Magic Of The Musicals

Damn it I'm standing...may see if I can upgrade to a seat.

Thanks TM. On the official RAH site?

Can't find it either

Cast list for tonight:

Simon Gleeson & Samantha Barks, guest performers
Dean Chisnall & Lyn Paul, Blood Brothers,
Trevor Dion Nicholas, Aladdin
Brown Lindiwe Mkhizi, The Lion King
Marisha Wallace, Dreamgirls
Emma Hatton & Gian Marco Schiaretti, Evita
Matt Henry, Kinky Boots
Declan Bennett, Jesus Christ Superstar
John Partridge, La Cage aux Folles
Sanne den Besten, Mamma Mia
Danny Mac, Fred Haig & Jeremy Taylor, On The Town
Stephen Leask, School of Rock
Jon Robyns & Cassie Compton, The Wedding Singer
Rachel Tucker, Wicked
Rufus Hound & Neil McDermott, The Wind in the Willows

Song List:

Gypsy: Overture, Everything's Coming Up Roses

Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane

The Wind in the Willows: The Amazing Mr Toad/We're Taking Over The Hall

Evita: Oh What A Circus

Kinky Boots: Hold Me In Your Heart

Les Miserables: On My Own, Bring Him Home

Dreamgirls: I Am Changing

Sweet Charity: Rhythm of Life

Mamma Mia!: Thank You For The Music

The Lion King: Circle of Life

INTERVAL

On The Town: Overture, New York New York

Beauty and the Beast: Evermore

Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina

Oliver!: Food Glorious Food, As Long As He Needs Me

Wicked: Defying Gravity

Dreamgirls: And I Am Telling You

School of Rock: Teacher's Pet

Blood Brothers: Tell Me It's Not True

La Cage Aux Folles: I Am What I Am

Aladdin: Friend Like Me

Glad I'm not there, don't think I could cope with Rachel singing Defying Gravity and Marisha singing And I Am Telling You straight after each other, would need time to recover in between!

My daughter is there somewhere. Sounds fun.

Well this really is quite something. It's stunning to hear these songs played by a full orchestra. I'll post a full review after the show, but the biggest reactions so far have definitely been for Marisha, and Lion King.

I think I've died and gone to stagey heaven, honestly, that was one of the most incredible evenings of musical theatre I have ever experienced, no word of a lie.

I won't go through every performance because I'll be here all week, but I'll pick out some undeniable highlights.

Marisha Bloody Wallace. There are no words. (Other than these ones). In Act I she sings "I Am Changing", in Act II she sings And I Am Telling You...and she was as phenomenal as she is in the theatre. She blew the roof off. She brought the show to a stop after AAITY, she had the entire hall on their feet. Honestly, if Sonia Friedman can find a better Effie to take over once Amber Riley leaves, I will eat my hat (disclaimer, I don't own a hat)

For me, only one performance was equal to Marisha's. La Tucker. The Queen of Green. As strong a Defying Gravity as any I've heard of her, her audience response was equal to that of Marisha, they absolutely adored her.

It was nice to see the School of Rock kids again, led by the new Alternate Dewey who starts in a couple of weeks.

I really enjoyed Declan Bennett singing Gethsemane - I was completely switched off by the most recent BKL tour of JCS, but this performance tonight was stunning. So much so that I've just booked to see the show at Regent's Park in the summer.

Matt Henry was another to get an amazing reaction, as did John Partridge with the La Cage section.

The vast vast majority of performances were excellent - the weak link sadly being Lyn Paul's Tell Me It's Not True. In the end Dean Chisnall was singing her part stronger than she was.

Hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Ruthie Henshall, who also opened the show with "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and treated us to "As Long as He Needs Me" in Act II. She was actually very good, and I was much more impressed with her hosting style than I was of her Oliviers radio broadcast the other week.

What I thought was really nice was how some of the shows performed in full costume. Evita, Kinky Boots, On The Town, La Cage, School of Rock were all in their full show costumes, which I thought was great especially for a concert that's being radio broadcast.

All in all, a phenomenal night. I for one will be booking for next year's as soon as it is announced, though if they can top tonight's performance I'll be mighty impressed and surprised.

Five stars.

It's not called Magic of Musicals it was "Magic" AT the Musicals. The whole point is that it's produced for a broadcast on Magic radio.

It's being broadcast in full (apparently) on Mellow Magic (digital station) 6pm Sunday 7 May.

A wonderful night. As an advert for musicals it worked really well. Made me want to see certain performers in action.
Highlights

Rachel Tucker/Defying Gravity such a full voiced version in comparison to La Menzel - effortless. Not better, just different and refreshing.

Wow. Marisha Wallace/AIATY - grittier version than Amber - man, this girl was annnnggggry by the end. I'd like to go see her in the role to see what she brings to it. Amber made me cry first time I saw DG so would like to see Marisha in context of the show.

Talented School of Rock kids giving it stacks on a stage the size of a postage stamp with Magic getting the first sneak preview of new alternate Steven Leask

Simon Gleeson Beautiful rendition of Evermore - less keen on his Bring Him Home... bit shouty in places.

Trevor Dion Nicholas - what a performer. Brought some star quality 'showbiz pizzazz' to proceedings strutting around the stage. A Commanding performance made me want to see more.

Declan Bennett/Gethsemane - need to go see JCS again. Stripped down but powerful version

Honourable mentions:

Beautiful singing from Spirit kids but someone needs to rein in some of the theatrical gurning going on by a few.

Loved Matt Henry in the Kinky Boots number - so classy and what a voice.

Less great.

Could've spread the big 'diva' numbers about a bit and livened up the first half.

Hosts Mel and Ruthie. Their schtick seemed to be two middle aged women bumbling around in Asda who've lost their shopping list along with the plot. And I say this as a woman of a certain age who oft times has a bumble. Mel spent the evening lusting after, in no particular order Declan Bennett - huge cringey section of grabbing his discarded sweaty shirt and sniffing it and getting all 'unnecessary', Che's sexy accent, sailors (insert hunky sailor man in uniform joke here), bum cracks of technicians bending down doing their job. It was tired and predictable and I wonder if a male host had spent the evening doing the same to female performers would he have got away with it? Hi di his Peggy in desperate need of some bromide.

The sound was appalling - mics coming in late, muddy sound at the start of School of Rock and On the Town. Wind In The Willows - grabbed my interest and high energy cast but some of the lyrics were lost. Really felt for the Mountview students choir backing the singers I couldn't hear them at all until the final Aladdin number when it seemed the sound desk found the on switch for their mics and they were competing with genie Trevor to see who could sing loudest.

Conclusion - would book again - fabulous night, marvellous singing. Hosts and sound need looking at. 😊

Side note: Was it just me or did Ruthie sound exactly like Elaine Paige when announcing shows (listen in on Sunday see what you think)