Elaine Paige: Ultimate respect!!

What? Elaine Paige in Concert
Where? Cliffs Pavillion Southend-on-Sea (again...)
When? 22nd February 2011

Another night, another outing. Why is it that all my outings seem to happen in one big cluster and then I'll go through a complete dry spell where nothing will happen? Doesn't really matter, does it. The bottom line is I am one lucky fairy, as I have just come in from another fantastic concert and thought I'd share. That's right, share! Karina here, reporting from a grey and damp seaside resort, wishing her fellow fairy had been here to see what I've just seen, a celebration of MT in true old school West End style.

It's story time, so make sure you're sitting comfortably, and I'll begin.

All my pocket money was spent buying vinyl records (and sweets) as a kid. I wanted to be in musical theatre. And more than that, I wanted to be Elaine Paige. I bought every single record she ever made and used to sing along to them with gusto. To the point that my vocal coach/singing tutor person used to commend me for working so hard at my scales at home, whereas in actual fact all I'd done was sing along to EP. And occasionally Barbra Streisand, but mostly EP. I never got a chance to see her on stage and sadly life got in the way and I never made it to drama school as I got sidetracked by getting a 'proper job' (as mother would call it).

So I could hardly not go and see EP when I heard she was doing a concert, could I? Off I trotted, not really knowing what to expect. After all, she's a good bit older than in her Evita, Cats and Chess heyday. But she's Elaine Paige. The Grand Dame and Diva Extraordinaire. The Ultimate Lovey.

The concert opened to...Jon Robyns singing 'Oh What a Circus'. Oh what a surprise! Jon! Last seen as Demented Enjolras in touring Les Mis! He was in jolly good voice and looked a whole lot better without the blond wig. He's a handsome boy without it. See? That's him on the right there. I think EP thinks so too, but more of that in a moment.

The opening song changed to the opening bars of 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' and slowly a small figure started walking regally across the stage in a white gown. EP as Evita Peron. 'Cheese' does not begin to describe the moment but I was mesmerised as when she opened her mouth I was transported back to being a tubby little girl, singing into her hairbrush in front of a mirror. And before I knew it I had a blobby tear in my eye. It was EP! And she sounds exactly the same as she did on those old records; the years have not changed her voice even slightly. It was almost spooky. She looks amazing for her years as well. Does she have a special mirror hidden away at home...?

She certainly deserves her position as the Grand Dame of British musical theatre. Her voice can't be described as 'beautiful' but she is note perfect, you understand every word she sings and she acts every song. And her voice is strong, no doubt about it, but with variations and nuances. She is an absolute, utter, MT professional. She sang songs from her new album, 'Elaine Paige with friends', interspersed with favourites from musicals. And obviously it was the MT numbers that floored me. 'I know him so well', Nobody's Side', 'As if we Never Said Goodbye', 'Je ne Regrette Rien'...loved it. And every song was like a huge, massive nostalgia fest. God I love musical theatre!

There was a particular moment which did, however leave me feeling as if my eyes and psyche had been permanently scarred. She sang a duet with Jon Robyns off the album and remarked on it being a 'sexy song' which needed a 'sexy boy'...'Come here...' she growled at poor Jon Robyns whilst giving him the 'come hither' look, and he proceeded to do just that, looking  like a bunny in the headlights. What followed next was a lot of touchy feely shimmying and  - hmm - suggestiveness. A word I've never used in the context of describing a lady in her 60's before (but there's a first time for everything...) is 'gyrating'. With Jon. There was much shoulder and hip action. She was behaving (and dancing) like a saucy, tipsy older auntie who has decided to seduce your brother's best mate. Best mate decides to go along with auntie's shenanigans just to keep the peace and not cause offence, but looks mortified. Need I say more? I won't then.

Hermione Hennessey was another revelation; she was the 'other' supporting singer alongside Jon Robyns and  comes from an illustrious musical background. Beautiful voice; very ethereal and reminiscent of one of the Corr's sisters or Katie Melua, but not an MT voice. Her solo was 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Eek. A well documented non-favourite of fairy-kind, but nonetheless beautifully sung.

On the whole, great concert. I loved the MT songs and the rest of the audience (mostly women of a certain age who had dragged their husbands along) loved it all. ET loves her Bossa Nova beat...I remeber having a keyboard with a button for Bossa Nova. Very 70's. And EP does love her jazz as well. She also loves to do a bit of name dropping and sounds exactly the same as on her radio programme. There's something quite endearing about her; she comes across as a little pompous and very daaaahling but it also suits her. And it's a reflection of the world she has been part of for four or more decades. I suspect I would be exactly the same if I'd had the fabulous career she's had moving in the circles she has. Wouldn't we all...?.

And that was the crux of it. I didn't so much want to be EP as much as I would have loved her career. The starring roles, the songs, the recordings, the radio and TV work - marvellous. When she sung 'Memory' as an encore I was transported back to the school prom where I sang my first solo  and it was that same song.  Big teenage dreams of being a singer, like, proper...and here I am now in a very different career than the one I dreamed of many, many years later. Not a worse career, just different. And during that encore I discovered another couple of blobby tears,  just being caught up in the nostalgia of the past  and all because of the memories that song evokes and her voice. I am an unbelievably mushy softie. What can I say? I guess I literally grew up to a soundtrack of her music.

But that is the magic of EP. There's something very steady and unchanging about her. I never even realised how much I respected her until I saw her on stage. If you get a chance, go see her. She really is the epitome of MT and deserved her standing ovation. They just don't make 'em like her anymore.
She's a legend.

P.S Essex woman - and man - seemed slightly better behaved. Though the couple sitting infront of me were asked at the interval, by a lovely usher, if they could stop singing loudly through the songs and talking through the ones they didn't know (and it wasn't me making the complaint either) on the whole it was a much better audience than for 'Chess'. Thank goodness. Though they don't half like sweeties in wrappers, these Essex types. I'm just saying.