Review: South Pacific [UK Tour]

Musical: Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers and Hamerstein's South Pacific

Venue: Palace Theatre, Manchester, UK

Date: 25th October 2011 at 19:30

Cast: Jason Howard (Emile De Becque), Samantha Womack (Ensign Nellie Forbush), Loretta Ables Sayre (Bloody Mary), Alex Ferns (Luther Billis), Daniel Koek (Lt. Joseph Cable), Nigel Williams (Captain Brackett), Dominic Taylor (Commander Harbison), Elizabeth Chong (Liat), Nicholais Kerry (Jerome) and Sophia-Rose Kerry (Ngana)

Rating: ****1/2

Review:

Another highly anticipating musicals of the year is the transfer of the 2008 Tony Award Winning Lincoln Center Theater's production of South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher. The musical first opened at the Barbican Theatre with 2 of the original Broadway revival cast, Paulo Szot and Loretta Ables Sayre as Emile and Bloody Mary. I have seen the show as aired on PBS so I'm quite familiar with the music and storyline but was still excited to have seen it live when the touring production came to Manchester and I got a great centre stall seat, for half price!

The front of the Palace Theatre in Manchester

A view of the curtain from where I sat

Unfortunately, Paulo Szot only played in London and Jason Howard took over the role on tour. The rest of the Barbican cast reprised their roles on tour including Samantha Womack as Nellie, Daniel Koek as Lt. Cable, Alex Ferns as Billis and Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary.

I must say that this was probably one of the best casting for a touring production I have ever seen. I feel that the actors were very talented. They acted well and they sang really well. Jason Howard possessed a lovely bass/baritone voice which was suited for the role of Emile de Becque. His "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine" brought thunderous applause. Samantha Womack was just breathtakingly beautiful and stunning from the first moment she appeared on stage (she kinda resembles Michelle Pfeiffer, anyone?). She also sang very well, though not as funny as Kelli O' Hara but she definitely made the role her own and did a believable Southern accent.

Jason Howard as Emile de Becque
during "This Nearly Was Mine"

Samantha Womack as Nellie Forbush
towards the finale in Act One

I was surprised that Loretta Ables Sayre didn't win the Tony. I just loved how she played Bloody Mary. She was absolutely perfect: the singing, the acting, the accent. Bravo!  

Loretta Ables Sayre

Tony Nominee Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary

 Daniel Koek, who was brilliant as Anatoly in Chess, was an excellent Lt. Cable. His "Younger Than Springtime" was just beautiful and damn romantic. The only cast member that I found lacking was Alex Ferns as Seabees Luther Billis. His performance really resembled original Broadway revival cast, Danny Burstein, a lot. But to me, it seemed a bit like he was just copying of him and it made the role not as funny as it could have been. Still, he delivered some of the funniest jokes of the night and his "There's Nothin' Like a Dame" was great. The ensemble, both male and female, was also very strong.

Daniel Koek as Lt. Cable
during "Younger Than Springtime"
seen here with Elizabeth Chong as Liat

Alex Ferns as Luther Billis with the "boar's tooth"

The production I attended was very identical to the one I saw on PBS. The only difference was that the Lincoln Center stage was much larger and deeper which made the sceneries simply grander. However, I found that the sets worked well with the Palace Theatre stage so no problems with that. The sets and costumes were beautiful and cleverly designed. The lighting was absolutely beautiful and masterful. 

"Honey Bun" at the Thanksgiving Follies

Then we come to the music. Being a musical written in 1949 by 2 of the greatest American musical composers, the show is obviously old-fashioned. Don't get me wrong. I love the music so much. The moment the overture started, I got hooked up immediately and as an individual piece, each song is beautiful in its own right. However, as a musical, I found that the whole piece should have come together more smoothly. What I got was dialogue, song intro begins at the end of dialogue (signaling a song coming), song, song ends, back to dialogue, song intro begins.. and so on. I feel that the piece could use some underscore during dialogue to make the transition between dialogue and song and between songs more seamlessly. Also, I found that most Rodgers and Hammerstein's ballads are too long and repetitive which could (and did, in my case) take away the audience engagement with the song. I was very moved by "This Nearly Was Mine" but as the song kept going, I became bored. This happened to me when I saw Oklahoma! last year and even in some parts of The Sound of Music. But who am I to criticise a classic!

"Bloody Mary"

The book, on the other hand, was very strong and it did draw you in a lot. Still, as a non-native speakers, I must admit that I didn't get some part of the storyline especially the parts with Billis. So, for the sake of my own enjoyment, I just ignored that part and focused on the romance. I personally enjoyed the second act a lot and the ending was very moving. I also like a more dramatic piece in the show like "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught".

"I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair"
seen here with Jacqueline Tate (as Head Nurse) and Samantha Womack

I enjoyed the show a lot but I'm not sure if I would like to recommend it to everybody. The musical deals with a very serious subject matters so it is definitely not for kids. The show itself is also very long, running at 3 hours with first act being 95 minutes long already. The piece itself also feels more like an opera piece rather than a musical to me so newcomers to musicals may not enjoy this as much as fans will. There were 2 couples sitting next to me (that's the total of 4 people) who left after the interval. Personally, I say Rodgers and Hammerstein's is not for everyone! But if you wanna treat yourself to a good dramatic musical with good book and superb cast, go see South Pacific while you can!

The final reprise of "Honey Bun"
before the Finale Ultimo

I met with some of the casts at the stage door after the show and I must say that they are one of the most friendly casts I've met. 

Below is the montage of the show featuring Paulo Szot and Samantha Womack.

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Overture... Orchestra

Dites-Moi... Ngana and Jerome

A Cockeyed Optimist... Nellie

Twin Soliloquies... Nellie and Emile

Some Enchanted Evening... Emile

Dites-Moi (Reprise)...Ngana, Jerome and Emile 

Bloody Mary... Seabees

There Is Nothin' Like a Dame... Billis and Seabees 

Bali Ha'i... Bloody Mary
Bali Ha'i (Reprise)... Cable

My Girl Back Home... Cable and Nellie 

I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair... Nellie and Nurses

Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise)... Emile and Nellie

A Wonderful Guy... Nellie and Nurses
Bali Ha'i (Reprise)... Island Women
Younger Than Springtime... Cable
Finale Act One... Emile and Nellie

ACT TWO
Entr' Acte... Orchestra
Happy Talk... Bloody Mary
Younger Than Springtime (Reprise)... Cable
Honey Bun... Nellie, Billis and Ensemble
You've Got to Be Carefully Taught... Cable and Emile
This Nearly Was Mine... Emile
Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise)... Nellie
Honey Bun (Reprise)... Seabees, Sailors and Nurses
Finale Ultimo... Emile, Nellie, Ngana and Jerome

Review: The Lion King: Revisited

Musical: The Lion King
Venue: Lyceum Theatre, London, UK
Date: 19th October 2011 at 14:30
Cast: George Asprey (Scar), Oliver Lidert (u/s Mufasa), Brown Lindiwe Mkhize (Rafiki), Waylon Jacobs (u/s Simba), Ava Brennan (Nala), Stephen Matthews (Zazu), Damian Baldet (Timon), Keith Bookman (Pumbaa), Jacqueline Hodges (Shenzi), Gary Forbes (Banzai), Aaron Morgan (u/s Ed), Tahj Miles (Young Simba) and Serena Grant (Young Nala)
Rating: ***


Review:
Beau and I paid our second visit to The Lion King in London since she was quite impressed with it the first time around and we were in London on a Wednesday so I figured it was a good choice for a Lion King matinee. Overall, the show itself was pretty identical to the one we saw in April so for a more detailed of the show, check out my previous Lion King review.


This time we got very good seats in the Royal Circle which gave it a little twist from the first time. It turned out that we weren't as impressed with the show as we did the last time. Maybe it was because we just saw it not too long ago so we kinda knew what was gonna happen but I also think that the cast that we got this time was far less superior than the previous cast. Productionwise, I still enjoy what I have always liked about the show but it didn't make me feel better about anything I dislike either.


Starting with the old faces, George Asprey was still our Scar and he didn't disappoint at all. He still played the role as brilliant as ever. Brown Lindiwe Mkhize as Rafiki was actually better this time around in her "Circle of Life" though some of the funny parts weren't as funny as the last time. I enjoyed Stephen Matthews as Zazu more this time, largely due to the better sound system of his microphone.


Ava Brennan made her West End debut as Nala and I thought she was all right but still way below the standard set by her predecessor, Narran McLean. Her "Shadowland" was very mediocre and she seemed to be struggling with the high notes. 

Damian Baldet (another West End debut) and Keith Bookman were also less superior to their previous counterparts as Timon and Pumbaa. To me and Beau, that took away a lot from the overall impressive of the show. However, I found myself actually enjoy the hyenas a lot more this time around.


We also got ourselves a couple of understudies at our performance. Oliver Lidert was covering for Shaun Escofferey as Mufasa and though he was all right in the role, still couldn't match up to Shaun's brilliant performance. And if you had read my previous reviews, you'll know how much I "love" our Simba last time and guess what, we got him again this time around unfortunately. Waylon Jacobs was stepping in for Andile Gumbi once again to my dissatisfaction. Though he played and sang the role better this time, it was still very amateur-ish and I was actually quite tired getting through each of his song. Nevertheless, I found him to be more attractive in the role, both in his acting and his physical appearance so I guess he has been working hard for the role. Only if he works a bit harder on his voice.


However, I found myself feeling very bored in Act Two. I presumed that it was mainly because the four main songs in Act Two: "Shadowland", "Endless Night", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "He Lives in You (Reprise) weren't performed as well as I had hoped they would be. What really saved the show, in my opinion, was the production, the costumes and the puppetry which were beautiful and perfectly done. I still enjoyed "Circle of Life", "Stampede" and "The Final Scene" a lot.


What I can say is I still recommend the show, especially for first-timers. It is still a brilliant show. My comments are very detailed and more for artistic purposes. 

Below are the video clips I found from YouTube featuring, I think, the best Simba and Nala of the West End: Andile Gumbi (singing Endless Night) and Narran McLean (singing Shadowland) at West End Live 2010.

SCENES & MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Scene 1: Pride Rock
Circle of Life... Rafiki and Ensemble

Scene 2: Scar's Cave
Scene 3: Rafiki's Tree
Scene 4: The Pridelands
Scene 5: Scar's Cave

Scene 6: The Pridelands
I Just Can't Wait to Be King... Young Simba, Young Nala, Zazu and Ensemble

Scene 7: Elephant Graveyard
Chow Down... Shenzi, Banzai and Ed

Scene 8: Under the Stars
They Live in You... Mufasa and Ensemble

Scene 9: Elephant Graveyard
Be Prepared... Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and Ensemble

Scene 10: The Gorge

Scene 11: Pride Rock
Be Prepared (Reprise)... Scar and Ensemble

Scene 12: Rafiki's Tree

Scene 13: The Desert/The Jungle
Hakuna Matata... Timon, Pumbaa, Young Simba, Simba and Ensemble

ACT TWO
Entr' Acte: 
One by One... Ensemble

Scene 1: Scar's Cave
The Madness of King Scar... Scar, Zazu, Banzai, Shenzi, Ed and Nala  

Scene 2: The Pridelands
Shadowland... Nala, Rafiki and Ensemble

Scene 3: The Jungle

Scene 4: Under the Stars
Endless Night... Simba and Ensemble

Scene 5: Rafiki's Tree

Scene 6: The Jungle
Can You Feel the Love Tonight... Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, Nala and Ensemble
He Lives in You (Reprise)... Rafiki, Simba and Ensemble

Scene 7: Pride Rock
King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life (Reprise)... Ensemble 

Review: Legally Blonde [UK Tour]

Musical: Legally Blonde: The Musical [UK Tour]

Venue: Opera House, Manchester, UK

Date: 18th October 2011 at 19:30

Cast: Faye Brookes (Elle Woods), Iwan Lewis (Emmett), Dave Willetts (Professor Callahan), Claire Sweeney (Paulette), Neil Toon (Warner), Charlotte Harwood (Vivienne), Hannah Grover (Brooke), Lewis Griffiths (Grandmaster Chad/Dewey/Kyle), Sinead Long (Serena), Sophie Issacs (Margot) and Lori Barker (u/s Pilar)

Rating: ****1/2

Review:

I managed to get a couple of my friends to join me for the UK Tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical in Manchester at quite a bargain price thanks to LiveCard. Though I have seen the show before in London with the brilliant Sheridan Smith, I am quite happy to see it again because I enjoyed it the first time so much and was curious to find out how different the show will be on tour.

Firstly, I must say that the production was pretty identical to the London one except for the opening scene at the Delta Nu House which was downscaled quite a lot. So I'm pretty happy with most of the sceneries. 

Before the show from where I sat

The cast was superb! Faye Brookes made an excellent Elle Woods right from her first moment on stage when she tried on the dress for her big "life-changing" date with Warner down to the very end of the show. Also, Brookes added a little touch of her own into the role which I quite enjoyed such as how she would brush her hair when she sang "Till I learned I could be more than this" during "Find My Way" to indicate her blonde hair. Her "Legally Blonde" and "So Much Better" were highlights of the night.

Faye Brookes (as Elle Woods) with Bruiser

Iwan Lewis played a very dorky Emmett and suited up really nice towards the end of the show. I really enjoyed the chemistry between him and Brookes especially in the department store scene. I was quite moved actually, didn't remember being moved the first time I saw it. Though I would disagree with some of his reaction choice in the court scene, but that's just my small quibble.

Faye Brookes and Iwan Lewis
(as Elle Woods and Emmett Forrest)
during "The Harvard Variations"

Neil Toon was our Warner and he fit the role quite well. He got the good look and the charm that you need for the role while possessing that attitude of a high school jock that led him to his not-so successful outcome. He also could sing quite nicely but I found his comedic timing in act two a bit lacking. 

Neil Toon as Warner during "Serious"
seen here with Faye Brookes

Stage veterans Dave Willetts and Claire Sweeney didn't disappoint at all in their roles as Professor Callahan and Paulette respectively, though it was a bit hard to understand the latter's accent. 

Dave Willetts as Professor Callahan

Claire Sweeney as Paulette

I was not too keen on Charlotte Harwood as Vivienne though. Her acting was all right and she got that "bitchy" attitude which I enjoyed. As for her singing, the girl could sing but she obviously seemed to struggle with the high note in "Legally Blonde Remix" and she definitely was no Kate Shindle (Original Broadway Cast) or Caroline Keiff (Original London Cast).  

"Legally Blonde Remix"
seen here with Charlotte Harwood as Vivienne on the far left

Hannah Grover was our Brook Wyndham and while she was so damn fit and I salute her for singing "Whipped into Shape" while jumping ropes beautifully, I found that I didn't really like her portrayal as much as the others I've seen and I was hoping that it could have been funnier.

I also need to mention Lewis Griffiths (whom I'm sure that I've seen him in something before but I just can't figure out what) in the multiple roles of Grandmaster Chad, Dewey and Kyle (the UPS guy). I was actually quite disappointed in his first two roles but he was a definite scene stealer as Kyle, probably one of the best Kyles I've seen.

The ensemble was very strong and did a great job in all the many roles they had to play. The girls of Delta Nu were a bit all over the place during the very first "Omigod You Guys" which worried me a bit but they just kept getting better and better in each song up to the finale. Oh, and did I mention that the dogs were so cute!

The Courtroom scene
during "There! Right There!"

Overall, I think it was a lovely production and I just couldn't stop smiling from the scene in the courtroom onwards up until the very last curtain call. The audience around me seemed to have a great time as well but I was surprised that there wasn't a standing ovation that night. The Sunday Telegraph wrote about the show as "...a great big empty vessel of a show that makes a lot of noise and not much else..."and though I agreed that the show was very nonsense and unrealistic, I found it highly entertaining and would love to come back anytime just to have a good time at the theatre and I think that's what matters when you go to a theatre, to have a good time. So if you want a harmless good fun night out at the theatre, Legally Blonde is a definite must-see! Highly recommended!

"So Much Better"

"What You Want"

P.S. I just hate how they did not control when to let late audience enter the venue at the performance I attended. Shame on you, Manchester Opera House!! There seemed to be people walking in every 2-3 minutes or so and that was just plain annoying for the rest of the audience members who did their best to make sure they arrived on time!!

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Omigod, You Guys... Margot, Serena, Pilar, Elle and Company

Serious... Warner and Elle

Daughter of Delta Nu... Delta Nus

What You Want... Elle, Margot, Serena, Pilar and Company

The Harvard Variations... Emmett, Aaron, Padamadan, Enid and Company

Blood in the Water... Callahan and Company

Positive... Margot, Serena, Pilar, Elle and Greek Chorus

Ireland... Paulette

Ireland (Reprise)... Paulette

Serious (Reprise)... Warner and Elle

Chip on My Shoulder... Emmett, Elle and Company

So Much Better... Elle and Company

ACT TWO

Whipped Into Shape... Brooke, Callahan and Company

Take It Like a Man...Elle, Emmett and Salespersons

Bend and Snap... Margot, Serena, Pilar, Elle, Paulette and Salonfolk

There! Right There!... Elle, Callahan, Emmett, Vivienne, Warner, Enid, Brooke and Company

Legally Blonde... Elle and Emmett

Legally Blonde Remix... Vivienne, Elle and Company

Omigod, You Guys (Reprise)... Elle and Company

Find My Way/Finale... Elle, Paulette and Company

Review: Phantom 25th Celebration!!

Musical: The Phantom of the Opera: The 25th Anniversary Celebration

Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London, UK

Date: 2nd October 2011 at 13:30

Cast: Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom), Sierra Boggess (Christine), Hadley Fraser (Raoul), Wendy Ferguson (u/s Carlotta), Barry James (Firmin), Gareth Snook (Andre), Liz Robertson (Madame Giry), Wynne Evans (Piangi) and Earl Carpenter (Auctioneer)

with Special Appearance by Sarah Brightman, Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, Peter Joback, John Owen-Jones, Original London company and Andrew Lloyd Webber

Rating: ****

Review:

This is definitely one of my most anticipating events of my life and the most expensive theatre ticket I paid for to date. But how can you say no to a 25th anniversary celebration of one of the most iconic musicals of all-time in such a special venue like the Royal Albert Hall? To me, it was worth every single penny!

I took a special day trip down to London for this event with my friend, Jibb. We got our little excitement when our train was delayed and we were so scared that we would miss the show. Fortunately, we got to London with an hour to spare so that was good news. At 85 pounds, we were seated way up in the 4th floor circle. I thought the view would be horrible but it was actually pretty good and we got a good centre view of the stage and a pretty close view of the chandelier too.

Me at the front of the Royal Albert Hall

The Ticket

The Programme

We were at the matinee performance of the show so what I'm reviewing here might be somewhat different from the cinecast which broadcasted the evening performance. Let's start with the cast, shall we? Ramin Karimloo was our Phantom and the fans seem to be splitting into 2 groups, for and against him. Honestly, I am one of those against him. I think he's all right in the role but there are far superior Phantoms than him. Here, I think he portrayed the role well. His "Music of the Night" and "Point of No Return" was beautiful. However, I feel that, while having no troubles belting out high notes, he seemed to be struggling with holding the lower notes in place, notably in "Stranger Than You Dreamt It" among other points in the show. He seemed to be doing the same thing back when I saw him in Love Never Dies (during "Till I Hear You Sing") and in Les Mis DVD (during the reprise of "Look Down").

Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess
as The Phantom and Christine
during "Music of the Night"

I have always wanted to see Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae and she didn't disappoint at all. She has a beautiful stage presence and her singing and acting was just simply impeccable. Her "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was arguably one of the best I've heard in my life. However, I was disappointed to hear that her "The Phantom of the Opera" was lip-synced. I knew how they do that in the regular shows but I just thought that Ramin and Sierra could have sung it live.

Sierra Boggess in "Think of Me"

Hadley Fraser took on the role of Raoul and though many liked him, I disagreed. I didn't quite like how he portrayed Raoul here. I know that the producer was leading the character up to the sequel and wanting to make Raoul more of a harsh and aggressive character so that it's believable when he turned into a Love-Never-Dies Raoul. But I think Hadley took it a bit too far and it's not that his acting was bad but it's just not the Raoul that I (and possibly many other audience) want to see. His "All I Ask of You" could have been more warm and romantic but I did enjoy his performance in the final scene.

Hadley Fraser as Raoul

Hadley Fraser as old Raoul during "Prologue"

A wider shot just before "All I Ask of You"

The moment I opened the programme and saw that Wendy Ferguson, the current London Carlotta, will play the role of Carlotta at my performance instead of Kiera Duffy, I was overjoyed. She is my favourite Carlotta and what she gave us was sheer perfection of how Carlotta should be and I'm so glad that her brilliant performance will be captured on DVD. My friend even singled her out from the ensemble as one of the outstanding performers. On the other hand, Wynne "Go Compare" Evans was not as brilliant in the role of Piangi. I feel that he was trying to make his role funny but they all turned out unsuccessfully. His singing was below the standard of his fellow cast members around him and he even avoided that last note in Hannibal and made a joke out of it instead... 

The lovely Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta
seen here with Sierra Boggess in "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh"

Gareth Snook and Barry James gave a good performance as M. Andre and Firmin respectively as we would expect a current London cast to give. Though I feel that the big venue did provide a challenge for both of them. Liz Robertson performed the role of Madame Giry very well and I particularly liked her little scene where she revealed the secret of The Phantom in the backstage with Raoul. I also would like to mention Earl Carpenter who played the role of the auctioneer in the prologue very well.

Liz Robertson as Madame Giry seen here with Hadley Fraser
during "Backstage"

What I liked about this production of Phantom is a very large ensemble cast comprised of the famous faces of the West End, which made things seem a lot grander for the audience especially in scenes like "Hannibal Dress Rehearsal" "Masquerade" and "Il Muto Ballet". The sound of the orchestra was just also amazing. I got real goosebumps as the orchestra played that iconic Overture.

This production relies a lot on projection which is understandable because of venue constraints and possibly budget constraints as well. I was a bit disappointed at first but it did grow on me after a while and after having thought about it, it was actually a pretty neat idea.  However, at my performance, the LED screen refused to work after about half way into act one and the screen started to flicker white light constantly during the lead-in to and during the first half of "Music of the Night". It really annoyed me and I was feeling really bad for Ramin having to concentrate in such a pivotal moment in the show while there is this light flickering behind him. I believe they decided to pull the plug and not using the LED screen for the rest of the first act and only relied on the big projector screen above it instead so I had no idea how the whole production should look like. Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD then. Luckily, everything worked perfectly in Act Two. 

At the end of "Think of Me"

The Phantom's Lair: The Royal Albert Hall Version

Though the projection took away the realistic aspects of falling curtains and rising angel on the rooftop, etc., there are some ideas that I really enjoyed visually such as showing the Phantom writing the notes during "Notes" or showing the live closeup of the Red Death during "Why So Silent". 

"Notes" with The Phantom's projection
(at my show, I couldn't see any of the bottom projection at all)

Many things were missing from the production. I definitely missed the rising and falling chandelier but I kinda understand that it would be impossible to do. (I was actually curious to know how they would pull it off). Instead, a countless firework was used in place of its rising and crashing.  There was no shadow of the Phantom during the "Il Muto" ballet that I always found funny, no bride mannequin in the Phantom's lair (which make Christine's faint in "Music of the Night" a bit weird). I also missed the elephant at the end of "Hannibal". It's funny to hear them sing about elephant but without any. At least they could have projected the elephant, I feel.. I also didn't understand why they didn't show the Phantom in the mirror as he sang "I am there inside" (or is it another technical mishap?). At my performance, it was just Christine looking at a black wall and it didn't really make sense. 

I must say though that I really like the blocking of "Magical Lasso" (which I usually hate) and how they incorporate the rising bridge into it. They could have really used that in the London show and I think it made the scene more interesting. I also liked Buquet's and Piangi's deaths.

There were also other stage mishaps at my performance beside the LED screen. The sound system was wrong during Notes where Madame Giry was supposed to read the Phantom's second act "Notes" as her voice changes to the Phantom's but the voices did not sync and I could tell that it was awkward for everyone. The piano during the "Don Juan" rehearsal didn't play in time causing Carlotta to hold that last note for even longer and had to burst out into a rant with M. Reyer while waiting for the piano to play.  In the final lair, Ramin's suit got caught in the wire of the lasso after he let Raoul go and he was trying to shake it off while singing the role and had to just take off his suit and moved on with the show. These simply showed how professional these actors are in keeping the show going. Kudos to them!

Unmasked Phantom

At the end, it was clear that they were setting up the mood for "Love Never Dies". Usually Christine and Raoul will sing the final reprise of "All I Ask of You" to each other as they leave the Phantom, this time Christine sang "say you share with me one love, one lifetime" to the Phantom, then Raoul sang "say the word and I will follow you" as he escorted Christine out of the lair. I'm not sure if I liked that but it was an interesting take on the book. 

Then, it's time for the "Grand Finale". First, we had Andrew Lloyd Webber came out to make a brief speech and then invited the original creative team, the Royal Albert Hall creative team, the original London company and then the original Christine, Sarah Brightman. Jibb and I were really excited to see her and to hear her perform. 

The Composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber

The original Christine, Sarah Brightman

She sang "The Phantom of the Opera" alongside another 4 Phantoms: Colm Wilkinson (original Canadian Phantom), Anthony Warlow (original Australian Phantom), John Owen-Jones (current London Phantom) and Peter Joback (future London Phantom starting in March 2012). The first three Phantoms were absolutely perfect. Peter Joback, on the other hand, was clearly the weakest link of the bunch. Could he really perform the Phantom, I wonder? I wish they could have brought in another Phantom from the States, either Hugh Panaro or Howard McGillin would have been a real treat! Then, the four Phantoms and the ensemble went into "Music of the Night" with Ramin Karimloo joining in at the end and that concluded the event for us all. 

Sarah Brightman performed "The Phantom of the Opera"
with the 4 Phantoms

At curtain call (evening performance), then and now...
Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford
and Sierra Boggess & Ramin Karimloo

The 6 Phantoms: Anthony Warlow, Ramin Karimloo, Michael Crawford
Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones and Peter Joback

The event overall was still memorable, though I'd still prefer the London's Her Majesty's Theatre production over this. Despite some weak links in the cast and several mishaps, I was still able to enjoy the show a lot and am now looking forward to the DVD. For those of you who weren't there (or even if you were), the DVD of such a special event like this is a must for all musical fans!

The curtain call view from our seats in the circle

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Prologue... Auctioneer, Raoul and Company

Overture... Orchestra

The Dress Rehearsal of Hannibal... Carlotta, Piangi and Company

Think of Me... Carlotta, Christine and Raoul

Angel of Music... Meg and Christine

Little Lotte/The Mirror (Angel of Music)... Raoul, Christine and The Phantom

The Phantom of the Opera... Christine and The Phantom

The Music of the Night... The Phantom

I Remember.../Stranger Than You Dreamt It... Christine and The Phantom

Magical Lasso... Buquet, Meg, Madame Giry and Ballet Girls

Notes/Prima Donna... Firmin, Andre, Raoul, Carlotta, Piangi, Madame Giry, Meg and The Phantom

Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh... Carlotta and Company

Why Have You Brought Me Here.../Raoul, I've Been There... Raoul and Christine

All I Ask of You... Raoul and Christine

All I Ask of You (Reprise)... The Phantom

ACT TWO

Entr' Acte... Orchestra

Masquerade... Company

Why So Silent... The Phantom

Backstage... Madame Giry

Notes II/Twisted Every Way... Firmin, Andre, Carlotta, Piangi, Raoul, Christine, Madame Giry and The Phantom

A Rehearsal for Don Juan Triumphant... Christine, Piangi, Carlotta, Reyer, Madame Giry and Company

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again... Christine

Wandering Child.../Bravo, Bravo... The Phantom, Christine and Raoul

Don Juan Triumphant... Carlotta, Piangi, Passarino and Company

The Point of No Return... The Phantom and Christine

Down Once More.../Track Down This Murderer... Company

GRAND FINALE

The Phantom of the Opera... Sarah Brightman, Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, Peter Joback and John Owen-Jones

The Music of the Night... Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, Peter Joback, John Owen-Jones and Ramin Karimloo

Review: Sister Act: The Musical (UK Tour)

Musical: Sister Act: The Musical [UK Tour]
Venue: Opera House, Manchester, UK
Date: 29th September 2011
Cast: Cynthia Erivo (Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence), Denise Black (Mother Superior), Michael Starke (Monsignor O' Hara), Julie Atherton (Sister Mary Robert), Laurie Scarth (Sister Mary Patrick), Jacqueline Clarke (Sister Mary Lazarus), Edward Baruwa (Eddie Souther), Cavin Cornwall (Curtis Jackson)
Rating: ***1/2

Review: 

It's been quite a while since I last saw a show so I was quite looking forward to this one and I must say that I had a really good time. I was at the Manchester Opera House for the opening night of the UK Tour of Sister Act: The Musical after having missed it when it was playing at the London Palladium last year. I own the Original London Cast with Patina Miller in the leading role of Deloris and I can tell, though having never seen the show before, that the touring production has changed a lot from its original London version. Later, I found out that the touring production is mainly based on the current Broadway production. 

There were quite a few changes and cuts to the production. I was sad that they cut the prologue where Mother Superior prays to the God. I always find that such an interesting way to open a show and I love how it links to Deloris' opening. The show now starts with Deloris performing "Take Me to Heaven" at an audition, rather than an actual performance like in the London recording or in the movie, lots of jewelry mishap as well :P. "How I Got the Calling" was changed to an inferior "It's Good to Be a Nun" while the "Do the Sacred Mass" was totally removed. Mother Superior gets a new and better song in Act Two called "Haven't Got a Prayer" instead of the boring reprise of "Here Within These Walls".

Denise Black performing "Here Within These Walls"

 Talking about the music by Alan Menken, I feel that Sister Act tries to play with and poke fun at the cliche 60s black music, especially with the male numbers. At times, it works quite well but after one or two songs, it did get a bit tiring especially one the two numbers were back-to-back (i.e."When I Find My Baby" and "I Could Be That Guy"). I do feel that the show could get more laugh from the second song had they kept "Do the Sacred Mass" or had at least one song in between. The female numbers, on the other hand, were very conventional Menken's Disney-ish songs that allow the girls to belt their guts out ("The Life I Never Led" and "Sister Act"). "Raise Your Voice", though very cheesy, was quite an outstanding number in the show. 

The lyrics by Glenn Slater was mere serviceable. Nothing really stood out to me. The book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, though funny, was rather thin and at times, didn't make sense. By cutting "How I Got the Calling", I think Mary Robert's background was a lot less important and didn't make her "The Life I never Led" as strong as it could have been. There were also many points that I didn't get in the show -- Why Eddie's room? What makes Mother Superior change her mind so fast? -- and the ending was way too easy.

Cynthia Erivo is our Deloris Van Cartier (AKA Sister Mary Clarence) and though she is not as charismatic as the original Whoopi Goldberg or Patina Miller, she still rocks the part and sings the role very well. I actually prefer her in a nun costume. The Mother Superior is played by Denise Black whom I have never heard of. She acts the part very well as the strict head of the Church but her singing is still lacking in my opinion. It seems that she still struggles with some of the high notes, or maybe it was just her off-night?

Cynthai Erivo and Denise Black
as Deloris Van Cartier and Mother Superior

Cynthia Erivo in the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby!"

The real stars of the show, I must say, are the nuns. Laurie Scarth, whom I saw as Tracy in Hairspray last year, totally steals the show as the chubby hyperactive Sister Mary Patrick. Julie Atherton was cute as the postulant Mary Robert and damn could that girl sings!! Jacqueline Clarke was hilarious as the more senior Sister Mary Lazarus. The whole nun ensemble was just outstanding from their first moment on stage where they sang the hymns so off-key to when they learned how to "raise" their voice and from how they rocked the theatre with their rendition of "Take Me to Heaven" to the final "Spread the Love Around". You simply just can't stop laughing.

Jacqueline Clarke, Julie Atherton and Laurie Scarth
as Sisters Mary Lazarus, Mary Robert and Mary Patrick

The male leads didn't really get as many chances to shine in this show. Edward Baruwa as Eddie was all right in the role. I couldn't feel much chemistry between him and Deloris in the show. I wish they could have given some more time in the police station scene to build up the characters. But the double quick change during his number was quite impressive. As Curtis, Cavin Cornwall has one of the smoothest low voices I've heard, though his acting could have been a bit stronger. The trio of Gavin Alex, Tyrone Huntley and Daniel Stockton as Pablo, TJ and Joey did provide some comedic relief in Act One but their trio number in Act Two didn't feel right to me. I was also surprised to find Michael Starke's name in the show as I didn't know that he was in it and he did a really great job as Monsignor, though it reminded me a lot of when he was in The Rocky Horror Show.

Michael Starke as Monsignor O' Hara
seen here with Denise Black

I also enjoyed the production a lot. I think the scenes and props were quite well done for a touring production. The nun's reprise of "Take Me to Heaven" definitely stood out for me as one of the best production numbers I've seen this year. 

Take Me to Heaven (Reprise)

Honestly, I feel that the show survives because people just love Sister Act: The Movie so much that they were ready to have a good time at the show and not caring too much about the book. And in that sense, they really do succeed because though the book was thin, I still had a really fun night out at Sister Act. Really recommended for anyone looking for a good night out at the theatre. (Ignore the book a bit and you'll have a really great time!)

Spread the Love Around

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Take Me to Heaven... Deloris, Michelle and Tina

Fabulous, Baby!... Deloris, Michelle and Tina

Here Within These Walls... Mother Superior and Deloris

It's Good to Be a Nun... Deloris, Mary Patrick, Mary Robert, Mary Lazarus and Nuns

When I Find My Baby... Curtis, Joey, Pablo and TJ

I Could Be That Guy... Eddie and Bums

Raise Your Voice... Deloris, Mary Patrick, Mary Robert, Mary Lazarus and Nuns

Take Me to Heaven (Reprise)... Deloris, Mary Patrick, Mary Robert, Mary Lazarus and Nuns

ACT TWO

Sunday Morning Fever... Deloris, Mother Superior, Monsignor O' Hara, Eddie, Mary Patrick, Mary Robert, Mary Lazarus and Nuns

Lady in the Long Black Dress... Joey, Pablo and TJ

Haven't Got a Prayer... Mother Superior

Bless Our Show... Deloris, Mary Patrick, Mary Robert, Mary Lazarus and Nuns

The Life I Never Led... Mary Robert

Fabulous, Baby! (Reprise)... Deloris, Eddie, Nuns and Fantasy Dancers

Sister Act... Deloris

When I Find My Baby (Reprise)... Curtis

The Life I Never Led (Reprise)... Mary Robert

Sister Act (Reprise)... Deloris, Mother Superior and Nuns

Spread the Love Around... Full Company