Sweeney Todd! (Happy Birthday me)

Most years around my birthday my mother complains that she doesn't have a clue what to get me, not to mention my sister waiting only a few days before to ask what I want, so this year I let my mam and dad know well in advance what they could get me - a ticket for Sweeney Todd. Even when there were rumours of a West End transfer of the Chichester festival production, I wondered if I'd get to see it, so it was just my luck when the limited run included August.
For anyone who doesn't know the story, Sweeney Todd arrives back in London seeking revenge on the judge whose trumped up charges sent him to Australia so he could have his way with Todd's wife. Along the way on this course for revenge he slits a few customers' throats and sends them downstairs for Mrs Lovett to make into pies... You know, the usual jolly musical fare!
I've wanted to see Sweeney live for years, I own both the Patti LuPone cast recording and live NY Philharmonic concert CD (as well as watching the video of the original production starring Angela Lansbury) but as much a fan of LuPone that I am, her cockney accent is only a few syllables away from Dick Van Dyke's! So it made a good change to hear Sweeney Todd sung in convincing accents. Both Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton were brilliant, Staunton seemed to be channeling Julie Walters for her Mrs Lovett, but that's not to take anything away from her performance, it's fair to say she provided all the comedy. Ball was excellent as usual, scarily brilliant considering the last time (and first time) I saw him in a musical he was in a dress playing a working-class mother in Hairspray! Ball's performance was the best that I've heard this musical sung, Epiphany being the stand-out number of the show, with Ball's vocals and acting, and even the set which rolls out so close to the front of the stage that he could almost give the audience a shave with the razor he swings about! The rest of the cast were just as excellent but it's probably true to say that this is Ball & Staunton's show, I wouldn't mind betting on Oliviers for them next year!
The set is interesting to say the least, and with it being so big and the main actors and ensemble being spread around it it was sometimes slightly hard to know where to look. I thought the setting being moved to the 1930s instead of Victorian London was going to be the only part of the show wouldn't work but it didn't take anything away from the story or the music, and of course the first half of the 20th Century had its murderers too! A brilliant show even if you don't come out singing any of the numbers, but that probably has something to do with Sondheim being notoriously hard to sing along to!

Legally Blonde

Just as I was about to, begrudgingly, book three of the cheapest tickets for Legally Blonde at the Wales Millennium Centre (honestly, the actors look like ants it's so high up) I happened to notice a Facebook email telling me I had won 4 tickets. I'm never that lucky!

The musical, based on the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, deals with a seemingly stereotypical blonde sorority girl who gets in to Harvard law school to follow her boyfriend who's dumped her for someone serious. While there she learns to use what she has (brains and fashion knowledge) to win a big murder case, and teaches others that old lesson of judging a book by its cover! That old stuff!

This musical is actually funny, funnier than I expected it to be, and not just dialogue, it's also lyrically funny. The actors having to be able to sing and show off their comedy chops was given a prime example in the performance of Rhona McGregor as Paulette (understudying for Jennifer Ellison who had to pull out temporarily). The other surprise being Iwan Lewis as Emmett who's voice reminded me of Christian Borle who I'd seen in 'Smash' (on Sky Atlantic) and I later found out originated the role on Broadway! As Elle Woods, Faye Brookes must have the toughest time with two sets of boots to fill - that of Reese Witherspoon and Sheridan Smith (I unfortunately didn't get to see her in the role but her comedy acting even comes through on the cast recording) who won an Olivier award for her West End performance in the role. Brooks more than filled these with her voice and comedy acting. Gareth Gates, the other 'big' name in the show was the weakest link, he just isn't good (my opinion) but he wasn't awful that he ruined the show and the other actors around him were just so much better, and his part isn't really that big, that you didn't really notice him that much.

The music and choreography were exceptional, especially the second act opener 'Whipped Into Shape' which must be really hard to sing and do what are essentially exerciser dance moves and skipping. For a touring set the set itself is pretty good, and anyone (me) who didn't see the West End production the it sets the scenes of a Harvard Law school and Paulette's salon really well.

It's camp, frothy fun and it was better than I expected. It's entertainment at its best!

Sister Act - The Musical

Singing nuns in spangly habits in a musical based on the 1992 film Sister Act - what's not to love!?

I would argue that 20 years is long enough for a film to be considered a classic, not to mention constant showings on weekend afternoons, so I'm calling Sister Act a modern classic. As soon as there was a musical adaptation announced I knew I would want to see it, even without the songs featured in the original film. When the show's West End closing notice was reported I was disappointed that I would never get to see it, then a tour was advertised - I was excited, then disappointed again (Cardiff wasn't among the first venues), then excited again but with an air of impatience as the Cardiff dates were on sale but still a year away. So, I have waited 3 years to see this musical... it was worth the wait!

Michael Starke, Cynthia Erivo, Denise Black
(Photo © http://www.sisteractthemusical.com/tour/)

Apart from the retro setting of the 1970s and the original songs the musical rarely strays from the original film, albeit with added musical-style razzle-dazzle. As in the film the musical deals with the troubles of nightclub singer Delores Van Cartier who, after witnessing a murder by her gangster boyfriend, hides out in a convent as a nun, the total antithesis of her current lifestyle; clashes with the Mother Superior and eventually leads the choir into disco/soul success. Anyone (i.e. everybody) who's seen the film will know the plot, it's nothing new or revolutionary, it's basically 'Some Like It Hot', but with nuns; the old culture-clash, fish-out-of-water genre of comedy. What makes the film so iconic is the cast and the music, and the same can be said of the musical. Cynthia Erivo as Delores is both an astounding singer and comedic actress; as is Cavin Cornwall as the villian of the piece Curtis Jackson, a deeper voice hasn't been heard since the late Barry White left us! As well as singing, both their accents are so believable it's a surprise neither are actually American. Denise Black as Mother Superior is best when she really gets to use her voice, which sadly isn't often enough; and Michael Starke's (Sinbad from Brookie) Monsignor, while not a singing role, provided plenty of comedy. Of course it's the nuns that steal most of the show, and many of the actresses performances are reminiscent of the original film performances. Who can fail to laugh at a load of nuns in glittery habits singing disco 'hymns' or, even funnier, running Scooby-Doo style through doors from armed gangsters!?

Infectious music, impressive sets, funny and touching and incredibly camp! The only nun-based musical that matters! When it finished I could have sat through it all over again! 

p.s. I can't be the only person in the theatre that night who got the MASH joke/reference...?