Review: HOUSE OF BROADWAY, Live at Zedel

Musical fans love a good "songs from the shows" cabaret, and House of Broadway presents a polished evening packed with heart and humour as its performers share songs old and new from the musical theatre canon.

Producer Claire Delaney is joined by Alyn Hawke, Rachel Fabri and Waylon Jacobs singing a mixture of solos, duets and quartets (arranged by their accomplished musical director, Harry Haden-Brown) of a variety of show tunes.

The show opens with "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl, mainly led by Fabri with additional exciting harmony added by the other singers. The performers ooze excitement as their show begins.

Hawke gives a heart-warming tribute, in what he calls a "love letter", to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly through a medley of songs from Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris (which he has performed in) and more. His love for the style of music that the legends sang and danced to is clear from his relaxed and joyful manner as he performs the vintage numbers.

Some of the singers take the opportunity to sing songs for characters they might not get to play. Jacobs transforms into an anxious teenager as he delivers "Waving Through a Window" from Dear Evan Hansen, packing the song full of intricate riffs.

Fabri shows off her comedy skills as barista-obsessed Kristin who sings of her crush on "Taylor the Latte Boy". Similarly, Jacobs performs one of Donkey's hilarious songs, "Don't Let Me Go", from Shrek the Musical and shares the history of the song's removal and then reintroduction to the show when it was brought over to the UK from Broadway.

The second half starts with a rousing four-part Les Misérables medley of "I Dreamed a Dream" and "On My Own". The quartet's voices blend well, creating mesmerising harmony when singing together.

Due to the performance falling on Father's Day, a number of songs in the latter half of the programme have a parental theme. Fabri gives a hair-raising rendition of "I Would Give My Life For You" from Miss Saigon, which is particularly striking as it's shared that she recently became a mother.

Delaney sings the moving "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Phantom of the Opera, a song that is clearly intimately personal to her through her emotional performance. The uplifting "Wheels of a Dream", a duet by two parents from Ragtime, is also shared by Delaney and Jacobs.

Superbly executed, House of Broadway is a thoroughly entertaining evening and is an excellent example of what a musicals-themed cabaret show should be.

House of Broadway performed on 17 June as part of the Live at Zedel Summer programme

Photo credit: Fane Productions

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