music
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Cilla the Musical: A Star is Born
Cilla the Musical opened at Birmingham’s New Alex Theatre last night and proved to be the best new musical of the year. The story of the rise to fame of the legendary Cilla Black, and her love story with Bobby Willis is an astounding piece of theatre that combines the best music of the 1960s with a poignant story, and, with incredible performances from the whole cast, this musical is set to be a new classic. It’s 1962 and Priscilla White is a Liverpool typist who longs to be a singer. Plucking up the courage to get up on stage with a local band, she is spotted by local boy…
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The Wedding Singer is a Joy at Wolverhampton Grand
I really should start this review with a disclaimer. I absolutely love the movie version of ‘The Wedding Singer.’ I love it as a love letter to the 1980s, it’s use of fashion and music, and the superb cast, Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Billy Idol and the rappiing granny. So as much as I was looking forward to the musical theatre version which is currently at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, there was some sense of trepidation. I needn’t have worried. The Wedding Singer is just glorious, the ultimate feel good night out that has music, comedy and a lovely warm centre, It’s 1985 and Robbie Hart is a wedding singer,…
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La La Land Live in Concert At Birmingham Symphony Hall
This weekend saw the Birmingham Weekender, a weekend dedicated to bringing the arts to the masses with a series of free and ticketed events. The city’s beautiful Symphony Hall, one of the most glorious concert venues in the country was the setting for one of the most anticipated events, a live screening of the Oscar Winning movie La La Land, complete with a full orchestra. It was a stunning event, with the music, setting and movie just perfect. Before the screening, there was a chance to chill in the Heineken bar with an Absolut La La Land cocktail, a mix of vodka, cranberry juice and pomegranate juice with a hint…
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Birmingham Hippodrome Launch Cinderella at Villa Park
Wednesday saw Villa Park turned into a pantomime wonderland (not for the first time this season it has to be said – Baggies fan Joke!). The Birmingham Hippodrome were launching this year’s panto, Cinderella, with an all star cast. Beverly Knight, Suzanne Shaw, Matt Slack, Ceri Dupree and Phil Randall were all there, in their best panto finery, talking to this year’s panto producer and director Michael Harrison. It was a funny, happy occasion and certainly wet the appetite for what looks set to be another astounding success for the Hippodrome. Suzanne Shaw,Ceri Dupree and Phil Randall For Suzanne, this is the third time playing Cinderella, although the first time…
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Son Of A Preacher Man At The New Alex Theatre
The wondrous, timeless music of Dusty Springfield filled the New Alex Theatre last night with the opening of the crowd pleasing musical ‘Son of a Preacher Man’, a jukebox musical telling a story of unrequited love using the classic hits of the great lady. And while ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ is no classic, it’s talented cast and those wonderful songs make it a good solid night of entertainment. The story revolves around three lonely people who are all suffering from loss and have been unlucky in love. Paul (Michael Howe) is still yearning for Jack, a man he met at the Preacher Man record shop in the 1960s, but…






