Show and Tell - Linking it Up

Round up, round up to what I'm hoping will be a weekly event - a show and tell of interesting links, videos or whatever other theatrical tidbits have caught my attention this week...

1. Kit Harrington and cast in rehearsal

The website Official London Theatre posted these pictures from the Doctor Faustus rehearsal room, on Wednesday - exactly 2 weeks before I head to London to see it. Needless to say, it has increased the excitement...

2.  Jesse Eisenberg's play 'The Spoils' coming to the West End

Also on Wednesday, it was announced this show would be arriving with us soon, starring both Eisenberg himself and Kunal Nayyar (Raj from the Big Bang Theory) but, given that it's quite a limited run, I'm not sure whether I'll actually get to see it. 

For those who can, though. Here's the ticket link...

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-spoils/trafalgar-studios/

3. Gavin Creel and Aaron Tveit 'Take Me For What I Am'

Musical Theatre fans both sides of the Atlantic went crazy for this video of two of theatre's hottest leading men performing the traditionally female roles of Maureen and Joanne's duet from 'Rent' at MCC Theater's Miscast gala

But what exactly is 'Miscast'? 
It's a show where performers get to sing songs from roles they would never normally be considered for. 
Check out their website http://www.mcctheater.org/galamiscast.html for videos, photos and more info. 

4. Sierra's Motivational Talks

Sierra is not only a great singer, but full of inspirational, motivational wisdom too. She posted a video to her Facebook fanpage about 'elimating fear'. It's aimed mostly at encouraging performers to let go of their fear, but you can find relevance to any walk of life in the message. 

 https://www.facebook.com/SierraBoggessOfficial/videos

5. Only the Brave - A new and original musical

Technically, I saw the show last week but it's stayed in my mind - surely a sign of a show which should not be allowed to disappear into obscurity? 


Take a listen to the Act One finale

The Music of Scott Alan

Who? I hear you ask; which is exactly why I chose to blog about him today. Far too few people know about Scott Alan, given his song writing talent and what he could bring to musical theatre.

I came across the music of Scott Alan quite by accident. It was the beginning of last month, just after I’d returned home from London to see the Phantom 25^th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall. Having been impressed with Hadley Fraser, but not having heard much of him before this (except for in clips of him singing with Ramin Karimloo in their bluegrass/rock inspired band Sheytoons) I was looking for videos on youtube, when I came across the following:-

The music and lyrics are both perfectly matched in heart wrenching melancholy. Rarely am I moved to tears simply by hearing an out-of-context song, but this managed to really tug at the heart strings.

Intrigued, I clicked on some more of the recommended videos that had been posted by Scott Alan’s youtube channel. It seems lots of well known musical theatre stars are supporting him by singing at his showcases.

Another of my favourites is a song called ‘Always’. Below is a clip of Sierra Boggess singing this song (again get the tissues ready – Scott Alan is a master of emotional ballads).

It was on the strength of the songs I’ve featured here that I bought the album Keys: the Music of Scott Alan (though ‘Always’ is sung by Sutton Foster on the album – still beautifully) and have listened to it almost every night since. It is such soothing music to put on when winding down from the day. Here is the link to the mp3 download on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Keys-Music-Scott-Alan/dp/B002HNUBTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320452235&sr=8-1

I hope this has sparked your interest in someone who I think will be important to Musical Theatre in the years to come and deserves to be. He currently has a show in production called ‘Home’ http://www.homethemusical.com/  and will be coming to London later this month (Sunday 13^th November) for ‘Diva’s Sing Scott Alan’ at the Arts Theatre starting at 4pm, featuring some of the West End’s leading ladies including Caissie Levy, currently starring in Ghost the Musical and Alexia Khadime (current Eponine and former Elphaba). Lending his support to these leading ladies is, the recently confirmed, Daniel Boys.

I would certainly be attending this if I lived closer to London, so instead I am going to support by encouraging anyone reading this that can make it to go along.

I predict in a few years time people will no longer be asking ‘who?’ upon hearing Scott Alan’s name, but rather ‘who wants tickets to his new hit show?’    

Phantom 25 Encore

It seems only appropriate to start my blog with a review of the 25^th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera. This has been the event of the year for musical theatre and, being a lifelong “phan”, I feel really lucky to have had the privilege to have seen it live at the Royal Albert Hall.

Not being very rich, I had to go for the cheap seats (and by cheap I mean relative to the top price tickets - the 'cheap' tickets being £85). These were high up in the circle and though the atmosphere of actually being there is irreplaceable, the one thing that I missed out on was the acting. From where we were sat the sound was perfect, the general overview was perfect but the performers were little more than blurry blobs with indistinguishable features, moving about on stage.

So, it was with much excitement that I went to see the Phantom Encore screening at the Vue last night. Being able to see the actors so close up is usually only a luxury afforded to the top priced seats. Even then, not in such detail.

And in detail, it was. Filmed in HD, we could see every bead of sweat! (and sweating we all were. What you can't know from just watching the recording is how sweltering the heat was – I don’t think I’ve ever been so uncomfortably hot, not even when I was a bridesmaid in Malta wearing a dress complete with padded bodice. Phans with fans made from leaflets for other shows all around).

   

From the moment it began I was completely mesmerized and enchanted. I already knew the singing was flawless from all involved, but I was blown away by the incredible acting. They all seemed to understand their characters and embody them entirely.  

Ramin Karimloo’s phantom is lonely, desperate  and clearly insane, yet at the same time occupies a strange allure for both Christine and the audience. Something Sierra Boggess’s Christine plays very well to. Her facial expressions when looking at the phantom at the beginning, shows her complete intoxication with him, which over the course of the show turns to fear, then pity.

Hadley Fraser’s Raoul is imposing, wilful and, quite frankly, a bit of a bastard! Through, I imagine, no fault of Hadley himself, but rather a directional insistence, no doubt to fit in with the story of Love Never Dies.

Before you dismiss this as hate toward Love Never Dies, know that I was actually a supporter. The music is beautiful; in my opinion, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best since Phantom. The story, however, was massively flawed. So, I would urge:-

Do not mess with the well loved original for the sake of a show that wasn’t well received!!

Another example of this:-  Christine turning to Phantom at the end of the lair scene to sing a reprise of ‘All I Ask of You’ rather than singing it to Raoul, giving us the impression she still hasn’t fully made her choice. This, of course, in keeping with the story of Love Never Dies.

These are, however, minor complaints of an otherwise perfect celebration of my favourite musical, with my favourite west end stars of the moment and I, for one, cannot wait to own the dvd. Never again will I have need to watch Joel Schumacher’s disappointing let down :- 

I hope you were taking notes, Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, because this is how it’s meant to be done.