Review: "Jersey Boys" - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, December 2015

"Oh what a night...."

Or to be more precise, oh what an afternoon - and it's not December 1963, but an afternoon in December 2015 when I finally realised one of my long-time theatre ambitions - to see the stage musical Jersey Boys.  This is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, which for the past 10 years has been immortalised in this fabulous stage musical which began life on Broadway and has gone on to become an international hit and also spawned a movie adaptation. 

For me, the show started with a whole different kind of recognition.  Rewind to 2000, and to a song which soundtracked our spring break in Paris that year. "Ces soirées-là" by Yannick was an infectious mix of rap and pop, but that was a cover of a cover: "Cette année-là" by Claude Francois, which in turn was a French language cover of the Four Seasons' December 1963 (Oh What A Night) - hope this is not too confusing! And it's with this 2000 version of the song that the stage show opens.  I have a little chuckle to myself as I wonder if I'm the only person in the audience who knows all about"Ces soirées-là", as there seems to be some confused faces around me :))  

It's a very pleasant and surprising way to start one of the biggest musical theatre successes of the last 10 years, and used as a starting point by band member Tommy De Vito to make a point about the enduring popularity of the Four Seasons' songs before moving on to tell the story of the band's formation, fame and fortune, highs and lows. For those unfamiliar with the story of what I guess you would call one of the original "boybands", they began life in New Jersey, in a number of incarnations, with links to petty crime and the Mafia - and none other than a young Joe Pesci (himself to find fame playing gangsters on the big screen) would recommend a talented songwriter and producer, Bob Gaudio, whose songs would finally propel the band to stardom.  

But the band would eventually start to unravel, triggered by De Vito's spiralling debts and unpaid taxes which resulted in his departure from the band, closely followed by Nick Massi who ended up being one of the show's most popular characters.  Gaudio also wanted out, to focus on songwriting and producing, to leave Valli fronting a completely new line-up.  Yet despite the line-up changes the hits continued, and Valli's inevitable solo career followed.  Given the show's long running time there is no space for my all-time favourite Four Seasons song, "The Night", nor two of my other favourites, the lesser-known "Silver Star" and "Down The Hall".Valli's "Grease" theme tune is also left out of the equation.  But that just proves what a terrific catalogue of music which Valli and the Four Seasons produced, that there has to be omissions. 

The story is appropriately told in four separate acts - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (of course!). Each section is narrated by a different member of the group, all of whom had their own distinctive story to tell.  Lead vocalist Frankie Valli is of course the most famous of the group, going on to enjoy a successful solo career after the Four Seasons split, and he is still performing to this day; however the band would probably not have achieved so much without the inclusion of producer/songwriting genius Bob Gaudio, who went from writing the nonsensical hit song "Who Wears Short Shorts" to all those Four Seasons hit songs which have stood the test of time, and ensured a massive singalong from the audience.  "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry" went down a storm in the hall. 

Where the stage version of JB differs from the film version - which I didn't really appreciate on first viewing and felt it was too slow and plodding, and needed a second viewing to really get into it - is that there's a bit more sharpness and humour whilst maintaining the theme of the group's gritty origins and the subject matter which unravelled into the formation and demise of the band's original line-up: crime, gangsters and spiralling debts.  And on a theatrical note, the set is very simple but inventively and effectively changes lighting, backdrop and furnishing in the way that only theatre can. 

There are also lots of lovely "f" words thrown around so if you're easily offended by bad language this may not be the show for you - but the language is needed in the context of the band's background and origins.   And there are also lots of opportunities to sing along with the hits - even if they're not always sung in their entirety, which can be a tiny bit irritating although at a running time of 2 hours 40 minutes (including 20 minute interval) it could end up a very long show indeed if the songs were played in full!  However it was a joy to hear the elderly lady next to me sing along with every word of "Walk Like A Man".  It was a predominantly 'older' audience at this show - it was nice to feel like one of the young ones for a change!! - but of course you are never too old to enjoy great music! 

So yes, the accents sometimes veered off a little bit at times but there's no denying that the main cast members gelled and performed very well and are all very talented singers - Matt Corner in the lead role of Frankie Valli kept hitting the falsetto heights whilst the harmonising by his fellow actors was exceptional - and the result was a professional but very engaging experience. To call "Jersey Boys" a jukebox musical is a bit insulting; unlike other musicals of that genre, which are basically a parade of hit songs with a made-up storyline tacked on (well hello there Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You and numerous others....this is the actual true story of the band behind the music, and what a fascinating story it is.  The show ends with "Who Loves You", bringing the band's story up to date, and a reprise of "Oh What A Night" which had the audience on their feet. 

"Jersey Boys" is a brilliant show with great music, strong characters and an engaging storyline, and I'm delighted that I finally got the opportunity to see it live on stage.  I would certainly recommend that you go and see it.

Review: "Midnight Tango" - King's Theatre, Glasgow 30th July 2011

It was a sizzling Saturday afternoon in Glasgow. Outside, the temperature continued to rise (yes, believe it or not, we’d had a couple of weeks of very warm weather!) And inside the King’s Theatre we could have done with some air conditioning as the heat became a bit unbearable at times. Then, before the show even started, we were all evacuated after a fire alert! Happily, all was well and we were allowed back into the theatre, with the show’s start time only delayed by 10 minutes.

And it was about to get hotter when Midnight Tango took to the stage!

A few years ago you couldn’t have imagined a tango show selling out theatres all over the country. But now, when you have the pulling power of Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, the Argentine Tango champions who have wowed us over the years on Strictly Come Dancing, then we shouldn’t be surprised. It was clear that most of the (mainly middle-aged) audience were here to see Vincent and Flavia, but were appreciative of all the performers involved and there was a standing ovation at the end.

Midnight Tango is set in a bar in downtown Buenos Aires, where the natives come to drink and live the passion of the tango, to the sounds of the tango band. In this case, Tango Siempre and singer Gullermo Rozenthuler, a very talented collective. I loved the way they were part of the show, rather than being hidden away beneath the stage. Their presence on stage added to the authenticity of the show. The musical soundtrack is indeed very authentic, with some classic old tango favourites mixed with new material.

The supporting dancers are all Argentine tango specialists, even if they don’t quite have the same speed or sparkle as the two stars. But they certainly create a very busy environment on stage and you even miss some of the dancing as there is so much going on!

There is also a sub-plot involving the bar owners, played by Teddy Kempner and Tricia Deighton. At the beginning, the romance has clearly gone out of their relationship - but it is re-ignited through the power of tango and they get their chance to shine with their own tango number. They were very popular with the audience too, as they provided some comedy moments away from the drama of the tango.

The main plot is basically boy meets girl, they fall in love, along comes the bad guy and then there’s a TANGO FIGHT!! Anyway boy tries to win back girl from the bad guy and you can guess the rest.

It’s Vincent and Flavia’s show of course - they get the best costumes for example - and when they dance together they convey all the passion of the Argentine tango whilst also connecting with the audience. And no offence Vincent, but the absolute star of the show is Flavia. She is an amazing dancer with terrific technical ability, and she looks amazing too. And I won’t spoil it for those who have still to see Midnight Tango, but she also reveals another very surprising talent later in the show!

Midnight Tango is a high-quality product with incredible dancing from beginning to end - which you’d expect when one of the producers is none other than Arlene Phillips - and with a few tweaks and some development, it could potentially develop into a theatrical phenomenon which could do for Argentine tango what Riverdance did for Irish dancing. However it wouldn’t work in massive arenas as the intimacy of the show requires a smaller stage, and the King’s Theatre was a perfect venue. Even if it was too hot!
　
Midnight Tango has been on a nationwide tour which ended with the Glasgow evening performance on 30th July. The next stop will be London’s West End where the show will be based from January to March 2012, before embarking on yet another nationwide tour. And the good news is that there’s going to be a DVD of the show released on 14th November
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Tango-DVD-Vincent-Simone/dp/B005C43G2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312710726&sr=8-1 so that’s one for the Christmas list this year!

(the above picture is courtesy of www.midnighttango.co.uk)

Review: "Evita" - King's Theatre, Glasgow 11th June 2011

In recent years, the show's co-composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has kept a high profile with a number of casting shows which have kept his latest productions in the spotlight. In the meantime, one of his most enduring hit shows has continued to tour the world and has returned to the UK for its latest theatre tour.

I refer of course to "Evita" which has been running for over 30 years and still pulls in the crowds. This was certainly true this weekend, as the matinee show played to a very appreciative audience in a packed King's Theatre in Glasgow. This is the second time we've seen this show at the King's which is an absolutely gorgeous and traditional old theatre which is currently in the middle of an ongoing restoration programme.

Unfortunately I forgot to buy a programme so had to do some research for my review. Whilst doing this I came across a review site and couldn't believe some of the bad reviews I read about this year's production. Yes certainly there were some minor flaws - the tango singer was too young, and the actor playing Che had a nervy start and didn't always match the narrator role's required sarcasm - but these are only very minor flaws and didn't detract from the show as a whole.

Apart from the political/historical narrative, "Evita" is always relevant and topical due to its main character's portrayal as a fame-hungry wannabe actress who slept her way up the ladder of success and ensured she caught the biggest fish of all - who equally realised that she would be a good asset to his political aspirations ("I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You").

The soundtrack, like the show is fast-moving and timeless - like "Joseph", the whole show is sung rather than spoken, and even thought the rock opera style probably belonged to another era, it still sounds fresh.

There were no big casting-show names in this one, but I researched and discovered that they were a group of experienced and established musical theatre performers. Leading lady Abigail Jaye gave a fine and professional performance as Eva Peron, although was a little high-pitched at times.

Whilst the first half of the show provides lively numbers such as "Buenos Aires" and ends with the rousing "A New Argentina", the second half starts with Evita on the balcony and the show's most famous song "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". Just like all politicians everywhere, the Perons increasingly fail to deliver on their promises and Eva heads off on a European tour with mixed success. On her return home she tries to win favour with the launch of her own foundation but even this is clearly suspect ("And The Money Kept Rolling In And Out"). Che is the glue who binds the show together and represents the voice of the Argentine people. (Of course, as with every performance of Evita, Che always gets the biggest cheer at the end).

Eventually Eva becomes ill and the latter part of the show packs an emotional punch culminating in Eva's death.

Unfortunately, the end of the show has everyone leaving the theatre feeling rather heavy-hearted and emotionally drained from the latter part of the show. Maybe it's totally inappropriate for such a dark ending but dare I suggest that the show could benefit from a discofied megamix, Joseph-style to lift us all up again. A hi-energy Don't Cry For Me Argentina? On This Night Of A Thousand Stars set to a Europop beat? No? OK then.

Purists may sneer at Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber making a song and dance out of Argentinian political history, but you can't argue with their always successful recipe of a true story mixed with good, memorable songs which ensure that this show's success will endure for many years to come. I'm sure that many of those in the audience yesterday afternoon will come back again for more next time round - we certainly will.

Zorro The Musical

"Zorro" is a new musical which has been touring the UK prior to opening in London's West End later in the year. I was recently fortunate enough to catch the show and all I can say is ... it's a must-see. You may remember the Antonio Banderas movie, well this stage production brings the swashbuckling antics of the masked hero to life.

There were some technical problems during this tour, which resulted in a couple of shows being cancelled. I wasn't really surprised by this as it's a very ambitious production, with the deceptively simple set design constantly changing, and the performers leaping around and flying through the air - and don't even start me on the swordfighting: hopefully those swords weren't too sharp, or there could have been some serious damage done!!

The well-known story of good versus evil is played out by a very talented and energetic cast, who hold your attention throughout. leading man Matt Rawle has a great singing voice and displayed good acting diversity from the slightly camp Diego to his brave and macho alter ego Zorro. (Although I found his posh-theatre-accent when playing Diego, maybe just a little strange!) Another major selling point is the score written by the Gipsy Kings, which includes some of their most popular and infectious songs - "Bamboleo", "Djobi Djoba" and "Baila Me" together with some new original songs sung in English and Spanish.

The first half of the musical is dramatic and often intense, but there is a lot more humour and action in the second half and it's certainly a very lively show which held my attention throughout. There has been some criticism elsewhere on the internet that the show is too long at almost three hours, but to be honest I didn't find this a problem and thought it zipped along at a very good pace. I Whilst I was there I wondered how well this musical will go in London, as it's a bit more unconventional than the usual popular shows - will musical theatre traditionalists accept a musical with much of the material sung in Spanish, for example? (That's not a criticism from me as I love almost anything in a foreign language, but I could imagine a lot of people hating the idea).

"Zorro" is certainly very different from the norm when it comes to musical theatre, and I thought it was a great show.

They've come a long way...

There is no end to the craze of musicals build around artists and here is yet another one, "Never Forget" based on the music of Take That. Only thing is, Take That don't want anything to do with it. Whether they will be saying that when the royalties from the show come in is another matter. Don't get me wrong, I love TT and won't hear a word against them, but they should be cashing in at every opportunity rather than turning their back on a nice little earner.

Also, am I the only one to notice the similarity of "Shine" to Andreas Johnson's MF runner up "Sing For Me"?