EDINBURGH 2023: Review: THE LAST SHOW BEFORE WE DIE, Roundabout @Summerhall
With rolling around on the floor, confetti, a paddling pool, and a toothbrush, The Last Show Before We Die is one of the most bizarre shows of this year’s festival. At the same time however, it’s one of the most moving. At its core, this is a show about endings. Last Show is formed around interviews with people from palliative care nurses to the cast’s grandparents about their experiences of all the endings we experience, from death to running out of toilet paper.
BWW Review: LES MISERABLE IN ZURICH at Theater 11 Zurich
There are very good reasons for a show to demonstrate the longevity required to become 2nd longest-running musical in the world - and if I had forgotten why, I was certainly given a pleasant reminder on January 23rd, 2020. Now, I've had the pleasure of seeing Les Miserables a few times. I was able to see the show on Broadway in New York a couple of times in the late 80s, and then enjoyed a touring production on the West Coast in the 90s. Tonight I attended the touring production from the UK and Ireland in Zurich, Switzerland.
As a lifelong musical nerd, I was one of those kids who had Les Miserables on constant play in my car cassette deck when I was in high school. This can be a mixed blessing when attending a show because one already knows the score backwards and forwards. In this case, it was apparent that there were quite a few changes since I'd seen the US productions many years ago. Gone was the revolving stage, the text had been altered significantly, and the staging was very different. There was also the addition of video projections.
However, this new version was fresh, modern, and utterly spectacular. Katie Hall, as Fantine, provided a performance that was determined and moving. Her rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' was both poignant and beautiful. Nic Greenshields, as Javert, was a showstopper. My only very tiny complaint would be that I wished that he'd taken the final few measures of Javert's suicide up the octave. I'm not sure of the reason behind the choice, but this is likely very tricky vocally for most baritones. However, given the dramatic weight of the scene it is positively thrilling to hear it sung in that register. This is a very small complaint, frankly, because Greenshields' acting and singing were tremendous and he treated the audience to an otherwise flawless performance.
Marius, played by Felix Mosse, was sympathetic, as was Charlie Burn as Cosette. To her credit, Francis Mayli McCann provided a rendition of 'On My Own' which was not a carbon copy of past Eponines, and it was refreshing to hear a different and engaging interpretation of the song.
Finally, a well-deserved mention must be made of Dean Chisnall, who played the role of Jean Valjean. The role is arduous and a tour-de-force, but he managed it all effortlessly. 'Bring Him Home' and 'The Epilogue' were heartrending.
All told, this was the best cast and performance of Les Miserables that I have seen to date - Broadway included. If you manage to catch this tour, you will not be disappointed!
Photo Flash: New Rehearsal Photos From I WISH MY LIFE WERE LIKE A MUSICAL in Edinburgh
New rehearsal photographs have just been released for the forthcoming Edinburgh production of I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical featuring cast members James Hume, Felix Mosse, Charlotte O'Rourke and Charlotte Anne Steen, with whom many London and nationwide audiences will be familiar from their performances in leading roles such as Javert in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Sophie in Mamma Mia!, and Sherrie in Rock Of Ages, respectively.
BWW Review: ASPECTS OF LOVE, Southwark Playhouse
Written between The Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love belongs to the pool of Andrew Lloyd Webber's neglected musical. Back in 1989 it launched the career of none other than Michael Ball, who wowed the audiences with 'Love Changes Everything', his character Alex's big song which, surprisingly, opens the show.
ASPECTS OF LOVE Leads January's Top 10 New London Shows
London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Cate Blanchett's UK stage debut to a reborn Andrew Lloyd Webber, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!
ASPECTS OF LOVE Comes to Southwark Playhouse
Following the critically acclaimed season at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester this summer, Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and Hope Mill Theatre are delighted to announce the transfer of their production of Aspects of Love at Southwark Playhouse for a limited season from 7 January to 9 February 2019, with a national press night on Thursday 10 January. This will be the fourth London transfer from Hope Mill Theatre, following Yank!, Hair and Pippin, and the award-winning 50th anniversary production of Hair has recently announced a major UK tour in 2019.
Full Casting Announced For 2018's World Renowned From Page To Stage At Southwark Playhouse
With rehearsals starting today, the full cast has been announced for Aria Entertainment's prestigious festival of new musical theatre, From Page To Stage (FPTS), which returns with gusto for a 6th successful year from September 2018 at London's Southwark Playhouse. Jane Deitch has cast the 37-strong company, who will each star in one of the seven brand new musicals featured in the 2018 festival.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's ASPECTS OF LOVE Must Close 9 August
As temperatures soar outside, things are also hotting up inside Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre as audiences enjoy sizzling performances on stage courtesy of the sultry new 5 star production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Aspects of Love - one of the hottest tickets in town.