BWW REVIEWS: Stephanie J Block, New Players Theatre, London, 28th February 2010

After making a very welcome guest appearance at Scott Alan’s UK concerts last October we didn’t have to wait long before Stephanie returned for her first UK solo show.

Appearing at The New Players Theatre on 28th February, we were treated to a mix of songs from not only her debut album ‘This Place I Know’ but also to songs from some of her best known roles along with some beautiful duets by Stephanie and her guest performers.

The concert began with Stephanie singing He Touched Me, probably best known for being sung by Barbra Streisand, of whom Stephanie revealed to us she is a huge fan of. Something Beautiful then followed this, the first song from her album, a beautiful ballad written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. The song was inspired by a photo taken by Ahrens' father and is about the inner beauty and strength that can be found within.

Annalene Beechey was the first guest to join Stephanie on stage for a beautiful rendition of For Good from the musical Wicked. While both ladies have sung this song before this was the first timedoing so together and they didn’t disappoint. Their voices blended well together and they are one Elphaba and Glinda team that I would certainly like to see.

Stephanie had two further duets, one with Oliver Tompsett from Jason Robert Brown's Songs For a New World called I’d Give It All For You and then from The Pirate Queen If I Said I’ve Loved You with her former co-star from the show Hadley Fraser.

From the upbeat funny songs such as Invention or Fifteen Pounds to the moving and empowering Get Out And Stay Out from 9 to 5: The Musical, Stephanie is able to keep the audience completely entertained throughout the whole show.

She ended the show with another Barbra Streisand song Don’t Rain On My Parade and having heard many different versions in the past; this was the best version, apart from listening to Barbra herself that I’ve heard.

Stephanie showed at this concert that she is one of those artists that not only sings the lyrics on the page but also puts her heart and soul into feeling every emotion that the song is trying to convey. She manages with such apparent ease to transport you into that moment that you don’t realize until your cheeks are wet that you are crying.

As the audience left the theatre people were beginning to show up for the second of Stephanie’s concerts. Upon my return 30 minutes before the show was due to begin we were told that the show had been put back.

Having heard Stephanie comment about the on-stage smoke being too heavy and getting to her throat we assumed that she was resting her voice a little more but then producers Simon Greiff and Phil Sykes came out and announced that due to ill health that Stephanie wouldn’t be able to perform her second concert. Disappointed groans echoed around the foyer space of the theatre but everyone seemed to understand that given that she had flown in especially for these concerts if she could have physically performed she would have done.

In a statement released by SimG Productions that are responsible for the concerts they stated that Stephanie was devastated not to be able to perform but vows to return to London again soon.

For up to-date information about Stephanie’s return to the UK you can sign up for information at: newsletter@SimGProductions.com

 

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