If you follow my Twitter or really any social media, you'll know that musicals are one of my favourite things and a passion of mine. Recently, I've been lucky enough to see the musicals known in the West End as the 'Big Three'. They are Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Wicked. I've seen Wicked 4 times and am so biased towards it as it is my favourite musical, meaning that sometimes I am reluctant to stray away from the familiarities of the Apollo Victoria. However, after seeing Phantom and Les Mis, I'm so happy they all lived up to their reputations and I was yet again mesmerized by the power of live theatre. I've wanted to review all three shows so I thought why not put them in a blog post together?! Please bear with me and my fangirling ways...
Phantom of the Opera - 26th August 2017 (Her Majesty's Theatre)
Ben Forster and Celinde Schoenmaker as leads.
Phantom is the most recent musical I've seen and I can honestly say it exceeded any expectations I had going into it. Of course I was delighted when I was told I would be seeing it, but I had no idea what to expect and thought it might not be exactly to my taste due to seeing big choral musicals such as Billy Elliot and Lion King in the past. However, any doubts I had were instantly diminished by the end of the first number. Although he has faced some criticism for his vocal ability, Ben Forster played the role of the Phantom excellently, just with perhaps a hint of vocal strain as he reached the top of his range. His acting was impeccable and his version of 'The Music of the Night' had me on the verge of tears due to his belivability and ability to act so vulnerable yet so eerily mysterious simultaneously. Celinde Schoenmaker made for a stunning Christine, pitching every note perfectly and maintaining seamless acting throughout the show. Her transitions from bravery to hearbreak were outstanding and I'm sure I speak for the entire audience when I say that we were following her every move as she effortlessely reached the opera notes that this show is so famous for. She made the famously challenging role seem easy, which is what I admired most about her performance - it wasn't lazy and she seemed to be giving every inch of her to the character.
The ensemble members also gave a faultless performance, with their standout scene being Masquerade. Their costumes were all as unique as their characters and every individual was performing like it was their last time they were ever going to perform; I thoroughly enjoyed this number as it exposed every member of the cast and showed them in such a good light.
The orchestra in this show, as in every show, definitely deserve more credit than they get. The score for Phantom is complicated - The Music of the Night has three time signature changes in the first ten bars alone! Clearly they are all accomplished musicians, but I applaud them for their performance throughout the show. The overture was spectacular and provided such a stunning introduction to the show, which is when I initially realised I was watching something special.
Overall, I really did enjoy Phantom and although Act One was a bit slow in parts, Act Two really was spectacular. It was made even more so by the special effects used and the high quality of the costumes and set. The only slight disappointment was the 'hyped up' chandelier drop, which felt a bit flat, however other than this I honestly couldn't fault the performance. It really did exceed my expectations and I definitely would see it again!
Les Miserables - 23rd August 2017 (Queens Theatre)
Killian Donnelly, Hayden Tee, Karis Jack, Paul Wilkins and Carly Stenson as leads.
After waiting about 7 years, my best friend and I finally got round to seeing Les Mis in London. Tickets are crazily expensive, meaning that it was difficult to get to see in within a reasonably low budget, including travel to and from London. However, we booked a few months in advance and managed to get the 'slip seats' which were the cheapest available. I didn't have high hopes for the views but honestly we could see everything and made me question if it would be worth paying £90 for a seat in the stalls.
The first thing I noticed was the minimal set used in the production. In the first number, 'Look Down', the prisoners are doing their work, but it was all 'pretend' as they had no props to use, making use of physical theatre to make their movements believable. This was quite unexpected from a West End production as I would have thought that they'd have the budget to get expensive props, especially for the opening scene. However, the ensemble members definitely made up for this, giving an outstanding performance to open the show. From then on, I was absolutely captivated and felt every emotion from every cast. 'Stars' was particularly impressive, and I'm sure the rest of the audience felt the same way as we did, stunned by the level of emotion whilst still maintaining a perfect vocal performance.
The 'barricade' scene was also impressive, as the death of Gavroche left not a dry eye in the house. To be honest, the professionalism and talent of the youngest cast members was insane; of course they've been trained to perform at such a high standard, but credit where credit is due! The young girls who played younger Eponine and Cosette also portrayed their characters amazingly and were the perfect addition to the cast of much older, fully trained professionals. I loved Castle on a Cloud as it perfectly showed a sense of vulnerability and innocence, something which is most definitely associated with Cosettes character throughout most of her journey in the musical.
'One Day More' is always such an emotional number, where almost the entire company come together to belt their hearts out! It is so powerful and from what I saw, left the audience speechless. This number for me was probably the highlight of the show, as I felt so connected with the story and kept looking at every performer who were all giving 110%, you couldn't not enjoy it - honestly was spectacular! 'On My Own' was also good, but for some reason I did struggle to fully immerse myself in Karis Jack's portrayal of Eponine, I felt she'd be better suited to another role as she was quite American and tended to belt out notes when they perhaps shouldn't have been. In terms of acting, she was good, but her voice didn't fit what her emotions were saying. In 'On My Own' she was showing an emotion of heartbreak and anguish, but she maintained a strong belt throughout the song, leading me to question how she really was feeling in that minute.
I genuinely loved Les Mis and would go back at any second! It was such an emotional rollercoaster and Chloe and I managed to meet some of the cast at stagedoor after which was a great experience. It's such a landmark show and one that every person should see at least once in their lifetime!
Wicked - Various (Apollo Victoria Theatre)
1 - Louise Dearman and Lucy Van Gasse (standby) - 19th August 2013
2 - Rachel Tucker and Suzie Mathers - 14th December 2016
3 - Rachel Tucker and Suzie Mathers (Rachel's last ever Wicked performance) - 28th January 2017
4 - Willemijn Verkaik and Suzie Mathers - 22nd March 2017
Well, what can I say about Wicked? My ultimate favourite, my go to 'cheer up' musical. It's so irritating to me when people say 'Your favourite musical is Wicked? That's so common'. Yes, it has a massive fan base, but surely that's a good thing, as it means the show will continue for years! I first heard the music at a Young Americans workshop when I was 9 years old. We performed 'One Short Day' as part of the choral section and after this, my Dad downloaded the entire Wicked album onto his phone so we listened to it wherever we went. Fast forward a few years later and on a summer holiday trip to London and we wind up in Victoria...
Neither me, my brother or my sister had any clue that we were seeing Wicked, and at that time I had no idea we were even close to the theatre! So we went to Pret and then my Dad said 'we've got a surprise' and took us into the AV. I think I actually cried (I mean no surprise there, when do I not cry at Wicked?) the minute we walked in and took our seats. I don't really remember all the details about the show that time, but I remember being absolutely in awe of Louise Dearman as she took to the sky in Defying Gravity and bawling my eyes out at For Good. I do think that's when I truly fell in love with musical theatre and why it's been such a passion of mine ever since. There's honestly nothing like a musical to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and this was the first time i got to experience it.
Round 2! This is where my major 'fangirl' comes into force. I am suuuuuuuch a huge fan of Rachel Tucker - and if you don't know who that is, please get listening to her now! She's honestly my favourite singer, so when there was a school trip to see Wicked and I found out I would be seeing her, I was in floods of tears! It was booked months in advance and so when the day rolled around I was such an emotional mess that my friend didn't really know what to do with me! When Elphaba first comes on, just before Dear Old Shiz, I hit her on the arm and just whispered 'oh my god it's Rachel!'. I genuinely couldn't believe I was finally seeing my idol in the role she was just born to perform. By the end of Wizard and I, I was in awe and was crying so much, it was the most surreal experience to finally be there after watching YouTube videos of her for years! We were sat in ZE stalls, so some of the action higher up on the stage was missed, but hardly any at all, so really they were good seats! I think I blubbered the whole way through the show, and with the Act One closer being Defying Gravity, sung by the best Elphaba the West End has ever seen, who could have a dry eye really?! She absolutely amazed me throughout Act 2 as well, with her insane No Good Deed being a particular highlight. Her riffs and growls never cease to fascinate me, and coupled with acting skills that are out of this world, it made for a faultless performance. Suzie Mathers also amazed me too, hence why I went back to see her as Glinda twice before she left. Her 'Thank Goodness' was perfect, and I truly believe Stephen Schwartz was correct when he said she was the closest to Kristin Chenoweth they've had. Her comedic performance in Popular had me laughing so much, and her reprise of 'I'm Not That Girl' was truly heartbreaking. She really deserved every applause she got and I just loved her portrayal so so much! The final song of 'For Good' was as emotional as I remember it and made their friendship seem very realistic. Rachel and Suzie are good friends outside of the show and I think this really shone through on stage, adding an extra dimension to the performance!
Although we didn't get to hear the extent of Rachels riffing, she was still incredible and her and Suzie made for a loveable duo. Not to mention the amazing ensemble, who are the glue of the whole performance. One Short Day was where they really stood out, with the costumes and the dance being impeccably performed. It's so easy to be overwhelmed by the main characters and plot, that you overlook the smaller details, which I was definitely a little guilty of, which is why....
... I got home and by the next day had booked to go again the following month!!! I texted Chloe and said 'you're coming with me to Rachel's last performance on the 28th January please?' and then it was booked! That month honestly dragged so much; mock exams at school didn't help either! Then the day rolled around and I was too excited to sleep the night before, so when Chloe picked me up at 8am, I was fuelled on adrenaline! We caught an early train and got into London around 10.30 with plenty of time till the evening performance. We headed straight for the Theatre Café and had a quick drink and brownie, surrounded by the most amazing atmosphere. We went to the Stage Door pre matinee so that we'd get plenty of time to see a few cast members. The BEST moment of my day was when Rachel came and spent time with each and every person waiting outside and I managed to get a photo with her! I was honestly so starstruck and was so so so shaky I just managed to mumble 'thank you and good luck for tonight' to her - I regret that a lot but at least I met her! After spending the rest of the day in Central, we headed back to Victoria via Wetherspoons in time for the evening show - we were the first ones in the foyer!!! I hadn't felt excitement like it in a long time, when I heard the overture for 'No-one Mourns the Wicked' I was honestly buzzing. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint; without a shadow of a doubt it was the single best musical performance I have ever seen, even if I cried pretty much all the way through!
The minute Rachel ran on stage in Dear Old Shiz, she received a massive applause, so much so, she couldn't deliver her first lines for a solid two minutes and just stood at the front of the stage and saluted the audience! Her delivery of Wizard and I of course reduced me to tears and from then on I didn't really stop bawling. She had two standing ovations by the end of Act 1 and her Defying Gravity was like nothing I've ever heard before; honestly outstanding. She blew the audience a kiss before raising her broom at the end of the song, which set off all kinds of emotions within every audience member! Suzie's Act 2 opener, 'Thank Goodness' was again incredible and from act 2 it was so obvious that their friendship went beyond the show, it shone through! It is so hard to put into words how much I adored this performance, from the start right through to the end. I cried, I laughed and I really felt every single emotion possible;don't even get me started on For Good - the most emotional thing I have ever heard! Neither Rachel or Suzie could finish their last notes because they were crying so much, which in turn meant everyone in the audience was a wash of emotions! I could go on and on about this performance and how special it was for so many reasons but I think I'm going to have to keep it short else it'll end up in a long essay being written! The Curtain Call however is something that I can't not write about. Rachel, Anita Dobson and Katie Rowley Jones were all leaving the cast and Michael McCabe, the executive producer of the show came and presented them with flowers and gave a speech. This was the 10th anniversary cast and as he said, 'I wanted this cast for the 10th anniversary and they're all standing right here'. He handed over to Rachel and she gave an outstanding speech about letting the green girl go and how it had been such a huge part of her life over the last 4 years. I don't think I had any make - up left on by the end of it and I realised how much of an influence she'd had on me after being a fan for so long; there's just something that resonated with her voice and personality on and off stage. It took me a good few days to realise she wasn't Elphaba anymore and to come to terms with the fact that she was moving back to NYC! Honestly the best performance ever, and one I'll never forget!
And finally, Willemijn and Suzie - can you tell she's my favourite Glinda?! Suzie, yet again didn't disappoint, with some new riffs and a stunning 'Popular'. Willemijn's vocal were brilliant, but for some reason, I couldn't connect as much with her character portrayal as I have with Rachel and Louise's. I really enjoyed her 'No Good Deed' and there were some touching moments throughout, but overall I just struggled to connect and didn't feel the emotions that I'd felt the other times I'd seen the show! She definitely is a strong lead but I didn't see the same character transition I know and love for Elphaba. It was the last time I saw Suzie and Oliver Saville as Fiyero, I just know that the Emerald City won't be the same without them!
Sorry for such a long post, I hope you found it somewhat interesting and please let me know what you'd like to read on here in the future!
Charlie x
***************** CONTAINS SPOILERS - PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU'VE YET TO SEE THE SHOWS*************
Phantom of the Opera - 26th August 2017 (Her Majesty's Theatre)
Ben Forster and Celinde Schoenmaker as leads.
Phantom is the most recent musical I've seen and I can honestly say it exceeded any expectations I had going into it. Of course I was delighted when I was told I would be seeing it, but I had no idea what to expect and thought it might not be exactly to my taste due to seeing big choral musicals such as Billy Elliot and Lion King in the past. However, any doubts I had were instantly diminished by the end of the first number. Although he has faced some criticism for his vocal ability, Ben Forster played the role of the Phantom excellently, just with perhaps a hint of vocal strain as he reached the top of his range. His acting was impeccable and his version of 'The Music of the Night' had me on the verge of tears due to his belivability and ability to act so vulnerable yet so eerily mysterious simultaneously. Celinde Schoenmaker made for a stunning Christine, pitching every note perfectly and maintaining seamless acting throughout the show. Her transitions from bravery to hearbreak were outstanding and I'm sure I speak for the entire audience when I say that we were following her every move as she effortlessely reached the opera notes that this show is so famous for. She made the famously challenging role seem easy, which is what I admired most about her performance - it wasn't lazy and she seemed to be giving every inch of her to the character.
The ensemble members also gave a faultless performance, with their standout scene being Masquerade. Their costumes were all as unique as their characters and every individual was performing like it was their last time they were ever going to perform; I thoroughly enjoyed this number as it exposed every member of the cast and showed them in such a good light.
The orchestra in this show, as in every show, definitely deserve more credit than they get. The score for Phantom is complicated - The Music of the Night has three time signature changes in the first ten bars alone! Clearly they are all accomplished musicians, but I applaud them for their performance throughout the show. The overture was spectacular and provided such a stunning introduction to the show, which is when I initially realised I was watching something special.
Overall, I really did enjoy Phantom and although Act One was a bit slow in parts, Act Two really was spectacular. It was made even more so by the special effects used and the high quality of the costumes and set. The only slight disappointment was the 'hyped up' chandelier drop, which felt a bit flat, however other than this I honestly couldn't fault the performance. It really did exceed my expectations and I definitely would see it again!
Les Miserables - 23rd August 2017 (Queens Theatre)
Killian Donnelly, Hayden Tee, Karis Jack, Paul Wilkins and Carly Stenson as leads.
After waiting about 7 years, my best friend and I finally got round to seeing Les Mis in London. Tickets are crazily expensive, meaning that it was difficult to get to see in within a reasonably low budget, including travel to and from London. However, we booked a few months in advance and managed to get the 'slip seats' which were the cheapest available. I didn't have high hopes for the views but honestly we could see everything and made me question if it would be worth paying £90 for a seat in the stalls.
The first thing I noticed was the minimal set used in the production. In the first number, 'Look Down', the prisoners are doing their work, but it was all 'pretend' as they had no props to use, making use of physical theatre to make their movements believable. This was quite unexpected from a West End production as I would have thought that they'd have the budget to get expensive props, especially for the opening scene. However, the ensemble members definitely made up for this, giving an outstanding performance to open the show. From then on, I was absolutely captivated and felt every emotion from every cast. 'Stars' was particularly impressive, and I'm sure the rest of the audience felt the same way as we did, stunned by the level of emotion whilst still maintaining a perfect vocal performance.
The 'barricade' scene was also impressive, as the death of Gavroche left not a dry eye in the house. To be honest, the professionalism and talent of the youngest cast members was insane; of course they've been trained to perform at such a high standard, but credit where credit is due! The young girls who played younger Eponine and Cosette also portrayed their characters amazingly and were the perfect addition to the cast of much older, fully trained professionals. I loved Castle on a Cloud as it perfectly showed a sense of vulnerability and innocence, something which is most definitely associated with Cosettes character throughout most of her journey in the musical.
'One Day More' is always such an emotional number, where almost the entire company come together to belt their hearts out! It is so powerful and from what I saw, left the audience speechless. This number for me was probably the highlight of the show, as I felt so connected with the story and kept looking at every performer who were all giving 110%, you couldn't not enjoy it - honestly was spectacular! 'On My Own' was also good, but for some reason I did struggle to fully immerse myself in Karis Jack's portrayal of Eponine, I felt she'd be better suited to another role as she was quite American and tended to belt out notes when they perhaps shouldn't have been. In terms of acting, she was good, but her voice didn't fit what her emotions were saying. In 'On My Own' she was showing an emotion of heartbreak and anguish, but she maintained a strong belt throughout the song, leading me to question how she really was feeling in that minute.
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| (Ignore my HUGE arm) |
Wicked - Various (Apollo Victoria Theatre)
1 - Louise Dearman and Lucy Van Gasse (standby) - 19th August 2013
2 - Rachel Tucker and Suzie Mathers - 14th December 2016
3 - Rachel Tucker and Suzie Mathers (Rachel's last ever Wicked performance) - 28th January 2017
4 - Willemijn Verkaik and Suzie Mathers - 22nd March 2017
Well, what can I say about Wicked? My ultimate favourite, my go to 'cheer up' musical. It's so irritating to me when people say 'Your favourite musical is Wicked? That's so common'. Yes, it has a massive fan base, but surely that's a good thing, as it means the show will continue for years! I first heard the music at a Young Americans workshop when I was 9 years old. We performed 'One Short Day' as part of the choral section and after this, my Dad downloaded the entire Wicked album onto his phone so we listened to it wherever we went. Fast forward a few years later and on a summer holiday trip to London and we wind up in Victoria...
Neither me, my brother or my sister had any clue that we were seeing Wicked, and at that time I had no idea we were even close to the theatre! So we went to Pret and then my Dad said 'we've got a surprise' and took us into the AV. I think I actually cried (I mean no surprise there, when do I not cry at Wicked?) the minute we walked in and took our seats. I don't really remember all the details about the show that time, but I remember being absolutely in awe of Louise Dearman as she took to the sky in Defying Gravity and bawling my eyes out at For Good. I do think that's when I truly fell in love with musical theatre and why it's been such a passion of mine ever since. There's honestly nothing like a musical to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and this was the first time i got to experience it.
Round 2! This is where my major 'fangirl' comes into force. I am suuuuuuuch a huge fan of Rachel Tucker - and if you don't know who that is, please get listening to her now! She's honestly my favourite singer, so when there was a school trip to see Wicked and I found out I would be seeing her, I was in floods of tears! It was booked months in advance and so when the day rolled around I was such an emotional mess that my friend didn't really know what to do with me! When Elphaba first comes on, just before Dear Old Shiz, I hit her on the arm and just whispered 'oh my god it's Rachel!'. I genuinely couldn't believe I was finally seeing my idol in the role she was just born to perform. By the end of Wizard and I, I was in awe and was crying so much, it was the most surreal experience to finally be there after watching YouTube videos of her for years! We were sat in ZE stalls, so some of the action higher up on the stage was missed, but hardly any at all, so really they were good seats! I think I blubbered the whole way through the show, and with the Act One closer being Defying Gravity, sung by the best Elphaba the West End has ever seen, who could have a dry eye really?! She absolutely amazed me throughout Act 2 as well, with her insane No Good Deed being a particular highlight. Her riffs and growls never cease to fascinate me, and coupled with acting skills that are out of this world, it made for a faultless performance. Suzie Mathers also amazed me too, hence why I went back to see her as Glinda twice before she left. Her 'Thank Goodness' was perfect, and I truly believe Stephen Schwartz was correct when he said she was the closest to Kristin Chenoweth they've had. Her comedic performance in Popular had me laughing so much, and her reprise of 'I'm Not That Girl' was truly heartbreaking. She really deserved every applause she got and I just loved her portrayal so so much! The final song of 'For Good' was as emotional as I remember it and made their friendship seem very realistic. Rachel and Suzie are good friends outside of the show and I think this really shone through on stage, adding an extra dimension to the performance!
Although we didn't get to hear the extent of Rachels riffing, she was still incredible and her and Suzie made for a loveable duo. Not to mention the amazing ensemble, who are the glue of the whole performance. One Short Day was where they really stood out, with the costumes and the dance being impeccably performed. It's so easy to be overwhelmed by the main characters and plot, that you overlook the smaller details, which I was definitely a little guilty of, which is why....
... I got home and by the next day had booked to go again the following month!!! I texted Chloe and said 'you're coming with me to Rachel's last performance on the 28th January please?' and then it was booked! That month honestly dragged so much; mock exams at school didn't help either! Then the day rolled around and I was too excited to sleep the night before, so when Chloe picked me up at 8am, I was fuelled on adrenaline! We caught an early train and got into London around 10.30 with plenty of time till the evening performance. We headed straight for the Theatre Café and had a quick drink and brownie, surrounded by the most amazing atmosphere. We went to the Stage Door pre matinee so that we'd get plenty of time to see a few cast members. The BEST moment of my day was when Rachel came and spent time with each and every person waiting outside and I managed to get a photo with her! I was honestly so starstruck and was so so so shaky I just managed to mumble 'thank you and good luck for tonight' to her - I regret that a lot but at least I met her! After spending the rest of the day in Central, we headed back to Victoria via Wetherspoons in time for the evening show - we were the first ones in the foyer!!! I hadn't felt excitement like it in a long time, when I heard the overture for 'No-one Mourns the Wicked' I was honestly buzzing. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint; without a shadow of a doubt it was the single best musical performance I have ever seen, even if I cried pretty much all the way through!
The minute Rachel ran on stage in Dear Old Shiz, she received a massive applause, so much so, she couldn't deliver her first lines for a solid two minutes and just stood at the front of the stage and saluted the audience! Her delivery of Wizard and I of course reduced me to tears and from then on I didn't really stop bawling. She had two standing ovations by the end of Act 1 and her Defying Gravity was like nothing I've ever heard before; honestly outstanding. She blew the audience a kiss before raising her broom at the end of the song, which set off all kinds of emotions within every audience member! Suzie's Act 2 opener, 'Thank Goodness' was again incredible and from act 2 it was so obvious that their friendship went beyond the show, it shone through! It is so hard to put into words how much I adored this performance, from the start right through to the end. I cried, I laughed and I really felt every single emotion possible;don't even get me started on For Good - the most emotional thing I have ever heard! Neither Rachel or Suzie could finish their last notes because they were crying so much, which in turn meant everyone in the audience was a wash of emotions! I could go on and on about this performance and how special it was for so many reasons but I think I'm going to have to keep it short else it'll end up in a long essay being written! The Curtain Call however is something that I can't not write about. Rachel, Anita Dobson and Katie Rowley Jones were all leaving the cast and Michael McCabe, the executive producer of the show came and presented them with flowers and gave a speech. This was the 10th anniversary cast and as he said, 'I wanted this cast for the 10th anniversary and they're all standing right here'. He handed over to Rachel and she gave an outstanding speech about letting the green girl go and how it had been such a huge part of her life over the last 4 years. I don't think I had any make - up left on by the end of it and I realised how much of an influence she'd had on me after being a fan for so long; there's just something that resonated with her voice and personality on and off stage. It took me a good few days to realise she wasn't Elphaba anymore and to come to terms with the fact that she was moving back to NYC! Honestly the best performance ever, and one I'll never forget!
And finally, Willemijn and Suzie - can you tell she's my favourite Glinda?! Suzie, yet again didn't disappoint, with some new riffs and a stunning 'Popular'. Willemijn's vocal were brilliant, but for some reason, I couldn't connect as much with her character portrayal as I have with Rachel and Louise's. I really enjoyed her 'No Good Deed' and there were some touching moments throughout, but overall I just struggled to connect and didn't feel the emotions that I'd felt the other times I'd seen the show! She definitely is a strong lead but I didn't see the same character transition I know and love for Elphaba. It was the last time I saw Suzie and Oliver Saville as Fiyero, I just know that the Emerald City won't be the same without them!
Sorry for such a long post, I hope you found it somewhat interesting and please let me know what you'd like to read on here in the future!
Charlie x
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