Broadway and US Spring Roundup

You can’t ever have a full rounded musical theatre experience without an extensive pilgrimage to both sides of the Atlantic. After a thrilling theatre itinerary in December, I flew back to the US in May to keep abreast with the musicals of the season, and made a few repeat visits:

HAMILTON 
21 May 2017, Chicago
This is my fourth or fifth visit, having seen it in December. This outing featured two new leads: Joseph Morales as alternate “Sunday” Hamilton, and Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange, Shrek) as Burr. The entire cast remains strong, ever so focused and so tight in movement, even better than they were in December, and the show is smooth as butter. Breaker gives an understated performance as Burr against Morales’s young and reckless.  Karen Olivo steals the show with her highly analytical Angelica, and the Nora Jones-sounding Ari Asfar refuses to be a victim of her own circumstance.

AUDRA MCDONALD & SETH RUDETKSY (with WILL SWINDEN)
23 May 2017, Chicago
I was getting a shave and hair trim when I found out that these guys were performing at the Steppenwolf Theatre Chicago. The site showed me a sold out show, but somehow tickets were available a few hours later. Similar to other shows he does with Patti LuPone, Megan Mullally across the country or in London, this was the usual evening of banter and gossip with Seth. Something tells me that the program is more or less identical to the concerts they gave in London at the Leicester Square Theatre at the beginning of the year, which I missed because there’s nothing more depressing than a cold city after December. I was underwhelmed, considering this is my Audra McDonald debut. There was something about the predictable series of songs (which were all fine: several songs by Sondheim, “I Could Have Danced All Night”, and even a non-amplified “Summertime” encore). There was a sense that the program was done to death, and that the participants seemed exhausted and overworked.

The main purpose of the gig was to see Audra, Seth and Will. Yes, in that particular order. Will Swinden was there to basically baby sit their child, because he couldn’t have performed for more than twelve minutes. The couple sang an over the top “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, desperate for laughs from the audience, and he sang “I Am a Pirate King” from Pirates of Penzance, which he said will be on Broadway next season.

Even Seth seemed pooped by the end, surprisingly, because he always seems to have had  five Redbulls before going on stage.

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COME FROM AWAY
27 May 2017, Broadway
More like Go Far Away From Me. I decided to only give this a chance some time ago simply because of its Tony contention, and also because I have serious FOMO tendencies. The cast is extremely talented, and the switching between characters is extremely fluid and smooth. Can’t say that there’s a plot per se, it seems more like a series of vignettes. I am not one for ensemble casts, and although there are a few standouts, it remains an ensemble show. The music is Lord of the Dance meets The Pirate Queen, except when the Middle Eastern character thinks or does anything privately, then it turns into the track every major American supermarket plays in the “ethnic section”. What could have been a complex piece is an unsophisticated treatment of a tragedy that changed the way the world has become since it happened.

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WAITRESS
27 May 2017 matinee, Broadway
I saw Waitress in December of 2016 and felt that I needed to like it more. There was something about sitting in the front row that was too close, and I think I might have been cranky after a 16 hour flight (I mean, sure, it was Business Class, but still)! Oh yes, and the least popular opinion of all time: I didn’t love Jessie Mueller’s singing- that odd combination of “yodeling” and the bad sound mixing.

So with the wave of singer-songwriters performing in their own shows, I was tempted to see Waitress again, but this time sung and acted (in that order) by Sara Bareilles, who I much preferred to her predecessor. Though less tragic than Mueller, Bareilles gives a very natural and earthy acting debut, with easy listening singing without any vocal gymnastics or overdone vibrato and funny jaw action.

Though the story deals with rather serious topics, it stays light, simple and easy to watch, though occasionally cringeworthy (Ogie’s “comic relief showstopper”) and ultimately pro-life.

 

HELLO, DOLLY!
27 May 2017, Broadway
Hello, Dolly! is as part of the American DNA as apple pie. In the first grand revival, or the first revival on Broadway since 1996, this version is based Gower Champion’s but with a bit of a face lift by Scott Rudin’s creative team.

There’s a little star in the show, called Bette Midler, who practically owns the theatre, and possible the sole purpose this revival could have been realized to begin with. Midler is naturally charming, if not adorable when breaking the third wall, but to repeat an age old theatre cliché, I thought that the star was the show (well, this specific production with its fantastic choreography, scenery and costumes). I wouldn’t say no to a ticket to see Midler again, but I don’t think I’ll proactively seek a performance with her anytime soon, and would rather see the Tuesday Dolly, Ms. Donna Murphy’s take in this wonderful production.

Special mention to Jennifer Simard, whose comic chops should have made her fully eligible for a Tony nod over her co-star Kate Baldwin (who is already good to begin with). The male dancers must be the best in the business and could earn a full paycheck just for athletic Waiter’s Gallop. But before you know it, the audience surrenders to pure ecstasy when  Midler struts down the stairs of the Harmonia Gardens in the iconic red gown and feather head dress, sashays around the passerelle that surrounds the orchestra.

There’s no show (at least not currently on Broadway) that is a classic as this one: hand painted scenery, eye popping 19^th century costumes, rich and deep lighting (so much red!), a big brassy orchestra (sounds glorious live, and suppressed in the cast recording), and jokes that are unapologetically old school. Yet, some of the plot points that caricature women for gags are done without any sense of irony that it seems necessary for you to check out your 2017 sensibilities and sensitivity training before sitting down.

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GROUNDHOG DAY
31 May 2017, Broadway
I was excited to see Groundhog Day (again) after my two visits at the Old Vic in London. This is practically a carbon copy of the Old Vic production, save a few changes and a new cast, with exception to the formidable Andy Karl. The most evident alteration is a re-staging of “If I Had My Time Again”, which no longer requires the people of Punxsutawney to (ineffectively) “ice skate” on an imaginary pound.

Tim Minchin (Music and Lyrics), Danny Rubin (Book) and Matthew Warchus (Director) have put together most sophisticated show on Broadway right now, and even managed to create something more special than the iconic movie. Say what you want about the convoluted Dear Evan Hansen, the darling of the season, which I enjoyed enough (and probably enjoyed best during a December theatre road show), but the White Teenage Angst Musical hardly has all the layers and the labor of Groundhog Day. I’m inspired just watching this clip of Tim Minchin deconstruct his eclectic score.

In The Heights Anglo-Rican UK premiere

I was naturally very excited to hear about the UK premiere of In The Heights at the Southwark Playhouse, having seen the US tour in Chicago in 2009 based on the Broadway version. But my excitement came with mixed feelings upon seeing the cast list realising that none of the actors were Hispanic, yet quite “dark enough” to “pass” with the exception of one David Badella who is in fact of Hispanic origins. West End Victoria Hamilton-Barritt continues playing fake Latin chicas, having just completed her run as Diana in A Chorus Line. 

Casting politics aside, cultural authenticity is well delivered and passes the test, with exception occasional accent slippage.

Truly an ensemble piece, the multi-generational cast gives it all in the small space, where all the action in the Washington Heights barrio is transformed into residential rooms, a taxi call centre, and a nightclub using minimal props and furniture. 

 

 

Saigon has certainly landed

She’s back, folks! And she’s meaner, grittier, and with a new helicopter! The “new” Miss Saigon is actually not all so new as publicity implies. The original production that opened in 1989 at the Drury Lane was a massive-don’t mess with me I’m a megamusical-and so, touring it, especially in smaller UK theatres was going to be a logistical and fiscal challenge (a large-scale replica of the original toured in the US during the early 2000’s, where theatre sizes were able to accommodate the large sets. I guess everything is big in America!).

The current production is based on a scaled down, re-imagined version that was conceived and directed by Laurence Connor in 2004. Subsequent productions following this blue-print opened in Australia, and most recently in the Netherlands. While this current London production is somewhat of an expanded and enhanced version of Connor’s Saigon, it does not match the visual feast that the original provided with its cinematic staging and automated sets that changed and moved seamlessly. This is especially missed when in the current production, set pieces are moved by the actors themselves.

However, there are some very interesting directorial changes that enhance the story to make it more accessible to today’s audience. There are lyrical changes in almost every song including “The Movie in My Mind”, “Please” has been retooled to its original “Too Much For One Heart”, and a completely new song for Ellen, Chris’s American wife has replaced “It’s Her Or Me/Now That I’ve Seen Her”. But the most notable lyric change has to be Chris’s meltdown scene in Act 2 (brilliantly acted by Alistair Brammer), which will have a profound resonance in a post-war in Iraq era:

 

Let me tell you the way it was back when I was a different man

Back when I didn’t have a clue what was right

They drafted me and shipped me out

To wind up in a senseless fight

There in the shambles of the war I found what I was looking for

Saigon was crazed, but she was real

But for one moment I could feel

I saw a world I never knew And through her eyes, I suffered too

In spite all the things that were, I started to believe in her

 

Having fallen out of love with Kim, Chris’s devotion to his American wife, Ellen, is more evident than ever. “How in one night, have we come so far” has more depth and meaning at the end when he is kissed by Kim, unwillingly.

The cast assembled is incredibly strong, featuring OLC cast member Jon Jon Briones as the sleazy but likeable Engineer. Eva Noblezada plays the tough-willed but delusional Kim and belts the score more powerfully than any of her predecessors. While Alistair Brammer’s singing falls short, his acting makes up for any vocal limitations. Tamsin Carroll as Ellen gives us a very emtional interpretation, especially when singing the new song, “Maybe”, which the creative team insist will finally make the audience root for her character. Though her delivery is solid, her voice is too classically trained and conventional for the orchestral pop score, and being somewhere in her late 30s (early 40s?), she is a completely mismatched in age to the 25 year old Brammer. Kwang-Ho Hong gives an intense performance as Kim’s jealous cousin, that is typically evil and one dimensional. Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi is a standout but underused as the hardened prostitute from the Dreamland bar.

The new orchestrations are strong enough to fill the Prince Edward theatre, but are thinner than the original. The overall sound has been engineered to sound more naturalistic and conversational, if at times muted, compared to the over-amplieifed Drury Lane version.

This Miss Saigon is certainly a winner, and will remain in the West End for a while, especially judging by the full theatre that I attended in two different dates in June, and by the considerably long line of Day Seats that starts forming in the whee hours of the morning.

Patti LuPone: Just a little touch of star quality

Forget West End Live as the West End theatrical calendar event. Patti LuPone was in town, bitches! Fiercely belting, splashing her martini glass and performing musical theatre sequences that we’ve only fantasized about.

I opted to see the last two performance of the one week engagement at Leicester Square Theatre in Soho, simply due to my travel plans, and also to attend what could have been the best culmination of musical choices by then, knowing that no performance would be identical to the other. Accompanied by sassy pianist and Sirius Radio talk-host, Broadway pundit, comedian, producer, Seth Rudetsky, Patti gives background knowledge about her process, the history of the shows she was in, and a wee bit of gossip here and there about her fellow cast members and peers. Pulling members of the audience to the stage with her (quite impromptu, but I’m sure has been casually rehearsed), she delves into full on sequences from Evita (“Eva, Beware of the City” with current UK tour Magaldi, Nic Gibney, and segueing into “Buenos Aires” as well as Book of Mormon‘s Gavin Creel to perform “Fantine’s Death/Come to Me” from Les Miserables).

Patti LuPone is quite remarkable. At 65, and out of all her peers who have reached such Dame of Musical Theatre designation, take Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige, no one at this age could possible have such zest and stamina, let alone the pipes and throat to hit such high notes, and sustain.

One of the biggest surprises is that she sang “With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard, which I have personally campaigned for! Seth Rudetsky has been Tweeting about various Evita numbers that he’s been rehearsing with Patti, so I naturally jumped on the bandwagon and have been repeatedly campaigning of her to sing one of my favourite musical theatre “arias”:

   

While she did not sing them at the first few shows, I believe the “premiere” of “With One Look” happeneed on 19 June. I am very grateful that she got to sing “With One Look” on both performances I attended.

The osteopath hasn’t learned the songs you’d like to hear

So here is the first trailer of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Stephen Ward musical, which is set to open in December.

Naturally, I have some concerns. After the rather ghastly fate of Love Never Dies, I feel that it might be much too soon for him to write a new musical, let alone about a subject quite as unmarketable. Instead of jugging out a fresh new musical, which is probably going to open to mixed reviews, close for about two weeks for a full make-over, and re-open to slightly better reviews (a la Sunset Boulevard, Woman in White and Love Never Dies), I’d rather Andrew Lloyd Webber spend more time working on the content of this show, perfecting it, and heaven forbid, workshopping it instead of presenting it to a bunch of tipsy Tories at Sydmonton.

The trailer released by RUG comes unusually early, which is a great initiative taken by the producers to ensure sufficient pre-opening buzz. Unusually at this stage, however, is the finished recording of a very strange song that is reminiscent of Evita‘s “The Actress Hasn’t Learned the Lines (You’d Like To Hear)”. Just listen:

For those too young to remember, or simply unaware of the incident (in both cases, me), I am including two links to a Discovery Channel documentary about spies that sheds some light on the scandal. Interestingly, the story could have potential as it has drama, deception and depauchary. At one point in the documentary, the cast of characters (mainly male) becomes rather confusing, but with all of them playing a major role in the plot, I would be interested in finding out who would make the final casting cut. Alex Hanson has been known to be a runner up, but nothing has been confirmed, especially since he is also the ideal choice to play the Simon Cowell character in X-Factor, The Musical.

Album Review: Kinky Boots

Joining Billy Elliot and Full Monty, Kinky Boots is a heartwarming story of some ordinary and other extraordinary working class English lads conquering odds and discovering their masculinity (and femininity) in between. Charlie Price (Stark Sands…what a silly name) inherits his father’s financially troubled shoe factory, and partners with Lola (Billy Porter), a fierce female impersonator, to reinvent the product into niche market footwear.

Billy Porter channels Jennifer Holliday rather triumphantly in “Hold Me In Your Heart”, and Stark Sands, although quite bland and completely off on his midlands accent, hits some seriously high and thrilling notes especially on “Soul of a Man”. One of the most endearing and beautiful ballads in the show is “I’m Not My Father’s Son” where both men, despite differences, discover they both need to stop taking crap from their dads. Annaleigh Ashford (Legally Blonde, Wicked, Dog Fight) is underused Lauren, who has a fondness for Charlie. “The History of Wrong Guys”, is a fun catalogue of bad judgement when it comes to men (think a modern “Adelaide’s Lament” meets “You Can Always Count On Me”).

The music is perhaps the best new Broadway musical theatre score for the year. Fun, uplifting and eclectic, it has everything for everyone: humor character singing, soulful ballads, disco, upbeat numbers. It all makes a perfect accompaniment for your treadmill run encompassing warm up, uphill, speed, and cool down. It’s bright, it’s breezy, easy listening and does not require much. It’s the most perfect musical theatre album for the summer, and not one track is skip-worthy.

Retrospective Review: Pippin (A.R.T., Cambridge, MA 15 December 2012)

Audiences are popping in their pants for Pippin, and I simply don’t get it.

Let me just say that the original Bob Fosse version was not ingrained in my psychi, despite having seen highlights of the DVD several times. Nor have I ever done or attended a highschool production of Pippin, which possibly explains my lack of affinity as that of its Broadway fan-base.

The story, about a young man trying to find excellence and achieve something remarkable, is really a metaphor of an affluent white man whose got everything that it takes to do great things. While the pretentiousness of the entire plot has always been disguised by big production numbers, this has been taken to another extreme with some overused acrobatic tricks and circus performances.

What I can praise about this production is the wonderful cast that has been assembled, compromising of A-list Broadway performers. While they have maintained the Lead Player as an African American, they have opted for a female performer, here slickly acted, danced and sung by the powerhouse that is Patina Miller. Andrea Martin plays Pippin’s grandmother, Berthe, and is both the comic relief and spectacle, cracking jokes and doing some crazy stuff on a harness. Charlotte D’Amboise plays Pippin’s slutty stepmother, Fastrada, who tries to get her own son first line to inherit the crown. Her real life, husband, Terrance Man plays King Charles the Great. Charlotte does what she does best, she dances her tits off, while channeling Roxy Heart from Chicago.

If you like Pippin, and would want to evoke a sense of nostalgia, then this is a good show for you. It has the visual aspects and tunes you’d come from the original, but also a slicker and more technicolor touch-up.

“Don’t Forget Me” comparison and contrast

Despite a so far horrid 2nd season of Smash (all is forgiven, Theresa Rebeck! Come back!), things are starting to pick up and especially during the last two episodes. Bombshell, the imagined Marilyn Monroe musical that the entire series used to be about, finally opens on Broadway.

Due to some previously unseen twist of events, Ms. Ivy Lynn, always the chorus girl and never the lead, is finally starring as the blonde bombshell. What got me excited during this “Opening Night” episode is the fact that they have decided to include a full performance of Season 1’s smash finale (NPI!), “Don’t Forget Me”, as inserted in the last hour or so for Karen (Katharine McPhee) to sing during the “previews” in Boston.

“Don’t Forget Me” must have been one of my favorite numbers; I watched it over and over again and listened to it, seriously loving the way it builds and the story it tells. After “Let Me Be Your Star”, it was the most thrilling number to listen and watch, and was the perfect end to the season.

Suffice to say, nothing brings me more joy but to compare the two versions and the two Norma Jean’s in Smash.

I have to say that, as quite astonished as I am with my own feelings, I find Karen’s version a lot more appealing than Hilty’s. While Karen’s version is over-produced, I feel that it has a bigger finish and a more gradual build up. I think I might also prefer it due to the fact that she premiered it last season. Megan Ivy Lynn Hilty’s version, really only picks up at the end, and her vocals aren’t as smooth as her predecessor’s.  Having said that, they might have done this for the very same reason, and not to over stage McPhee’s original interpretation.

I leave you with both versions to judge for yourselves.

Understudies Overdose

I have recently seen every single Bodyguard understudy that my understudy hungry heart desired. Let’s just say that I have a thing for understudies. I won’t get into why, because many  have written about how theatre fanatics fetishise understudies and seek their performances.  That’s could be because we choose to cheer for the underdog, or support an actors/ress who is equally as talented as the first cast (and sometimes better). In some cases, we theatremaniacs are simply craving to see yet another interpretation of a certain role, and absolutely cannot wait until the next cast change.

It is especially challenging for me, as someone who does not reside in the UK, New York or any theatrically active country or city to catch these part-time interpreters of the theatre. So without further ado, let me get into it with a quick executive summary of actors and blacktresses.

Oliver de Sueur as Frank Farmer (25 & 30m March 2013) 
I was planning to see Bodyguard during this week at any rate, since it was my first time back to London since January. Lloyd Owen has been scheduled to take the full week off, so it made it even better than Oliver was on. His Frank is slightly more softer spoken and less assertive than Frank’s. For someone who recently just went on for the first time about two weeks prior, Oliver is quite comfortable and made Frank quite his own. His final scene was particularly more touching, as you can see how Frank has fallen for Rachel. While Lloyd Owen keeps it in and remains strong and stoic, Oliver’s Frank wears his emotions on his sleeve by the end of the play, quite open about how hurt he is. Interestingly on my first outing, he wore a black shirt during “All The Man I Need”, while on the second visit, he was lying asleep without the shirt on. Perhaps he forgot to wax his back and the stage manager made him wear a shirt to cover that shit up?

Gloria Onitiri as Rachel Marron (25 March 2013)
I don’t think anyone has not seen the fabulous, statuesque Ms. Onitiri, or as I like to call her, the Gruntress. Gloria is incredibly tall and glamorous, and has a poise of a true superstar. That is not to mention pipes made out of steel and legs that reach to the skies. She is quite fierce, and grunts and groans like a young Tina Turner (thus the title, The Gruntress). The grunts that I am absolutely obsessed with are her “stay in my arms if you dare” (“I Have Nothing”), “noooo, but if I come to you” (“Run To You”), “more love more love more love ” (“All the Man That I Need”) and “love you” (from “I Will Always Love You” right before the musical bridge).  Her Rachel is kinder, truly vulnerable and soft-spoken. She is truly as Bill described,  “nothing but a frightened girl” who seeks protection and love. This is my third time seeing Gloria, and she continues to grow and shine in this role more than ever. While she is technically the alternate and standby Rachel, I don’t understand why she is in the ensemble during Heather’s shows. Technically, girl should be off, okay? I hope you’re paying her double.

Shanay Holmes as Rachel Marron (30 March 2013 matinee)
Do you know how hard it is to get to see a 3rd or 4th understudy? I was lucky enough to have seen Janet Kumah back in January, which I thought was an unlikely miracle. As far as I know, Shanay went on once in February. During this week, Gloria Onitiri has taken the entire week off on vocal rest (and gone to Belgium-yes I’m a stalker), and Heather was back on. Shanay did the matinée on Wednesday, which I unfortunately had to miss because of a meeting with Dewynters. So upset as I was, I tweeted at her and she replied saying that she would be back on Saturday. Happy me. So I go to the box office on Saturday, and my heart sank a little when I saw the notice saying Gloria Onitiri will be on for this performance. So I inquire, and the wonderful French lady at the box office says that they haven’t been told formally, but she did hear about Shanay going on. She asked for my number, and said that she would confirm. I bought my ticket anyway, because time and time again I proved that I was more informed than the box office. Plus, Twitter doesn’t like, right? She called me about 30 minutes later confirming it was Ms. Holmes going on today. And I saved their precious number, so I can inquire with the box office in the future.

Even before seeing Shanay(nay), I knew she was a rather interesting choice because she simply does not have any Rachel qualities. She is very young, and simply, well, does not resemble Whitney’s Rachel enough to tackle the part. Not to mention that although she has a beautiful voice, it is not quite as strong as necessary. There was a small line flub during “Queen of the Night” and “I Have Nothing”, but I thought to myself that she did rather well. If Heather’s Rachel is more like Beyoncé, then Shanay’s Rachel is more like Rihanna. Her voice is sweet, but not strong. Her Rachel is quite likeable, but is simply not a fascinating strong and independent mother type. Her motherhood here is even more bizarre, with her being so young herself. Sure, there are young single mothers, but this just did not add up considering that Fletcher is about 10. Her relationship with Nicki is even stranger here, as Debbie Kurup is noticeably older than her. Luckily, Oliver Le Sueur was on as Frank, whose age is a much better match to Shanay’s than Lloyd Owen, I’d imagine.

I feel that a lot of effort is spent with second covers to get the blocking right and to hit the spots, but not necessary to rehearse the actual text or material. They are expected to simply get the technical elements right: know your spot, know your lines, be able to sing the song, and let’s call it a day. It seems more like a “learn on the job” kind of training, rather than rehearsal training. With Shanay’s case, I feel that there has been some considerable amount of work done with the music as she seemed rather comfortable singing most of the songs, sans the very big ones which require major amplification and belt. However, I think she has a few solid performances ahead of her if she had more rehearsal and performance time as Rachel.

I think some of her friends must have been in the audience. They simply could not control themselves during “I Will Always Love You”. Right before the big key change, some boy a few rows back yelled out, “Sang!”

Janet Kumah as Nicki Marron (5 April 2013)
At this point, Debbie Kurup is the only lead character who has never missed a show in all of my eight outings. So I was rather excited that I was going to see Janet Kumah take over Nicki, as Debbie was off for the entire week. I have previously seen Janet as Rachel in January, and although I thought she had a nice voice, I felt her voice was not able to hack Rachel’s vocal requirements. I also think that her Rachel was quite charmless and dull, which is a quality that could work rather well as a Nicki. While Janet provided a very solid, borderline flawless performance, it just made me realize how excellent Debbie Kurup is in the role, and how seriously deserving she is as a Olivier nominee. Nicki’s character could easily be marginalized and deemed unimportant if allowed, and yet Debbie manages to make her rather interesting and nuanced. Janet on the other hand, and especially by comparison, gives us a rather boring Nicki. She certainly did not muster Nicki’s emotional downfall in Act 2, and how humiliating her behavior becomes as she slowly and completely looses Frank to Rachel.

Heather Headley (5 April 2013)
What you sayin’, she ain’t no understudy! Yes, you’re right, but I simply cannot not mention her. I was glad that she was finally on for my final night in London and also my final Bodyguard outing (during that trip!). Yes, she has a track record for very frequent absences. But here are the facts. She’s in her late 30s, a mom, and sings just about every single song in this crazy score, goes through a serious emotional journey (have you seen her tears after Nicki dies? They for real! And she chugs them out every night!). I also hear that she simply will not go on if she cannot hit the highest notes in the show, which she only discovers during her warm ups. So for that, I have full respect for the woman. She does not compromise folks, and will not give a luke warm performance.

What can I say? No performance she gives is identical. Her Rachel is simply on alert all the time. When she is angry, she angry and her eyes are wide open and about to pop out of their sockets. When she’s funny, she’s really funny and sassy. When she’s sad, she cries buckets. You can tell how much she enjoys it, and even hams it up during the fight scene in the kitchen. She mutters underneath her breath, “oh he must really think I’m afraid of him” after Frank asks everyone to leave, which wasn’t even picked up by the mics. When Frank finally obliges and tells Tony to take Rachel to the stage for the concert at the nightclub, she suddenly tilts her head towards Frank and gives him a “now that’s what I’m talking about”. At the karaoke bar scene, she really starts goofing around and having fun, which makes the scene even more charming and enduring. Heather Headley, ladies and gents, is simply mesmerizing.

Heather Headley! You sang “Memory”, girl!

I was rather excited that I was in the UK to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 40 Musical Years (in Showbiz) ITV special. And here I am thinking that it would be a classy, well produced affair like his 50th birthday celebration, like the one done at the Royal Albert Hall. It turned out to be a cheesy TV studio affair a la his tacky reality TV casting shows.

I was able to judge the quality of the entire ordeal by the first few minutes, but decided to stick around to catch Heather Headley singing “Memory”. That made me sit through a Kimberley Walsh and Denise Van Outen’s duet version of “Take That Look Off Your Face” from Song & Dance/Tell Me On a Sunday. You know what, the concept ain’t so bad and the arrangements not so horrible, but the execution? Not so great. Moving on. What irked me most was that when Trevor Nunn and John Napier came on, they were credited as Director/Designer (respectively) for Cats and Aspects of Love. Hello and goodnight! What about Sunset Boulevard, my all time favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber show?! Rude!

And finally, we were introduced to Ms. Headley, who I think really likes to wear red dresses on these big gala shows (please refer to her Royal Variety Performance of “I Will Always Love You” decked in red). I love Heather Headley, and though I did appreciate this version, I feel that she was performing it as Princess Aida starring as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard. It just seems too close to home to her Bodyguard performances and mannerism, which borderlines the freaky. Having said that, she redeems herself  with (skinny) arms flung wide and mouth wide open on the big ol’ “Touch Me..It’s So Easy to Leave Me” change of key in one of musical theatre’s most iconic numbers. In fact, there were times when I thought she even embodied Grizabella, the Glamour Cat very well, as a befallen star who has come oh so low since her fabulous day in the chick upper circles of cat world. For those of you not in the know, Grizabella was a glamour cat in the feline world. She was so fabu and got together with a couple of baddy cats, did some meth, was shunned by the Jellicle Cats clan. She finally got her stuff together and did rehab, but was still rejected by her tribe. Luckily, gurl can sang, and she touches their kitty hearts to a point where they nominate her to go to kitty heaven.

Interesting for only theatre geeks, the version they have used in this concert features Jemima’s harmony as it appears in the stage version (“Sunshine through the trees in summer, early masquerading”), instead of the the straightforward solo. Unfortunately, the girl supporting Heather is really no match to her vocal chops.

One other interesting addition was that the visual elements in this staging resembled Phantom‘s (or Love Never Dies, maybe?) with mirrors surrounding the singer, and finally Jemima appearing and disappearing behind the mirror. Tres bizarre, I tell you.  Even my cousin, who is far from a musical theatre fan, said, “Is this supposed to be Phantom?”.