Review: EMMA KINGSTON, Live at Zedel

Emma Kingston is a very busy woman at the moment: just last week, she returned from the Hong Kong stint of the Evita world tour, where she currently stars as the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón.

Not only that, but before returning to Live at Zedel with her solo show on this particular night she had been singing mere hours earlier in Trafalgar Square at West End Live.

Her show opens with an audio clip of a young child (later revealed to be a much younger Emma Kingston) singing "Blow Gabriel Blow" from Anything Goes - which seamlessly moves into Emma's entrance, where she charms the audience with "I Get A Kick Out of You".

Continuing on the theme of Anything Goes, Emma shares the story of when she met Patti LuPone during her time in Les Misérables. Throughout her set, the songs are punctuated with engaging tales from her childhood and career.

Her programme is deeply personal, each song having a story behind why it's so special to her. She showcases her versatile voice, from the heights of her soprano range to the strength of her characteristic belt, in songs such as the title number from Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza and Dave Malloy's "No One Else" from Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.

Structurally, grouping songs in pairs and introducing both beforehand makes her chat between songs a little confusing at times, but Kingston's passion for her set list and the stories linked to the various parts she has played is more than clear.

Her show includes a medley of Disney songs, devised by Kingston and her skilful MD Freddie Tapner. The hits from Frozen, Hunchback of Notre Dame and more go down well with the crowd and garners laughs when she shares that she couldn't decide on one Disney song - "so here's ten".

She kindly includes some Evita for us, as her current tour does not involve a UK stop. And her performance of "It Won't Be Long Now" from her time with In the Heights, mashed up with songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda's other works Hamilton and Moana, is a particular highlight.

Barbra Streisand's influence on Emma's life is evident, as she includes a few from her back catalogue in the proceedings. Her finale, "A Piece Of Sky", is certainly a hit with the crowd.

Emma Kingston is a fierce, powerhouse performer, and her show is a wonderful celebration of her exciting career so far.

Emma Kingston performed at Live at Zedel on 17 June as part of their summer programme

Photo Credit: Fane Productions

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