Twenty Years Of Theatre – In Programmes

So today I decided it was about time I finally organised my programmes rather than just continuing to throw them into a haphazard heap under my bed while praying they don’t end up completely destroyed. Once I started, however, I thought it might be fun to flick through some of them and it turns out I’ve seen a lot of people I now adore in some old shows back when they would have meant nothing to me. I doubt anyone is all that interested in this, but I found it quite fascinating, so I thought I’d blog about it anyway. Of course, I have no guarantees that some of these people were even on the night that I went, but still…. I also have the problem of recognising people in old programmes but not knowing what I’ve seen them in more recently. But anyhoo, here goes nothing:

(This will mostly be an annotated list in no particular order as I put this together whilst going through random piles with no ordering whatsoever except that glossy brochures and programmes were separate due to shelf size issues)

So to begin, I was busy drooling over old pictures of Liam as Link Larkin in Hairspray and who did I find? David McMullan, the guy I recognised (well it looked a hell of a lot like him anyway and he had a very ‘musical theatre’ sort of manner!) sitting in my row at the Ladykillers last week! It’s just now occurred to me that the reason I recognised him was because I also saw him in Ragtime at the Landor (which was confirmed on finding that programme which also assisted me with working out that the guy I recognised at something – Jingle Balls, maybe? was Alexander Evans). I somehow missed the fact he was also in the ensemble of Love Never Dies though – this is what happens when Ramin is on the stage . I think I’ve already mentioned the fact that Aki Omoshayabi was in it Hairspray, but I thought I’d say it again anyway. Woot, hippies .

Speaking of hippies, Holly James was in Starlight Express when I saw it on tour at the New Wimbledon Theatre back in ‘06, with Oliver Thornton as Rusty (wow I wish I remembered that better) and another familiar face; Tim Driesen (from Never Forget).

Speaking of Never Forget, with the new cast though also in Wimbledon… Scott Garnham played Jose and I’ve even got his autograph to prove he was on that night. What I wouldn’t give to see that again now!

Les Mis, 2004, my first two trips and there was another hippie in the cast – Gemma Baird. Apparently Ollie Thornton was also playing Enjolras back then! Wish I remembered that even more than Starlight.

Mark Evans was Brad in Rocky Horror on the last tour but I didn’t know who he was back then . It wasn’t even all that long ago, but he was just this gorgeous man to drool over then. I didn’t ‘discover him’, so to speak, until Bobby Cronin’s gig when he completely blew me away.

Stuart Matthew Price was a vocalist at Strictly Gershwin when it first opened.

Alastair Brookshaw (who I saw as Leo Frank in Parade at the Southwark Playhouse) was a vocalist the first time I saw Shoes at Sadler’s Wells. Jared Hageman was also one of the dancers. I’ve seen him in Matthew Bourne’s Dorian Grey, but far more importantly, he was one of Take That’s dancers on the Progress Tour. I think I spotted him on X-Factor too.

Chris Passey as Benjamin in the Joseph tour 2007 at the Birmingham Hippodrome!

I knew this already, but Zoe Birkett, who I loved on Pop Idol 2002 and who should have been playing Dionne on the UK tour of Hair (she’s still playing the role in Munich) was in Respect La Diva and I even got her autograph, despite not realising who she was until the Hair tour was announced!

Burn the Floor starring Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian apparently also featured Artem Chigvintsev and Robin Windsor, before either joined Strictly. Obviously I didn’t have a clue who they were at the time, but somehow managed to get autographs off both of them anyway, even though I only got signatures from six out of twenty+ dancers (and two of those were the ‘stars’). Shame I didn’t bother with pictures (at least I don’t think I did, I should probably check that)!

Many years ago, well, six, but it feels like longer, I saw a play called As You Desire Me which for some reason really stood out for me and I still remember the story, or at least the gist of it, to this day. Turns out it starred Kristin Scott Thomas and Bob Hoskins. Unfortunately, this pre-dated my regular stage door activity, but it’s still kinda funky. Especially since I never could remember the name of that play and it’s rather useful to have rediscovered the programme.

Even more years ago than that, back in 1994, I went to see Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, for the very first time and I guess my love of musical theatre was probably born around then. I still remember that show so clearly, it’s weird, especially since I’ve seen it a fair few times since then, yet it’s that first performance that’s always stayed with me. Darren Day starred and the theatre trip was the culmination of months of constantly singing the songs. For whatever reason, my parents wouldn’t take me to see it, but then my Grandma treated me when I went to visit her and apparently I beamed throughout the whole show!

And then in 1998, also in Manchester, I saw Oliver starring Gary Wilmot as Fagin. Turns out Michael Cotton was in the cast too. Wonder what I’d have thought back then if I’d known all these years later I’d see him dancing around in the buff in Naked Boys Singing . I suspect I’d have been shocked and appalled given I was only about 13 and I was oh so sweet and innocent back then!

Back into the noughties and I went to see Ewan McGregor in Guys and Dolls in 2005. All I really remember was being stuck right up at the back and not getting to see Ewan at the stage door afterwards, but turns out the show also featured a rather young looking Summer Strallen.

One of my bigger ‘ wow, really?!’ moments came when I found the programme for The Pirates of Penzance at the Savoy in 2004. I remember the show and remember being rather excited about Anthony Head playing the Pirate King. What I obviously wouldn’t have been excited about at the time but would so love to see now, was Hadley Fraser as Fredric!

Adam Pearce (who I know from Love Never Dies) was one of the brothers in Joseph when Lee Mead was starring. Stephen John Davis (who I saw as Emile in South Pacific) was Reuben too.

I’ve no idea when I saw Beauty and the Beast, but given that it was on at the Dominion, it must have been a fair few years ago since We Will Rock You has been on there for the past decade. According to the programme it premiered in 1997, so I’d guess at the date being sometime around then. Anyhoo, a quick flick through the programme produced the info that Barry James (Firmin in Phantom) played Cogsworth and Earl Carpenter was in the ensemble!

One particular programme I’ve been looking for for a while, is the Far Pavilions. I don’t think it was much of a success, but I remember enjoying it. Obviously I don’t remember Hadley Fraser in this either, but I’ve known for a while that he was in it so it was kinda nice to finally find the programme and see the picture with my own eyes.

Spamalot starring Tim Curry was an interesting find. Mark Evans was a swing, so there’s a good chance I didn’t see him and Craige Els (Never Forget) was a walking understudy, so I’m almost certain I wouldn’t have seen him either, but Hannah Waddingham was the Lady of the Lake and I’m pretty sure I saw her at least!

I’m loving these old programmes too, the head shots are so dated – all those massive perms on the women and boyband curtains on the men! Anyhoo, another trip to the Manchester Opera House some time around 1996 and Alexis Owen-Hobbs was playing Cha-Cha. (Shane Richie was starring as Danny, but he was off when I went to see it. I have no clue how I still remember that fact though!).

Oliver Thornton was also in Chicago back when I saw it. Who knew I’d seen him in so much!

The weirdest by far is actually a concert programme, from Party in the Park 2000. It’s in rather horrific condition as I can still remember the way it poured down for most of the day (which resulted in my programme getting completely sodden through and all the pages getting stuck together. I remember the concert and even the nightmare of getting tickets, what I’d forgotten were the acts. I remember Ronan Keating and I remember being very disappointed when Stephen Gateley didn’t perform despite being on the bill. I remember that the only time I sat down all day was during Moloko because I didn’t much like them and I remember Lionel Richie (though he’s not actually on the programme, so I’m wondering if I imagined that or if he replaced someone else (like Gary Barlow replaced him at the BBC gig in Hyde Park that I missed last summer). I also have a vague recollection of Five performing with Queen – mostly cos I liked Five . The thing is, I saw some seriously cool acts that day. Perhaps some of them weren’t as famous then as they are now, but even so. Amongst others, assuming the programme is correct, I saw: Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, All Saints, Christina Aguilera (I think I actually remember her singing Genie in A Bottle), Elton John with the Backstreet Boys (man I wish I remembered that!), Kylie, Destiny’s Child (when there were still four of them!), Craig David, Steps, Westlife and Billie Piper!

I guess the most melancholy (at least based on programme findings plus the fact I was looking through the glossy brochure too and sulking about not getting to see it again) was from Hair in the West End. For some stupid reason I only bought the one, back when I first saw it and Will Swenson was still playing Berger. I did get Steel’s autograph and a fair chunk of the named cast, but I’m missing so many tribe members, it’s really rather sad. It was also before Liam joined the show, so he’s not in it either. I’m kicking myself now for not buying a second one later in the run and I did actually try to get my hands on one through various sources after the show closed and I realised how stupid I’d been, but nothing came of it. Such a shame . Still, I suppose I had an incredible summer (of love) with my beloved hippies and I’ll always have those fabulous memories plus the ones from Boston even if I don’t get another chance to see Hair again anytime soon. (I’ve also listened to the album the whole way through today, which didn’t help! – Let the sun shine in)

And finally on a slightly chirpier note, I apparently saw Michael Barrymore as Wishee Washee in Aladdin at the Manchester Opera House all the way back in 1992 . I think that’s the oldest one I found, except perhaps Rainbow which I saw live on stage when I was very very small, but I don’t know what year it was.

Anyhoo, in case you were wondering what that many programmes look like (or if you were wondering why it took me FIVE hours to go through them all), this is the whole lot of them:

On average I’d guestimate that there are about 20 per stack, maybe a few more. Of course there are shows I didn’t get programmes for, either because it was many years ago when £3 was just too much to spend or because they simply weren’t available. There are also shows I have several versions of; Phantom, Les Mis, etc. etc.. It’s a good collection though and I’m pretty proud of it. At least next time I lament the fact that life always seems to pass by far too quickly, I can look at this lot and think ‘Well at least I’m not wasting it’.

Anyways, there were countless other names that appeared time and time again, but the above were the ones that really stood out and made me go ‘oooh, cool’. I gotta say, it’s just another reason I love theatre, following careers from the early days. I think that’s even part of the reason I’m so fond of Liam, having seen (possibly) every show he’s been in since he started out. I still see big things in his future and I love watching that ascension from nobody to universally acknowledged star. One day I’ll be watching him play some massive part *cough*Phantom*cough* and I’ll be able to look back and say ‘look how far he’s come’ and know I’ve been there since the beginning.

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,
K xx

PS. And now I get to do some serious tagging . Overkill, thy name is random posts about 2 decades of theatre trips and deciding to tag every single person/show/theatre mentioned!

PPS. I have a multitude of almost finished reviews, so fingers crossed I’ll get at least some of them posted in the next few weeks.

Tags: Hair, Steel Burkhardt, Will Swenson, Take That, Shoes, Sadler's Wells, Liam Tamne, Les Miserables, Earl Carpenter, Ramin Karimloo, Lee Mead, Hadley Fraser, Love Never Dies, Phantom of the Opera, Alexis Owen-Hobbs, Strictly Come Dancing, Stuart Matthew Price, Summer Strallen, Birmingham Hippodrome, Oliver Thornton, Holly James, Hannah Waddingham, Aki Omoshayabi, Parade, Southwark Playhouse, Alastair Brookshaw, Respect La Diva, Zoe Birkett, Stephen John Davis, Naked Boys Singing, Michael Cotton, Savoy Theatre, Ragtime, David McMullan, Aladdin, Dominion Theatre, Queen, Chris Passey, Scott Garnham, Mark Evans, Hairspray, Alexander Evans, Starlight Express, New Wimbledon Theatre, Tim Driesen, Never Forget, Gemma Baird, Rocky, Strictly Gershwin, Jared Hageman, Matthew Bourne's Dorian Grey, Burn the Floor, Brian Fortuna, Ali Bastian, Artem Chigvintsev, Robin Windsor, As You Desire Me, Kristin Scott Thomas, Bob Hoskins, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Palace Theatre Manchester, Darren Day, Oliver, Gary Wilmot, Ewan McGregor, Guys and Dolls, The Pirates of Penzance, Anthony Head, Adam Pearce, Beauty and the Beast, Barry James, the Far Pavilions, Spamalot, Tim Curry, Craige Els, Manchester Opera, Party in the Park, Ronan Keating, Stephen, Moloko, Lionel Richie, Five, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, All Saints, Christina Aguilera, Elton John, Backstreet Boys, Kylie, Destiny's Child, Craig David, Steps, Westlife, Billie Piper, Michael Barrymore, Rainbow

What’s On Stage Awards 2012

Last year I had a fifth row ticket for the What’s On Stage awards at the Prince of Wales Theatre and it was all about Liam and Ramin. This year I was only one row from the back of the stalls, but it was more about being there than any particular star or performer. Unfortunately, I could only see the bottom two nominees for each award since the screen on the stage was a little too high, but other than that, it was actually a rather good seat. It meant that al the various actors and co. were seated in front of me and it made it even easier to star gaze.

For example, Brian May was sat five rows in front of me! I also spotted Alex Gaumond twice and then realised he was sat next to Brian May anyway aaaand Kerry Ellis was there too. Half the cast of Ghost were two rows in front; Andrew Langtree (who plays Carl), who was then joined by Mark Evans *thud* and then Richard Fleeshman who I’d assumed was in NY so that was pretty epic (turns out he flew back to collect his award, so wow, go him!). Anyhoo, Nigel Harman was a few rows in front too, as was James Corden and I spotted Tim Minchin a couple of times, though I wasn’t sure it was him until he went on stage to collect an award! Shayne Ward and Bill Kenwright were definitely in the bar during the interval and then I saw Shayne again in the auditorium again, four rows in front. I’m also pretty sure I saw Patrick Smyth in bar before the show started, but I was far too shy to speak to him no matter how frickin’ lovely he always is. He was talking to people though and it seemed rude (which is my excuse and I’m sticking to it). Michael Ball was another exciting spot, even though I’d already seen him on stage by that point.

I saw Patrick Smyth again when I was leaving, though, and that time I did say hello, how’re you (woot, go me!). I also nearly tripped over Sharon D Clarke’s dress on the way down the stairs and Richard Fleeshman (who really is rather gorgeous) was right behind me. Aaaaand I saw Hannah Waddingham and nearly bumped into Tamsin Grieg. Overall, a top night, even though I missed seeing all my favourite leading men.

I was still completely in my element and I was almost glad I was there on my own as I’m not sure anyone else would have really understood. That said, it would be nice to have a friend who was just as obsessed and overawed as me (yet can appreciate the need for selfishness when booking tickets ). Anyhoo, the stupid thing is, I’ve met half if not most of these people before, yet I was still ridiculously excited. Admittedly the reason I come to these awards is because I love theatre, so it sort of follows that I’d get excited at seeing so many of its stars all at once, but still!

And so to the evening itself; I knew about Kerry Ellis and the names of a few of the performing shows in advance, but I was delighted to find that Dean Chisnall was singing a song from Shrek. I absolutely adored his performance of Who I’d Be and I must have beamed the whole way through it. I’m now even more determined to see the show again once he takes over in the leading role (if only to erase the memory of the Parisian production ). The other big performance highlight was Hannah Waddingham singing Red Shoe Blues. She’s absolutely phenomenal and really deserved her win. The grand finale with Kerry Ellis singing her rocked up version of Defying Gravity, supported by Brian May was, erm, LOUD!!! It was also epically awesome (and I even spotted Shayne Ward taking a photo on his phone ) and a fabulous end to the night. She has an absolutely breathtaking voice and he’s Brian May!

The best acceptance speech award should have gone to Richard Bean who cracked me up completely, with the runner up prize for Amanda Holden and supporting actor Simon Cowell (unfortunately, since they were on the screen, I couldn’t actually see the acceptance, but from what I heard, it was hilarious! A special mention goes to Alfie Boe just because he’s Alfie frickin’ Boe and also because his semi-double act with Matt Lucas (who made a cameo as a phone call) always makes me laugh. Along the same lines, War Horse won the best West End show award and they brought one of the horses on during their acceptance speech. As someone who STILL hasn’t seen that show, it was rather breathtaking.

The presenters were brilliant too, even more so than I’d expected. I knew Sheridan Smith would be fabulous and I absolutely adore her anyway, but she had a brilliant rapport with Alan Davies too and I have to admit he was a lot funnier than I’d expected (even though I was watching QI on Dave last night and laughing plenty, so I probably should have expected great entertainment value), though perhaps a little ruder than necessary!

Anyhoo it was a fun night and I’ll definitely be heading back next year! I’m also now very much looking forward to the Oliviers (which I believe are being broadcasted on a public screen in Covent Garden) and, of course, I’m now wondering how to fit in more shows. I’m also now considering trying to make it to Chichester, which I’m pretty sure is a ridiculous idea, since anything really good will make it to the West End anyway, but I just keep hearing such wonderful things about it…! Still, at least I’ve got Edinburgh to look forward to in the summer. Woot!

Anyways, Noises Off is next up (woot, can’t wait!) followed by Don Giovanni at the ROH (it seems like such a short list now I’m cutting down to two shows a week ), so I’ll be back soon. In the meantime (keeeep dancing! – oops, wrong show) I’ll try and get some more of the backlog filled in. I now have a goal to try and get The America Trip blogs out before I reach the year marker and I’m fast running out of time. Perhaps I should change the deadline to ‘before The America Trip, The Sequel’, since at this rate that will give me until October to get sorted!

‘Til next time, however,

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

PS. I may have overdone the tagging on this post. Oops!

PPS. I know I don’t really talk about my beloved Steel Burkhardt that much anymore (though he is a massive part of the reason I’m still holding off on booking The America Trip, The Sequel), but trust me when I say he still holds a very special place in the theatre related section of my heart. I was therefore just a little bit heartbroken to discover on facebook that he has cut off all of those luscious long locks of his! I knew it was bound to happen eventually, but still . I adored his hair and I cannot describe how sorry I am to see it go *sob*.

Tags: Alan Davies, Alex Gaumond, Alfie Boe, Amanda Holden, Andrew Langtree, Bill Kenwright, Brian May, Dean Chisnall, Hannah Waddingham, James Corden, Kerry Ellis, Mark Evans, Michael Ball, Nigel Harman, Patrick Smyth, Prince of Wales Theatre, Richard Bean, Richard Fleeshman, Sharon D Clarke, Shayne Ward, Sheridan Smith, Simon Cowell, Tamsin Grieg., Tim Minchin, What's On Stage Awards

Lego!Harry And Lego!Draco Do Paris Again (Part 2)

I’d intended to put the whole trip in one post, but as per usual I took far too many photos, so here’s the rest!

The boys were both quite appalled when the only shop in which I purchased anything during a mini shopping trip along the Champs Elysees was Marks & Spencer. (In my defense it was only because it was the only place I could find reasonably priced knee-high socks – which were possibly the best purchase of the past month. Never underestimate toasty warm toes! I did admittedly also spend approximately ten minutes debating a gorgeous white poncho in Morgan which was just under €30, reduced from €95, but it was sooo impractical I just couldn’t allow myself to buy it.):

Draco later demanded to know why we were staying in a freezing cold rental flat when we could have been staying at the George V Hotel. Harry was forced to explain that unfortunately, no matter how wealthy Draco’s family may be, lego money is not much use at the hotel. (It would have been nice though. One day… *dreamy sigh*):

After that we finally headed down to the Palais des Sports for Adam et Eve La Seconde Chance, which was really the main purpose of the trip. (It did not disappoint. See the review here for more detail):

Harry and Draco (or Haz and Dray as I was calling them by the end of the trip) didn’t quite manage to get their photo taken with any of the cast, but you can just about see Thierry Amiel (Adam) and, I think,  Liza Pastor (Lilith) through the glass doors (wearing the wooly hats):

I have to admit I regretted not buying that Morgan poncho when I got off the metro at Concorde just before 1am, though. I mean it was COLD! Anyhoo, I’d picked the wrong metro line to go straight home so I figured I may as well drop by the Louvre, ‘cept apparently they only keep the lights on ’til 1am. Because when I arrived at about 12:57 they were on and by the time I’d turned back from taking pictures of the big wheel across the Tuileries, they were off. Oddly, the Eiffel Tower still flashed on the hour and though I didn’t wait around for it to stop, it looked like the rest of the lights on the tower that usually make it glow golden had been switched off already. It was a kinda cool effect actually. Anyhoo, we still took a photo at the Louvre, though, since we’d schlepped all the way there!:

And then Haz decided to act out the iconic moment from Singin’ In The Rain despite the fact it was neither raining, nor was he singing. (I will admit that I might have done the same a few minutes prior to this photo however… also without the rain and with the singing firmly restricted to inside my own head):

On the plus, they were (read: I was) warm that night. It seems all that was required to keep toasty was to sleep with one’s head completely under the covers and five layers of blankets (the usual one plus the spare blanket folded twice so it had four layers over most of the centre of the bed). The boys were fine though since they had body heat from each other to keep warm. Well that and the fact that plastic tends not to really feel the cold :

Sunday morning, far earlier than any of us were happy with after such a late night (we got to bed at around 2am and who knows what Haz and Dray got up to once the lights went out ), we ended up queuing for the only open bakery on Rue Montorgueil:

A final farewell to the flat (on the first floor; the two windows on the right above B’Elle) and then we headed out into the city:

We wandered through Montmartre and admired the Moulin Rouge in the sunshine:

And Harry and Draco shared a kiss by le mur des je ta’aime:

The soppiness continued when we reached the viewpoint by the Sacre Coeur:

Followed by a wander through Place du Tertre and a look and some gorgeous art work. Draco and I were very tempted but Harry wouldn’t let us spend any more money :

It was a really lovely day, though a little hazy and we paused at the top of the butte Montmartre to take in the atmosphere:

It was all going swimmingly until some dude jumping up and down the steps (for exercise, I presume) decided to put his hand on the railing exactly where Harry and Draco were busy posing. He grabbed hold of Draco (much to poor Draco’s chagrin), but Harry went flying. I couldn’t resist the taking a picture of him before I picked him up though:

They really were in a loved up mood that day and the romance continued in the sun dappled centre of Place des Vosges:

We headed to Place de la Bastille to catch the metro and Haz was apparently unable to resist copying the pose of the Genie de la Liberte (the Spirit of Freedom) on top of the July Column:

The final show, Mamma Mia at the Theatre Mogador (review to come):

And a somewhat more successful night visit to the Louvre finished off the day:

Before we headed to Gare Du Nord for the train home. We stopped at a nearby cafe for a chocolat chaud, but ended up standing at the bar since it was dinner time and we weren’t eating, so weren’t allowed to sit at a table (I was NOT happy). It was alright for some, who were more than happy to take a seat in the saucer, but for the rest of us, it ended up being a quickie drink rather than a lazy half hour finishing up some of my reviews as it was intended to be:

And there endeth the trip. To finish off, however… Draco was not happy with Harry for hiding his new cane on Sunday morning and made his feelings known when he was finally reunited with it on returning home and unpacking the suitcase… (Neither Harry nor I pointed out that the cane was actually lost somewhere in Paris and a new one had to be hastily procured from lego!Snape when we returned!):

And that’s all folks (until Brussels at least)!

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K, Haz and Dray xx

Lego!Harry And Lego!Draco Do Paris Again (Part 1)

New things I learned about Paris.

1) It’s frickin’ COLD in February. Like FREEZING cold.

2) It’s also rather stunning in the crisp clear winter sunshine. Less so in hazy sunshine, but still pretty

I’ll let lego!Harry and lego!Draco show you the rest of my trip! (I think I’ll need to get them some winter clothing next time, poor things!)

Aboard the Eurostar, whizzing past the snow covered English countryside:

After a quick stop at the flat, we went to see Shrek at the Casino de Paris (review to come):

On the way back to the flat, we passed the Opera Garnier and the boys decided to act out a bit of Phantom, Harry hiding his scarred face from poor innocent (H: ha, yeah right!) Draco:

Bed time and the boys curl up together under the sheets:

Next morning, in the grounds of the Palais Royale, I took the boys out to find them like this… I don’t think I want to know what they were getting up to in the dark recesses of my handbag! (H: I was just giving Draco a massage, honest! D: *pft* yeah, a ‘massage’, right. H: Shut up, Draco! K: Really. Don’t. Want. To. Know… D: *pft* yeah, right. K: *smirk*):

We were a bit confused by the random sticks of Brighton rock sticking out of the floor, but we took a photo anyway:

Posing at the rather quirky Palais-Royal/Musee du Louvre metro station:

Ice skating at the Louvre on the frozen fountain. Or a piece of the frozen fountain at any rate:

Harry was rather excited to find himself on Rue Nicolas Flamel (he’s even pointing at the street sign, bless him). Funnily enough, I’ve actually written a Drarry fic which takes place in Harry’s fictional bar on the corner of this street (a building currently occupied by H&M):

Harry quite fancied a go on the carousel, but Draco was having none of it, tugging him away before he could clamber onto one of the gigantic horses:

The ice rink outside the Hotel de Ville was a little too large for the boys, but they were happy to pose beside it:

Gazing up at Notre Dame:

Awesome street art. The angle wasn’t quite right, but you get the idea:

The George Pompidou centre. I don’t get it, neither did Harry, but Draco apparently ‘appreciated the modern art aspect of it’. Harry thought he was being a pretentious bastard, but I left them to fight that out between themselves…:

We then went for a wander through the antiques market on Boulevard des Capucines…:

At which Draco caught sight of some swanky antique (pimp) canes (Harry was not impressed):

But Draco bought one anyway and decided to show it off outside the Eglise de la Madeleine. Harry just tried to pretend they weren’t together:

As the sun began to sink, however, and the setting became a little more romantic beside Rodin’s sculpture ‘Le Baiser’, Harry forgave Draco long enough to share a smooch in the park (though Draco still insisted on carrying his shiny new cane for the rest of the day!):

Stay tuned for part two which will be up soon

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K, Harry & Draco xx

Adam Et Eve – La Seconde Chance

I’ve apparently developed a bit of a soft spot for the Palais des Sports after my previous experience and I was rather pleased to be back. It also helped that I think I got a bit of a minor upgrade on my ticket for Adam et Eve La Seconde Chance, as there seemed to be plenty of unused seats off to the side and I’m sure that’s where I was meant to be. I was still in the circle bit but it was a reasonably front on view and it was actually rather good (especially after Shrek) with no restrictions, it was just a fair distance from the stage. I could’ve done with my/my mum’s opera glasses, though.

The evening started off badly in that (other than a one off trailer for 1789 Les Amants de la Bastille – which I missed anyway thanks to taking photos of lego!Harry and Draco) they were pointing cameras at random couples in the audience with ‘Adam et Eve?’ written above them and then asking them to kiss – similar to what they show in movies during sporting events in America. For someone in a sulky ‘it’s Valentine’s and I’m in the city of lurve on me lonesome’ mood, it was kinda annoying! It improved slightly when a random stir went through the audience and people who I believe were the creator (Pascal Obispo) and choreographer (Tokyo) arrived in the audience.

Then the show started and everything changed. This was no Shrek, it was another Dracula through and through. It was big and spectacular and I loved it. The first couple of big numbers were ones I was already familiar with, which I think helped me engage with the show early on and I liked having random tracks put into context (especially Les Meilleurs). Unfortunately my iPod battery was dead when I went to listen to it during the day though, so I was less mentally prepared than I’d intended to be (at least I hope it just needs charging. The first two times I turned it on, the battery was showing almost full, but it died immediately the first time and after three tracks the second. Only on the third turning on attempt did it actually say there was no battery. Will charge it when I get in and see what happens. Bit worried it’s a result of the headphone jack fix though, especially as I was pretty sure the battery was nearly full when I left home…), but I still enjoyed it all.

There was actually a surprising amount of English dotted throughout some of the songs and one was even completely in English. I liked the bits, but not so much the whole thing. It loses the magic a little when you can understand the lyrics, especially in a love ballad – far more romantic in French! I think I managed to pretty much get the gist of what was going on though and the random English bits definitely helped. (I’m not sure I would’ve quite got the pole-dancing bit Lilith did in the first act otherwise… not that I quite ‘got’ it anyway. I mean, really?! Wasn’t she meant to be like the princess? And stunning and a great catch ‘n’ all? Why did she even need to try to win Adam over, especially given that her father didn’t exactly seem the type to allow Adam to choose anyone else? Perhaps it was something that got lost in lack of translation. In retrospect I suppose she did need to win him, though pole-dancing didn’t seem to be the way to his heart after all…)

Before I get ahead of myself, I’ll give a brief rundown of the plot as I saw it, based on visuals, bits of lyrics and the google translated synopsis I read when I booked the ticket. There will be spoilers in this, so I’ve whited out the full text for safety…

Adam is chief of something or other (the best of the best? Assuming I translated ‘meilleur’ correctly…) in a world order (a place called Eden) controlled by Solus. He’s a tad on the dictatorish side and has one daughter called Lilith. She and Adam are due to be married. Then some rag-tag bunch of rebels lead by Snake and Eve bust in and fight a bit before vanishing, but not before Adam and Eve literally bump into each other and sparks fly (literally again, courtesy of totally cheesy dramatic lightning bolts on the screen at the back of the stage). Adam goes in search of Eve, discovers their hippie world on ‘The Other Side’ and decides to join them. Something happens that I didn’t quite follow and Solus’ people capture Eve (even though she’s in bed with Adam at the time and he remains with the hippies unscathed?! Unless the bed was just a seductive metaphor ). Anyhoo, act two begins with Eve being tortured by Lilith until Adam, Snake and the rest launch an attack (thereby ending my mental hippie comparison since they’re not exactly inkeeping with the hippie pacifist theme). They fight, the good guys win, Eve is rescued and the show continues for a bit for no apparent reason until all the songs have been sung and there’s a big Happily Ever After party/encore. There’s also a character called Strawberry – Merlin knows why she’s called that, or why it’s in English, but there you have it. I think she’s just meant to be a friend of Eve’s. The other main dude seemed to be a hippie guitarist who randomly appears, but could possibly be considered the narrator? Maybe? He starts and ends the show anyhoo.

The Snake character reminded me sooo much of Berger. It started off just because he has long dark wavy hair, a suedey waistcoat and a tanned six-pack on show, but then when I saw him in action the parallels grew even more. He’s a sort of leader of a raggedy bunch of rebels and doesn’t seem to take anything very seriously, constantly bouncing around the stage. He also seemed to have an arrogance that reminded me a lot of Berger. I had the benefit(?) of being far enough away that I couldn’t really make out facial features so he was more attractive in my head than I think the actor actually is. Same went for Adam, actually, who I think of more as Florent Torres in my mind .

The dancing was phenomenal. There was breakdancing and ballet as well as proper big musical theatre routines. They even had a pirouetting guy at one point and if you’ve read some of my ballet reviews you’ll know how much I adore that. They also seem very keen on aerialists in these things and there were loads of them in this. I really did enjoy the choreography throughout and it was probably one of the highlights. The costumes were fabulous as well, particularly Lillith’s black dress and the hippie gear! I saw a few photos of on stage rehearsals on twitter before the show opened and I wasn’t overly impressed, but in actuality it was a spectacular set which did a fabulous job of combining the woodsy, natural aspects of L’Autre Cote with the metallic, futuristic Eden. It was one stage and one set, but it just worked.

Anyhoo, I was rather excited at the end when there was a little closing speech and I understood it – all of it! It was very satisfying, even if it was pretty straight forward and simple (It’s a new day, a new world, blah de blah de cheeeese ). That said, I still don’t really get the Adam and Eve reference, in biblical terms, I mean. Perhaps I missing something (highly probable given the language barrier), but Eden was meant to be a paradise that it was bad to be expelled from. I suppose it’s still Eve that tempts Adam away in the end, but I’m pretty sure there were no apples and Snake seemed a bit random and unrelated to the his biblical counterpart…? Anyhoo, that’s all by the by. It’s a fabulous show anyway!

They ended the actual show with Ma Bataille which started off slow and acousticy then burst into life, which provided the best of both worlds. I really enjoyed it and I was glad they left it ‘til the end as it left me with something I knew well to look forward to. The encore was Rien Ne Se Finit which I found sort of odd since it was released as a single yet not actually in the show proper, but it was fun and I was glad I could sing along. It meant the show closed on a massive high for me which was fabulous after the strong start.

The cast were superb too. The singers danced a lot of the routines, which I always respect and their voices were fabulous. I loved Snake, who was played by Nuno Resende (yes, because of the Berger thing, but also) because he had so much energy. Adam and Eve (Thierry Amiel and Cylia respectively) were both a bit too perfect hero/heroine-esque for me, but their vocals were brilliant. Noemie Garcia played Strawberry and no matter how random her character was, she had some lovely songs and a gorgeous voice. I thought Solal was brilliant as Solus, especially when he came out at the stage door at the end and was the total opposite of the nasty leader he played in the show. Liza Pastor was spectacular as Lilith if for no other reason than she really knows how to use a pole! She was spell binding on it and she was singing through half of it too!

My only criticism in fact was that it was freezing cold in the arena! Except it was so cold outside as well that I didn’t dare do more than put my coat over my knees or I knew it would hit hard when I left at the end. This ‘inside’ business really hasn’t been working out for me. The flat is freezing and after seven hours of wandering in icy temperatures I was really looking forward to some warmth for a bit. It was better than being outside, true, but not by much. Needless to say, I was rather thankful for my new M&S socks and also sorta wished I’d bought that Morgan poncho after all (see Harry and Draco’s blog for an explanation on that)!

I’ll admit the temptation to skip the stage door and just go back to the (theoretical) warmth of the flat (via the Louvre for some night photography, of course… which was another failure, though that’s also covered in Harry and Draco’s blog) was strong, but I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t. Especially since I actually had a programme for this unlike some shows I could mention *cough*Shrek*cough*.

In the end I was glad I stayed despite the freezing temperatures. I got there early enough that there was plenty of space at the barrier and once others arrived it was a little warmer. I successfully managed photos and autographs with the full named cast except the Nuno Resende as he’d left early. I was a bit gutted by that, but on the plus I did get the front of the programme signed by Pascal Obispo so that was kinda awesome. Not bad going really! I also tried to grab Thierry Amiel again at the end for a photo with Harry & Draco but I was a bit unsure of how to pronounce his name so I called after him rather quietly and he didn’t seem to hear me. Maybe next time…!

Solal who played Solus was also rather fun. He seemed like a lovely guy and when he came out twice because the cheer the first time wasn’t big enough. He then shouted ‘Qui etes-vous?’ expecting and sort of getting the response of ‘les meilleurs’. He later got a sing song going, but after a rendition of the chorus of Rien Ne Se Finit he decided that was too overdone and we should do something else instead. They sang C’est Bientot La Fin after that from Mozart which was kinda cool (though I suppose it makes sense given that I’m pretty sure he was in that too!)

Aaaaaaaanyhoo, that was a bit longer than I’d intended so I’ll sign off now. I’m still planning on seeing Mamma Mia tomorrow all being well, so I’ll be back then and you can also look forward to Harry & Draco’s photo blog which should be published sometime in the next year or so. I’m aware I’ve still not published the last one or the Dracula review…

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

PS. Amusingly, I woke up with I’ve Always Been A Morning Person from Shrek stuck in my head and was humming it in the shower… after it took me 45 minutes to crawl out of bed. And trust me when I say I have NEVER been a morning person. Even when I have a fabulous reason to get up, it’s still a wrench and I can’t help wishing I had another hour or two under the covers!

Tags: Adam et Eve La Seconde Chance, Cylia, Liza Pastor, Noemie Garcia, Nuno, Palais des Sports, Pascal Obispo, Solal, Thierry Amiel, Tokyo

Singin’ In The Rain

Doo de doo doo, doo de doo de doo doo, I’m siiiiiiingin’ in the rain… and loving it on stage, what a glorious feeling, seein’ a fun new show again… *teehee*

So in case you haven’t guessed yet (and if you haven’t, honestly I think you’re probably reading the wrong blog), I went to see the new production of Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace Theatre this evening. It’s only JUST opened and as a general rule I don’t see musicals during previews (they sometimes change too much and if I just know I’ll fall in love with a scene that gets cut), but for GILT related reasons, this time I made an exception. I was in the upper circle which was certainly a reasonable view, though I did rather wish I’d managed to acquire a seat at the front of the stalls. Next time, perhaps… and I do need to pop back for a glossy brochure once they’re on sale… plus it would be nice to see the show after it’s out of previews… I think I’ll have to keep an eye on special offers, just in case .

Anyhoo, to the show. I loved the set, which had a suitably classic feel. The sort of fakeness of it worked perfectly both as a 20s film studio set and as an interpretation of an old film. I liked the costumes too, though most of them were nothing particularly special. *Very, very minor spoiler alert. Select text to read* The appearance of the three leads in those infamous yellow macs at the end made my night though!

I though it took a while to get going and lagged a little in parts, particularly in the first act, but the highs far outweighed the lows and as I said, it’s still in previews, so who knows what it will look like by the time it hits official opening night. The choreography was spectacular, however, from the al singing all dancing tap numbers, to the slower romantic pieces. Singin’ In The Rain was fabulous and lived up to any and all expectations. Moses Supposes was brilliant and full of life. It’s an irritating song, in my opinion, but the choreography more than made up for it. Good Morning was fabulous fun and I was very pleased to see that they kept the ‘going over the back of the chair’ scene that I (and probably a lot of other people) associate with it. On a more romantic note, I liked the scenes with the black and white film and Would You was beautiful. In fact, musically, my only issue was the fact that Robbie (f***ing) Williams has apparently ruined Make ‘em Laugh for me. (I’m not actually complaining, I thought it was funny and it brings back some wonderful Progress Tour memories, I just thought it was worth mentioning ). I didn’t even realise that his little nightly ditty was to the tune of Make ‘em Laugh until the last week or so when I started humming SITR songs in anticipation of tonight’s theatre trip and it was only during the show (when I mentally filled in my own lyrics) that I realised it’s not just vaguely similar. Apparently in my head the line ‘You can study Shakespeare and be quite elite’ now ends with ‘or be a Manc lass and just piss in the street’. Except it’s not the Take That show on Tuesday night, it’s Singin’ In The Rain and that line really doesn’t fit! Choreographically, it was a fabulous number full of acrobatics, though I’ll admit I was a little disappointed there was no flipping off the wall, even if he did end up going through one.

Anyhoo, Robbie messing with my mind aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I’ve been a fan of classic movies for years and I have to say I’m loving this recent influx of West End interpretations and inspirations. I’m eagerly awaiting Top Hat and I’ve noticed Strictly Gershwin is doing the rounds again (I saw it a few years ago at the Royal Albert Hall. I remember loving the tap numbers, thinking the deep blue tutus were a work of art and being far too excited about the ballroom routines being danced by Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova who were stars of Strictly Come Dancing at the time). Crazy For You is another feel good, silver screen, all singing all dancing show and they’re all fabulous. Not that I don’t love new musicals with new concepts and styles because obviously I do, but there’s something beautifully timeless about the old school stuff.

So, back to the current piece of timeless class… I loved the cast, especially the three leads who had fabulous on stage chemistry. I have a soft spot for Adam Cooper anyway and I was rather delighted to see him as Don Lockwood. (I once saw him in White Christmas, but I didn’t really know who he was then). His dancing was, unsurprisingly, superb, but the rest of it was brilliant too. Scarlett Strallen was phenomenal as Kathy Selden and I loved her voice as well as the way she moved. The romance between her and Adam was gorgeous and I felt like sighing theatrically every time they fell into each other’s arms. Daniel Crossley was superb as Cosmo Brown, with fabulous comic timing as well as dancing skills. Of all of the cast, he seemed the most like he’d stepped out of the silver screen to appear on stage for the night. Finally, Katherine Kingsley was comic gold as Lina Lamont. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I realised she had her own number, but it was brilliant. You almost ended up feeling a little sorry for her. Almost!

The stage door was frickin’ freezing and my fingers are still thawing, but I got all the autographs and photos I wanted. The priority was Adam Cooper, of course, but (after a long cold wait) I caught Daniel Crossley and Scarlett Strallen. I also nabbed Katherine Kingsley, though she was in a rush, and Michael Brandon who played RF Simpson. I randomly got chatting to another girl I met there and got to share my Steel story with her (I don’t get to tell that tale all that often anymore, it was quite a novelty). I also spotted a few people I think I recognised, possibly from Edinburgh? And the girl from Backbeat was on the platform when I was going home. Not sure what relevance that has to anything, but there you have it. Irritatingly, I’m beginning to feel more and more like a complete wally while autograph hunting. I think I need to start seeing more proper celebrities, then at least I know I won’t be alone, even if my chances of getting what I’m after are drastically reduced as a consequence…

Anyhoo, back to swing dancing tomorrow after a two week absence (I will go, I will…!) and then a double bill at the ballet on Thursday before Paris! I’d somehow almost forgotten about that one, or rather, I hadn’t forgotten but time has flown faster than anticipated and it’s sort of crept up on me a little. So, I’ve got Shrek en Francais, Adam et Eve La Seconde Chance and the city of romance just before Valentine’s day (Merlin help me) to look forward to! Woot!

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

Tags: Adam Cooper, Daniel Crossley, Katherine Kingsley, Palace Theatre, Scarlett Strallen, Singin' In The Rain

Lambert in London!

So today didn’t start off particularly well. I still felt ill and about halfway through the day I suddenly realised that Ramin doesn’t do Thursdays. How on earth I managed to miss that when I booked, I don’t know, but needless to say I was a tad disappointed. Still, I managed to rally reasonably well, at least until I found out soon afterwards that Liam was off sick… Gutted doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’d been dragging myself through the day, pushing myself on with the promise of Mr. Tamne at the end of it and I was totally devastated that he wasn’t going to be on. I love Scott Garnham too, but he’s not Liam. I was nearly in tears by the end of the day, watching Adam Lambert’s Heat twitter takeover, convinced I was going to miss him as well as everyone else…

Except then the unthinkable happened. I was walking down to the theatre from Holborn praying desperately that Adam hadn’t left Heat yet while simultaneously trying to convince myself I wouldn’t be horribly disappointed if he had. Then, to my complete surprise and elation, when we turned the corner, I immediately caught sight of the reasonably sized crowd by the main doors, which I promptly joined. I only had to wait a few minutes before he appeared and he was so damn CLOSE! I started snapping pictures immediately, being towards the back of the crowd and not expecting to get much more of a chance, except everyone was taking pictures and no one seemed to be getting stuff signed. He looked up, asking if anyone wanted anything signed, so I shoved my CD forward and he took it from me straight away, signed it and passed it back! I got a few more awesome pictures (and dear MERLIN he’s looking’ hot right now) but wasn’t pushy enough to get a photo with him. I did however touch his leather-jacket clad back in a rather tentative attempt to get his attention. Didn’t work, but point is I TOUCHED HIM!!! So, it’s a shame about the photo because, really what’s the likelihood of me ever getting a chance like that again, but still, it was an absolutely incredible experience and I can’t believe how lucky I was. I’ll definitely have to try that again (if I hadn’t been at work I’d have been there much earlier, despite the freezing temperatures)! I mean, just look at him…!

Adam Lambert Outside Heat Magazine

Anyhoo, Les Mis was still fabulous even without Liam (*sob*), though I think it helped that I really do have a fondness for Scott Garnham and I was pleased to see Fra Fee as Marius (though he didn’t seem to be quite on top form). Hadley Fraser was spellbinding as always and I might just end up giving in and coming back one more time, though only if I buy tickets on the day knowing Liam will definitely be on. On a slightly different note, I did at least get the chance to buy one of the new Ramin-ified glossy brochures and they’re very lovely indeed . I’m still not sure Valjean and Javert are supposed to be that attractive, especially when they’re in their old man make up, but they’re both rather delicious specimens of manhood no matter how their faces are painted. Liam was also looking as gorgeous as always and there were a handful of new pictures of him thanks to the group scenes with Ramin. Anyhoo, in the end I enjoyed the performance far more than I expected to given my mood for most of the day and my extreme disappointment, though I think it’s also partly because I knew so many of the cast. It’s almost like going to see an, admittedly rather miserable, version of Hair and I behaved as such at the stage door, perhaps mistakenly, given how ridiculous I felt doing it! I didn’t bother with autographs, but I did get pictures with nearly the entire male cast and all the leading women. I missed Christopher Jacobsen who was on for Valjean (and killed it during Bring Him Home, the ultimate test of a good Valjean), but that was mostly because I wasn’t sure if I’d recognise him so once I’d got everyone I knew, I decided not to bother hanging around. Could have been a mistake, but meh, I met Adam Lambert, so who cares?!

I still can’t really believe it happened and it was all so fast it feels like a fleeting dream I can barely remember now. I didn’t get trembly the way I do when I get within ten feet of Liam, but he certainly seemed larger than life… Though not quite to the extent Gary Barlow did when I met him that day before the first air-play of Patience (I won a competition, the entire thing was a blur except for the way it felt when he squeezed me while posing for photos. And I mean really squeezed, pressed his cheek right up against mine and wrapped his gorgeous fingers around my upper arm… *sigh*, but anyhoo, that was many years ago and I’m not talking about the Captain right now!). So, Adam… I may have trouble believing it happened, but I’ve got some gorgeous photos and an autograph to prove it did and given the massive smile I haven’t quite managed to wipe off my face, there’s clearly some part of me that knows it really happened. Adam frickin’ Lambert! I’ll take a hundred days as crummy as this one was if they all end like that!

Signed!

Peace, loVe loVe, happiness and glitter, baby!

K xx

PS. And for my next mission, should I ever have anything like the opportunity… Tommy Joe Ratliff

PPS. Don’t think I’ve actually mentioned Adam’s new single yet, but just in case I don’t get around to giving it the full post it deserves, may it just be recorded here that I frickin’ love Better Than I Know Myself. Cannot stop listening to it and I’m even more desperate to hear the rest of the album now!

Tags: Adam Lambert, Christopher Jacobsen, Fra Fee, Hadley Fraser, Heat Magazine, Liam Tamne, Scott Garnham

Midnight Tango

I went to see Midnight Tango at the Aldwych Theatre as part of a What’s On Stage outing and I have to say it was a little odd. It felt sort of like I was on a group trip except I knew no one and spoke to no one (save one of the WoS staff at the end during the meet & greet as we were both lamenting the fact we had no idea who anyone was besides Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace and there were helpfully no cast photos in the programme). Still, it was certainly good value and I had a magnificent seat in the dress circle. Unfortunately I was feeling a little under the weather so couldn’t face my free alcoholic beverage and had to settle for OJ instead. That said, I think I would have felt funny drinking alone anyway! I was also very unimpressed with the meet and greet afterwards, but more on that later. One last grievance to air and then I’ll get on with the review, I promise! There was an annoying trio next to me chattered through most of the first routines of both acts without even bothering to keep their voices down, but they seemed to settle after that and stopped bothering me so much. Still, I hate it when people do that, so damn rude.

So, it was a gorgeous show, though I think I was too tired to fully appreciate some parts of it, especially early on. There often seemed to be a lot going on on stage and I had issues choosing where to focus when Vincent and Flavia weren’t on (I just watched them when they were!). I also found that I was watching their expressions a lot and missing their footwork – which is rather ironic since I’m always complaining that the camera-work on Strictly Come Dancing cuts off everyone’s feet more often than not!

It was a simple plot, but I liked the fact that there was a plot. It all took place in one place, a little bar owned by an adorable middle-aged couple. Their relationship had obviously lost a bit of its sparkle. He was more than a little dazzled by the gorgeous Flavia, while she spent half the show drooling over the male singer. Watching them reconnect was adorable though and they rather stole the show in parts. The rest circled around the romance between Pablo (Vincent) and Sofia (Flavia) and the stir that’s caused when Mr. Dark and Mysterious (I have no idea of either his real name or his character’s name so that’s how I shall refer to him for the purposes of this post! EDIT: I have since been informed that his name is Giraldo Diomar) arrives on the scene and steals Sofia away.

In the first act I loved Pablo and Sofia’s big romantic number, though that was quickly eclipsed when Mr. Dark and Mysterious stole her away. I adored that routine, which was a sort of fight as he tries to keep her away from Pablo, as well as the following one when Pablo both tries to win her back and to make her jealous. Another first act highlight was the bar owner dancing alone to the record player, mirroring the moves of the (imagined? remembered?) couple beside him. I have to admit I had an extra soft spot for him, however, since he was played by Teddy Kempner who I remember from Never Forget. Anyhoo, unfortunately I don’t have the foggiest idea which song was which, so I can’t give you much more detail than that.

The second act was also wonderful and I enjoyed it even more than the first, though I’m not sure if the highlights were more of Pablo and Sofia’s stunning pas de deuxs or the couple in the bar re-ignighting the spark in their relationship! I mean, they practically stole the show! They were so adorably cute and you couldn’t help but love them! That said, Vincent and Flavia (I’m going to use their names somewhat interchangeably with their characters’ names from here on) really were on fire, especially in the second act and I loved watching them. Vincent’s fight with Mr. Dark and Mysterious was surprisingly smouldering and not even in a slashtastic way (much ). It was more about macho dominance and power… It was hot! I also loved the storm effects and the dancing that accompanied it. I thought the relationship between Pablo and Sofia was more intense and believable too in the second act. When they danced together alone in the bar it felt almost voyeuristic watching them. I mean it was fiery and passionate but it was also intense and emotional. It was like watching them making love, it was beautiful. Actually reminds me of a quote from Shall We Dance with Jennifer Lopez. It’s the wrong dance, but the idea behind it is the same; “The Rumba is the vertical expression of a horizontal wish”.

Other than all of that there was only one other thing that really stood out. It was during the scene when Vincent and Flavia were dancing alone in the bar, I think, and it was really nicely lit (I noticed lighting, my friend will be so proud!), low lighting, because it was late (midnight, presumably?!) but obviously with a follow spot on them. Whether intentionally or not, it threw shadows on the wall of the stage and I only happened to notice it when they were spinning. It was a really pretty effect reminiscent of old Hollywood movies (I think it was The Gay Divorcee when Fred Astaire sets up a silhouette spinning around on a record player to give the illusion that he and Ginger Rogers are dancing in the next room (when they’re actually sneaking out!). Anyhoo, I digress, point was, to me, it gave the whole scene an extra romantic quality and I really liked it.

After the show, following a pointless walk around the theatre, I found myself crammed into the ridiculously hot dress circle bar with a lot of other people, waiting rather pointlessly for Vincent and Flavia. I did manage to get a few autographs off some random dancers (no idea who they were having spent most of the show watching their feet), a few band members and the two actors who played the owners of the bar (admittedly I was chuffed to meet Teddy Kempner and I even got a photo with him), but let’s face it, that wasn’t what I was after, no matter that I’ve already met both dancers at the BBC bar after Strictly (I even got properly introduced to Vincent once back in 2010 and he gave me a hug!). In the end Vincent and Flavia only appeared for a few minutes and never even made it up the stairs to the bar where the event was supposed to be taking place. Fortunately I was hot, tired and highly unimpressed so I decided to leave and happened to overhear someone asking about the stage door. I figured there was no harm in asking and the guy told me there was a chance they’d be there so I wandered round. They were just leaving as I got there but had been waylaid by two ladies, one of whom had been the person I overheard asking. I got a picture with both of them and an autograph off each, so I was a bit happier after that! Still, even though it worked out in the end, I’m not sure I’d bother doing anything like that again. Given that I always go to the stage door afterwards anyway, I think it would have been a far more successful evening if the meet and greet hadn’t got in the way! Shame really, but there you have it.

I also wasn’t impressed to find that my headphones are busted again and I can only hear out of one ear unless the cable is positioned exactly right and then not touched AT ALL. Typical since I had a serious urge to listen to music on the way home. I did manage it in the end, though, and it got me back into the Tango spirit a little. Not that Mozart L’Opera Rock is exactly the right sort of music, but there’s a lot of passionate music that one could Tango to if one wished (and I often do, in my head at least). I’ve still not managed to find time to watch the DVD when I’m awake enough to have some hope of understanding it, so I’ve yet to have the actual dance routines to put to the music. So in my head, they’re all Tangoing.

Anyhoo, I’ve been inspired to write a random post about costumes for an event I’m going to in March thanks to some new ideas thrown up by various things that happened today, but I’ve already babbled enough, so I’ll save it for another time. Possibly tomorrow in fact (though that’s unlikely since I’m now considering scanning in some sketches to explain what I’m talking about more clearly), since I’m not sure the National Television Awards really need their own post since I’m only going to see Mr. Barlow and he’s unlikely to do anything particularly newsworthy.

So until next time, whenever that may be,
Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,
K xx

Tags: Aldwych Theatre, Flavia Cacace, Giraldo Diomar, Midnight Tango, Strictly Come Dancing, Teddy Kempner, Vincent Simone, What's On Stage

La Traviata

 

Last time I saw La Traviata at the Royal Opera House it was from a standing spot in the lower slips. My seat really wasn’t much better tonight, but at least it was a seat and it may have been upper slips but it was far enough round to provide a decent view and I was on the opposite side to last time so I got to see the bits of the stage I’d missed.

 

Having hardly been able to recall anything about the opera beyond the typical operatic ending and a few of the costumes, I remembered most of it as the show progressed. It was probably a good thing as I found myself focusing far more on the action than the sur-titles and I’m not sure how much I’d have understood had this been my first viewing. I wouldn’t have returned so soon had it not been for a certain, rather delectable, tenor who was starring as Alfredo. I first saw Vittorio Grigolo in Manon and fell in love. I was gutted when I went to see Faust earlier in the season to find that he was off sick and I’ve been worrying ever since that it might happen again (don’t get me started on my fears over various absences at Les Mis next week!). I had a minor panic attack when I caught sight of the paper slips next to the cast sheets, but it was only to announce that Violetta would be played by Bernarda Bobro as Ermonela Jaho was indisposed. Having never heard of either, it made little difference to me!

 

Anyhoo, I enjoyed the show and I sobbed at the end, a little in anticipation, a lot in the final moments. I don’t believe I was blogging last time I saw this particular opera, which is a bit unfortunate as I’m not too sure what to say this time. The sets were suitably elaborate for a ROH production, the dresses were massive (I would love to try on Violetta’s dress from the first act!) and the staging was great. I particularly liked the first scene with all the gold furnishing and I also enjoyed Flora’s party with the Spanish dancers. All that said, I think my favourite scenes were actually the ones that took place in the country house and in Violetta’s room at the end. Well those and all the passionate snogging that went on in the first act. Generally I’m not overly moved by opera snogging, but it’s quite different when the tenor doing the snogging looks like Vittorio Grigolo!

 

Vittorio was beautiful as Alfredo Germont and I don’t just mean to look at! I adored listening to him sing. He’s got such a musical voice and a charismatic stage presence. He can be my leading man whenever he wants! Bernarda was also fabulous as Violetta Valery, though I did see Angela Gheorghiu last time who’s pretty epic and rather difficult to live up to. Other than that, I thought Paolo Gavanelli was wonderful as Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont.

 

The stage door was a little odd, though I did end up chatting to a nice lady while I waited. They came out far quicker than I was expecting and Vittorio was treated like a proper celebrity diva type. He had a bloke telling us we only had five minutes and handing out pre-autographed cards (advertising his new album)! That said, I still managed to get an autograph on both my cast sheet and my CD sleeve (from In The Hands Of Love – a beautiful album. I particularly recommend Cosi, I much prefer it to the original), as well as a photo with him AND one of his pre-signed cards before he was bustled out the door. He also very nearly stole my precious sharpie! Though I managed to get it back and he even helped me put the lid back on! Anyhoo, he did end up hanging around for a few minutes and I got to do a bit of ogling too. I didn’t really expect him to be that pretty up close, after all, I’ve only ever seen him from many miles away on the other side of the opera house or in arty (possibly air-brushed) black and white photos. Turns out, he actually is that gorgeous. Who knew?! I’m so chuffed I got to meet him though, because I really didn’t think it would happen. Bernarda came out very soon after him so I got her autograph and a photo as well. Stage door at the opera and on the train home before 11? Must be some sort of record!

 

Anyhoo, I’m not sure how much of this was really a review, but as I said, I’ve seen the show before and don’t have all that much to say, not having enough operatic knowledge to provide a detailed critique, but having lost the ‘ooh that was exciting and unexpected’ vibe I had the first time around. Besides, this review was mostly written for the purposes of praising the luscious and talented Vittorio Grigolo… *sigh*.

 

In other highly exciting news, the Hair UK Tour website is finally up, with a full cast list. Haven’t got the foggiest idea who the guy playing Berger is (he goes by the name of George Maguire), but he looks cute in his too-perfect-to-be-real head shot, so I think I’ll be satisfied, just as long as he has the required charisma. He’s got a lot to live up to after Steelicious, but I’m sure he’ll be fabulous anyway. So, as Josh Lamon would say; get into it! Also, Aki Omoshaybi is playing Hud, so that’s quite exciting. It seems a little silly, but it means a lot to me to have a familiar face in the cast from the old tribe. It gives it a sense of continuity even if the production is completely different. Of course, I’m also still very excited about Gareth Gates. I really think he could be brilliant as Claude.

 

So, back tomorrow (or if I’m not I shall pretend to have been back, but at a later date) with Vincent and Flavia’s Midnight Tango and my first WoS theatre trip.

 

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

 

K xx

Tags: Aki Omoshaybi, Bernarda Bobro, George Maguire, La Traviata, Paolo Gavanelli, Royal Opera House, Vittorio Grigolo

Crazy For You

No glossy brochure, no t-shirts or keyrings nothing but a programme and the occasional CD on sale in the foyer of the Novello Theatre, anyone would think I’d been to see a sedate play this evening rather than the all singing, all dancing spectacular that is Crazy For You. It’s been a long week and I’ve exhausted myself already, but I still loved this show. It was fun and flirty, rowdy and romantic, cute and classy and I’ll stop with alliteration now!

It was a suitably cheesy story that could have come straight out of a Fred & Ginger movie, full of mistaken identity and unlikely romances amongst the supporting characters. The basic premise is that Bobby Child is stuck working at the bank when all he really wants to do is DANCE. For various reasons he ends up in a little town in Nevada, pretending to be someone he’s not, putting on a show and falling in love with a girl named Polly Baker. I can certainly picture Fred Astaire playing Bobby. Anyhoo, the music was fabulous as well, of course, all written by George and Ira Gershwin. Though I recognised surprisingly few of the tracks, there were plenty of numbers I recognised. I loved I’ve Got Rhythm, Can’t Take That Away From Me and oddly (since I was never overly fond of it) Slap That Bass.

Bobby and Polly’s big dance number in the first act was absolutely incredible and I think I must have grinned my way through the whole thing, I absolutely adored it. I loved all the big razzle dazzle routines as well, which were scattered throughout. I think swing dancing yesterday put me even more in the mood for this, though I’m quite looking forward to moving on from the 6-beat Lindy Hop we’ve been doing so far. (I cannot WAIT for the Charleston!).

Another big highlight for me ‘What Causes That?’ which was a duet between Bobbie and Zangler (the man he was pretending to be). Bobbie was still dressed up as Zangler, but they were both completely drunk. It was wonderfully well acted – I particularly enjoyed the moment where Bobbie had trouble getting down the last of the stairs onto the floor and had to turn around and crawl down. Anyhoo, it was brilliant anyway, from the acting to the choreography, but what made a million times better was a little girl who announced in a very carrying voice before the routine even began properly that “they’re drunk” with a tone somewhere between shock and amusement. The entire dress circle fell about laughing, it was magical.

The set was really nicely done, with only a few pieces used to dynamically switch from inside to outside to Nevada to New York. I’d forgotten until I read the programme that I’d actually intended to see this back when it was on at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and I do wonder how it would have worked there, it must have had a completely different feel to it. Anyhoo, the costumes were brilliant as well, full of colour and sparkle and recalling an era that was really only ever filmed in black and white.

Clearly the show’s not doing so well, as I got a (much appreciated) upgrade from row B of the upper circle to the dead centre of row E of the dress, but I’m hoping that’s just the usual January slump. It certainly deserves to run for a long time to come.

The cast were absolutely superb, full of verve and charisma, their dancing was wonderful and their acting totally believable in a cheesy golden age of Hollywood sort of way. I suppose it felt a little like they were playing the part of actors playing those parts – like Sean Palmer was playing Fred Astaire, playing Bobby. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way I loved him. I thought he looked like a cross between John Barrowman, Paris Remillard and Michael J Fox with just a smidgen of David Tennant when he grinned. He had so much energy and style, I could barely keep my eyes off of him when he was on stage. Clare Foster who played Polly was also brilliant, sweet and tough at the same time. Playing Ginger Rogers playing Polly maybe? No? Just me? Moving on… I had an odd soft spot for Lank Hawkins, played brilliantly by Michael McKell. I blame the bad cowboy look, mostly, though he was a fun character too – the not quite villain of the piece who tried to get in the way, but never really gets around to trying all that hard and mellows out as soon as he gets kissed by a pretty lady. Speaking of pretty ladies, Amy Griffiths was on for Irene and I thought she was marvellous, stuck up, snooty and secretly gagging for it . Alexis Owen Hobbs played Patsy and I must admit I’ve always loved her, ever since Never Forget. She’s a wonderful dancer. I also liked Samuel Holmes (who was one of my particular favourites at Jingle Balls the other month), particularly as Eugene Fodor, the posh British traveler writing a guide book with his sister Patricia, played by Harriet Thorpe, who also played Bobby’s mother Lottie. The rest of the cast were brilliant too, but I won’t pick favourites out of the chorus! Well not this time at least.

In fact, my only real issues with the evening were environmental factors. There was an annoying kid a couple of rows behind who crackled sweet wrappers for most of the first act which drove me barmy. That said, she may have been the one responsible for the “they’re drunk” comment and she did cease and desist during the second act, so I suppose she’s forgiven. Also, as much as I love the Novello (it’s a really pretty and ornate theatre), the mirrors at the side are very annoying whenever there are moving light effects on stage – like the lit up theatre signs on Broadway for the New York set, because the reflection in my peripheral vision is highly distracting. Again, though, I’ll forgive them since there was a rather pretty effect when the glitter cannons went off at the end and all the sparkles were reflected.

So, I was worried about the stage door because there was so much going on on stage that it was only really the leading characters that I was able to get a good look at and I quite fancied getting myself a few of the chorus too! In the end it was a bit of a shambles, but a fun shambles. I missed Clare Foster which I was a bit disappointed about, but it was because I was busy getting a photo with Sean Palmer and he was being all lovely about it and suggesting we pose in front of the big poster and getting someone to take it (Harry Morrison – who seemed rather chuffed when I asked him for an autograph too. He said he’d only been asked about four times, but really, I do like to get a good collection and he was so nice about taking my photo for me, how could I not ask?) and posing again when the flash didn’t go off. Lovely guy, that one! I did manage to get a random cross section of the cast and most of the people I wanted. I also wasn’t sure at what point to call it quits because I’d got the two main men that I really wanted – Sean Palmer and Samuel Holmes who was incidentally one of the campest men I’ve ever met (and given the number of stage doors I’ve hung out at, that’s really saying something), but I adored him. It makes such a massive difference to the whole stage door experience when they’re friendly. I knew I’d missed a fair few people when I was posing with Sean, so I couldn’t work out who was left to wait for. In the end I told myself five more minutes and got another of the leads, then didn’t quite get around to leaving and unexpectedly got Michael McKell who I particularly wanted. He was really nice too, even asked what my name was just to be friendly, rather than for autograph purposes, and shook my hand! I was really rather chuffed in the end.

Anyhoo, loved the show, loved the cast, loved the whole vibe of it and the cheesiness. It was a fun, carefree night out that recalled a different era that I’ve only ever really seen on screen before sans colour. I can just imagine what it might have been like going to see a Broadway show back then. So I’m very glad I managed to see it, even if it did take me a few months longer than I’d intended.

Speaking of Broadway though, I’m currently considering options for The America Trip – The Sequel. I realised today that if I don’t want to go over the summer holidays (which I definitely don’t) I only have one available fortnight in which I can go between now and October, so I should probably get cracking since it’s only about four month away and flight prices have a habit of increasing dangerously. I’m still tossing around ideas at the moment, though. Do I go for ten days and make it another split base holiday, if so where? Toronto, Montreal, Washington DC? Or do i just make it a five day holiday and stick to New York? Can I afford to go for longer than a week? Can I handle another ten day trip with no one but the hotel walls to talk to? What do I want to see on Broadway anyway? (Anything Goes closes before I can get there, which sucks as I’d really like to see it and Nick Jonas (who I really don’t like based on his performance on the Les Mis 25th DVD) is taking over from Darren Criss in How To Succeed In Business… which I did rather want to see. Of course there’s still the option of scrapping the trip for this year all together and trying to arrange in in 2013 instead, but I’m scared if I do that, it will never happen. Decisions decisions!

Anyhoo, it occurred to me on my way home that I’m actually free on Saturday night and I still have a looooong list of shows on my must-see list so… I’ll probably just stay in and catch up on Sherlock, but the idea that I could go to the theatre if I so wished is a rather pleasant one.

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

PS. Oops, this one kinda ran away with me. Oh well, if you made it this far, have a cookie!

Tags: Alexis Owen-Hobbs, Amy Griffiths, Clare Foster, Crazy For You, Harriet Thorpe, Harry Morrison, Michael McKell, Novello Theatre, Samuel Holmes, Sean Palmer, The America Trip - The Sequel

Backbeat

I’d never been to the Duke of York’s Theatre before and I have to say it’s a lovely venue, though a bit of a rabbit warren when hunting for the ladies in the interval! I somehow ended up back in the foyer without meaning to. Anyhoo, to the show… *Please note that the rest of this post is to be read with a Liverpudlian accent, a’right?!*

Backbeat was the story of the Beatles, like, before they were famous and that. When Pete Best was the drummer and they had a fifth member, a lad called Stuart Sutcliffe on bass guitar. Most of the show was set in Hamburg, though some of it took place back home. It follows their story (*switch temporarily to posh British accent for this set of brackets, old chap* though not entirely historically accurate) up until they recorded their first album, though really Stuart Sutcliffe’s character seemed to be the lead. Overall, I gotta say, it was flippin’ ace! *Please continue to read with the Scouse accent if you wanna, but I’ll try ‘n’ drop the mannerisms before I drive you all mad, like . It might make the rest of the post sound a bit weird though, with reasonably verbose English and a Merseyside accent…!*

We had fantastic seats, upgraded from our £15 GILT tickets in the front row of the upper circle to the real front row (of the stalls). There were a few too many points at which props and staging completely blocked our view, but it was certainly worth it for the money! In fact the only real irritant for me was that they smoked all through the show and the smell/smoke wafting in my direction kinda bothered me, even though I don’t think they were real cigarettes.

The staging was fabulous though and I loved the way they used projectors to show some of the paintings and photographs. I particularly liked the sliding bits of set that were used to incorporate the on-stage action into the still images or even the moving ones. It seemed very arty and fitting. The live music was also special and it made a huge difference having talented musicians playing the parts rather than a backing band. It gave the show authenticity and the band that extra star quality that made it feel like they really were the next big thing on the brink of stardom. The fact that I’m quite into my (failing) attempt at playing the guitar also gave me an added interest in watching them play. I’ve started watching guitarists’ left hands without really meaning to. Anyhoo, just to bring the tone down a bit from musical genius, I also liked the bare bottoms in the first act . They weren’t half bad, I’ll tell you that much, thought my (straight, male) friend did have to nudge me to alert me to it in the first place!

And back to sensible… It was a fascinating insight into the early years of the Beatles, particularly interesting as I knew nearly nothing about them beyond the fact that they had a different drummer before Ringo. I knew nothing about Stuart Sutcliffe, for instance. The show was passionate and somewhat gritty in places. It felt honest and the relationships felt real. Astrid and Stuart, Stuart and John, John and Paul, the band as a whole… Though I think I maybe knew without knowing what was going to happen, it all seemed a little inevitable.

The cast were absolutely phenomenal and I loved their accents (the Scouse ones, not the German ones), big shocker that (I love northern accents for some reason. I’m more partial to the Lancashire accent, but I do love a bit of Merseyside, me. Stuart Sutcliffe was played by Nick Blood who was absolutely spectacular, cool, dangerous, sexy, deep, twisted, he had it all. I found his character darkly fascinating and I thought the relationship with Astrid was brilliantly played. He also had an uncanny resemblance to Heath Ledger at times, which seemed oddly appropriate, in a way. Opposite him, as Astrid Kirchherr, was the equally brilliant Ruta Gedmintas. She was beautifully believable and seemed able to cry on cue, which gave extra gravitas to her character. Andrew Knott was John Lennon and though I can’t compare him to the real John, having very little idea of what he was like, he was a fabulous character. He also reminded me a lot of someone I can’t quite put my finger on, but it might be a young Eric Idle? Who knows. Anyhoo, I have a somewhat better idea of Paul McCartney but only what he’s like now. Daniel Healy, who played him did a fantastic job in any case, even if he was right-handed (not something I would’ve noticed only he spun his guitar round during the encore and then I read about it in the programme!). George Harrison was played by Will Payne and I have to say that he was my guilty pleasure. He may have been the baby of the piece but he really was very pretty to look at. He was also a great actor and musican, though! Finishing up the band in it’s original form was Oliver Bennett as Pete Best. I didn’t see all that much of him, hidden behind the drums and various other band members as he was, but he was a great drummer and his little bit of stardom at the end was wonderfully played. Other than that, though he wasn’t in it all that much, I really liked Dominic Rouse as Klaus Voormann. He was very understated, but an interesting character nonetheless.

So, I though it was heartbreaking yet somehow hopeful at the same time and deeply emotional. I adored it far more than I ever expected to and I think it’s a terrible shame that it’s closing so soon. There was also a jolly good concert bit at the end which I rather enjoyed. It also wasn’t all Beatles songs, though I still didn’t know that many of the tracks they played. Most of my Beatles knowledge is clearly from later in their career, anyway. One awesome moment for me personally came at the very end, when the band threw their guitar picks into the audience. One of them (sadly I don’t know who’s it was) kinda curved round and landed on the front of the stage on one of the steps. It just sat there with no one paying it any attention so I nabbed it and now it’s all mine! It’s a proper Backbeat one too. I was stupidly chuffed by it (in fact I still am! Woot!).

The stage door was another fabulous success and I got autographs and photos off of the whole band plus Ruta Getmintas and Dominic Rouse in a very short space of time. I missed Adam Sopp (Ringo Starr) through indecision, but he was only on (as Ringo that is) for a few minutes at the end, before the encore, so I’m not that bothered. I nearly missed Daniel Healy (I was thrown by the blond hair), but I didn’t, thankfully! I also had another (not really) celebrity spot; Stuart Matthew Price was there too! I really need to hear him sing again some time soon.

Anyhoo, a night off from theatre for swing dancing and dying my hair red (if I can work up the courage to temporarily abandon pink) tomorrow and then I’ll be back with Crazy For You on Thursday. So tara for now, chuck!

Peace, loVe loVe and rock ‘n’ roll,

K xx

PS. If you’re still doing the Scouse accent, you can drop it now, like. Or not, it’s your choice, I’m not bothered or nothin’.

Tags: Andrew Knott, Backbeat, Daniel Healy, Dominic Rouse, Duke of York's Theatre, Nick Blood, Oliver Bennett, Ruta Gedmintas, The Beatles, Will Payne

The Lion In Winter

I’ve been meaning to see The Lion In Winter since it opened at the Theatre Royal Haymarket several months back. I’ve seen all of the plays in the Trevor Nunn season so far and if nothing else, it seemed a shame to miss this one. The fact that I’ve enjoyed all of them gave me all the more reason and despite feeling somewhat lazy this afternoon and considering an evening in, I decided to just go for it and try for a ticket. I turned up at 7 hoping for a cheapo ticket in the gallery and ended up with an even cheaper (£15) seat in the front row of the stalls. It’s a very high stage and it was certainly restricted view, but worth it to be close enough to see their facial expressions.

The play was brilliant, full of twists and turns, plenty of intelligent characters. It was based in the court of Henry II who has yet to name his successor out of his three surviving sons. He, his children, his estranged wife and his mistress (older sister to the French King and betrothed to Prince Richard) who all spend Christmas together. My British History is apparently not what I thought it was (and I didn’t think much of it to begin with) because it wasn’t ’til the end that I realised Prince Richard was Richard the Lion Heart and Prince John was the bad guy in all the Robin Hood movies. I think it was Prince Geoffrey’s presence that threw me, since I don’t recall having heard of him. I’m actually quite glad I didn’t know though, since it left the ending far more of a surprise. With each argument and game that the characters played with each other, I never could work out what the outcome would be. Just as soon as I started to believe something, it would be turned on its head, each player lying and cheating to get what they wanted – the throne, land, peace, war, etc. etc..

Despite my various resolutions, I still don’t see that many plays, but when I see something like this, it makes me question why not. Yes I love musicals, I love the drama and passion that comes with a soundtrack, but I also love the word play and intellectual conversations that come from straight theatre (obviously dependent on the particular show). There are elements of that in musicals, certainly, but they don’t have the same spark. Plays like this one make me feel more intellectual, because it’s about the script more than the show. Of course, the cast, the set, the staging all matter and they matter a lot, but the highlight for me are the words, the way the melodies are in musicals (the fact that I’m so into French musicals I have no hope of understanding is testament to the fact that the script in a musical is slightly less important to me personally).

Anyhoo, this was meant to be a review, not an essay on the merits of straight theatre. The show was funny and serious in turns, dealing with complex emotion and simple desires in turn. Mostly, it made me laugh though. There’s a minor spoiler of one scene ahead, select the white text to read it if you’re so inclined: There was one line which, for some reason, stuck with me. Princes John and Geoffrey were both in King Philip’s chamber when Prince Richard arrives. Since John had already been hiding behind a tapestry when Geoffrey arrived, they ask if they can hide there. Prince Philip’s response is the brilliant: “What else are tapestries for?!”. I might have to write a Drarry fic with that as a prompt (assuming I ever finish the new ones I’ve just started).

So overall I was very impressed. The cast were superb, as expected. Robert Lindsay played Henry II opposite Joanna Lumley as Queen Eleanor of Aquitane. Their chemistry was brilliant and both are top class actors. I believed every word they said, even when they were lying. The princes were also fabulous, each believable in their own role. Tom Bateman was the angry and blood thirsty Prince Richard, James Norton was the shrewd and cunning Prince Geoffrey while Joseph Drake was the childish Prince John. Finally, Rory Fleck-Byrne played Philip of France, a young King but one with potential, while Sonya Cassidy was Princess Alais, possibly the only ‘nice’ character of the piece with no real hidden agenda.

The stage door was interesting. They were all out in twenty minutes except for Joanna Lumley who had guests and took forty five. It was rather chilly, but otherwise quite fun. I got chatting to a couple of lovely Dutch girls and a man from Hendon who went to the same secondary school as me, only twenty years earlier. We ended up swapping teacher stories and then branching out into wider life from there. It’s a small world, I tell ya. Anyhoo, there was also a very odd (high, drunk or just mentally unstable, I don’t know) Dutch man who turned up, behaved very strangely and practically molested poor Joanna Lumley, though she was incredibly good about it. I don’t think I’d have been so accepting! Anyhoo, I got autographs and pictures with everyone except Sonya Cassidy who I must have missed, or else she took even longer than Joanna. It was a shame not to get the complete set, but I was more than satisfied. It was a surprisingly good haul given the two big stars. Robert Lindsay (amongst others) even personalised it!

Anyhoo, many more to come as I’m getting right into the middle of GILT now, assuming I don’t collapse from exhaustion half way through. I’m in the process of planning two nights out in a five show week… Insane? Yup. Bring it!

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

Tags: James Norton, Joanna Lumley, Joseph Drake, Robert Lindsay, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Sonya Cassidy, The Lion In Winter, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Tom Bateman, Trevor Nunn

A Spotlight On Stevie Webb

The last thing I was expecting when I walked into the Landor was to nearly bump into Stephen Fry, though admittedly I probably should have anticipated his presence. It was still kinda cool though. Anyhoo, as I believe I already mentioned, I was kinda kicking myself for booking the ticket to see Stevie Webb in the ‘A Spotlight On…’ series given that the Landor is so damn far away, but I’m glad I made it in the end. It was a fun night, the music was great and I do love intimate cabaret shows. He interspersed his numbers with titbits of information about his life and his career (spanning twenty years! I know he started young (age 8), but he only looks about 16!) as well as answering some audience questions which was surprisingly entertaining. Over the course of the evening I discovered that he’s planning an album, which is quite exciting and that he’s in another new musical starting at the end of the month called After The Turn. Assuming its not too far away (since I promised myself I need to lessen the number of people I’ll go off the beaten track to stalk) I really must add it to my ‘to see’ list.

Anyhoo, he was joined by a few special guests, the first of which was Sarah Lark with whom he performed a version of Music Of The Night. I have the feeling I’ve heard of her before, but she’s now earned a well deserved place on my ‘wow’ list. She was absolutely fantastic and has a stunning voice. I also think she’d make a wonderful Christine. She performed again later, singing Suddenly Seymour (or Suddenly Stevie!) which just cemented my opinion of her brilliance. Another guest, who acted as MD, was Chris Passey. He sang a little at the end, but mostly contributed music. One track in particular was about Stevie’s mum and he got rather emotional about it. It was really rather sweet. The third guest was Dougal Irvine with whom he performed Do You Know What I Think Of You from Departure Lounge. I was actually surprised by quite how much I enjoyed the performance and how much it made me miss that show. It wasn’t even about Liam, really, I just think it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Incidentally, it also made me want to go back to the Edinburgh Fringe even more.

Other than all that, he did a song called Home that I’m sure I’ve heard at least once before, but I can’t for the life of me work out where from. It was nice though. He also performed Jesus Is A Jew which I’ve heard Scott Garnham perform twice in the past month or so and which STILL makes me laugh. He mentioned Les Mis a few times as a powerful show for him personally and eventually he performed Empty Chairs At Empty Tables (I still smile whenever it gets to the bit where Liam and co. appear during the real show). He told is that he almost performed it with Alfie Boe this evening but it didn’t work out which is a shame as it would have been epic. (He also mentioned that he nearly sang it at Alfie’s show, so I wonder if that means I wouldn’t have seen Tom from McFly if he had? Not that it makes a difference as I’m off to see McFly on tour in Manchester in March! Woot! I’m not really that much of a fan, but I’ve got a few weeks to learn their songs and I couldn’t resist the temptation to book while they’re performing in such small venues. Now I just need to bring my opera glasses so I can spend the whole show ogling Harry Judd ).

Anyway, back to Stevie! I haven’t listed everything that he sang, but I’ve mentioned a fair few. The encore was Dougal Irvine’s We Rule The World which is apparently the original final track from Departure Lounge. Stevie mentioned that they’d planned to perform it on the final night of DL but it never quite happened. I have to admit, I’m rather sorry about that. Anyhoo, it was actually rather interesting hearing more about his life and career, particularly as he only made it onto my radar when he did Departure Lounge. He’s also quite a charismatic guy and seems to be genuinely lovely.

I couldn’t decide about stage dooring at first since there was no programme to sign, but decided to see what time it finished. In the end, the show ended a little before 9:30 so I figured I may as well stick around since I still wanted to go home via the Shaftesbury, which wouldn’t kick out for another hour. I grabbed a flyer for Stevie to autograph and he was more than happy to sign and pose for a picture. Still don’t think he recognises me, but I’ve given up on that. Liam and Jack do and I shall have to content myself with that. I also got a picture with Dougal Irvine, though he seemed a little startled by the request. Incidentally, I’ve been meaning to buy Chris Passey’s album for months, ever since I found out that Liam Tamne sang on one of the tracks. They were selling them at the box office this evening so not only did I buy one, I also got Chris to sign it, though I missed out on a photo because I was too busy with Stevie Webb.

Anyhoo, I headed into town after that, but I was so early that I went for a bit of a walk through the West End. I know I say this a lot, but DAMN I love my city. I wandered along the strand, then up through Covent Garden, listened to a couple of buskers and drooled over some shiny shoes in the window of Kurt Geiger. I then headed to the Shaftesbury via Seven Dials and the rather swanky shops along the way. It was cold, but dry and it was a really lovely way to kill half an hour. I love London, I really do. The stage door at the Shaftebury was rather less successful than I’d hoped. Justin Lee Collins apparently always sneaks out the side door and Oliver Tompsett was off sick. I did get a photo with Rohan Tickell (who played Hertz) as well as another, admittedly rather lovely, picture with Dylan Turner (who I’d actually really like to see as Stacee Jaxx now. I know he was on this evening and I was kinda sorry to have missed it, but I really can’t justify another trip any time soon, even if I had the time, which I don’t. It’s all so very complicated!) and an unfortunately somewhat blurred one with Simon Lipkin, but I’m not sure it was really worth getting home over an hour later than I could have and standing out in the cold for forty five minutes.

Still, it was a good day and I did enjoy my walk, so no huge loss.

Peace, loVe loVe and seriously numb fingers,

K xx

PPS. I will get better with posting blogs again, I promise! I’ve got a few almost ready to go, so I’ll be adding some back-dated ones over the next week or so. The America Trip blogs are… still coming .

PPS. I now have two more potential readers. Well I suspect they won’t actually read it, but two more people I actually know now have the URL for this place. I didn’t really mean for it to happen, but I talk about it a fair bit and it was mostly just funny watching one of them try and find it. Unfortunately the other one knows me a bit better and once I mentioned Liam by name (though I didn’t actually specify what his surname is) he found it in seconds! I’d say that I’m more predictable than I thought, but I know exactly how predictable I am! Oh well, the more the merrier!

Tags: A Spotlight On, Chris Passey, Dougal Irvine, Dylan Turner, Landor Theatre, Sarah Lark, Shaftesbury Theatre, Steven Webb, Stevie Webb

We Will Rock You

It only took me ten years (though admittedly for the first three or four that was more of a conscious choice than an accident), but tonight I finally made it to one of the biggest shows in the West End of London; We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre.

Overall I thought it was a good show. The cast were superb, the costumes were fantastic, the jokes funny, the plot, erm, yes well it was entertaining, but not exactly the deepest story ever written. Still, it worked with the show and it’s not actually a criticism, more a throw away comment. The music was… Queen. And whilst I can appreciate that the band were rock legends, I’m really not much of a fan and the music was therefore not much of a highlight for me. It was, in fact, a big part of the reason it took me so long to see the show in the first place. That said, there were a few highlights. No One But You is a stunning song anyway and given the musical theatre treatment, I loved it (I also already knew it well, having listened to my sister perform it years ago and also having listened to Kerry Ellis’s album many a time on spotify). Along the same lines, I also enjoyed Who Wants To Live Forever, though I don’t really know it all that well. The big numbers were also fun – We Will Rock You, Another One Bites The Dust and even Bohemian Rhapsody (which I always hated, but can now tolerate at the very least. Bits of it I even like!). I Want It All was also a bit of a favourite, but then I really loved Meat and that was one of her songs.

I liked the staging (though the use of the old Wembley Stadium with its twin towers kinda bugged me. I know it looks better stylistically, but it still looked wrong) and the dance routines, particularly at the beginning for Radio Ga Ga. I also adored the costumes and the kinda punk rock tribal feel. The bohemian/rebel nature also gave them a bit of a hippy vibe which I obviously connected to a little (I know I’m not really a hippy, but I like the style!). There were a few scenes, or at least lines in scenes, that wouldn’t have felt out of place in Hair.

The best part of this show, for me personally, were the little touches. The retro Space Invaders on the screens during Another One Bites The Dust (I’m sure I saw a flash of Link from the Zelda games in there as well), the recreation of Tottenham Court Road station (which still isn’t finished) as the Heartbreak Hotel, the names of the characters and the multitude of current pop-culture references… The fact that the show clearly morphs slightly with the times (they won’t have been blaming X-Factor and High School Musical for the death of Rock and Roll ten years ago!). I laughed a lot and really the attention to detail was what made the show brilliant, in my opinion. Shaky plot aside, it was very well written.

The cast, as I said, were superb. I saw Alex Gaumond in Legally Blonde many moons ago and though I thought he was good, he didn’t particularly stand out. Not so tonight. He played Galileo and he was absolutely phenomenal. Ramin Karimloo kinda phenomenal. He actually reminded me a bit of Ramin with the way he sang and moved, but wow, really. I’ll definitely be keeping him on my radar from now on and I’m very glad to have seen him in the role. The way he acted, the way he moved and spoke, as if he wasn’t in charge of his own body was really rather brilliant. The other highlight for me was Rachel John as Meat. She was absolutely incredible and she has a truly stunning voice. Her rendition of No One But You was beautiful. Lauren Samuels played Scaramouche and she also had an amazing voice and a great vibe on stage. Her character is a tad on the annoying side, but she played it brilliantly. Brit, played by Wayne Robinson, was also a slightly annoying character, but when he opened his mouth and sang rather than doing weird karate moves, he was awesome. He also looked rather yummy with some serious guns as Brit. Finally, Brenda Edwards played Killer Queen and she had a proper diva air about her (on stage, at least). Very well cast, I thought.

The stage door afterwards was a bit difficult as pretty much the entire cast were wearing wigs and I was far enough back (row X of the stalls, though they were half price, so I can’t complain – thank you lastminute.com) that I knew I’d have trouble recognising faces. Fortunately my priority was Alex Gaumond and Rachel John if I managed to recognise her and I caught them both for autographs and photos. I managed a few more signatures as well, though I missed Wayne Robinson due to timing issues and not knowing his name at the time to call after him, which was a shame.

Anyhoo, overall consensus – it was a good show, worth seeing once even if you’re not a Queen fan. The jokes really are brilliant, if you like cheesy comedy. If you like Queen’s music and also like musical theatre, there’s no question. Go and see it.

Next up is Stevie Webb’s cabaret thingemy whatsit at the Landor in flippin’ Clapham (I have nothing against Clapham except for its distance from my house) on Saturday with a potential trip to the Shaftesbury stage door afterwards for an attempt at cornering Oliver Tompsett and potentially Justin Lee Collins as well. (Despite having just seen We Will Rock You, I’m already back to humming Rock Of Ages tracks… *sings* Motorin’, what’s your price for flight? *ahem*

Peace, loVe loVe and rock ‘n’ roll,

K xx

PS. This is the second time I’ve bought a glossy brochure and found that it’s not the cast I saw. For Mamma Mia, I wasn’t sure when the last cast change was so I could forgive it, but this? I’m almost certain that Alex Gaumond joined the cast the day after performing at one of the awards ceremonies I went to last year. Even if it wasn’t the WoS Awards (which is my first guess), it must have been nearly a year ago now and still no glossy brochures? Not happy. They had better have an updated Les Mis brochure for Ramin next time I go or I will be very unimpressed. Shame it’s unlikely to have any cool new pictures of Liam and/or Hadley though!

Tags: Alex Gaumond, Brenda Edwards, Dominion Theatre, Lauren Samuels, Queen, Rachel John, Wayne Robinson, We Will Rock You

Romeo And Juilet

I have to admit, it really is rather nice to be able to see the whole stage during a ballet (or almost all of it at any rate). Last time I saw Romeo and Juliet (the ballet) at the Royal Opera House it was a bit of a learning experience. The lesson; never buy slips seats for a ballet! I missed so much that when I saw the production was coming around again I couldn’t resist. Especially once I heard that Carlos Acosta was playing Romeo. This time I booked row E of the amphitheatre, sideways on enough to save a bit of cash, but central enough to see the action. It was certainly well worth the extra money.

The big numbers in this ballet are particularly spectacular. I absolutely adored the ball. The dramatic music (yes, the Apprentice, I know, but screw that, this is much better), the fantastically elaborate costumes all combining together in a whirl of opulent style and rich autumnal colours, contrasted beautifully with the whites and blues of Juliet and Romeo. I also thought the pas de deux following the balcony scene was beautiful (not least because I could see the whole thing this time!).

The bright market place routines in the second act were also splendid, particularly in the third scene before the fight. By the end of the act, watching Romeo pick up the sword to fight Tybalt I wanted to scream at him to let it be and walk away. Romeo’s grief after he won the duel left me in tears, which were only added to by Lady Capulet’s absolute devastation. It was heartbreakingly beautiful.

I often find that the emotions attached to a show one has never seen are enhanced through shock, whereas a tale that one is already familiar with is enhanced through anticipation. Knowing what will happen, wanting to change things and knowing that you cannot, can sometimes be even more emotionally wrenching than an unexpected twist. The fight in which Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo then kills Tybalt is one of those turning points at which you know it’s all going to start going downhill fast, yet every time you watch it, hoping that this time something will be different, that this time it will end happily ever after. (Well I do anyway!)

The third act was beautiful throughout and I cried for most of. I was properly in tears by the end and I can’t remember when I’ve ever been so emotionally engaged by a ballet before, though this is probably the saddest one I’ve seen (the last time doesn’t count since it loses far too much of the drama when you can’t see what’s going on. I had the same issue with the operatic version of Manon, which incidentally I’d also like to see again one day from a better seat). The odd pas de deux which Romeo dances with the seemingly dead Juliet was heart wrenching and the final scene tore me apart.

Carlos Acosta was magnificent as ever and Tamara Rojo was spellbinding. I think she’s absolutely wonderful and together they’re magical. For some reason (probably stage door related) I’ve always found Carlos to be a little cool and detached, but when he smiled in this show, it was like he’d lit up the whole opera house, it was incredible. I’ve liked Gary Avis for a while now, but I think he surpassed himself this time. He’s a fabulous dancer, of course, but it’s his acting that makes him truly exquisite. His Tybalt was fabulously strong and manly, he sent shivers down my spine, especially in the opening dance at the ball scene. I think I might have a new balletic love and he, at least, appears at the ROH on a regular basis. Elizabeth McGorian played Lady Capulet and I was certainly impressed with her.

I told myself I wouldn’t go to the stage door and I really did mean it, but then somehow I ended up there anyway. It was worth it – autographs from Jose Martin (Mercutio), Elizabeth McGorian as well as signatures and photos with Carlos and Tamara – but I was kinda disappointed not to see Gary Avis who was a big factor in my reasons for waiting in the first place. Still, there’ll be other times, I hope.

I keep telling myself that I’ll cool it with Opera House bookings next season and then I see something like this which totally knocks that resolution out. That said, I’ve not actually looked at what’s on next, so I might calm it down a bit simply through lack of interest. For the most part I’m avoiding seeing things again unless there’s a very good reason, generally related to casting.

Anyhoo, it really was a marvellous production and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tomorrow is either a night off, swing class or the Lion In Winter depending on how I feel (I’ve not felt very well the last couple of days and I could probably do with another night in, but we’ll see), but Thursday is We Will Rock You and I can’t wait. I’ve also booked a trip to see Earl Carpenter as the Phantom of the Opera (I’m still working on possible tour dates for John Owen-Jones) and thanks to GILT I’m bang in the middle of the second row of the stalls! It’s all very exciting.

Anyhoo, that’s all for now,

Peace, loVe loVe and happiness,

K xx

Tags: Carlos Acosta, Elizabeth McGorian, Gary Avis, Jose Martin, Romeo and Juliet, Royal Opera House, Tamara Rojo