-
Jersey Boys Is Just Stunning At The Alexandra Theatre
The return of the much anticipated musical Jersey Boys had its press night at the The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last night and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Sparkling set pieces, uniformly excellent performances, and those magical songs ensured that the packed house was on its feet by the end of the show, all hoping for one more song before they trooped off into the bitterly cold night. Even an enforced change to the actor playing Frankie Valli at the interval couldn’t stop it from being perfect. It was just that good. Jersey Boys is the story of the Four Seasons, the New Jersey band who had hit after hit at…
-
Evita at 40 – Still Sublime.
The iconic musical Evita came back to Birmingham last night, and showed why it is still a ,musical by which all others are measured. The Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice masterpiece is 40 this year, but the story of Eva Peron is still pertinent, and fresh in its telling, and with those instantly recognisable songs, and perfect lead performances, it remains one of the most astonishing pieces of musical theatre of our time. Eva Duarte is poor, but is not without ambition, and sees the singer Malgadi as a way to get to Buenos Aires. Once there, she makes her way as an actress, finding both fame and notoriety amongst the cream…
-
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…
-
Dirty Dancing At The New Alex Theatre
Top five chick flicks of all time? If you ask anyone who was a teenager in 1987 they will surely have Dirty Dancing as their number one choice. The coming of age story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, an idealistic young woman who finds her beliefs and hopes tested when she takes a Summer holiday at Kellermans family resort. However she also meets the enigmatic, sexy Johnny Castle when she has to cover for his pregnant dancing partner Penny. They fall in love, but Johnny is certainly from the wrong side of the tracks and is not going to be the choice of her doctor father. Dirty Dancing is one of…
-
La Cage Aux Folles – Sequins, Feathers and Laughs Galore
La Cage Aux Folles is one of the classic modern musicals and it was in barnstorming force at the Birmingham Hippodrome last night, receiving a glorious standing ovation for an audience that had laughed, cried and been charmed by John Partridge and Adrian Zmed in the lead roles. The story of love and acceptance seems more apt than ever in our modern society where politicians like Dindon seem to becoming more and more prevalent. La Cage Aux Folles is the most glitziest, glamorous nightclub/revue on the French Riviera, and Albin, as Zsa Zsa is it’s most famous (drag) star. In a happy relationship with club owner Georges for over 20…
