• celebrities,  Entertainment,  music,  theatre

    Funny Girl – A Star Is Born in Natasha J Barnes

    It’s an old cliché, maybe from 42nd Street, that you go on a stage unknown and walk off a star. That is what happened at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night, when Natasha J Barnes, taking on the role of Fanny Brice made famous by Barbara Streisand, gave the performance of her life in ‘Funny Girl’, It echoed another role that Streisand starred in, because truly, a Star was Born. Funny Girl has been theatres most recent phenomenon, with Sheridan Smith winning huge plaudits for her performance as Ziegfeld star Fanny Brice. When Sheridan faced a period of illness and personal trouble, Natasha J Barnes took over the role, and…

  • Birmingham,  Entertainment,  Lifestyle,  theatre

    Funny Girl – Just Incredible At The Birmingham Hippodrome

    Last night I was in the audience at the Birmingham Hippodrome to watch ‘Funny Girl’. I left feeling privileged to have watched one of the great modern theatre stars playing a role that she has made her own. Sheridan Smith is sensational as Fanny Brice, and ‘Funny Girl’ is a masterpiece. I was mesmerised from start to finish. ‘Funny Girl’ is the story of the rise of 1920s star Fanny Brice, and of her love story with the gambler and con man Nicky Arnstein. Fanny is a theatre natural, a funny girl who can also bring the house down with the beauty of her voice. Told that she was not…

  • Ballet,  Birmingham,  Entertainment,  theatre

    The New Season Launch at the Birmingham Hippodrome PT 1

    On Monday I was a guest of the Birmingham Hippodrome for the new season launch. It was a very special night with Q&A sessions involving people involved in some of the most exciting shows coming to Birmingham this year, as well as a preview of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella, which is coming to the Hippodrome next month. It was a fascinating night which has certainly wet my appetite for the fantastic season ahead. The evening started with a performance of the Pas de deux from Cinderella, danced by Karla Doorbar and Lachlan Monaghan. This is a beautiful dance, made all the more iconic on the dark, sparse floor stage…