BWW Reviews: TONIGHT FROM THE WEST END, Caird Hall, Dundee, April 24 2015

As soon as I saw the casting announcement for Tonight From The West End, I was fairly sure that this was a production that would make my fangirl heart explode. Promising an "all singing all dancing extravaganza" featuring Christina Bianco, Kerry Ellis and Adam Garcia, it seemed to be right up my street!

I have seen Christina Bianco live many times, but not quite like this. While I adore her impressions, Christina just performing as herself is an absolute delight. The impressions she is best known for were featured and I really loved her rendition of Cabaret as Julie Andrews, Kristin Chenoweth and Liza Minnelli to name but a few!

Adam Garcia really got to showcase his talents in Act Two when he broke out a full tap dancing number for Putting On The Ritz. Garcia was definitely an audience favourite and his vocals were beautiful. The Annie Get Your Gun duet with Christina Bianco was both brilliant and hilarious and worth the price of the ticket alone!

Fresh from her stint at the London Palladium in Cats, Kerry Ellis performed Memory to a slightly stunned audience. It is a cliche but she really does stop the show with every song. Defying Gravity backed by the choir led to deafening applause and she really seemed to be enjoying the performance.

The song list for tonight's performance was wonderfully unpredictable. While all three have had roles on both Broadway and the West End, this wasn't simply a rehashing of "the hits". Songs were featured from Little Shop Of Horrors, Sister Act and Whistle Down The Wind which was a refreshing change for this style of concert! There was a lot of fun injected into this show as well and I loved the Garcia/Ellis Grease duet plus the Mamma Mia medley finale!

The only criticism I have for Tonight From The West End is that the choirs were featured too heavily. There was an onstage choir of around 150 which was a beautiful accompaniment to the other performers. However, Soul Nation choir were also on the bill and they seemed to have less impact on the audience yet had a number of songs on their own.

Tonight From The West End is an incredibly slick production and I am so grateful that it toured Scotland. We don't get many exclusives and that almost made it even more special!

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