The Sound of Music Review

The von Trapp family have come singing their way to Liverpool this week and I was lucky enough to see the show on Wednesday (16th September).

‘The Sound of Music’ is centered around Maria Rainer, a young woman who desires to become a nun however when Maria returns late to the Abbey, the Mother Abbess and the other nuns decide to send her to a widowed Navel officer’s house to become a governess to his seven children. There Maria is expected to have some time away from the abbey and to consider whether she is truly ready to be a nun and devote her life fully to her religion.

At first Maria is reluctant to go but she soon develops a strong bond for Captain Georg von Trapp and his seven children. Although at first Maria disapproves of the Captain’s strict military upbringing of his children, she soon tears down the layers of the family and teaches the children how to laugh and be children again through music.

As Maria gets closer to the von Trapp family she soon realises she in in love with the Captain but like any love story, it doesn’t come without complications.

In this stage production, a chirpy Danielle Hope plays Maria. She sings every note perfectly and her performance throughout the show was phenomenal. Hope delivers an uplifting atmosphere to the performance and it is hard not to love her character as we see she is full of good intentions and has a big heart.

Even the younger cast members delivered flawless vocals throughout the show however, each holding their own on stage and capturing the audience. Every one of the von Trapp children offered charisma to the show, as well as adding a big of cuteness to the otherwise semi-serious production.

Jan Hartley as the Mother Abbess stole the show however with her powerful voice and managing to sing ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ perfectly. And she managed to hold a note for what seemed an entirety without her voice breaking once. She sang perfectly and with grace, delivering the best vocals of the day.

The set and costumes were beautiful and everything came to life on stage in this production of ‘The Sound of Music’. I found it to be very realistic and above all else, believable. The actors were all very convincing and performed impeccably and not a single note was missed.

The cast put on an excellent show that was enjoyable from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend everyone to go and watch this stage production.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Dirty Dancing at Liverpool Empire Theatre Review

 

I am a massive fan of Dirty Dancing so when I found out the stage show was touring, I just had to get myself a ticket. I was also quite intrigued as to how they would adapt the famous movie in to a successful and entertaining stage production.

So yesterday (Wednesday 8th April) me and my mum had a mother-daughter day and off we went to see the show in Liverpool and what a show it was!

This is not so much a musical but instead an exact recreation of the 1980s film; there’s plenty of dirty rock n roll dancing, those famous lines (Nobody puts Baby in a corner) and of course the hit-classic ‘The Time of My Life’. For Dirty Dancing fans, nothing gets much better than this.

For those of you who do not know the story (have you been living under a rock?!), Dirty Dancing is set in early 1960s America and revolves around Baby, a young and innocent woman who wants to change the world. She’s a daddy’s girl and could do nothing wrong in his eyes, that is of course until they go on a summer holiday and she meets the wild and edgy dance instructor, Johnny Castle, who shows her that life isn’t so perfect after all. This is very much a coming of age film and explores the loss of innocence along the way.

As soon as the curtain was raised, this was very much a feel good show; the music was blaring, everyone was dancing and the the atmosphere was uplifted. The whole cast had some incredible moves, particularly Claire Rogers who plays Penny. I developed complete dance envy watching the cast dance around as if it was the easiest thing to do ever.

But of course, the best part of the show was when Johnny comes storming on to the stage, throws his rucksack in the corner, marches up to Baby and says the lines that everyone has been waiting for; “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” I have never heard the audience in a theatre cheer so loud in my life. Then off they march to the talent contest stage and there they perform the all famous Dirty Dancing dance. And when they do the lift (you know the one) at the front centre stage the whole theatre came to life with screams, cheers and whistles. And the whole dance was flawless from start to finish.

Now in my eyes, nobody gets better than Patrick Swayze but Gareth Bailey had a pretty good go. The chemistry between him and Roseanna Frascona was brilliant and they really brought the character to life.

If you want a feel-good show for a girls night out, I highly recommend you book a ticket to Dirty Dancing while you still can. Dirty Dancing is touring at Liverpool Empire Theatre now until 25th April 2015.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Mamma Mia! at Liverpool Empire Theatre Review

This weekend (Saturday 7th March) I went to see the 2.30 afternoon performance of the hit musical, ‘Mamma Mia!’, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. I have been waiting since 2008 (when the film adaptation was released) to see it and so was extremely excited to be able to finally get the chance to see it live on stage. After 8 long anticipated years, ‘Mamma Mia!’ has come to Liverpool for the first time ever.

‘Mamma Mia!’ is a phenomenal musical with 22 classic ABBA hits included. The story is based around 20 year old Sophie (Niamh Perry) who is getting married and wants to be given away by her father on her wedding day. The only problem is she has no clue who that is! After reading her mum’s diary from the year she was born, she invites 3 men who all could potentially be her father.

The stage version of ‘Mamma Mia!’ is lively, energetic and most of all, fun. It is hard not to love this musical (who doesn’t love Abba, right?!) and you will find yourself singing and dancing to yourself in your chair on several occasions. This is the most fun I’ve had at the theatre for a very long time (and I have seen many shows over my years).

The only problem I found with this stage production of ‘Mamma Mia’ was that because the film version was so impressive, it was hard to live up to its standards. With a cast like Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Julie Walters, it was never going to be as good but that doesn’t mean is wasn’t brilliant, funny and engaging in its own rights. Shobna Gulati and Sue Devaney made a great pair as Tanya and Rosie and brought some great slapstick comedy moments to the show but I was particularity overwhelmed by Sara Poyzer who made a great Donna. Her character seemed believable, whilst still being about to bring humour to the show.  I also loved her singing; she has a very powerful voice and brought the famous ABBA songs to life (especially her version of ‘The Winner Takes It All’).

Potential dad’s Harry Bright (Mark Jardine), Bill Austin (Micheal Beckley) and Sam Carmicheal (Richard Standing) also bring humour to the show, with Mark Jardine giving Colin Firth a run for his money as his version of Harry Bright.

And can we please take a moment to appreciate Justin Thomas who plays husband-to-be, Sky?! Wow! I don’t think I have ever quite seen a body like it. If that isn’t reason enough to go and see this show, I don’t know what is. When he stripped down to just his swim trunks during one scene, I thought the whole theatre was going to rush and attack him on stage. I have never heard the audience in a theatre go so wild before. And I was pretty close to the front so I got a very good view of those amazing biceps and six pack.

This is a musical full of flares, platform shoes and bright colours. This show will take you all the way back to the 70s. If you’re looking for a fun, feel good show then this is the one for you.

Overall Rating: 4/5

The Lion King ‘The Musical’ Review

On Saturday (21st February) I went to see the afternoon performance of ‘The Lion King’ at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. I had seen the show 2 years back but it was such a wonderful and phenomenal performance that I was extremely excited to see it again. And once again it blew me away!

It may be a Disney classic but this show is suitable for all ages; whether you’re 8 or you’re 80 this show has the ability to keep you locked in and engaged from start to finish. I go to the theatre often and I have seen many shows throughout the years and still I have struggled to find one as entertaining as ‘The Lion King’. This show is all about the production and costumes; there is plenty going on and lots of amazing and creative costumes that makes you wonder exactly how they put it all together and achieved all that they have. I was particularly fond of the elephant but every animal included had clearly had a lot of thought put in to make them look as realistic as possible. I love how this show is all about the visuals and the stage comes to life with lots of different types of African animals (including lions, hyenas, zebras, elephants, antelopes) to make this a truly stunning and vibrant performance.

And can we please mention just how incredible the children who played Simba and Nala were in Act 1? Every note was in tune and they had the ability to pull at our heartstrings and make us believe every word they said; we were sad when they were, laughed when they wanted us to and really saw a romance blossoming between the two characters. I loved every minute of these two being on stage and I was kind of sad when the characters grew up and were replaced by adult actors in Act 2 (although those two were just as incredible). These kids have bright futures ahead of them and I will be surprised if I don’t see them in any more musicals (or TV/films) in the near future.

Every character was so realistic; from Scar and his evilness, to Zazu and his rightfulness it felt like I was inside the hit Disney classic and all the characters were alive. I was no longer sitting in the theatre but instead running alongside Simba, Timon and Pumba singing ‘Hakuna Matata’ and stargazing with them.  It was hard to believe Zazu and Timon were just men controlling puppets because they felt that alive and real to me. Never before have characters (especially ones dressed up in costumes and masks) felt so real to me.

All the classic ‘Lion King’ songs written by Elton John/Tim Rice were included in the musical alongside some African songs and rhythms to reinforce the African vibe. Every song was sang beautifully but I was most amazed by the voice of Rafiki, the baboon, played by Gugwana Dlamini. Her voice was incredibly strong and powerful, managing to grip every single person in to silence and awe. Her version of ‘He Lives in You’ was incredibly powerful and I think we have a star in the making after her phenomenal performance in this hit musical. She managed to bring goosebumps to my arms and pulled me in and made me believe every word that she said.

This is a very humorous musical that will have you laughing and singing along with the rest of the cast. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a Disney fan or do not have a young family, I highly recommend going to see ‘The Lion King – The Musical’ for an amazing and gripping time. I’m 21 and I went with my 22 year old friend and we both loved the experience; although it is a Disney classic it is not a musical strictly for children. Every actor put 100% in and devoted themselves to their character and their performance to make this a truly amazing and phonemically show. A big pat of the back all round.

Overall Rating: 5/5