged you by twenty years). However we still had a fab night, were able to dance and sing along and have a laugh imagining Nanny Cora as a late 1950’s mod with her strange vacuum like hairdryer.  

All or Nothing started its tour last week after a run at The Vaults theatre in London until May 21^st. The musical is based on the band, Small Faces, possibly not as well-known as their competitors of the same time however some of their music are well known loved hits. Some people were saying as we left that they had seen the Small Faces in and around Norwich during this time and they were awful live; these people also said how much they had enjoyed those on stage during the performance so that was good. I was expecting lots of music I had not heard before as it was a Small Faces musical, which is fine I love listening to new music, however songs by Sonny and Cher and Dusty Springfield are also part of the song list which was a great sound. I loved the tribute to Oliver, with the ‘Consider Yourself’ number which is not part of the song list, even though they sang a few verses.  I am also not sure of the accurate storyline about Steve Marriott (lead singer of the Small Faces) choosing rhythm and blues over Olivier’s stage who knows, but it is a great musical addition to a new brand of musical.

Small Faces have songs including ‘Watcha Gonna do About it’, ‘Sha La La La Lee’, ‘I’m Only Dreaming’, ‘All or Nothing’, ‘Itchcoo Park’, ‘Tin Soldier’ and my favourite and probably one of their best known to wider groups ‘Lazy Sunday’ (afternoon). The audience absolutely loved the songs; even if me and Mother did not know them all we still enjoyed the show. All or Nothing is not my favourite musical about a band, I think that charm still lies with Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks) however All or Nothing is still perfect if you lived in that era and the production is funny, emotional and gets you in the Mod mode I guess.

I enjoyed how the story was put together. The lead of the Small Faces, Steve Marriott, is obviously the protagonist of the show. His older, dead self, narrates the whole production, reflecting on his life after he’s lived it. This perspective of the musical I absolutely loved and it reminded me of Act Two of Carousel. This showed a different light to Steve Marriott too, I guess, and you see the deterioration of him, despite the fact he is a ghost in some words, he deteriorates as his younger alive self does too. This is where the emotionality of the musical comes from; when Marriott speaks to his mother, what seems to be heaven or some other place the dead congregate, it really gets you. I also think Marriott’s mother is crying for real as the lady who plays her was connected and close to the band. 

The cast are great and creator of All or Nothing, Carol Harrison, who is no stranger to British TV screens and best known for her role in EastEnders, plays the mother of Steve Marriott and she is funny and heart-warming in this production. She also has a mini party at curtain call which made me get into the mood too. Marriott is played by two actors, his older and passed-self played by Chris Simmons, known best for his role as DC Mickey Webb in The Bill; Simmons definitely suits a shorter hair style yet he plays the role of Steve Marriott so well. His portrayal reminds me off Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit as everyone on stage ignores him as he is telling the story from the grave so to speak, going back in time. Younger Steve is played by Mark Newnham. Other band members are Ronnie, played by Joshua Dowen, Mac played by Joshua Maddison and Kenny played by Drew-Levi Huntsman; all up and coming actors and musicians. I loved Daniel Beales who plays various characters within the musical, however he is really funny and, although scripted, comes across so naturally funny; really enjoyed watching Beales on stage. The rest of the cast play various characters and portrayls of famous producers and musicians in this era. Sophia Behn plays a lovely Dusty even if it is just for one scene (I did think Carol Harrison was playing Dusty so I apologise for saying that in the interval).

All or Nothing (The Mod Musical) is at Norwich Theatre Royal until tomorrow for a matinee and evening performances, with tickets still available. This is a very new musical and yet I think the publicity has been poor on it. It is worth seeing, no doubt, especially if you are a mod, love the music of the Small Faces and lived your teens and early twenties in the late 1950’s, well then this is the musical for you. The musical, when it leaves Norwich goes on tour until November 5^th 2016 visiting Chesterfield, Bournemouth, Guilford, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Shrewsbury, Cardiff and others. Please get in touch on Twitter +Aaron Burgess 

Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward Theatre, London

Another wonderful trip to London’s West End with Nanny Cora to see the new musical Mrs Henderson Presents on Friday 27^th May 2016. Such a lovely sunny day, sweltering in the car, we finally arrived at Cockfosters, a change to the usual routine this time to save poor Nanny Cora having to change on the underground. But she did well, travelled all round Leicester Square, having an Italian garlic-heavy meal with a wine and a vodka; can’t beat it! The usual silliness of a grandmother and her grandson were ensued, although we obviously acted very middle class when under the watchful eye of society. A fabulous day one must admit. Mrs Henderson Presents is based on the 2005 British comedy of the same name starring Dame Judi Dench and the late but great Bob Hoskins. The film itself is based on the true story of Laura Henderson and the Windmill Theatre in London. During the horrific World War II the Windmill never closed, entertaining the troops when they were back and positively preparing them for their next battle; as we all know what best way to entertain and cheer up a group of folk but a trip to the theatre. I do not know much about the true Mrs Henderson nor had me or Nanny Cora seen the film but I had heard of this wonderful little musical, heard two of the songs on the radio, saw the poster with feather boas and after seeing a scene on the 2016 Olivier Awards I had to see it.

The storyline of the musical focuses on Mrs H herself and her struggle with putting on a variety show in London. When the bill for the costumes comes in the only idea she can think of is to get rid of the costumes; that’s one way to lower outgoings, I don’t think my manager at work would be too pleased if I rocked up in the nude. With mini story lines and character debacles throughout, Act Two sees the beginning of World War Two and the danger this placed on those entertainers and theatre owners and the audiences in them. I felt the musical was naturally funny, no forced jokes or obvious punch lines, but charmingly warm, emotional yet powerful. The show is at the Noel Coward Theatre, a first visit there for me. The Noel Coward Theatre, named after the flamboyant playwright himself, is a tiny theatre with no more than 872 seats over four levels. I was surprised at the size and a somewhat small stage compared to some of the West End stages, nonetheless a beautiful theatre with sparkling interior.

Mrs Henderson is played by Olivier Award winning Tracie Bennett (for Hairspray and She Loves Me winning Best Supporting Role awards), who received her first Best Actress in a Musical nomination this year at the ceremony, losing to none other than Imelda Staunton for her portrayal of Rose in Gypsy. However, after seeing the show I agree it was a tough call to make for those judges, Bennett is fantastic and stole the show for me, especially after her number ‘Whatever Time I Have’. Bennett is well known to the TV screen and the stage, however I know her from her drunken state in Scott and Bailey. Bennett at the age of 54 plays an older lady amazingly, and I mean that as a whole hearted compliment. Her stage presence as the older lady is so real, her rustic singing voice is phenomenal and I just loved her; I couldn’t stop looking and smiling at her whenever she was on stage. And when Mrs Henderson comes to life she can jiggle and dance over the stage as if she was one of her girls. Bennett is wonderful and steals the show.

Olivier nominated Emma Williams, nominated also for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical at this year’s Olivier Awards, losing to Lara Pulver for her role as Louise in Gypsy, plays Maureen. Maureen starts out as a tea lady and soon becomes the star of the show. Maureen is also the love interest of the handyman and in Act Two has some serious thinking to do. Williams has a beautiful voice and it really does just resonate with you. I remember seeing her last year at the Rodgers and Hammerstein tribute at the Theatre Royal Dury Lane and her voice then was amazing there. I knew she was in Mrs Henderson Presents and I think this was what made me want to see the show. Williams’s main song, ‘If Mountains Were Easy to Climb’ is awesome, I saw it at the Olivier’s and it’s fantastic, especially with Bennett joining in at the end of the song. I have found Williams on YouTube singing it and have listened to it approximately 12 times already (bearing in mind I am writing this just 16 hours after seeing the show). Williams has a risky role within the musical and is actually fully nude on stage. When I say fully naked I don’t mean her lady parts are surreptitiously hidden from the audience member’s eyes, I mean she is stark bollock naked (well not bollock but you get the drift) on stage. What a crazy job, I get arrested when I try to remove my clothes in a bar. It must be exhilarating for her to do this night in night out. I give her full respect and for the other girls who do this on stage alongside Williams (Kate Bernstein as Peggy, Lizzy Connolly as Doris and Lauren Hood as Vera as well as some other members of the ensemble).

Another cast member I and Nanny Cora adored was the camp choreographer of the Windmill, Bertie played in this production by Samuel Holmes. With Mrs Henderson Presents it is not just the ladies who bare all on stage, some of the male cast members also bare a little bottom, and Holmes is not afraid to show his off to the audience members every night. Reading this back Mrs Henderson Presents just sounds like an exhibitionist musical, it is not, far from it, it’s a delightful show, just with a bit of nudity. But it is important the show has nudity to be respectful and honest to the story it is based upon. Holmes is funny, got the moves and a good singer; I really enjoyed watching him on stage. Ian Bartholomew plays Vivian Van Dam (the theatre manager not a drag queen) with Arthur in this performance played by Alexander Delamere. The cast are really great and put so much effort from curtain up to curtain down it is a great show. I was up giving them all a standing ovation and I was surprised not more of the audience were, maybe it is the etiquette of the Noel Coward Theatre to sit down but I wanted to pay my theatrical appreciation to the cast and orchestra.

Terry Johnson writes the book and directs Mrs Henderson Presents, with music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain with the amazing and talented Don Black (one of my favourite lyricists ever) writing the lyrics to this theatrical, sincere, emotional comedic musical. The original score (I do not know why Olivier do not offer this as an award, Best New Score as the Tony’s do) is amazing, it really is great, and I will be buying mine on Tuesday (payday). My two favourite songs have already been mentioned (‘If Mountains Were Easy to Climb’ and ‘Whatever Time I have’) yet the others that I loved include the title song, ‘We’ll Never Close’, ‘Everybody Loves the Windmill’ and ‘Ordinary Girl’; I really want the soundtrack now to listen again. Cannot wait for a long journey to listen to it from start to finish; it’s one of those soundtracks I will be playing over and over again.

Andrew Wright choreographs Mrs Henderson Presents and this is great. It is not just the dance sequences that are great; it is also a lot of the still moments that are fantastic, especially when it comes to the naked arrangements on stage. This is beautiful to see and received a round of applause from the audience at the sight of some of those beauties on stage. Tim Shortall creates a fantastic set. It begins as the back of the stage looking out into the audience, from where I was sitting it was sort of like a reflection. The set really captures what it must be like to work at a theatre, behind the curtain, awaiting audience reactions, congratulating stars, tidying up and maintaining one of the most important things in British culture, the theatre. The transformation from back to front of stage is seamless and beautiful. Paul Wills is in charge of costumes, or lack of them in some cases. Generally costumes are expected to be, but it is the lack of the costumes that makes Mrs Henderson Presents a stand out musical (as you could quite guess).  Although when the feather fans arrive to cover up some of those lady bits, it just adds another layer of glamour and decadence for me.

Mrs Henderson Presents is on a limited run at the Noel Coward and is closing on 17^th June 2016, with no extension of booking dates despite it being a great musical with mostly positive reviews. From its run at the Theatre Royal in Bath during 2015 to a West End transfer this February Mrs Henderson Presents has entertained many and I can imagine would be able to entertain a lot more. I do hope this musical is revived in the West End or goes on a UK tour. It really is something different and new, albeit based on the true life and a film. Who dare be the next Maureen and other girls, as well as the majority of the cast to bare all on stage and continue the legacy of this niche market of entertainment.

The Bodyguard, UK Tour

I wasn’t expecting to be writing a blog this week until Saturday however when a last minute email came through inviting me to the UK tour of The Bodyguard (the musical) I couldn’t exactly say no so me and one of my closest friends, Emma aka Notta, went to Norwich Theatre Royal on Wednesday (26^th May 2016) evening in a mad rush to go watch it and I am so glad we did. It didn’t feel like a touring version of a musical and while sat in the auditorium I could have quite easily been sat in the West End. The music and lyrics are obviously well known for obvious reasons; however the acting, voices, staging, costumes and special effects made the night – absolutely amazing. The drive home was filled with Whitney classics and musical renditions which were lovely and I still have a sore throat now, which made another long drive difficult as I listened to the wonderful Elaine Paige on Sunday.

The musical is based on the 1992 smash hit film of the same name starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. It tells the story of Rachel Marron, the new music sensation in America. However a chilling stalker is in love with her and will stop at nothing to get her. She needs the help of the top bodyguard in the country to protect her. Apart from the thriller storyline there is of course a love triangle in the musical with Rachel’s sister, Nicki, having a much bigger role in the musical than the film. Other divas were considered for the role of Rachel including Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross; imagine if one of those had taken up the role the film would have been extremely different as would the musical. The Bodyguard originally opened in the West End at the end of 2012 at the Adelphi Theatre, starring Heather Headley as Rachel and Lloyd Owen as the Bodyguard (Frank Farmer). The musical had two super replacements, Beverley Knight who is reprising her role again, returning to the West End at the Dominion Theatre this summer for a limited run (I have tickets). The other replacement, Alexandra Burke, reprises her role in the UK tour, before she takes up her place in the Nunnery as Delores in the Sister Act the musical UK tour.

The West End production won the whatsonstage.com 2013 Award for Best New Musical, being nominated for 5 others. In the same year it was nominated for four Olivier Awards however winning none which is a total shame. Headley lost out to Imelda Staunton for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (can’t expect to win against Staunton). The Best Musical award that year went to Irvin Berlin’s Top Hat which was a West End storm apparently. The following year Beverley Knight was nominated for Best Takeover from Whatsonstage.com Awards (that sounds an amazing award as so many leading roles are replaced by some amazing stars). I hope the Dominion production of the Bodyguard is nominated for some Olivier’s next year.

The Bodyguard is a jukebox musical of one of the greatest stars of all time, Whitney Houston. Mike Dixon was production musical supervisor and oversaw vocal arrangements alongside Richard Beadle; with Chris Egan in charge of orchestrations and additional music. The musical features classics such as ‘Greatest Love of All’, ‘How Will I Know’, ‘I’m Every Woman’, ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, ‘One Moment in Time’, ‘Queen of the Night’, ‘Run to You’, ‘So Emotional’ and the Dolly Parton classic ‘I Will Always Love You’; I actually panicked when the first rendition of this song happens as it is a bit poor (it is meant to be don’t worry), however it is belted out at the end proper Whitney style, you’ll be pleased to know. The music gives you tingly sensations throughout both Acts and really pays a positive and wonderful tribute to the legend that is Whitney Houston, as well as allowing the stars on stage to shine as individuals, it is beautifully crafted.

The show stars Alexandra Burke, who won the fifth series of the X factor. I watched this series and thought burke was a great singer although I never get really into an X Factor winner. Since winning she has sang some good songs including her winning song ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Broken Heels’ being the ones I remember and enjoyed. I never saw her in the West End version and was looking forward to seeing her in Sister Act later in the year. I am now in love with Burke and think she is a phenomenal singer, dancer and actress. She won me over from the first electrifying sing of the night. I felt like I was at a concert with all the pyrotechnics, staging and hot costumes. She was amazing and I cannot fault anything about her stage presence that night. She pays a wonderful tribute to Whitney, adding her own style to the songs, and gives the audience so much emotion it’s unbelievable. I really was not expecting that from her. She even looked right in my direction during the curtain call, unfortunately I was hot and sweaty as I got down to the Whitney songs.

I also thought Rachel John who plays Nicki Marron was wonderful. When she sings her first song I thought it was Alexandra still. As I was watching I thought, although I am loving Burke’s voice I hope other people sing as I would have not liked that. I can confirm there are other singers. John’s voice is so soulful and powerful it gave me just as many tingles as the leading lady herself. Stuart Reid plays Frank Farmer and I recognised him but still can’t remember from where and nothing triggers a memory from reading his bio in the programme. The whole cast were great and the ensemble are amazing with their dance routines which was like being at a real live concert accompanying Burke on stage, thanks to Karen Bruce for her amazing choreography. The stalker, played by Matthew Stathers, was scary and macabre yet totally gorgeous. There was one other little star on that stage, Josiah Choto who plays Rachel’s son Fletcher. There are six little guys who are playing Fletcher and they must all be amazing. Choto had some killer moves on that stage and I want him to teach me how to break dance.

I loved the set design by Tim Hatley from beginning to end; Hatley was also costume designer. The set starts off with a spooky title of ‘The Bodyguard’ with smoke trailing from it floating to the top of the curtains. My favourite aspect of the set design was the use of stage cropping. It felt like a motion picture with the effects of zooming out. It allowed the audience to be pin pointed to one moment in time (WhitneyJ), adding loads of tension and allowed seamless stage transitions and costume changes. Talking about costumes, Burke’s concert outfits were modern, sexy and the best of the night. The curtain call costumes were also fantastic, lots of glitz and glamour which is always a winner for a musical finale. I also didn’t mind the lack of costume for the stalker the most of the way through. The staging also uses modern technology throughout the production; modernising the film. It may be Duncan McLean as video designer who was in charge of this. Sometimes too much technology in a musical can feel out of place however within The Bodyguard it adds a third dimension to the storyline. It allows you to see two points at one time without halving the stage. It was really effective and also added to the celebrity status of Rachel Marron.

The UK tour is coming up to its final venues. It is at Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday 4^th June and only two dates have tickets left, matinees on Wednesday June 1^st and Saturday June 4^th. Often tickets become available so ring the box office if you need to find out. I have a feeling Alexandra Burke is not appearing at any matinee performances, however I am sure Carole Stennett will be amazing. After Norwich The Bodyguard visits Eastbourne. There is a US tour starting however that is a long way to go. The Bodyguard takes up residence at the Dominion Theatre from 15 July selling until January 2017 starring Beverley Knight and Ben Richards as Frank. It really cannot be missed this sensational show. It will leave you feeling high yet low with its constant changing story line, laughing and tense, anxious and warm, The Bodyguard is one musical not to be missed.

Guys and Dolls UK Tour

Last night (3^rd May 2016) myself and Nanny Cora went to the press evening of Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls UK Tour at the Norwich Theatre Royal. The traffic was an absolute nightmare and I am still traumatised by the anxiety of potential lateness that could have occurred however this was soon cured by an espresso martini waiting for me at the Italian restaurant. We had a little catch up obviously only just left her from War of the Worlds and then meandered up to the Theatre Royal and took up our seats when a local celebrity sat next to us; Susie Fowler-Watt the BBC Look East anchor. Nanny Cora was shell-shocked as she is a big fan of Look East and Fowler-Watt herself. By the interval we had had a chat with Susie Fowler-Watt and her and Nanny Cora got on like a house on fire, even grabbing a quick photo at the curtain call; such a lovely lady and very genuine.

Guys and Dolls is a fabulous show, it would be Loesser winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1962 for a previous musical ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying’, and only one of nine musicals to win the prize since its creation, so Loesser knows what he’s doing. The multi-award winning musical has music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, winning both Tony’s and Olivier’s over the years of many productions. Guys and Dolls was nominated six times at this year’s Olivier’s although not winning any unfortunately but the competition was extremely fierce. Following a run at the Chichester Festival Theatre before moving to Manchester and Birmingham Guys and dolls arrived at the Savoy for a short run. It has now entered on another UK tour and a production playing at West End’s Phoenix Theatre. I saw the nominated cast in Birmingham last year so I was really looking forward to seeing a new cast who did not disappoint at all. Guys and Dolls tells the story of sinners Nathan Detroit and his compulsive need to gamble away his money at a crap game (dice) at the tournament of his fiancée Miss Adelaide who just wants to get married already. Detroit’s friend Sky Masterson arrives on scene with his money and confidence and is given a bet that cannot be won (can it?) that he couldn’t take Miss Sarah Brown, a straight-laced missionary, on a date in Havana.

This musical comedy stars Richard Fleeshman as Sky Masterson, Maxweel Caufield as Nathan Detroit, Lucy Jane Adcock as Miss Adelaide and Anna O’Byrne as Sarah Brown. For me my favourite singer was Anna O’Bryne by far who had a very operatic style to her voice which suited her missionary persona and her confusion over her feelings for Sky. I was excited to see Fleeshman as I remember him from a few years back in Coronation Street when my family watched it. Fleeshman was then on a celebrity reality singing contest and everyone was so surprised at what an awesome singer he was.  His American twang was stimulating and he had a lovely voice; he’s also easy on the eye I think you’d agree. My favourite character in Guys and Dolls will always be Miss Adelaide. When I last saw Guys and Dolls she was played by Olivier award winning Sophie Thompson who was absolutely immense (nominated this year for Best Actress in a musical, losing out to Imelda Staunton for Gypsy). Lucy Jane Adcock was a grand Adelaide and her dance numbers were fantastic; apart from when her daisy fell off in Bushel and a Peck. Comedy duo Jack Edwards and Mark Sangster play Detroit’s cronies Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet respectively and they were comedy gold, particularly Edwards. My Nanny Cora described Edwards as light on his feet during Rockin’ a Boat number and I have to agree with Nanny he had some moves and his Yankee singing voice was super.

With musical classics including ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ and ‘Luck be a Lady’ as well as some of my personal favourites like ‘I’ll Know’, ‘A Bushel and a Peck’, ‘Adelaide’s Lament’ (both), ‘I’ve Never Been in Love Before’, ‘Take Back Your Mink’, ‘Sue Me’, and ‘Marry the Man Today’ Guys and Dolls is a romantic comedy musical score that cannot be afforded to be missed and will have you all singing for days to come (I know this it happened to me after I saw it last time). Andrew Wright and Carlos Acosta choreographed this production of Guys and Dolls and it is fantastic, I overheard while leaving the auditorium audience members commenting on how much they loved the dance routines and how much effort the whole cast put into these routines. Wright and Acosta were also nominated for this year’s Olivier for choreography losing to In the heights.

Peter McKintosh designed the costumes and set; I absolutely love the male costumes all the pinstripes, tartan and multi coloured suits of the gamblers are awesome, I would wear them all. I also love Adelaide and her girls’ performance outfits; proper what I call cabaret variety costumes. The set on Guys and Dolls is wonderful and it was just as good if not better than last time (nothing had changed I don’t think). The backdrop which represents the tall sky scrapers of New York City and the advertising billboards, the effect is magnificent. This would be nowhere without Tim Mitchell’s lighting design. The changing of the lights helps the audience follow the story with the flight to Cuba, outdoors or inside the lights aid story telling. The bright lights of tall buildings and the flashing of advertising in the Big Apple are mesmerising and I absolutely loved it.  

Guys and Dolls is showing at the Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday 7^th May with evening performances at 7:30pm and a matinee on Thursday and Saturday at 2:30pm; tickets are still available however they are limited in numbers so you need to be quick to get yours. If you miss the performance at Norwich Theatre Royal the tour continues visiting big cities including Leeds, Plymouth, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Cardiff and more. Guys and Dolls is currently at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End with bookings the end of October 2016. Guys and Dolls is a favourite for any musical theatre fan and if you have never seen it you definitely should add it you’re your musical theatre bucket list. Please get in touch and share your stories and thoughts of Guys and Dolls on twitter @AaronBurgess89

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds Alive on Stage! at the Dominion Theatre, London

Yesterday (29^th April 2016) myself and Nanny Cora popped to the West End to see Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds - Alive on Stage! at the wonderful Dominion Theatre. Despite some sad and unwanted news earlier this week we made a grand day of it. Nanny Cora made good time getting us to Newbury Park and we had some giggles on the journey down, sorry for nearly breaking your hand Nanny before we left. Nanny Cora does so much better with two sticks than one and she was on the platform in no time. We got to Oxford Street and had a quick look in Primark for some bargains and thank you very much for my new shorts Nanny. We then went to Garfunkel’s right next door to the Dominion Theatre for tea. The Dominion is a lovely theatre which I have been to on a few occasions. After a Pinot Grigio and a double vodka we were well on our way to merriment. Nanny Cora was also introduced to snapchat for the first time which resulted in some very funny outcomes; actual tears of laughter fell to the table, especially when Nanny Cora turned into a basset hound – too funny! So we had a wonderful meal, starter and pudding and totted off to the Dominion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the courteous and compassionate front of house staff for their support to Nanny Cora, finding our tickets, showing us to our seats and checking in with us as we left the theatre, very warm and empathic staff which was lovely. Despite a long journey home due to two diversions and a road closure we were finally back safe and sound.

For those of you that have not heard of The War of the Worlds it is a sci-fi novel by H G Wells. Published at the end of the 1800’s it is one of the first fictional written accounts of humans meeting extra-terrestrial intelligence. I have never read this seminal novel of invasion literature however some dominant changes have of course been adapted from book to musical album to stage. The musical version tells the story of how four men deal with the Martian invasion, told in the style of narration by one of the key protagonists future self. The show also features their wives and other locals. The plot focuses on war, microbiological contamination and religion which Jeff Wayne’s describes as important factors in the current world climate. Wayne’s musical version is not the only adaptation of H G Wells original book. Orson Welles narrated and directed a 1938 radio version, the first film produced by George Pal in 1953 and a Stephen Spielberg re-make was released in 2005 starring Tom Cruise as well as many other adaptations. In 1978 Jeff Wayne composed and produced a musical album conceptual version of the War of the Worlds re-telling the story with music, lyrics and the spoken word. The concept album has been a great success, selling millions of records worldwide. In 2009 it was the 40^th best-selling album in the UK (I am unaware of the current rankings). With an intense, spooky and typical sci-fi orchestration and rock elements it has the ability to send you to outer space just by listening to it.

Jeff Wayne’s album is split into two parts (discs) which have since formed two Acts of the stage production. Act 1: The Coming of the Martians and Act 2: The Earth under the Martians; I am still not sure how I feel about this production. It is definitely not like anything I have ever seen before with some jaw-dropping and amazing moments. If you want to see something very very different from usual theatre productions then Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds is one hundred percent for you. For me the star of the show had to be Jeff Wayne himself who composed the concept album back in the 1970’s and was on stage conducting the massive orchestra who are on a moving platform on the stage; Yes! An orchestra on stage, right up my street. Wayne conducts The Black Smoke Band and the ULLAdubULLA Strings on stage and this is really wonderful. Wayne’s talent received him a standing ovation on the night. His musicality is awesome, the strings resonate through your body and it is so intense. I love a strings orchestra and this makes your body tingle, and the rock element of the Black Smoke Band just adds that cheery on top of the cake. Songs and compositions such as ‘Forever Autumn’, ‘The Red Weed’ and ‘Life Begins Again’ were my favourite – lyrics by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. It really is an amazing album and I think I may have to purchase this.

Jeff Wayne’s the War of the Worlds is the most serious thing I have ever seen on stage. Even productions such as The Mousetrap, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables that are known for their seriousness have at least one funny character or one comedic scene, the War of the Worlds is not like this at all. I did not laugh once, although I was smiling a lot due to the musical genius that is Jeff Wayne, it is so serious and intense. The special effects were the second most pertinent thing about the show that resonated for. It was a total 4D multi-sensory experience, with the sights and sounds of usual musicals the War of the Worlds features leaf shaped paper confetti falling from the gods (I obviously got a few to keep within my programme) as well as the heat from the fire that erupts from the stage throughout the production. A few words cannot capture how amazing the special effects were. The fire was awesome, it gradually crept in at the very front of the stage and me and Nanny Cora, being in row F, felt the instant heat from this. Initially it was just like a wall of fire and communicates the attack from the Martians on the town folk. However as the music builds, the Martians erupt with power and there is literally a fire display shooting up from the stage floor at least ten feet into the air – it was epic. Tim Oliver is lighting designer and although this was amazing too it really is not the best if you have issues with strobe lighting; I was honestly squinting at some point of the show.

The third brilliant aspect of the show was an amalgamation of choreography and costume design. Liam Steel’s choreography is fantastic, the dance moves and catching of the company when the Martians start attacking the human race are flawless. I think it must be quite difficult to dance and move around the stage as though you are being blown up by these fire blasting aliens. The other part of the War of the Worlds which I absolutely loved is the Red Weed parts one and two. The costume designing (by Gary McCann) is beautiful, set in the late 1800’s costumes of the humans is good however when it gets to the Red Weeds scenes the company become the weeds and roots of these trees and they look so real and scary. The choreography that accompanies this scene is artistic realism, the inter twining, wrangling and growing of the roots around the stage and the lead characters is creepy. This scene lasts at least 25 minutes and the dancing and movement does not stop throughout; it shows the stamina and talent of the whole company. Stufish creates the amazing set design for the War of the Worlds. The back drop is ok and the use of projectors (canvases) started to become annoying – see my rant in the next paragraph – however some of the props and the Martian Fighting Machine is awesome and reminded us of something out of the early Dr Who shows. It drops on stage and walks across, not sure of the size of it but in previous arena tours this massive thing has been 35-foot high and weighing 3 tonnes. The orchestra appear to be arranged as would typically be expected however in this they are layered and the platforms they are on move about, cross over and form part of the set which is brilliant.

The production, produced by Bill Kenwright, is also studded with stars; Liam Neeson is there in 3D holography and narrates War of the Worlds as the Journalist looking back (just to confirm he was not there live on stage). Although it was great to have someone of Neeson’s calibre involved with the project it leads nicely into one thing I found distracting and pointless to the War of the Worlds the constant use of white canvases and projectors. Technology I think is a great theme within the War of the Worlds and I am led to believe was something that was never not going to be used however I think it was over exaggerated throughout the whole production. Ninety percent of Neeson’s narration is him on this canvas that keeps dropping from the top of the stage and going back up; I felt it did not add anything. At some points Neeson was projected to be sitting at a desk within a wooden room on stage; this had much more of a better effect that the canvases. These canvases also featured at many other parts of the production and again I felt no benefit from their presence. David Essex OBE plays the Voice of Humanity returning to the War of the Worlds since his original involvement in the first album. Jimmy Nail plays Parson Nathaniel, Simon Shorten as the Artilleryman (understudy;  Daniel Bedingfield was not playing the evening we went), Madalena Alberto as Carrie (Journalist fiancée), Heidi Range (known for being the long standing member of the Sugababes) plays the Parson’s wife and Michael Praed plays the journalist. For me the acting was not great and was superseded by the composition, special effects and orchestra. The best singing voice I felt was Heidi Ranges, although Praed had some powerful parts although his delivery of some of his lines were overly casual.

Jeff Wayne’s musical version of the War of the Worlds finishes at the Dominion Theatre today (Saturday 30^th April 2016) and those reading are unable to see this run at the Dominion. I have no doubt or hesitation to say I reckon this adaptation of H G Wells novel will be alive on stage once again very soon and it will be a great thing to see once more. The composing talent of Wayne, intense orchestration and special effects are something any musical theatre fan needs to see. You may not be blown away with any Olivier standard stage acting however the songs are great and the album is definitely worth purchasing, no doubt us new fans will be keeping the concept album of Jeff Wayne’s a best seller for a considerable more amount of time.

I’m off back to the Norwich Theatre Royal with Nanny Cora on Tuesday (3^rd May) to see the touring production of Guys and Dolls (again haha!) so will be posting again early in the week. Please get in touch or follow me on twitter @AaronBurgess89 and share your musical theatre stories, pictures, blogs or whatever.