Tag: musical theatre

REVIEW: A Night at The Musicals

Published on by justinemsjonesLeave a comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“A Dream Saturday Evening for Musical Theatre Lovers”

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall brought glitz and glamour to the stage on Saturday night with A Night at the Musicals. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra delivered a showcase of musical theatre favourites, spanning timeless classics to modern hits. Supported by a cast of seasoned West End performers, the evening overflowed with fun, excitement, and heartfelt emotion – a true celebration of the magic of musicals.

The Orchestra was outstanding. Their energy and charisma filled the hall, creating a rich, cinematic soundscape. They were led by conductor Michael England, who provided insightful narration introducing each performance – did you know the smash-hit musical Hamilton has a connection to Liverpool? These stories brought a lovely personal touch and made the night feel intimate and warm.

The vocal performances were equally exceptional. Laura Tebbutt is a powerhouse and set the tone of the night with her excellent rendition of All That Jazz. Scott Davies brought comedy to his role as King George III and, of course, stole the stage with Music of the Night. Rob Houchen showed his range and charisma in every number, particularly moving the audience with You Will Be Found. Gina Beck, who joined the cast only two days before the performance, was flawless – every one of her numbers a standout, though her performance of My House was a deeply heartfelt highlight.

A true star of the evening was Paul Whittaker OBE, who brought the performance to life through British Sign Language. His joyful and expressive interpreting added an extra layer of richness to the evening, ensuring that the magic of the musicals was accessible to all. His presence reminded us how powerful and inclusive live performance can be.

Liverpool Philharmonic continues to lead the way in making orchestral music inclusive, engaging, and relevant. It’s heartening to see audiences of all generations coming together to enjoy music they love in this beautiful setting. From smiling children to teary-eyed grown-ups, the shared joy was palpable. With Eurovision Classics having enchanted audiences last month, and The Liverpool Songbook just around the corner on 28th June, it’s clear this is a venue deeply committed to celebrating music in all its forms. Long may it continue.

REVIEW: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Published on by Heather DoquiatanLeave a comment

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

 “A camp and scandalous romp”

Just before the curtain rose on The Rocky Horror Show in the Liverpool Playhouse, I was aware that this would likely be no ordinary theatre-going experience, having seen at least three Dr Frank-N-Furters earlier that night in the theatre bar. As the band struck up and Natasha Hoeberigs’ marionette-like Usherette began to sing the opening number, ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature’, the enthusiastic harmonies from the versions of Columbia and Janet sitting in the row behind me confirmed my suspicions.

This show was a laugh from beginning to end – the cast’s brilliantly overwrought and cheesy acting accompanied their crystal-clear high notes and rambunctious dance numbers. Of a relatively small company, standout roles were the innocently mislead Brad and Janet, played by Connor Carson and Lauren Chia, and the unhinged servants Riff Raff and Magenta, played by Job Greuter and Natasha Hoeberigs, the latter’s raucous performance very different to her brief stint as Usherette. Morgan Jackson showcased a guileless Rocky who was rather like a muscular backflipping puppy, and soap favourite Jason Donovan brought a sort of jaded, erstwhile-rockstar feel to Dr Frank-N-Furter: while his vocal control was excellent both in song and in speech (he made full use of every octave available to him), his loping physicality and deadpan expressions read as a little lacklustre against the chaotic energy of his servants and ghouls, whose chemistry was such that they frequently seemed to move, speak, and breathe as one (this said, Tim Curry’s iteration of Frank is of course an extremely tough act to follow).

Radio presenter Pete Price’s Narrator worked very well for the crowd interaction elements of the show, and while he assured us we weren’t at a pantomime, it often felt like we were: some of the best humour of the night came of off the cuff heckles from the crowd, several cast members corpsed, and not one song went unaccompanied by the audience. All of this made for a delightfully relaxed and silly atmosphere, as compounded by the cartoonish set and over the top lighting set up, which involved spotlights and dry ice galore. This silliness helped to soften the show’s more salacious elements – while these were never too overt to begin with, I’d still suggest that this is not a musical for the prudish.

A camp and scandalous romp, The Rocky Horror Show comes highly recommended for a festive night out, and runs at the Liverpool Playhouse until January 4th.

FEATURE: A Night Out At Overtures

Published on by Natalie GoringLeave a comment

Overtures Piano Bar is the perfect stagey night out!

On a drizzly December evening, nestled in the upstairs of a bar in Soho, you’ll find the pinnacle of theatre nerd heaven. 

Overtures is London’s answer to Marie’s Crisis, the infamous New York theatre bar where you’ll often find the biggest stars and writers singing along to their own songs. The London sister is a little more low key but definitely has the same core joy values – musical theatre and a lot of it. 

Overtures has recently moved from the Hippodrome and from what I can tell, it suits its new home. The space on Greek Street is cosier and gives the crowd a bigger feeling of being in on a secret – the intimacy of being part of a community who are all there for one reason, a love of musicals. 

The evening is very simply structured – a host and a pianist take you through the throng’s requests, from cult classics to niche new songs. It’s a smorgasbord of show tunes where at least one will hit the spot. And don’t worry about running out of time – Overtures is open till 2am! 

But let me say this, the pianists and hosts are impressive, many working on shows or writers themselves jumping between genres whilst interacting with the pleasantly sozzled attendees. Their charm and talent could go unnoticed as it’s easy, just feels like friends having a sing song. 

What stands out most is the community and safety of the space, singles rocking up alone to enjoy an evening, while groups commune together in the break out spaces. I even overheard on entering ‘See there was no need to be nervous – someone is crocheting’. 

So when can I go? I hear you ask?! Overtures is open Thurs – Sat and operate a tiered entry system so make sure to head early. They also run their own boozy choir on a Thursday – perfect for learning the harmonies so you can belt them out with confidence later.