Interview: 'Every Song Will Show People What I Like': Performer Jamie Muscato on The Crazy Process of His First Solo Show, LIVE IN LONDON

Jamie Muscato is bringing his first solo concert, Live in London, to Cadogan Hall on 21 and 22 July for three performances. Moscato is most well known for his roles as Christian in Moulin Rouge and JD in Heathers but has also gained acclaim as Enjolras in Les Misérables The Staged Concert and other roles. 

Recently, we had the chance to chat with Jamie about his upcoming concerts. We discussed the creative process behind the solo concert, what he hopes audiences take away from the performance and what advice he has for those looking to go into musical theatre.

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Starting with a general question, how did you first get started in the world of theatre?

So I'd done lots of amateur theatre when I was a kid growing up - did lots of shows with the local theatre companies. It was always something I knew I wanted to be involved in. I knew I wanted to act - I didn't really know anything above that! I just loved doing it and the people were great. It was nice to be on stage. And then when I was fifteen or sixteen, I was singing at this place and a casting director saw me, Pippa Ailion. A year or so later, she cast me in Spring Awakening. From there, it's just been keeping at it!

And what made you want to perform a solo concert? 

It's always something that had been in the back of my mind, but I'm not the best organiser of anything! So when I was approached about doing it, I went, “Yeah, this is the right time, this is the right venue. This sounds great!” Someone will organise it for me, all I've got to do is do the show! [Laughs] It felt like a really nice opportunity at a really nice time. And I love the venue! I've performed there a couple of times, singing a song in someone's gig or doing a concert, and it's beautiful. It feels like a nice place to do my first proper solo concert.

What was the creative process like for creating this concert?

So at the beginning, I didn't really know how to go about it, because you can do anything! There's millions of songs and there's X amount of time, so I put some guardrails on myself. I was trying to make a reason for doing this - why these songs? Why now? Why? I came up with quite a broad thing, which is it's basically my favourite things. So it's some of my favourite songs from musicals I've done, some of my favourite songs from bands I love, some of my friends' favourite songs. I've got some of my favourite people to be guests!

It's just, “Here's what I like, and I hope that you like it, too!” Once I had those guardrails, it came together quite easily. There's songs that I know are other people's favourite songs that they're going to come and see me sing, so I wanted them in there. There'll be songs that I don't think many people know, but I love them. So it's quite a nice little mix of people know this and they'll love it or they don't know, but I love it! [Laughs]

What has it been like looking back on your career so far to help build the repertoire for this show?

Really fun! There's been things I've forgotten - I had to go through my Spotlight and go, “Oh, I did that!”

[Laughs]

Then there's things that I wanted to have in, but it doesn't really work because I've got a six-piece band. They're amazing, but some of them you need a 30-piece band and brass and string sections and all that stuff. So those limitations helped me as well because it cuts down the list of things possible. Every song will show people what I like.

What is it like preparing and performing a concert version of a show versus a regular show?

It's completely different! If I'm doing a concert version of the show, you'll have a week or two weeks entirely. Every day, you go in, you learn the song, you do the blocking and then at the end of that week, bam, here it is. Whereas this, I've had a couple of months, but only a few rehearsals.

So me and my MD Sam Young, we've been squirrelled away in a tiny little room with a piano, putting our heads together and thinking about the songs. And then he's gonna go and orchestrate them - he's amazing! I'm starting to do a few more longer rehearsals, but really, I've got one rehearsal with the band the day before, then I've got soundcheck and then I've got the matinee, then I've got the second show and then I've got the last show, so it's kind of a crazy process! But the band is amazing, the sound is amazing, so I feel like it will come together. I don't want it to be a polished, stand-and-present sort of thing. I want to bring people into my living room and have a bit of a cozy singsong together.

And how have the rehearsals been going so far?

Fantastic! Really, really good. The sound is amazing. We've got two more rehearsals left before the band call. I'm bringing my guests in now to sing their bits and do our duets. It's all going well!

What do you hope audiences take away from the concert?

I hope that they come away with one new favourite thing of their own, be it a new version of a song or something they’ve never heard before, to go away like, “I can’t believe I’ve never heard this before!” My hope is that people will be like, “Actually, I found a new favourite song I’m gonna listen to a repeat and repeat and repeat.”

And do you have any advice for young people looking to get into acting and musical theatre?

I find that question sometimes quite weird because I specifically had a non-typical entrance to the world. It's almost impossible to follow in my footsteps because I had a weird journey. I think that everyone does! So here's the advice - find your own way. There is no one way to do this. Find your strengths, work on them. Work on your taste - that's a big thing.

I really enjoy people's performances so I'll go and take something that they've done, or I've worked with amazing people, so I'll take a bit of theirs. Look at people that you admire, try and work out why you admire them and take it from them, because they've taken it from somebody else! [Laughs] There is no original idea - everyone's just stealing bits of things from everyone. In a good way! Make it your own, adapt it. 

And finally, how would you describe your concert in one word? 

Fun!

Jamie Muscato: Live in London runs on 21 and 22 July at Cadogan Hall.

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