Tag: musical theatre

Posted in Theatre

Three Mini West End Reviews: Aladdin, Wicked and Waitress

Posted on by Georgia Haze

I’ve seen a few West End shows lately so I wanted to group them all into one post and natter away about them for a little bit. Wicked is the only one of these shows I’d seen before and the Waitress tickets were a birthday surprise for my sister because I am, clearly, the best sister ever.

Overall, I thought Aladdin was bright, fun and colourful. The changes they’d made from the Disney’s animated movie (side note, even though I’m a bit over the Disney live action remakes, I am quite excited about the Aladdin movie, anyone else?) made sense and for the most part worked well. There are no animals in the show but Aladdin actually gets some real friends which is good for him. The new songs are nice but it’s the ones that come from the film that really have the entertainment factor, particularly the high-energy and genuinely spectacular Friend Like Me scene. Trevor Dion Nicholas is hilarious as the Genie, his comedic timing and stage presence lights up the stage almost as much as his glittery head.

           The World New World scene was also executed nicely even if the actors did look a little scared to be floating around the stage on a “flying carpet”. The main criticism I have for the show, however, is the way they’ve worked Jafar and Iago into the stage show. As I said, there are no animals in the show so how do they get Iago in there? Well, he’s Jafar’s pretty annoying pantomime-esque sidekick. Sure, Aladdin is a pantomime classic and Jafar is widely considered to be one of Disney’s best villains but it felt a bit too over-the-top for me. I guess, maybe I’d feel different if I’d been to see the show with kids because that, for sure, would work for them. But, not for me and considering how many adults there were in the audience, it just felt a bit much.

           Stepping away from the negatives though, this show is lively and, like I said, oh so colourful and visually spectacular. Fans of Disney will love it, families will love it, everyone else will probably enjoy it too.

How can I see it?

Aladdin is showing at the Prince Edward Theatre and booking through to July 27th (it will be closing in the coming months though so if you’re keen on seeing it, make sure you get tickets soon!)

This wasn’t my first trip to the Emerald City. Seeing Wicked again was a bit of nostalgia fest since it was the first show I ever saw on the West End back in 2014 and is now the only London show I’ve seen twice (though there are quite a few I’m desperate to see again).

           Every musical fan seems to love Wicked, there’s something about it that just transports you into a magical realm where people can say slightly cringey non-words like “braverism” without anyone batting an eyelid. What I found most exciting about seeing it again was 1. Re-realising how funny it is and 2. Getting to see the amazing cast that is currently in the show. Alice Fearn as Elphaba and Sophie Evans as Glinda are brilliant and great when they perform together.

We were sat very far back right up at the top of the dress circle but you forget you’re so far back because the belting is so damn powerful and you get a great view of the random but awesome dragon at the top of the stage.

           Whether you have or haven’t seen Wicked on the West End yet, the cheap seats at the top do actually have quite a good view so I think you should treat yourself this summer if you can.

How can I see it?

Wicked is showing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and booking until May 2020.

I was so excited to see Waitress and it didn’t disappoint at all. It’s funny, moving and inspiring. The cast were fantastic. Katherine McPhee had such a long applause after She Used to Be Mine and rightfully so because her performance was so heart-wrenching. She was just amazing. So were her co-stars, Laura Baldwin as Dawn (who was also fab in Eugenius last year) and Charlotte Raby (who was understudying for Marisha Wallace) as Becky. Their friendship felt real to me and it was so great to see a show so focused on women’s issues and humour relating to what it’s like being a woman. I already knew I loved the songs but I didn’t realise how much I’d love the book and choreography as well. Also, I did not know how awkward and adorable Dr Pomatter is from just the songs. David Hunter was hilarious and played the lovable doctor really well.

            I got too much merch – including a Waitress cookbook even though I rarely bake but I appreciate clever merch and I’m far too tigger-happy when it comes to buying things I don’t need so I got it – and obvs bought a pie there which came in a cute little jar.

            Everything about this show was brilliant, I feel like I was grinning the whole way through. I’d recommend it to everyone I know. I feel like I’m probably as enthusiastic about this show as Ogie is about Dawn… maybe… if that’s even possible. Just, if you can, go and see it. It makes for a great feel-good evening.

How can I see it?

Waitress is showing at the Adelphi Theatre and booking through to October 19th. Go see it!

Let me know if you’ve seen any great shows lately. I already have a long list of shows to see but I’m constantly extending it anyway so feel free to give me recommendations! 😀

Posted in Theatre

April 2019: Current Musical Theatre Jams

Posted on by Georgia Haze

There are a few tunes I’ve been enjoying a lot lately so I thought I’d do a series about some musical theatre jams I’ve loving that you should listen to as well if you haven’t yet. This series will be especially handy for me since it makes use of my annoying ability to listen to the same song over and over again for a whole month (although, often longer) before getting sick of it.

So, here a few I’ve been loving lately and they are pretty random…

My Grand Plan – The Lightning Thief

My grand plan is that I will be remembered.
My grand plan, just you wait and see.
You better wise up
‘Cause I’ll rise up.
Bring any challenge.
And someday soon someone will notice me.

Yesss Annabeth! I love this song because it’s just a girl singing about how she is a badass and she’s going to prove it after being ignored by her mum, Greek goddess Athena, all her life. You go Annabeth!

I Say No – Heathers

Let me be, let me go.
You need help I can’t provide,
I am not qualified.
This troubled teen is getting clean.
I say no.

It’s powerful and awesome and I’m so gutted I didn’t get to see this song in the show when I saw Heathers because, God damn, is this a tune. Also, Carrie Hope Fletcher’s vocals on this are so strong, she seems like a force to be reckoned with.

Inútil – In The Heights

My farmer was a farmer,
His farmer was a farmer
And you will be farmer
But I told him, ‘Papi,
I’m sorry I’m going further,
I’m getting on a plane
And I’m going to change the world someday.’
And he slapped my face.

This song has so many emotions and I just love it so much. You can really feel the anguish of Kevin as he describes what he did to break the cycle his family found themselves in and the dreams that he had for Nina seemingly falling apart by the seams. This is a beautiful song about a father who just wants the best for his family and takes every potential failure upon himself. This song is also so underrated arghh.

Bat Out of Hell – Bat Out of Hell

And the last thing I see is heart
Still beating
Still beating
Still beating
Breaking out of my body and flying away
Like a bat out of Hell.

Please could BOOH return to the West End? Please? It was so good. The incredible energy that the actors put into the production is felt so strongly just by listening to the title song. I also love Andrew Polec’s voice, he sounds so much older than he is and it’s so effortlessly rock ‘n’ roll-y, arghhh it’s just so good.

I’m Here – The Color Purple

I believe I have inside of me
Everything that I need to live a bountiful life
And all the love alive in me,
I’ll stand as tall as the tallest tree.
And I’m thankful for everyday that I’ve given,
Both the easy and hard ones I’m living.
But most of all
I’m thankful for loving who I really am.
I’m beautiful.
Yes, I’m beautiful.
And, I’m here.

Celie, girl, you are beautiful and you’re going to be fine. I love this song because it have an amazing build, an inspiring message and Cynthia Erivo’s vocals from the most recent The Color Purple cast recording are stunning. Everything about this song is just amazing to listen to and I recommend it if you ever need a motivational number to soothe your eardrums.

So, that’s it. Five songs I’ve been loving lately. I’ll have some more blog posts coming soon so stay tuned for more random musical theatre-related content. I may also have some non-musical theatre posts coming in the pipeline soon but bye for now! 😀

Posted in Theatre, TV

Riverdale’s Musical Episodes: Are They Really That Bad?

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Yes.

Ok, no, let’s delve into that a bit more, but firstly a disclaimer. I don’t watch Riverdale. I watched the first season and the Carrie episode but I hadn’t seen anything between then and the Heathers episode. I don’t know much about the plot now apart from the fact there’s a cult and things are weird. Therefore, I’m not trying to hate on Riverdale. I wouldn’t ever want to hate on something I haven’t even properly seen so I promise, I’m not hating on Riverdale… I’m just hating on this one episode of Riverdale. Here’s why…

Why it doesn’t work for the show

Here’s something you might not be expecting from that opening, I actually love the idea of Riverdale doing musical episodes. Since much of the action is set in a school it makes sense for them to incorporate real musicals into the show as their school productions. However, they do seem to be going for more of a Glee-approach to the episodes where the songs aren’t always performed as part of a show-within-a-show format. Sometimes the characters will just start singing when they’re not performing or rehearsing in a they-don’t-actually-know-they’re-singing-their-feelings kind of way. This is fine in a regular musical or even just in the odd one-off musical episode. Lots of shows have managed to include a musical episode without it feeling really off, usually it’s a bit cringy but they just-about make it work because they include original songs.

Where this gets confused in Riverdale is when they try to fit the songs from one pre-existing musical into the context of what is happening in that one specific episode of the show. Which, like any TV show, needs to continue the same established storylines it’s been setting up so far. Glee worked existing songs into its story by establishing itself as a musical show from the off and including any and all songs into the show. By restricting itself to an album of 20-odd songs to choose from, especially a musical theatre album where the songs are all very specific to a certain story, the Riverdale writers have to work extra hard to fit these songs into their pre-existing narrative. This is really difficult and credit where credit’s due, they tried. The Heathers episode did see them slot Seventeen really nicely into the show where it actually felt like it fit but no other song in the show that wasn’t added in to be the characters performing in the school production really did.

For example, the fact that Archie is practicing boxing when Josie comes to speak to him doesn’t justify her singing the lines “Well whoa, you can punch real good/ You’ve lasted longer than I thought you would”. This makes sense in actual Heathers because JD is fighting Kurt and Ram. Archie is on his own, not fighting anyone when Josie walks him so how has he “lasted longer than [she] thought [he] would” exactly? He was punching the air. The air’s not likely to fight back, Josie. It just doesn’t make sense.

Why it could be good for theatre fans

Let’s go back to what I said earlier about loving the idea of Riverdale doing musical episodes for a second. I really think if the songs from Heathers were kept in the context of a school production it would be a cool way to introduce musical theatre to an audience that perhaps doesn’t know about the amazing world of musicals. I love the thought that someone might watch that episode of Riverdale and go and download the Heathers album. Getting musical theatre out there and more accessible to more people is a good thing for theatre and, in turn, a good thing for theatre fans. Despite the dodgy lyric changes and awkward singing, there’s definitely going to be at least one person who comes away from that episode wanting to hear more from Heathers.

Why it isn’t good for theatre fans

Ok, now we’re getting into the real nitty gritty. To be perfectly honest, despite what I just wrote, I don’t think the makers of Riverdale care about anything I said in my last paragraph. At all. The makers of Riverdale naturally want to get their show to a wider audience. They’ve clearly done their research and found that there is a community of fans in their target demographic who are also fans of musicals which, since the likes of Glee, Smash and Rise are no more, don’t get a chance to see their love for musicals incorporated into TV. This means Riverdale is tapping into a gap in the market and trying to pander to musical theatre fans to get them to watch their show. This would be fine if they actually seemed to sincerely care about the musicals they were adapting or wanted to pay a tribute to those that created them. You can see this level of respect for source material in Heathers the Musical itself as it’s very much a homage to the film yet still functions on its own. The Heathers Riverdale episode didn’t feel like a tribute to Heathers the Musical, Heathers the film or even of musical theatre itself. No one seemed particularly happy to be working on a musical, in fact, it almost seemed a burden for some characters. Neither was there any championing of the messages and morals that Heathers stands for.

For me, the most glaring example of this was the fact that no one in the show was cast as Martha. Why? Because none of the current Riverdale cast members could or should be cast as Martha. Not a single one of them fits the casting type because Martha is a bigger girl and the Riverdale cast are all slim. Now, arguably, this isn’t that big a deal as it’s not as if we get to see Sweetpea (I literally had to replay it to make sure I heard his name right) as JD or Archie or Reggie as Kurt and Ram. But, celebrating acceptance and tolerance of all and disregarding social hierarchies in favour of befriending each other despite our differences is such a key message in Heathers and it’s not at all in the Heathers Riverdale episode. If you’re going to include a musical, please just try to care about what the musical is trying to say to see if it’s relevant to the context you’re putting it in.

On the one hand, I could be mad that the ploy to bring the musical theatre fans in clearly worked on me because I watched the episode but equally, I’m not likely to watch another one so did they really win?

Now, please, like I said before, don’t think I’m hating on Riverdale. I’m really not. I’m annoyed at one episode of a successful show that has many fans in its own right but that doesn’t mean it can’t try harder. I know the show gets a lot of stick for being cringy and weird but, as far as I’m concerned, as long as it does that on its own turf, it’s all good. But, when it tries to take good musicals down with it, regardless of their relevancy to their own plot and without even acknowledging the key messages of the piece and celebrating musical theatre itself, that’s just sad.

Overall though, there are way worse things to get worked up about. If Riverdale does another musical episode, I just hope it’s an improvement on this one.

In other news, I miss Glee.

Posted in Theatre

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording Act 2 Mini Song Reviews

Posted on by Georgia Haze

This is the second part of my last blog post where I wrote mini reviews of each song from Act One of the Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording so make sure to check that out before taking a look at these Act two Reviews.

My Dead Gay Son

Honestly, this isn’t my favourite song on the original American cast album but it is quite funny and I like that it gives Nathan Amzi and Jon Boydon a chance to show their amazing comedic skills and great voices on the album.

Seventeen

More of Carrie and Jamie’s vocals together? Yes please! Again, I actually wouldn’t count Seventeen up there amongst my favourite Heathers songs but I am a big fan of both Carrie and Jamie’s voices (and Barrett Wilbert Weed and Ryan McCartan’s too!) so this is definitely nice to listen to.

Shine a Light

When I saw the show this scene was a particular highlight. The wacky nature of Rebecca Lock’s Ms Fleming and the audience interaction were fantastic. It’s a shame that the audience interaction can’t translate into the album but this song is upbeat and hilarious regardless. Love it!

Lifeboat

Anyone just want to hug McNamara when listening to this song? Sophie Isaacs has a lovely voice so it’s nice that we get her sing on her own solo. I feel like this song can feel quite relatable to many people in school and the violins (please correct me if they’re not violins!) in the music make this sound even more haunting and poignant.

Sine a Light (Reprise)

Yikes, don’t get on Duke’s bad side!

I Say No

NEW SONG Number #3! This is the only song on the album that wasn’t in the show when I saw it and I’m so sad I never got to see this performed live because since its release as a single, it’s my new favourite song! I’ve watched Carrie’s YouTube videos for a long and seen her do a lot of covers so hearing how incredible her voice sounds in this song is weirdly moving. It just feels like she’s come so far to carry a song this big with so much confidence and attack. This is also a great song for anyone in a bad situation to listen to, there’s so much power in saying no sometimes and we should never forget that.

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cats Reocridng Act Two Mini Song Reviews
What the Heathers the Musical stage looked like when I saw it at The Other Palace

Kindergarten Boyfriend

I’m not crying, you are. This was another scene that stuck out to me when I saw the show as I knew it would from having listened to the original American cast recording. Jenny O’Leary brings so much innocence to the role and her voice is so soft and sweet-sounding that it just suits Martha so well. Again, there aren’t any wild changes from the original but I’d have been really disappointed if there had been, this song is gorgeous and heartbreaking as is and it’s just great to get to see a recording of another singer’s take on it (that’s not to Katie Ladner’s version is subpar in any way, it is equally as stunning).

Yo Girl

I like the inclusion of the “that’s not my handwriting” line, Veronica sounds honestly terrified at this point. Which she probably would be, you know, considering her murderous ex-boyfriend has as-good-as told her she’s his next victim.

Meant to by Yours

Need I say again just how much I love Jamie Muscato’s voice?? This is one of my favourites on the original cast album but I think this version might have overtaken it. Gahh I just love it so so much.

Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)

I’m fan of the “Don’t talk about my mom” line, it seems to give JD a weakness we don’t hear in the original cast album. I also love Carrie’s “yeahyeahyeahhh” in this song.

I Am Damaged

“Please stand back now… little further”, I don’t know why this line always cracks me up but it does. That’s all.

Seventeen (Reprise)

I love this number in the OG recording and I love it in this one. It’s a sweet number that rounds off the show perfectly, or you could say beautifully! Just one thing I wanted to comment on though, I’m glad they changed the “take off our clothes and dance” line to “take off our shoes and dance”, the old lyric just felt a bit sexual and out-of-place for a song that’s about embracing youth and favouring friendship over hatred.

That’s it, that’s my review of the Heathersthe Musical Original West End Cast Recording. I hope you enjoyed my thoughtsand ramblings. Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s show is a hilarious satirethat never loses its significance even now, over 30 years since the originalfilm was released. Let’s all just hope Heathers will return to London one day.

Bye for now!

Posted in Theatre

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording Act 1 Mini Song Reviews

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Greetings and salutations!

I was lucky enough to see Heathers during its run at The Other Palace, one of my favourite venues. Its small space makes it feel intimate yet the productions still feel high quality which means you always get great value for money on your ticket price. I was a bit gutted I didn’t get around to seeing it at the Haymarket (I’ve got to give my bank balance a break sometimes!). Sadly, I never got to see Carrie Hope Fletcher belt out I Say No but luckily they released a cast album so I can hear her take on Veronica whenever I like as well as the rest of the amazing original West End Heathers cast!

Here are my reviews of the songs from Act One:

Beautiful

From “September 1st 1989” straight through to that last note, I was buzzing listening to this. It’s very like the original American cast recording but it’s the introduction to the show so it makes sense for it to be the same with a few differences here and there. It’s also the first time we hear a few of the cast members’ individual vocals (which are fab!) and the ensemble singing together (also fab!).

Candy Store

Yessssss galsss, this song is just as feisty as the original American Heathers take on it and Jodie, T’Shan and Sophie’s harmonies are gorgeous. I honestly think I’d be honoured if Jodie Steele threatened me in song.

Fight For Me

Firstly, Carrie Hope Fletcher’s “daaayyuuumm” is hilarious and how her voice sounds so soft and hopeful (no pun intended) in this song suits the theme of the song so well, I love it!

Freeze Your Brain

Oh my Lord. I think I did a Carrie daaayyuuumm the first time I listened to this. Jamie Muscato’s voice is so so so smooth. I also feel like he made this song totally his own. To me at least (baring in mind I have little-to-no actual music knowledge), the way he sings this song is totally different to Ryan McCartan on the original cast recording. It’s more smooth and feels more like he’s being a bit flirty with Veronica as he’s singing which totally makes sense for the scene. And, somehow his voice STILL sounds smooth as hell when he’s singing the harsher end of the song and his last “freeze your brain” line is so… am I going to say it again?… apparently yes, for lack of a better word, smooth. The whole damn song is smooth ok. This is one of my favs from this album so sorry but I just needed to get this ramble of me.

Big Fun

~ Do I hear lyric changes? ~ “You’re a natural, just like my mom”, had me cackling. I very much approve of this new version of Big Fun.

Dead Girl Walking

Ok, so what I was saying about how The Other Palace is a small and intimate venue… yeah I felt *very* close to the actors when this scene was happening which was a… unique theatre experience let’s just say! Again, this song is fairly similar to the original but hey, you can’t improve on perfection and I like the way Carrie changes the way she sings certain parts – especially that last note. This song really reminds me of the confidence Carrie oozed on the stage in this number and the cheer from the audience which was LOUD so this one evokes memories for me.

Pictures from outside The Other Palace on the day I saw Heathers the Musical

The Me Inside of Me

The transition from Jodie’s “No one sees the me inside of me” to “Jesus, you’re making me sound like air supply” was hilarious, what a comedy queen. Also, did Ms Fleming really say, “What this song needs is a good old-fashioned rap session”? Because, I really hope so. Might just leave this one with “HOLY CRAP THIS IS AWESOME!” because, yep, same Jodie.

You’re Welcome

NEW SONG #1! Ok, so I can’t help thinking of Maui when I listen to this song but honestly I love Christopher Chung and Dominic Anderson’s vocals together in this song and, this might be a bit random, but I also love their accents in this one for some reason. They just sound so much like your classic American high school movie jocks. This is one of those songs where it makes you feel slightly uncomfortable but it’s meant to since it’s actually about a really important topic. It’s great to hear Veronica’s thought process about how she handles the situation and manages to get away. Combining comedy with genuinely serious topics is something Heathers does better than most stories and this song is a great example of that.

Never Shut Up Again

NEW SONG #2! We’ve reached the new song relay part of the album and this is when T’Shan and her fierce vocals get to rock out as the new self-elected head bitch of the school. It’s great to see Duke getting a solo in this version of Heathers as we see from both Chandler and McNamara’s points of view and it doesn’t seem right that she didn’t have her own song before. Plus, it totally makes sense that Duke would want to take the limelight for a moment as she finally has a voice after being silenced by Chandler for so long. Although, again, bit of a random thought here, but a lot of musicals make Wizard of Oz references, don’t they?

Our Love Is God

I mean, this song has a lot of Jamie’s Muscato’s vocals and we’ve established how I feel about that (should I say they’re smooth again or have we sort of got that point now?). This is the first time we really hear Carrie and Jamie properly sing together though and their voices blend so nicely it’s just so daaayyuuumm good. This song is also quite similar to the original but again, it’s a great song and scene so why change it?

Phew that’s Act one Done, read my reviews of the songs of Act Two here.

Posted in Theatre

5 Musicals That Could Actually Have Good Sequels

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Musical theatre sequels aren’t really much of a thing – apart from the odd exception here and there. Love Never Dies is one everyone thinks of when it comes to theatrical sequels but then you have shows like The Cursed Child where you see two performances anyway, it’s basically like the second show is a sequel. So, I’ve put together a few shows that I think could have potentially amazing sequels.

**Warning, spoilers ahead!**

Bare: A Pop Opera

I’d love to see the aftermath of the events of Bare, maybe with the sequel beginning a few months down the line. It would be so interesting to see how Peter, Nadia and co. handle their grief and graduate school to start new lives in university/college. We could see Peter find acceptance in his new community and maybe even find love again. Bare: A Pop Opera does such a great job at showing the complexities that can form between faith and sexuality so a sequel where Peter learns he can be both Catholic and openly gay in a far more accepting society than St Cecilia’s would be really heart-warming and such an important message for young viewers. This would be especially moving since we see his mum start to overcome her initial shock at realising Peter is gay and decide that she will ultimately love her son no matter what in Bare so the sequel could also dive more into Peter’s relationship with his mum.

I would also love to see a proper friendship develop between Nadia and Ivy. Their budding enemies-to-friends storyline only comes into effect in the last few scenes so to see Nadia be a supportive friend to Ivy as she makes the decision of what to do about her pregnancy would be great. As the school community seems quite traditional in their beliefs I’d imagine Ivy would be encouraged to keep her baby. In which case, the sequel could also tackle the topic of teenage motherhood.

Also, I just feel like I need more Sister Chantelle being a legend in my life so a sequel would be fab. K, thanks.  

Hamilton

Ok, so there’s a fairly obvious obstacle with this one in that Alexander Hamilton dies in the show and it’s based on real history so there’s no bringing him back to life for a fun zombie spin-off… or isn’t there???? Erm, no, I’m going to say there isn’t. I think a Hamilton sequel could work though if it was focused on Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, AKA one of the most inspiring women in history. The show could tell the story her life after the death of her husband, which was hardly uneventful. Do I need to remind you she raised funds for the Washington Monument, spoke out about slavery and established the first private orphanage in New York City?

I, for one, would not say no to learning more about her in glorious musical form (not say no… see what I did there?).

Also, I saw a YouTube comment one time that had the theory that the show is called “Hamilton” because that could refer to Alexander or Eliza and that blew my mind and makes me think this sequel is totally justified. So, Lin, I know you’re really busy right now but like, just think about it ok?

Les Miserables

Lol jk, a sequel wouldn’t work because everyone dies. Except for Marius and Cosette. And no one really cares about them.

In The Heights

Sorry to throw another Lin Manual Miranda musical into the mix, I know he’s very busy and has no time for sequels but hear me out. Benny and Nina have some of the best love songs in musical theatre so I just want to more from them. I want to see Nina finish her degree at Stanford, move back to Washington Heights, marry Benny, have an amazing career in her field whilst Benny is also building up to an amazing career, have children with Benny, grow old with Benny and retire to a nice house paid for by the hard-earned money they both got from their amazing careers. Is that too much to ask?

Besides, I don’t want it to all be exclusively about Benny and Nina (but mostly about Benny and Nina), I also want to see Usnavi and Vanessa’s second date and I want Usnavi’s shop to be the most successful spot in Washington Heights. I want Vanessa to get to travel on an airplane as her and Usnavi jet off on a trip together. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY, OK. Is that TOO MUCH to ask? Is it?  

It’s ok, I’ve calmed down now… let’s move on, shall we?

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Now, for this musical sequel, wouldn’t it be so cool to see Jamie a few years down the road living his life as the iconic adult we all knew he was going to be? In this case, the sequel would just work because Jamie is just such a fun character. Another show all about him would definitely be an exciting treat for theatre fans. I don’t really have many ideas for the story as such but Jamie Campbell is a huge fan of the show and has seen it many times so it could go full theatre-ception by showing the adult Jamie New going to see a musical about himself from when he was younger which is the real musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie… I’m not even sure if that’s a good idea or just plain confusing but now I really want them to try it.

Something Rotten!

I’m sad this musical hasn’t made it’s way to the UK yet but as the story of Nick, Nigel, Bea, Portia, Nostradamus and Shylock ends up with them having to leave London for America as exiles it would be great to see them bringing musicals to New England. It would be an amazing chance for some more silly antics for this gang of ridiculous individuals, especially if they brought Omelette! to America. It would also be entertaining to see how Nick and Nigel would fair as fathers and we could maybe even see the brothers coming to loggerheads over which of them has the most theatrical family. I’m thinking a Cheaper by the Dozen 2-style family feud comedy show would work well here.

So, there you have it. Those are just a few musicals I think could work as sequels, from the sincere to the silly. I’d love to hear your suggestions too!

Posted in Theatre

I Saw Come From Away’s First London Performance!

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Squee. My first ever time of seeing the first performance of a new London show was a pretty epic experience. Come From Away’s first London performance was on the 30th January 2019 and I saw it from the third row. I had eye contact with the actors at points. I don’t think I’ve never felt more #blessed lol.

So, what was it like? Well, let me tell you, Come From Away is not a show that disappoints. It’s a fantastic celebration of all that’s good in humanity and a reminder that kindness and positivity can still prevail even in the darkest of times. I know that’s kind of a cliché but when you remember that Come From Away is based on a real event and each individual story told in the show is based on a real person’s accounts of what happened to them, this message loses it’s corniness and starts feeling like a real comfort. Especially in light of the grim stories that are being churned out of the news every day.

Come From Away had me laughing (A LOT more than I thought I would, honestly) and holding back the tears too. It was fun and it was heart-breaking and it was simple and complicated all in one. In case you haven’t been able to guess this already, I completely loved it.

I’ve listened to the cast album many times and I’d consider Me and the Sky to be one of my favourite songs ever (it’s, like, a feminist anthem!) so needless to say I was very excited about the seeing the show. The first thing I’ll say is that the cast and the band were amazing. The way the cast so quickly changed characters, which often involved switching accents and rarely involved leaving the stage in-between character changes, was seamless. One moment I was believing Rachel Tucker was Annette, a Newfoundland fantasist, the next, there she was as Captain Beverley Bass, the first female captain of a US commercial airline. The whole cast worked together so well and the comedy and sense of camaraderie that the show thrives on was generated brilliantly by everyone involved. The live band got to shine as well, particularly during Screech In and at the end when they showcased how talented they all were as individuals.

What surprised me the most was how little of the story I knew from listening to the cast album. There’s a whole storyline about Bonny and the animals on the planes (including the only rare Bonobo chimp in Newfoundland which was particularly touching) that you only get from seeing the show itself. I also found myself getting very emotional over certain parts of the story, particularly Hannah’s struggle to find out the fate of her son and her budding friendship with Beulah and the treatment of Ali by those around him. The show doesn’t shy away from important topics and actually makes the audience see issues from different points of view without ever losing the cheery spirit of the performance for too long. This is something I really admire in the writing of Come From Away.

It’s a beautiful show and I feel very lucky to have been there. I bought a Me and the Sky t-shirt on my way in and collected my free “I’m an islander” badge on the way out (they’re only giving out 20,000 of them so that felt a little bit special too). It’s uplifting and thought-provoking and moving and I hope I get to see it again before the end of its run but if I don’t then so be it. I still got to see it and it has to be one of my best theatre experiences ever. Getting to see it on its first London performance when the audience was full of die-hard fans and there was a buzz of excitement throughout the theatre was really special.

Just one question I was left with… why is every West End show now performed on a revolving stage??

What’s it about?

Come From Away is a musical about Operation Yellow Ribbon. After 9/11 happened, the USA closed its airspace and the planes flying in were told to land at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland. The show tells the stories of the plane crew, passengers and the people of Newfoundland who took in 7,000 people for several days until they were able to get back in the air. It’s a heart-warming show with a small cast playing multiple roles to tell the stories of many different individuals involved in the operation.

How can I see it?

Come From Away is currently showing at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End and booking until the 25th May.