Review: Annie

Musical: Annie
Venue: Quarry Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, UK
Date: 24th November 2011 at 19:00
Adult Cast: Sarah Ingram (Miss Hannigan), Duncan Preston (Oliver Warbucks), Verity Rushworth (Grace Farrell), Emma Barton (Lily), Darren Bennett (Rooster), and Sevan Stephan (Franklin D. Roosevelt) with Wayne Fitzsimmons, Keri Flanagan, Paul Hazel, Kirby Hughes, Philip Marriott, Amira Matthews, Martin Neely, Alwyne Taylor and Vicki Lee Taylor
Children Cast (Team Empire State): Sophie Downham (Annie), Beth Tetley (Molly), Elin Gilbert (July), Ruth Kelner (Tessie), Hannah Kilcoyne (Pepper) Etta Mukasa (Kate), Grace Tattersall (Duffy), Erin Chapman, Jamada Goodison, Grace Hadabora, Elise Johnson, Gabrielle Johnson, Hollie-Ann Lowe, Olivia Midgley, Ruby Moran, Leah Sheldon, Hollie Smith, Phoebe Tissiman and Melinda Alice Trott with Button (as Sandy)
Rating: *****

Review:
Last Thursday, I visited the West Yorkshire Playhouse for the first time for their production of Annie. Coincidentally, 24th November was the birthday of Martin Charnin, the lyricist of Annie as well! The production that I saw was on its last preview day and, to be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect of the production.

What I noticed was that they opened the theatre door so late, only about 20 minutes before the show started but once I stepped inside the theatre, I understood why and I was really impressed. First of all, I really like the layout of the theatre which is a steep slope looking down onto the stage. There on stage, you'll find all the children sleeping in their beds in the Orphanage, with the ambience of New York City street in the background and it stayed like that until showtime. I really admired these little girls who were able to stay in character that long before the show began.

Inside the Quarry Theatre

 And from the moment the overture played, we were in for a real treat and I can say that Annie was one of the best things that I've seen this year. True, the storyline was cheesy and so unreal, but the sincerity and optimism of the piece totally drew you in. I have never listened to the whole music of Annie and I must say that I enjoyed the music a lot and all the songs were performed beautifully by the cast.

Sophie Downham and Phoebe Roberts share the role of Annie in this production and Sophie Downham along with the children cast of Team Empire State were at our performance. Sophie was a wonderful Annie and a strong actress herself. She portrayed the different emotions of Annie very well and on top of that, she had a beautiful voice and brought the house down with her rendition of "Tomorrow" (while managed to keep Sandy on her leash).  I also enjoyed her "Maybe" and its reprises very much.

The rest of the girls were also wonderful and should they pursue their career in musical theatre, I'm sure that they would all go far. I noticed that one of the sewing tables' wheels fell off during "You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile" but the girls were able to continue the number and wheeled the table out (with the remaining 3 wheels) as if nothing happened. Now that's a true actor!

Sophie Downham as Annie with Sandy

 The adult cast proved to be no less talented. Sarah Ingram totally owned the show as Miss Hannigan. Her comedic timing as well as her solo "Little Girls" were perfect. Darren Bennett and Emma Barton played Rooster and Lily and they acted the hell out of the role and their performance of "Easy Street" (with Sarah Ingram) was a true showstopper in Act One. Duncan Preston was a very good and warm Oliver Warbucks while Verity Rushworth's beautiful soprano voice and loveable character suited the role of Grace impeccably. Sevan Stephan played the officer in Act One and F.D.R. in Act Two and though the role was quite bland and cheesy, I think he pulled it off pretty well. On top of all that, we had a very strong ensemble, most were West End veterans which ensured their quality performance both in acting (in multiple roles) and singing.  


I also admired the production and sceneries design of this show by Colin Richmond. And I think it works really well on the Quarry Theatre stage. Had it played on normal rectangular stage such as Manchester's Palace Theatre (where it played for a week before opening in Leeds), the production would have looked too ordinary. Moreover, and I don't say this often, I really like Nick Winston's choreography and blocking in this production. The lighting design by Guy Hoare was also beautiful and suited the show.

Overall, I had a great time at Annie and would not hesitate to recommend the show to everyone. If you need to pick a show for this Christmas, Annie's the one! Annie runs at Quarry Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds until 21st January 2012. Seating recommendation from me is Price Tier B, Quarry Right side, a few rows back, maybe around D-F and get seats on the aisle. Perfect view! Avoid rows A-C as there are lots of dry ice and smoke in this production. For those allergic to smokes, get seats further back.

SCENES & MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Overture... The Orchestra
 
The New York City Municipal Orphanage
Maybe... Annie
It's the Hard Knock Life... The Orphans
It's the Hard Knock Life (Reprise)... The Orphans

St. Marks Place, New York City
Tomorrow... Annie

A Shanty Town Underneath the 59th Street Bridge
Hooverville (We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover)... The Homeless

Miss Hannigan's Office
Little Girls... Miss Hannigan

Oliver Warbuck's Mansion
I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here... Grace, Annie and Warbucks' Staff

New York City Theatre District
N.Y.C.... Warbucks, Grace, Annie and the People of New York

Miss Hannigan's Office
Easy Street... Miss Hannigan, Rooster and Lily

Oliver Warbucks' Mansion
You Won't Be an Orphan for Long... Grace, Warbucks and Warbucks' Staff

ACT TWO
Entr'actre... The Orchestra

N.B.C. Recording Studio
Maybe (Reprise)... Annie
You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile... Ensemble

The Sewing Room at the Orphanage
You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile (Reprise)... The Orphans

The White House
Tomorrow (Reprise)... Annie, F.D.R. and Staff

Oliver Warbucks' Mansion
Something Was Missing... Warbucks
I Don't Need Anything but You... Warbucks, Annie, Grace and Warbucks' Staff
Annie... Warbucks' Staff
Maybe (Reprise)... Annie
A New Deal for Christmas... Warbucks, F.D.R., Grace, Annie, The Orphans and Warbucks' Staff 

DVD Review: Phantom 25th Anniversary

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

Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London, UK

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

Rating: *****

Review:

I have written another review on the matinee performance of the 25th anniversary celebration of The Phantom of the Opera that I attended. Though there were some obvious flaws, I still enjoyed the production a lot and made me decide to pre-order the DVD from Amazon. I got some of my friends together to watch the DVD together. The DVD was recorded from the Sunday evening performance and all I can say is that this DVD is the next best thing to actually being there in the Royal Albert Hall, or even better!

What I can say about the production of this DVD is that editing helps! The multi-camera angle, the close-ups, the sound mixing and the choice of what to be seen that was decided for this DVD was top-notch. Even the part that I found lacking on the stage when I saw it live looks a lot better now and the chandelier even looks grander than ever (during the Overture) though I wish they would edit the "crash" to be a little bit more exciting.

Inside the Royal Albert Hall
(seen here at the end of "Think of Me" with audience projection on the wall)

The performances captured here were excellent. Though not my favourite Phantom, I found that I like Ramin Karimloo's Phantom in the DVD a lot better than when I saw him live that afternoon. I also enjoyed his performance in the Final Lair a lot and I loved how he say "You try my patience, make your choice" because he said it as if it was also difficult for him which I found heart-wrenching. (Note: I'm not sure if there was any sound mixing to help make his voice on the right pitch or not because he usually tends to have some flats and sharps here and there but if there wasn't then, great job, Ramin!) However, I found myself not liking the new mask that they custom-made for this production though but that was just a small quibble.

I loved Sierra Boggess's Christine when I saw her live and the close-ups even made her performance more memorable and impressive. I still stand by my opinion that her "Think of Me" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" were definitely one of the best I've heard. I also loved her little "Thank you very much" to Madame Giry and M. Reyer during the transition scene in "Think of Me". I'm not sure if that was added here or it was usually played like this but I just found it nice. 

Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo

 The chemistry between the two was great in almost every scene they were together. Had Love Never Dies in London been more successful, we could have seen the Love Never Dies DVD with these two in the lead roles which would be quite interesting.

Many people enjoyed Hadley Fraser's performance as Raoul. Personally, I didn't like him when I saw him live and I still didn't like him on DVD. (Don't boo me for this, it's just my opinion!). Though on DVD his voice comes across a lot better, I found his performance to be too harsh for the role. Again, I know that Andrew Lloyd Webber was probably setting the scene up for his "Love Never Dies" sequel DVD (that is due to come out in March 2012) but at this age, Raoul should be falling in love with Christine head over heels and not be bored of her obsessions with the Phantom. If he were, I think he would have dumped her right away. All this made his scene on the rooftop of the Opera House a lot less meaningful and less romantic, just look at his facial expression, the guy must be thinking "Oh, what now?" and it just made "All I Ask of You" to be like a fake comforting just to shut Christine up. Though, I do enjoy his second act a lot more.

Hadley Fraser at curtain call

Wendy Ferguson proves to me again that she was the perfect Carlotta. Stepping in for American soprano Kiera Duffy who suffered a throat infection a week before the show, Wendy, a current London Carlotta, totally stole the show and with camera close-ups, she was hilarious than ever. Her "Hannibal" and "Think of Me" scenes were definitive and so were her "Prima Donna", "Il Muto" and "Notes" scenes. I have loved her for a long time and I'm glad that she finally gets the spotlights she deserves this time and moreover, it got captured on DVD!!

Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta

On the contrary, Wynne Evans as Piangi was still bland as ever, period! Liz Robertson, Gareth Snook, and Barry James gave fantastic performances as Madame Giry, M. Andre and M. Firmin respectively. I also enjoyed Earl Carpenter's take on the Auctioneer at the beginning of the show a lot. The ensemble, which comprises of past and present Phantom cast members, all looks and sounds amazing here!

Masquerade

The projection of the scenery works really well on DVD. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw it and found it so unrealistic but here it looks really good and seems to be the best idea for a contemporary production like this one. If you had read my review, you will know that there were many technical mishaps at my performance, those mishaps didn't happen in the DVD so I got to see how the show really looks had the technical faults not happened. And in my previous review I didn't understand why there was no mirror in Christine's dressing room and now I understand! 

"Look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside!"

"Why so silent, good messieurs?"

Andrew Lloyd Webber was also not the best presenter and probably not the best person to introduce the creative teams and the original London company. The grand finale now includes the special appearance by the original Phantom, Michael Crawford who, disappointedly, didn't sing anything except for the last line of "The Music of the Night" with the rest of the company. I still feel that the finale performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Music of the Night" could have been rehearsed a bit better. Though greatly impressive, it was not as good as the "Les Miserables 25th Anniversary" surprise. Still, the opportunity to see the original Christine, Sarah Brightman performing on stage with 3 of the best Phantoms from around the world (Colm Wilkinson from Canada, Anthony Warlow from Australia and John Owen-Jones from the current London company) and another soon-to-be-but-not-as-impressive Phantom Peter Joback was rare and made it a special event in its own right.

Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman performing "The Phantom of the Opera"
seen here with John Owen-Jones in the back

Overall, this DVD is a must for any Phantom fans and also for any musical lovers. Though not as good as its original production, it is still the next best thing to actually being there at Her Majesty's Theatre in London or the Majestic Theatre on Broadway.

Review: We Will Rock You

Musical: We Will Rock You [UK Tour]

Venue: Grand Theatre, Leeds, UK

Date: 2nd November 2011 at 14:30

Cast: Noel Sullivan (Galileo), Amanda Coutts (Scaramouche), Earl Carpenter (Kashoggi), Ashley J. Russell (Killer Queen), Leon Lopez (Brit), Jenny Douglas (Meat) and Ian Reddington (Pop)

Rating: ***

Review:

My first experience with We Will Rock You, a jukebox musical based on the hit songs of Queen, was when I saw the 90-minute version in Las Vegas and though I can't remember much about it, I remember that I wasn't too fond of the show. However, with every show in Leeds almost sold out plus its recent win as Most Favourite Long-Running Musical at the latest Olivier Award over Les Miserables, Phantom and Billy Elliot, I became more eager to see the show in its full form and also it's been months since I have last visited the Grand Theatre in Leeds so I'm quite looking forward to going back.

On the plus side, the show was full packed with rocking music and strong performers. Even you're not a fan of Queen, you can still enjoy all the brilliantly performed music from the first "Innuendo" to the very last "Bohemian Rhapsody". It is obvious that the British audience simply loves Queen so much and they all enjoyed every single bit of the show despite having such a horrible storyline (except a few younger members of the audience). I really doubt if the show would sell on Broadway and maybe that's the reason it never made it there.

As Scaramouche, Amanda Coutts was amazing and I enjoyed her performance a lot. Her comedic timing was great and her singing was top-notch! Noel Sullivan was our Galileo and his portrayal of the role was very different from the original Tony Vincent. To me, he resembled Troy Bolton (from High School Musical) meets Princeton (from Avenue Q) a lot while his costume and hairdo in the whole first act made me think of Danny Zuko in Grease a lot (and as I looked in the programme, he did play Danny Zuko before!). I guess he just lacked the personality and look of an outcast a bit but he did portray the weirdo side of Galileo really well. Overall, I think he did quite well with the material he was given and his singing was damn good! And when the two came together in duets like "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "Hammer to Fall", they were awesome!

Amanda Coutts as Scaramouche
during her guitar solo just before "We Will Rock You"

Noel Sullivan as Galileo Figaro
at the end of "I Want to Break Free"

I was surprised to find Earl Carpenter in the cast. As Kashoggi, he played the role really well and it really showcased his acting ability and proved that he could also handle a lighter role beside The Phantom, Javert and Juan Peron. I just love the sarcasm and cockiness in his voice and he delivered the jokes well. However, I found that his singing was not as strong as when I saw him in Evita. It was probably due to the genre of the music. He was obviously struggling through the higher notes in "A Kind of Magic" but his "Seven Seas of Rhye" was pretty neat. As Killer Queen, we got past BBC's I'd Do Anything finalist, Ashley J. Russell who also sang and acted well. Her attitude was also just right for the role. Though most of the Killer Queen's songs made no sense to the storyline, it would have been great if they let her sang "Don't Stop Me Now" in its full form. The song got such great cheer from the audience during its intro. I also enjoyed Ian Reddington's performance as Pop a lot. Despite his minimal stage time, he was able to deliver some of the show's best jokes and his comedic timing was great.

Ashley J. Russell and Earl Carpenter
as Killer Queen and Commander Kashoggi
during "A Kind of Magic"

Ian Reddington as Pop the Librarian
during "These Are the Days of Our Lives"

Leon Lopez and Jenny Douglas were a bit less impressive as the bohemians "Brit" and "Meat" but still a pretty darn good performance. I found Leon's jokes a bit tiring and went on a little bit too long but his singing was really good as can be heard from his "I Want It All". Jenny Douglas had a pretty big shoes (of Kerry Ellis) to fill and I think she was all right but I was a little bit disappointed with her "No One But You". It's not that she sang it badly but I guess I was just looking forward to hearing that song so much and the original Meat Kerry Ellis sang it so well. Also, I could do with a little less model posing from Jenny Douglas.

Leon Lopez and Jenny Douglas
as Brit and Meat during "I Want It All"

 I was very impressed with the sets and the costumes. I think it was very well done for a touring production. The projection used in the show was also very beautiful and effective. I've always loved the projection at the opening and how it's set to Freddie Mercury's "Innuendo". I also really like how they use the projection during "Headlong" as they "descended" into the Heartbreak Hotel. It really made you feel like the stage was really moving. Great job there! I also found the laser cage pretty neat. 

"Somebody to Love" with Amanda Coutts and Ensemble

The downside of the show was obviously its book. I think the show had an okay plot, to be honest and it made some clever and funny reference to the pop culture. I also noticed how the jokes changed from when I saw the show in Vegas back in 2005. But how the plot was executed into the storyline was just poor and how the songs were incorporated into the storyline was even poorer. But We Will Rock You was saved solely by the iconic and fantastic songs of Queen that the British audience love so much. I admit that despite the poor storyline, I was rocked and entertained by pretty much every song in the show and with such brilliant performances from this strong company, it was not hard to enjoy We Will Rock You at all. 

The best moment in the show for me was the last 15 minutes when they decided to abandon the plot (to my disappointment), end the show and make way for the Queen medley of "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champion" and the iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody". The medley showcased how strong the cast were but at the same time, it showed how the show might have worked better as a tribute concert rather than a musical as it is.

Amanda Coutts, Noel Sullivan and Ian Reddington
on their bike to the Wembley Stadium

Nevertheless, despite all my rants above, I was still able to enjoy the show and so was the almost-sold-out Grand Theatre audience. I can't fully say that I would recommend this show to anyone or that I would go back to see it anytime soon. But if you're a fan of Queen, you definitely need to check the show out. My advice is ignore the story, let yourself go with the music and you'll have, I guarantee, a great night out at We Will Rock You. I did!

"Radio Ga Ga"

We Will Rock You is currently playing at the Leeds Grand Theatre until 26 November 2011.

SONG LIST

ACT ONE

Innuendo... Freddie Mercury and Ensemble

Radio Ga Ga... Ga Ga Kids

I Want to Break Free... Galileo and Scaramouche

Somebody to Love... Scaramouche and Teen Queens

Killer Queen... Killer Queen and Yuppies

Play the Game... Killer Queen and Yuppies

Under Pressure... Galileo and Scaramouche

A Kind of Magic... Killer Queen, Kashoggi and Yuppies

I Want It All... Brit, Meat and Ensemble

Headlong... Brit, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche and Ensemble

No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)... Meat and the Bohemians

Crazy Little Thing Called Love... Meat, Brit, Galileo, Scaramouche and the Bohemians

Ogre Battle... Band

ACT TWO

One Vision... Ga Ga Kids

Who Wants to Live Forever... Galileo and Scaramouche

Flash... Police and Captive Bohemians

Seven Seas of Rhye... Kashoggi, Police and Bohemians

Fat Bottomed Girls... Killer Queen

Don't Stop Me Now... Killer Queen

Another One Bites the Dust... Killer Queen

Hammer to Fall... Galileo and Scaramouche

These Are the Days of Our Lives... Pop and Bar Patrons

We Will Rock You... Galileo and Ensemble

We Are the Champions... Galileo and Ensemble

We Will Rock You (Fast Version)... Band

Bohemian Rhapsody... Galileo, Scaramouche, Kashoggi, Killer Queen and Ensemble