Alfie Boe, Sir Willard White, Aled Jones, Tenors Unlimited and Queen Symphonic will headline Picnic Proms Summer Concert Series, a three-day series of concerts featuring musical theatre legends, orchestral icons, a symphonic spectacular and spellbinding silent firework displays.
‘Brims with exhilarating jazz & witty comedy’: WONDERFUL TOWN – Opera Holland Park ★★★★
As the world returns to a new normal, there aren’t many better ways to spend an evening than enjoying a glorious musical in the beautiful setting of Opera Holland Park. Quick Fantastic has returned to the space to present Wonderful Town, the half-forgotten 30s musical which brims with exhilarating jazz and witty comedy.
‘Joel shows off a natural flair for comedy’: THE FOSSE FOREST BALLET (Online review) ★★★★
The Forest Fosse Ballet shows great potential to be developed further into a full series, with a great sense of comedy and many funny relatable characters.
ALBUM REVIEW: #ZoologicalSociety
New musical #ZoologicalSociety, written by Vikki Stone and Kate Mulgrew, gets a well-timed concept album release.
‘Becoming bigger & better’: WEST END LIVE LOUNGE – The Other Palace
This is the second Woman themed West End Live Lounge, but this time, the team have graduated from The Other Palace Studio to the main space as they become bigger and better.
‘Moving tribute to some of the most beloved female musical theatre characters’: THERE IS NOTHIN’ A DAME – Cadogan Hall ★★★★★
There is Nothin Like a Same, the first show from the newly formed Lambert Jackson Productions, celebrated female characters from musicals – with the help of four vocally powerful West End stars.
‘A truly spectacular performance’: ON THE TOWN – Royal Albert Hall ★★★★
What better way to celebrate what would have been Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, than at the Royal Albert Hall with a glorious performance of On The Town?
‘Her natural wit & charm had me smiling from ear to ear’: Louise Dearman’s This is Me – The Other Palace ★★★★★
Louise Dearman’s performance at The Other Palace was faultless. Her natural wit and charm had me smiling from ear to ear and just feeling joyous.
Album Reviews: Audra McDonald, Louise Dearman & the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie cast recording
Casting my eye over some recent musical theatre album releases: Audra McDonald’s live album Sing Happy, Louise Dearman’s latest collection For You, For Me and the long-awaited cast recording for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
‘Entertaining & satisfying tribute’: THE BEST OF JAMES BOND – Royal Festival Hall
The structure of The Best of James Bond is simple but effective, taking each film in turn, with the occasional digression into the wider cultural context, which makes for an entertaining and satisfying tribute to the continuing influence of the franchise.
Album Review: The Route To Happiness (2014 Original Cast Recording)
The story follows the pursuit of fame, money and love and how the three intersect in the intertwined stories of Trinity, Marcus and Lorna. But where the show has maintained a fairly positive place in my memory, listening to the double-album of the score felt like a bit of a chore.
NEWS ROUND-UP: Cate Blanchett to star in Ivo van Hove’s All About Eve, Ciaran Hinds cast in new Bob Dylan musical
I have to admit that I wasn’t much enamoured by the prospect of a Bob Dylan musical but when I stopped to think about it, I don’t know why I was worried because I’ve long been of the opinion that Dylan’s songs are best sung by other people.
Quirky musicals on my south London doorstep: Side Show & Moby Dick
The (new) Union Theatre and Southwark Playhouse in south London are always a pleasure to visit – not least because both venues are practically on my doorstep, within a ten-minute walk. At the moment, they’re both showing quirky, seldom-seen musical revivals: Moby Dick! and Side Show.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Side Show at Southwark Playhouse
This UK premiere of the musical that flopped twice on Broadway arrives at the Southwark Playhouse, where it runs until 3 December 2016. Can Side Show be more of a success in London?
SIDE SHOW – Southwark Playhouse
With book and lyrics written by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger, Side Show has managed two abortive runs on Broadway since premiering in 1997, so it makes sense for Southwark Playhouse to take it on with their sterling record for reinvigorating musical theatre of varying reputations.
SIDE SHOW – Southwark Playhouse
You can always rely on Southwark Playhouse to deliver a great musical. With the transfer of In The Heights and the recent critically acclaimed production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Allegro, expectations were high for the UK premiere of Side Show – and it didn’t disappoint.
SIDE SHOW – Southwark Playhouse
Through their fascinating and unconventional lives, Side Show succeeds in engaging the audience with an open question about individuality and identity; the two girls’ struggle to just be themselves (or “Like Everyone Else” as they sing) is a never-ending controversial and painful process of auto-definition.
NEWS: Haydn Oakley, Jay Marsh & Dominic Hodson join Side Show, Full cast
Full casting is announced today for Broadway musical Side Show, which will receive its UK premiere in a brand new production at Southwark Playhouse, opening on Wednesday 26 October with previews from Friday 21 October. The cast joining the previously announced Louise Dearman and Laura Pitt-Pulford as conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton includes Haydn Oakley (ahead of his stint in the West End premiere of An American in Paris in the new year) as Terry Connor, Jay Marsh as Jake and Dominic Hodson as Buddy Foster.
GUYS & DOLLS – Touring
This lively production of a classic musical is equally a delight to watch and to listen to, thanks to the wonderful cast performances, including Richard Fleeshman and Louise Dearman.
RAMIN KARIMLOO – London Palladium
Strictly speaking it should have been billed as “Ramin Karimloo and Broadgrass at the London Palladium” – then we might have anticipated the support act and late arrival of the West End and Broadway star known especially for having journeyed through pretty much every principal role in The Phantom of the Opera (and, of course, its sequel Love Never Dies) and Les Miserables.
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