Us fairies had something of an epiphany recently, and we decided to share it with you.
Wicked.
OK - we've seen it a few times and like it. We think it has some cracking songs and, of course, staging and costumes to die for. But generally there's always been something that has stopped this musical from reaching the dizzy heights of a 'must see' for us. We're all for seeing something new, and although we resisted seeing 'Wicked' for the longest time, when we did eventually succumb we did fall in love with the idea of it (and do a good rendition of 'Popular' and 'Defying Gravity' on long car journeys...) as it is visually so impressive as well as having a few really catchy tunes. What has let it down, at least for us, is the story line which is so weak and in some places trite and so mawkish that you're reduced to tears for the wrong reasons. Same with the lyrics; though generally good, there are some truly rubbish ones. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable show.
We weren't expecting to see or hear anything different last week, but we had the opportunity to go and see the show again and like hell we'd give up the chance of a night at the theatre. And we saw the show with completely different eyes. Why?
Because we saw it in the dress circle. Who would've thought it would make such a difference? We've only seen the show from the stalls before. The sound quality hasn't always been brilliant; we were accustomed to hearing what sounded like overly loud amplifiers and microphones cutting out every so often, with the ensemble sounding as if they had to shout over the melee. Yet in the dress circle, sitting slightly further back, the sound was vastly improved. The orchestra sounded so much better. Not only that, but the lighting and special effects, which before had looked impressive and rather lovely, now looked amazing. What a revelation.
There are characters in the story that really never develop and are there just to keep the story ticking along in some direction or another. For us, Nessarose, Boq and Fiyero really are a bit pointless.Controversial we know, but it's our opinion and we're sticking to it! Not because they don't fit in to the story, but their parts are written so thinly that they seem like a waste of space. The part of Nessa is not really a gift, for example, and regardless of the skill or talent of the actress, she will always be portrayed as bitter, angry and selfish. Really not very likable. Boq is always a bit...unnecessary, other than becoming the tin man. George Ure was fine in the part, no quibbles, but Ben Stott made us sit up and listen to Boq more so than usual. Normally Boq gets ignored by us, but not this time. Good work!
Which brings us to Fiyero. Never a favourite. We first saw Oliver Tompsett in the role, and sure he had a pleasant voice, but he looked acutely uncomfortable sometimes. Lee Mead...played Fiyero straight and didn't get the comedic aspect. Left us cold. And then we see Mark Evans. He has a nice voice, but more than that he has stage presence and comic timing. He doesn't take it too seriously. He had us in fits of giggles with his dancing in 'Dancing Through Life' as he did in other scenes; in the serious ones he still kept his acting the right side of funny. We were truly impressed. For the first time EVER we thought Fiyero was OK. He was played as a doofus who knew his own limitations. He was the mindless scarecrow. Lee Mead played him as a self important prince. You never really believed his Fiyero. You do this one.What an improvement. We found ourselves rooting for Fiyero!
No real reason to critique the leads - we like Louise Dearman a lot and she was great on the night. Nikki Davis-Jones was on as 'Elphaba' and was OK...ish. Karina felt she over-acted and her voice wasn't great. What we did discover was that the whole show works brilliantly when the cast play the show for what it is; a slightly silly fairy story but with a sweet message. Play it any other way and it can seem a bit stiff and unintentionally funny. Keep it light and fluffy. It works so much better.
We left the Apollo feeling almost as if we'd seen a whole new show. Who would have known!!
Saturday, 19 March 2011
And in the news this week...
Twitter is a marvellous thing. We got news that has made us sit up and start speculating and planning our outfits in advance (Yes we are girls. Yes we do that kind of thing. Yes it makes us happy...). It's the news that there will be a Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary celebration!! And taking the lead will be none other than our very own Ramin Karimloo. Still no news on the venue, the staging, who will be involved, the rest of the casting, will it be recorded for posterity etc etc but so what. Fact is that regardless of where it will be, we will be there and experiencing it. We should have realised something of this magnitude was being planned but our radar must have been temporarily disabled as this little snippet crept up on us without warning. Should the Lord Lloyd Webber be needing any extras for an extravagant, never-seen-before 'Masquerade' scene, he only needs to give us a nod and we will be there...But joy of joys!!!!! Honestly, theatre is an unbeatable hobby...
Secondly, we hear Lee Mead is going to be following in the footsteps of his fragrant wife in 'Leegally Blonde' (see what we did there...?) as Emmett. Having not yet seen the show, we can't comment on his suitability for the role, other than we hear there is a lot of acting, 'proper' acting involved. Will this prove to be a task too hard? Or will he prove himself as an actor finally? Remains to be seen.
The message boards are already on fire about this topic. Fans become very precious about their shows and who they deem suitable for the various parts and 'Legally Blonde' are no exception with their ardent fan base. There's only one thing for it; we need to see the show before he starts in it in order to get an unbiased opinion and possibly a second time (if we like the show enough, which is debatable...) once he's in it.
Yet another few theatre outings. Life is tough...thankfully though; at least once the boy Mead starts, Denise Van Outen will have already left. Having them both in the show at the same time would have been bad for his credibility...in our honest opinion...but since that's not an issue, we shall remain quiet on the subject like the good little fairies that we are. But it does make you wonder. Why is he staying clear of the shows with gravitas? LB is by it's own admission unashamedly fluffy...Would it destroy him to sing Marius? Or Raoul in POTO (and not as an understudy)? Or finally bring out that album of MT tunes that everyone wants to hear? ARE YOU LISTENING, MEADY-BOY?? Time will tell...
Now we need to sit down and do a dream casting of Phantom and see how close we could be to getting it right (or utterly wrong as the case may be...)!
Secondly, we hear Lee Mead is going to be following in the footsteps of his fragrant wife in 'Leegally Blonde' (see what we did there...?) as Emmett. Having not yet seen the show, we can't comment on his suitability for the role, other than we hear there is a lot of acting, 'proper' acting involved. Will this prove to be a task too hard? Or will he prove himself as an actor finally? Remains to be seen.
The message boards are already on fire about this topic. Fans become very precious about their shows and who they deem suitable for the various parts and 'Legally Blonde' are no exception with their ardent fan base. There's only one thing for it; we need to see the show before he starts in it in order to get an unbiased opinion and possibly a second time (if we like the show enough, which is debatable...) once he's in it.
Yet another few theatre outings. Life is tough...thankfully though; at least once the boy Mead starts, Denise Van Outen will have already left. Having them both in the show at the same time would have been bad for his credibility...in our honest opinion...but since that's not an issue, we shall remain quiet on the subject like the good little fairies that we are. But it does make you wonder. Why is he staying clear of the shows with gravitas? LB is by it's own admission unashamedly fluffy...Would it destroy him to sing Marius? Or Raoul in POTO (and not as an understudy)? Or finally bring out that album of MT tunes that everyone wants to hear? ARE YOU LISTENING, MEADY-BOY?? Time will tell...
Now we need to sit down and do a dream casting of Phantom and see how close we could be to getting it right (or utterly wrong as the case may be...)!
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
An Ode To Amdram
Karina here.
Last night I sat in a chilly village hall for three hours watching an amateur dramatics theatre production of 'Oklahoma'. It has been an ...experience.
Before I'd even taken my seat I heard a clipped, authoritative voice to my right, looked down and saw a lovely, small (but scary) lady, well in her 80's with a walking stick. She barked at me :"Take me to my seat", grabbed hold of my arm, and off she went with me in tow, towards what I presumed was her chair. A few seconds later another voice...an apology from a man in his 50's saying: "I'm so sorry...Mother! That's not Mandy and that's not your seat!" To which mother replied:" She didn't say she wasn't! And she brought me here!" I left them to it. This lady was not in isolation; the majority of the audience were older members of the community and I was unceremoniously asked a few times to get out of the way and elbowed accordingly, unless I was on 'escort duty' (I didn't think I looked like an usher, but I think a few of them figured I looked benign and was sturdy enough to lean against). Taking into account I knew nobody there and had never visited this village before, this caused some amusement amongst my colleagues I was seeing the show with.
It was an ambitious production. Long as well...I thought they would have left out some scenes or songs but nope, they did the whole thing, including the 'dream sequence' (with choreography modified to fit a stage a little larger than a postage stamp). And after the last notes of 'Oklahoma' and 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' (that song again...) had rung, and I thought it was finally time to go, they decided to do a medley of all the songs again. For our delectation.
There's something quite magical about amateur dramatics. I'm very lucky to be utterly spoilt by being able to see professional productions with experienced singers and actors, with talented set and stage designers, sumptuous costumes and brilliant orchestrations. All this on a regular basis (funds permitting. But it is one of my only vices...tickets and shows...and chocolate...and the odd glass of wine...moving on...). These guys don't have the money, or the backing or training, but they do it because it's their passion. They just love singing and performing. And they had so much enthusiasm; a few West End casts could have a thing or two to learn from the energy that this cast managed to generate on that stage, however clumsily. And for that reason alone they deserve a gold star and a standing ovation.
There's no doubt amdram is alive and well in some communities, but on the whole, it seems to be a diminishing concept. It tends to attract the older members of the community more frequently than the younger, yet watching that cast yesterday (the youngest were in their late 20's, the oldest in their 80's) it was an absolute delight to see people of all ages working as a team and doing something together that they really enjoyed.It should really be encouraged - mutual respect and co-operation across the age span. So what if the backdrops creaked and rattled, if the costumes didn't match and the acting skills were questionable - it was fun. They have more guts than me, as I'd never be able to get up on stage in front of my local community like these people do.
So despite my numb bum and need for a stiff drink afterwards, I left that hall with a new found respect for amateur dramatics. As much as I need to choose my show wisely if I get an opportunity to go again (Oklahoma has never been a favourite...) the time, effort and commitment shown to these productions deserve recognition. And strangely enough I am so very tempted to have a go...
Last night I sat in a chilly village hall for three hours watching an amateur dramatics theatre production of 'Oklahoma'. It has been an ...experience.
The average age of the cast was (it appeared ) Saga holiday aged. The only accompaniment throughout the entire show was a piano. The opening lines to the very first song of the show, 'Oh What a Beautiful Morning' were sung in a completely different key to what was being played. This became a feature throughout the evening, this singing in a different key to the piano - and to the rest of the cast. American accents and 'yee-haws' ruled, that is, when the cast didn't slip into Estuary English accents (and I believe the West Country was represented as well). Lots of pacing, lots of catalogue posing (arms crossed, pointing, staring in to the distance...), lots of entering the hall en masse laughing and talking animatedly, lots of exiting the hall en masse doing more of the same. Plenty of 'Margot Leadbetters' who all wanted to be the star, clamouring to be noticed on stage and singing as loud as they could.
Before I'd even taken my seat I heard a clipped, authoritative voice to my right, looked down and saw a lovely, small (but scary) lady, well in her 80's with a walking stick. She barked at me :"Take me to my seat", grabbed hold of my arm, and off she went with me in tow, towards what I presumed was her chair. A few seconds later another voice...an apology from a man in his 50's saying: "I'm so sorry...Mother! That's not Mandy and that's not your seat!" To which mother replied:" She didn't say she wasn't! And she brought me here!" I left them to it. This lady was not in isolation; the majority of the audience were older members of the community and I was unceremoniously asked a few times to get out of the way and elbowed accordingly, unless I was on 'escort duty' (I didn't think I looked like an usher, but I think a few of them figured I looked benign and was sturdy enough to lean against). Taking into account I knew nobody there and had never visited this village before, this caused some amusement amongst my colleagues I was seeing the show with.
It was an ambitious production. Long as well...I thought they would have left out some scenes or songs but nope, they did the whole thing, including the 'dream sequence' (with choreography modified to fit a stage a little larger than a postage stamp). And after the last notes of 'Oklahoma' and 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' (that song again...) had rung, and I thought it was finally time to go, they decided to do a medley of all the songs again. For our delectation.
There's something quite magical about amateur dramatics. I'm very lucky to be utterly spoilt by being able to see professional productions with experienced singers and actors, with talented set and stage designers, sumptuous costumes and brilliant orchestrations. All this on a regular basis (funds permitting. But it is one of my only vices...tickets and shows...and chocolate...and the odd glass of wine...moving on...). These guys don't have the money, or the backing or training, but they do it because it's their passion. They just love singing and performing. And they had so much enthusiasm; a few West End casts could have a thing or two to learn from the energy that this cast managed to generate on that stage, however clumsily. And for that reason alone they deserve a gold star and a standing ovation.
There's no doubt amdram is alive and well in some communities, but on the whole, it seems to be a diminishing concept. It tends to attract the older members of the community more frequently than the younger, yet watching that cast yesterday (the youngest were in their late 20's, the oldest in their 80's) it was an absolute delight to see people of all ages working as a team and doing something together that they really enjoyed.It should really be encouraged - mutual respect and co-operation across the age span. So what if the backdrops creaked and rattled, if the costumes didn't match and the acting skills were questionable - it was fun. They have more guts than me, as I'd never be able to get up on stage in front of my local community like these people do.
So despite my numb bum and need for a stiff drink afterwards, I left that hall with a new found respect for amateur dramatics. As much as I need to choose my show wisely if I get an opportunity to go again (Oklahoma has never been a favourite...) the time, effort and commitment shown to these productions deserve recognition. And strangely enough I am so very tempted to have a go...
Monday, 14 March 2011
...And the winner is... The Olivier Awards!!!
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| Photography by Karina. Unsung genius. |
Seriously, what's not to love?? A bit of glitz and glamour, mwah-mwah air kissing and back patting. Beautiful gowns and handsome men in Black Tie.The Olivier's were such a treat (and a rather last-minute event for us) so we had no real expectations other than rather a lot of excitement and something other to do on a Sunday evening than the usual humdrum and catching up with chores. Any old excuse to don our fancy frocks again. And it proved to be every bit as fabulous as we expected, though we did feel slightly like the poor peasants of the theatre community (but more of that in a moment).
Let's just start off by saying that no one puts the Theatrefairies in the corner. Or indeed 'the viewing pen'. Hear that, Mr Bigwig Olivier Security Man??? No one. Though we were tempted to have a gander as the rich and famous posed and schmoozed on the red carpet, we were swiftly moved on - unless we wanted to enter 'the viewing pen'. Err, no, was the answer to that question. No biggie, as we had seats to occupy in the Theatre Royal itself. High up in the Theatre Royal. Besides, Jodie Prenger, bless her, was making a right pigs ear of interviewing on the red carpet - truly cringeworthy in places. Just goes to show that being able to sing and act doesn't make you a natural in all areas of showbiz...also, wearing a dress which covers ones...decolletage might be advisable for future engagements. It was like seeing two small bald children tussling for room under that gown.
So, clutching our tickets and brushing off our posh frocks, in we went after a stern warning about the need to empty our collective bladders before the show started. There would be no interval, just a 7 minute "pause", and so no time for luxuries like visiting the ladies room. Like good little girls we listened; and like fully toilet-trained adults were able to sit through 3.5 hrs without a pitstop. Shame the same can`t be said of many of our balcony-residing colleagues, who clipped clopped up and down the stairs all the livelong night. Given that most were in long eveningwear its frankly a miracle they all made it in one piece. (And also in view of the fact that 2.5hrs in we were ready to trip the 700th person. The temptation was strong...)
Our seats were fab, actually. Although in the Gods, we were able to see the entire stage, we heard everything and even managed to get two glasses of (free) champagne each, just by virtue of being smiley and in the right seats at the right time. The programme is such a thing of joy. Quality. With embossed writing and everything. We do like a trinket or a memento of a special occasion. But on with the show.
To start with Mica Burns, the President of the Society of London Theatre said a few words...general house keeping stuff, and going on about how marvellous the thespian community is. We have no problem with this. But there did seem to be a bit of a political agenda, especially in terms of the planned cuts to the arts funds. She wasn't the only one to mention it; it was spoken of ad nauseum. Of course it's a worry. Of course it's a sign of the difficult fiscal climate. But. Taking into account that this was the first time in God knows how many years the Oliviers were opened up for Joe Public to attend, and that all of us passionate theatregoers were sitting up there, herded into our seats in the dark so we wouldn't spoil the live streaming of the programme, how many times were we referred to? Not once. Actually - that`s a fib. Roger Allum mentioned the audiences.... but he was the only one! Who are the people who keep theatre's and productions in business? The paying public. Spending money we can`t really afford either. They get their money from us and we also face constant financial insecurity and threats of job cuts. A little recognition, no? A "hello up there, thanks for coming!" No. The thespian community are very good at patting each other on the back. At least in Olivier -world. Mind you, given that the goddamn public, in their endless lack of taste voted We Will Rock You as best musical over the Miz, maybe you can`t blame 'em.......
Aaaaaah Michael Ball. All dimply and twinkly and lovely. And Imelda Staunton was a great co-host. Together they kept proceedings ticking over, though it would have been bloody marvellous to hear them sing something from Sweeney Todd. Can't have everything, we suppose. But they were great. The orchestra was conducted by our fave conductor David Charles Abell, who did a sterling job - the orchestration was lush. The entire setting was beautiful; we'd forgotten how gorgeous the Theatre Royal was. Certainly a great venue for an occasion such as this.
Definite highlights were the musical interludes in the show. Need we mention the absolute flabberghastingly glorious vocal by Ramin Karimloo? How can he keep on getting better and better? And being so charismatic? He's not a big man but he fills that stage. And he's sooooooo handsome you can't help but stare at him...sorry to sound so fangirlish but he is a legend already. He. Is. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, and he brought the house down. If you don`t believe us, go to Iplayer. The cast of Sweet Charity did a great 'Big Spender' and we enjoyed seeing the cast of 'In to the Woods' - especially Michael Xavier, who has got a lovely voice. And smile. Nice. Moving on... We did enjoy a "Passion" reprise by Elena Roger, although Karina gave an audible whimper when only one microphone was set up. We were, of course, hoping for a little DT on Olivier night, but twas not to be. We did, however, get Sierra Boggess and John Owen Jones doing 'The Phantom of the Opera'! With a boat and dry ice and all the drama you could imagine. What a treat...to quote Tamsin, when we realised what was about to happen :"My God. The gift that keeps on giving..." because frankly, short of hearing David Thaxton sing, we saw bits from all our faves. Sierra, by the way, sounded gorgeous and looked lovely and is the perfect Christine. And JOJ is just lovely, bless his little head banging, Metallica-loving heart! But our musical highlight of the night? Honestly (other than the utter wonderfulness that is Ramin heartbreaker-sing-us-to-sleep-any-night-you-like Karimloo)?
BARRY MANILOW!
He is Mr Showbiz. True, he could really do with putting on weight. And he actually looks very much like Karina's ex-mother-in-law, right down to his hair do. But to watch him shimmy across the stage in his glittery jacket singing 'Copacabana' was magical. And frankly the entire auditorium was on their feet, shaking their thespian asses. Utter, wonderful cheese by the bucketful. We heart Barry with all our mushy fairy hearts. He's lovely. And then Kerry Ellis joined him for 'Look to the Rainbow'...a bit of a fairy favourite, especially for Tamsin. We liked. Unusual choice of song for a duet, him being at the Oliviers in the first place was a bit random,but awwwwwwwww! WE LOVED!!
Angela Lansbury sang' Liasons' from 'A Little Night Music' - certainly impressive. She's a beautiful, elegant lady. And her song brings us nicely to Stephen Sondheim, and his tribute. To be honest, if there had been a Sondheim drinking game, you would have had to carry us out of the theatre. Nominations, mentions, tributes, tunes...you name it. It was pretty much Sondheims night. Quite right really, his 80th birthday etc... and it was a privilege to see him. He is after all, a musical theatre LEGEND. But, we have a bit of a thing about Stephen Sondheim musicals. It's not that we don't value him or like him or think him talented, but we have yet to hear anything more than the odd song that we like. So we have set ourselves a mission; to set out and find a Sondheim musical we like and can rave about! Any suggestions on a postcard, please...
And now on to the gongs. Well. We won`t reinvent the wheel by reposting, but will steer you towards this link for all the pretty pics and results.
Who won then?
We will simply say.... Sheridan. We are sure she`s great, but it`s getting a teensy bit boring. So we will endeavour to see her in her next show so we can eat our words. And well done to David Thaxton, not a predictable win judging by the near silence in the Gods, but a deserved one. We think the Olivier should be on a shelf in the bar scene for symbolism. Just a suggestion. It was a shame 'Love Never Dies' didn't get the recognition it deserves - especially as we weren't overly impressed with the bits of 'Legally Blonde' that we heard. Yet it is the musical to beat. We really need to go and see it for ourselves so we can have an informed opinion...
And finally as they say, our favourite tweet of the night....
"Just seen David Suchet walk by looking for his seat. He`s a detective. He`ll figure it out."
Fabulous darling.
P.S. We almost went flying in to Patrick Stewart outside the theatre. Karina is still having arrythmias and wittering to all who bother listening. Patrick Stewart!
Sunday, 13 March 2011
The Female Musical Theatre Performer: A much negelcted entity...
...In Fairy World anyway. See, it has come to our attention that we admire a whole host of male performers, but when asked to stop and think about their female counterparts, we struggle. Why?? We're women. We like to sing (not brilliantly, granted, but we sing...), and most musicals have female leads (or do they?...hmmm...), and there are plenty of accomplished performers out there. Karina has a healthy respect for Elaine Paige which has been unearthed recently (even if she did receive a curt rejection from the EP forum when she applied to join following her concert epiphany. Ouch. Not a big enough fan...we suppose...the shame...!), and we both would jump at the chance to see someone like Barbra Streisand in concert. One of our anonymous friends has asked what other female performers we admire and that's when we truly had to stop and think. Because...we don't rightly know.
Is that shameful?? The fact is that just one of the many reasons we're such good friends is because we have very similar tastes, music included. Neither one of us is generally speaking fond of female voices, especially those towards the higher end of the register, because they can so easily nudge the screechy spectrum. Another common phenomenon, in our humble opinion, is being nasal. Ladies, more so than men, fall foul of this little trait. Also, women frequently succumb to the 'I sing (shout) loud, therefore I sing well' rule and, especially nowadays, rely on vocal acrobatics, melisma, 'riffing' (call it what you will) rather than just singing a song and trusting the music and their voice to convey the beauty, emotion or the message of the piece. It can be very annoying. For us anyway.
Then there's the problem with musicals in general. Frequently the male parts are more dominant (unless you're looking at shows such as 'Wicked' or' Legally Blonde'... errrrmm...yep, this is turning into a somewhat weak argument as there's also 'Sweet Charity' and 'Calamity Jane' and 'Evita' and 'Chicago' and.....but bear with us) and for some reason it's the men who appear to get more accolades. Is musical theatre just a two tier society like the rest of the world (not about to start a feminist rant here so no worries) or could it be that male voices - and performers - are just more popular (to borrow the words of Galinda) than their female counterparts, both with the public and in the press, to a point?
It might also have something to do with fan bases. Although this is a generalisation and an incredibly inexact science (as you might have already gathered), on the whole male performers seem to attract a large, steady female following and female performers appear to attract a sizable, but often transient, young female and gay following. Naturally, this is not an exclusive statement and variations to this apply across the spectrum. But. We think of Michael Ball; large and visible female following. Sheridan Smith; big younger female and gay following (as witnessed at the WoS awards). Ramin Karimloo; vast (and growing) female following. Kerry Ellis; young women and gay men by the bucketful. And so on and so forth. Male MT performers seem to have much larger, and more 'static' fanbases. They seem to be more popular!!
We like male voices more than female.
Looking at our respective CD collections there are few female vocalists present. Karina has Alison Moyet, Alison Goldfrapp, Annie Lennox, Edith Piaf (who was a belter...and some would argue screechy. I love the raw passion of her songs but appreciate the irony - Karina) alongside EP albums (though all evidence of EP in my collection might have to go now following 'the rejection'...not that I'm bitter -Karina), we both have our Barbra Streisand's and Tamsin has Lady Gaga, Duffy (annoying after the first couple of listens) Doris Day and Madonna tucked away somewhere, but otherwise the remainder are all male vocalists in our collections...our point being; all of these female vocalists are mainly on the lower vocal register. But that's not to say good female vocalists don't exist. Neither would we be so arrogant as to suggest that just because we haven't come across them, neither has anyone else.We might be fickle but they are out there somewhere, we know they are! (Tamsin is leaning towards Adeles latest, now that she is singing stuff that makes sense instead of laments about pavements.)
So... in conclusion.... we have searched and thought and pondered and contemplated and come up with the following female MT performers we like. The decision making process has been much, much longer than we could have ever anticipated, and we have revisited this list so many times it started to feel slightly surreal. Be warned, there may be very few surprises...(not saying we're predictable or anything...):
Our admiration for Ms Salonga is well documented. She moved us to tears at the O2 and managed to do the same on the Les Mis 10th Anniversary DVD. Whether it's Ms Saigon, The Miz or anything, her voice has a purity that is almost impossible to explain and nigh impossible to replicate. She is good. And we'd see her in anything if she came back to the West End.
Kerry Ellis
Although arguably best known for her 'Elphaba', and latterly 'Nancy',we heard Kerry in the Chess Concert at RAH singing 'Svetlana' (and, in our opinion, she outsang Idina Menzel...). Great voice, charismatic and is doing brilliantly for good reason; she is a powerhouse but with emotional punch.
Barbara Dickson
So who were you when you sang 'I know Him So Well' with your mates? Elaine or Barbara? Barbara has a stunning tone to her voice and we feel could have easily been equal to - if not bigger than - EP. She seems to prefer less publicity, maybe, and therefore hasn't been seen in quite as many prominent roles. Yet another person we would have seen in anything and still would, as she is fabulous.
Summer Strallen
A revelation, this lady. Seen by us in 'Love Never Dies' as Meg, and escaped our attention completely before the show had its refurbishment. Then suddenly Summer literally became one of the stars of the show. She's a triple threat; pleasant voice (particularly her lower register), great dancer, good actor. Pretty as well. We should hate her but we can't. And her sister, Scarlett, appears to be in a very similar league. However, these talented ladies' auntie, Bonnie Langford has never been a big favourite in our eyes (and very, very occasionally the familial similarity is there for all to see)...
Ruthie Henshall
With her clenched jaw and bad 'cockerney' accent, this lady is another one who divides audiences. But she has been around forever.Respect. And used to date Prince Edward (...and John Gordon Sinclair...?). And has some hefty theatre credentials as well as a memorable voice and stage presence.
Louise Dearman
Currently charming the crowds as Galinda/Glinda in Wicked, Louise really impressed us. She has a high soprano which doesn't have that annoying, shrill quality, good acting skills, great comic timing and she comes across as a really nice lady. So we look forward to seeing her in lots more things!
Ute Lemper
Possibly something of an acquired taste, this lady, but Karina was introduced to Ute Lemper through listening to her friends records in her student days in the early 90's. Missed her in Chicago in London, but would love to see her for real in a concert or something. Maybe in Vienna...? She is a 'continental' after all...
Frances Ruffelle
As quirky as they come and we like her... the MT answer to Helena Bonham-Carter in our opinion! Well remembered for being the original Eponine, skating in Starlight Express and representing Royaume Uni in Eurovision; what's not to love???
Alexia Khadime
Alexia has an exquisite tone to her voice and remains our all time favourite 'Elphaba'. She managed the iconic high notes of 'Defying Gravity' and 'No Good Deed' without succumbing to yelling and put so much soul and emotion into her singing and acting we sat there mesmerised. We hope to see her in lots of things in the future, as she deserves to be a regular of the West End stages.
Tabitha Webb
This lady almost slipped through the webb (excuse the appalling pun...) had it not been for a journey down memory lane and a particularly memorable weekend spent in the Isle of Wight listening to Les Mis in concert at Osbourne House. Tabitha was 'Cossette', a part we normally are indifferent to for too many reasons to mention, yet not only did she do the part justice, she actually made us like Cossette, which is miraculous.
And that's it so far. We're not saying the other, numerous female performers we've seen and heard weren't good or spectacular in their own way, they just weren't... as memorable. And it really might just be a preference thing. Who can say. We are always open to suggestions, opinions and recommendations and, as always, hold the right to change our minds at a moments notice!
Is that shameful?? The fact is that just one of the many reasons we're such good friends is because we have very similar tastes, music included. Neither one of us is generally speaking fond of female voices, especially those towards the higher end of the register, because they can so easily nudge the screechy spectrum. Another common phenomenon, in our humble opinion, is being nasal. Ladies, more so than men, fall foul of this little trait. Also, women frequently succumb to the 'I sing (shout) loud, therefore I sing well' rule and, especially nowadays, rely on vocal acrobatics, melisma, 'riffing' (call it what you will) rather than just singing a song and trusting the music and their voice to convey the beauty, emotion or the message of the piece. It can be very annoying. For us anyway.
Then there's the problem with musicals in general. Frequently the male parts are more dominant (unless you're looking at shows such as 'Wicked' or' Legally Blonde'... errrrmm...yep, this is turning into a somewhat weak argument as there's also 'Sweet Charity' and 'Calamity Jane' and 'Evita' and 'Chicago' and.....but bear with us) and for some reason it's the men who appear to get more accolades. Is musical theatre just a two tier society like the rest of the world (not about to start a feminist rant here so no worries) or could it be that male voices - and performers - are just more popular (to borrow the words of Galinda) than their female counterparts, both with the public and in the press, to a point?
It might also have something to do with fan bases. Although this is a generalisation and an incredibly inexact science (as you might have already gathered), on the whole male performers seem to attract a large, steady female following and female performers appear to attract a sizable, but often transient, young female and gay following. Naturally, this is not an exclusive statement and variations to this apply across the spectrum. But. We think of Michael Ball; large and visible female following. Sheridan Smith; big younger female and gay following (as witnessed at the WoS awards). Ramin Karimloo; vast (and growing) female following. Kerry Ellis; young women and gay men by the bucketful. And so on and so forth. Male MT performers seem to have much larger, and more 'static' fanbases. They seem to be more popular!!
Of course straight men also enjoy theatre (and for the record, this post is not intending to be a poke at anyone's gender or sexuality, likes or dislikes!) but straight men, on the whole, although they obviously attend theatre performances, rarely make up a large part of any specific fan group. A bit like our dads; love theatre, wouldn't dream of joining a fan club or stage dooring (unless there's something they haven't told us).
So could it be that just because we're women and no longer teenagers, we automatically tune in to the male voices and are more critical of the female voices and vice versa? Women do frequently make up a large portion of a theatre audience, with their husbands/boyfriends often just 'dragged' along for the ride, or simply left at home... Could it be that male performers are still preferred over female performers vocally as much as everything else? Is this a historical thing? Maybe there is no hard and fast rule to this and maybe it's just us.
So could it be that just because we're women and no longer teenagers, we automatically tune in to the male voices and are more critical of the female voices and vice versa? Women do frequently make up a large portion of a theatre audience, with their husbands/boyfriends often just 'dragged' along for the ride, or simply left at home... Could it be that male performers are still preferred over female performers vocally as much as everything else? Is this a historical thing? Maybe there is no hard and fast rule to this and maybe it's just us.
We like male voices more than female.
Looking at our respective CD collections there are few female vocalists present. Karina has Alison Moyet, Alison Goldfrapp, Annie Lennox, Edith Piaf (who was a belter...and some would argue screechy. I love the raw passion of her songs but appreciate the irony - Karina) alongside EP albums (though all evidence of EP in my collection might have to go now following 'the rejection'...not that I'm bitter -Karina), we both have our Barbra Streisand's and Tamsin has Lady Gaga, Duffy (annoying after the first couple of listens) Doris Day and Madonna tucked away somewhere, but otherwise the remainder are all male vocalists in our collections...our point being; all of these female vocalists are mainly on the lower vocal register. But that's not to say good female vocalists don't exist. Neither would we be so arrogant as to suggest that just because we haven't come across them, neither has anyone else.We might be fickle but they are out there somewhere, we know they are! (Tamsin is leaning towards Adeles latest, now that she is singing stuff that makes sense instead of laments about pavements.)
So... in conclusion.... we have searched and thought and pondered and contemplated and come up with the following female MT performers we like. The decision making process has been much, much longer than we could have ever anticipated, and we have revisited this list so many times it started to feel slightly surreal. Be warned, there may be very few surprises...(not saying we're predictable or anything...):
Lea Salonga
Our admiration for Ms Salonga is well documented. She moved us to tears at the O2 and managed to do the same on the Les Mis 10th Anniversary DVD. Whether it's Ms Saigon, The Miz or anything, her voice has a purity that is almost impossible to explain and nigh impossible to replicate. She is good. And we'd see her in anything if she came back to the West End.
Kerry Ellis
Although arguably best known for her 'Elphaba', and latterly 'Nancy',we heard Kerry in the Chess Concert at RAH singing 'Svetlana' (and, in our opinion, she outsang Idina Menzel...). Great voice, charismatic and is doing brilliantly for good reason; she is a powerhouse but with emotional punch.
Barbara Dickson
So who were you when you sang 'I know Him So Well' with your mates? Elaine or Barbara? Barbara has a stunning tone to her voice and we feel could have easily been equal to - if not bigger than - EP. She seems to prefer less publicity, maybe, and therefore hasn't been seen in quite as many prominent roles. Yet another person we would have seen in anything and still would, as she is fabulous.
Summer Strallen
A revelation, this lady. Seen by us in 'Love Never Dies' as Meg, and escaped our attention completely before the show had its refurbishment. Then suddenly Summer literally became one of the stars of the show. She's a triple threat; pleasant voice (particularly her lower register), great dancer, good actor. Pretty as well. We should hate her but we can't. And her sister, Scarlett, appears to be in a very similar league. However, these talented ladies' auntie, Bonnie Langford has never been a big favourite in our eyes (and very, very occasionally the familial similarity is there for all to see)...
Ruthie Henshall
With her clenched jaw and bad 'cockerney' accent, this lady is another one who divides audiences. But she has been around forever.Respect. And used to date Prince Edward (...and John Gordon Sinclair...?). And has some hefty theatre credentials as well as a memorable voice and stage presence.
Louise Dearman
Currently charming the crowds as Galinda/Glinda in Wicked, Louise really impressed us. She has a high soprano which doesn't have that annoying, shrill quality, good acting skills, great comic timing and she comes across as a really nice lady. So we look forward to seeing her in lots more things!
Ute Lemper
Possibly something of an acquired taste, this lady, but Karina was introduced to Ute Lemper through listening to her friends records in her student days in the early 90's. Missed her in Chicago in London, but would love to see her for real in a concert or something. Maybe in Vienna...? She is a 'continental' after all...
Frances Ruffelle
As quirky as they come and we like her... the MT answer to Helena Bonham-Carter in our opinion! Well remembered for being the original Eponine, skating in Starlight Express and representing Royaume Uni in Eurovision; what's not to love???
Alexia Khadime
Alexia has an exquisite tone to her voice and remains our all time favourite 'Elphaba'. She managed the iconic high notes of 'Defying Gravity' and 'No Good Deed' without succumbing to yelling and put so much soul and emotion into her singing and acting we sat there mesmerised. We hope to see her in lots of things in the future, as she deserves to be a regular of the West End stages.
Tabitha Webb
This lady almost slipped through the webb (excuse the appalling pun...) had it not been for a journey down memory lane and a particularly memorable weekend spent in the Isle of Wight listening to Les Mis in concert at Osbourne House. Tabitha was 'Cossette', a part we normally are indifferent to for too many reasons to mention, yet not only did she do the part justice, she actually made us like Cossette, which is miraculous.
And that's it so far. We're not saying the other, numerous female performers we've seen and heard weren't good or spectacular in their own way, they just weren't... as memorable. And it really might just be a preference thing. Who can say. We are always open to suggestions, opinions and recommendations and, as always, hold the right to change our minds at a moments notice!
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Our hearts will go on (or how we started out on the Titanic and ended up in the Adelphi)
Us fairies love a bit of history. We also love a good story, or a conspiracy theory. And we quite like a rollicking tune and a bit of razzle dazzle. Saturday was a combination of the best of everything (thanks to Tamsin; she has the best ideas! -Karina)...
It started at the O2, where we attended the Titanic Exhibition. Both of us have been fascinated with stories of the ill-fated ship since we were knee high, so seeing artefacts and this bit of history so acutely brought to life was amazing. Tamsin has a remarkable capacity for remembering lines from the film, (and clearly, a lamentable lack of decorum - Tamsin) and our tour of the exhibition was peppered with a soundtrack provided by her (she does the voices too by the way:'...It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint... The china had never been used... The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was...!'). However, for all the fascination we have with this subject and the undeniable glamour of the era, the undercurrent of the exhibition is sombre; and when faced with very human evidence of the disaster (a solitary boot, a full bottle of champagne, personal items) you're reminded this was a huge disaster and tragic human loss. Right up until the exit from the exhibition, where you are faced with the Titanic Shop, where you can buy a snow globe with the ship and an iceberg for a tenner, or roll yourself up in a replica of a third class blanket. Poor souls were probably trying to keep warm in those very same things until they froze to death in the water. You can even buy a lump of original Titanic Coal in a display box for £35. Huh?!?!? So the souvenirs got a big thumbs down from us.
For the history boffs out there, the exhibition is well worth a visit. It does bring home the human cost of the disaster as well as the sheer arrogance and stupidity of ignoring 6 ice warnings. Very poignant. Even if it did mean we spent the rest of the day humming the Titanic soundtrack and remembering and re-enacting scenes from the film ("Hold my skirt, Jack!'."Can`t you just tuck it in your pants?"..or was that French and Saunders...?); Oh yes. Indeed we do 'drink like men', and 'spit like men'.
We know how to live. Then we went off to a real party...
The Adelphi beckoned for a viewing of 'Love Never Dies'. Cast change, dontcha know, and we'd bought our tickets thinking we'd be waving goodbye to Ramin Karimloo. Fantastic show. The atmosphere was amazing, and from the very first scene, Ramin was on fire!!! Literally; we're not sure we've ever heard him sing so well. From soft, barely audible whispers to menacing growling to belting top notes that sent shivers running down our spine - he was magnificent.
Sierra Boggess, Joseph Millson, Summer Strallen and Niamh Perry were among those taking their final bow and they gave it their all. It'll be interesting to see where their careers will take them next. We've enjoyed seeing them in their parts and since they have originated the roles they played, seeing how those who take over those parts will interpret them will be intriguing. There were lots of emotions on show, and Sierra got a lengthy and well-deserved ovation for her final rendition of the title song. Naturally, we are now waiting with baited breath to see David Thaxton as Raoul (but you knew that) - not saying Joseph Millson wasn't good in the part because he was. Brilliant. But yes, Thacko and his legendary lungs need to be heard on the stage of the Adelphi alongside Ramin's golden tones. As we write, the first performance is on it's way with the new cast...and we have tickets. Though not for a month or so...
It's worth mentioning, that after our first viewing of LND we weren't big fans. We saw it a second time and the music had really grown on us (let alone hearing Ramin's interpretation for the first time...) and by the third time, after the changes, we were hooked, and saw the show for what it was: a complete, robust, fantastic bit of theatre. The changes really do make all the difference. We would go on record as saying that if we'd seen the 'new' version first, we would never have had any doubts about this show. And we know a thing or two about shows!
There are still rumblings and murmurings on the ether about this show, probably caused by pathetic little sabotage attempts by pitiful groups such as 'Love should die' (and our ranting on this topic is also on record...) - all we're saying is this. Before anyone has an opinion on this show, go and see it for yourself. Hear the music, listen to the singing, take in the beauty of the sets, the talent of the cast...then decide. This is a show worth seeing and worth loving. Though Miz will always be our golden child, LND is running a close second. And not just because of Ramin either. It's a show that really, really works. It's up for heaps of Oliviers so clearly it is hitting the right spots...we're obviously not the only two people appreciating it.
And speaking of the Olivier's...yes.
We caved.
Of course we bloody did.
So we're in the nosebleed seats. So what? Our credit cards are making pitiful little whimpering noises, hobbling along on crutches and too scared to peep out of our purses, but so be it. We have frocks and crippling shoes, and dammit we are gonna use them. We'll soon be frog marched by our loved ones to personally book appointments with Martin Lewis the money expert but HAH is what we say!!! We'll be quaffing champagne and watching the show and SEEING BARRY MANILOW ( All together now;'...Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...') and whatsisname from 'Lost' and Michael Ball twinkling away as only he can and and and...! Oh, we are happy. Very happy. And naturally we'll report back whatever we see and hear. Which should be many delights as the wondrous JOJ is performing as well alongside Sierra. And a tribute to Sondheim (Although not huge Sondheim fangirls, we recognise an MT legend when we see one ).
Considering we thought this was going to be a quiet few months for fairykind, we're not doing too badly at all.....
It started at the O2, where we attended the Titanic Exhibition. Both of us have been fascinated with stories of the ill-fated ship since we were knee high, so seeing artefacts and this bit of history so acutely brought to life was amazing. Tamsin has a remarkable capacity for remembering lines from the film, (and clearly, a lamentable lack of decorum - Tamsin) and our tour of the exhibition was peppered with a soundtrack provided by her (she does the voices too by the way:'...It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint... The china had never been used... The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was...!'). However, for all the fascination we have with this subject and the undeniable glamour of the era, the undercurrent of the exhibition is sombre; and when faced with very human evidence of the disaster (a solitary boot, a full bottle of champagne, personal items) you're reminded this was a huge disaster and tragic human loss. Right up until the exit from the exhibition, where you are faced with the Titanic Shop, where you can buy a snow globe with the ship and an iceberg for a tenner, or roll yourself up in a replica of a third class blanket. Poor souls were probably trying to keep warm in those very same things until they froze to death in the water. You can even buy a lump of original Titanic Coal in a display box for £35. Huh?!?!? So the souvenirs got a big thumbs down from us.
For the history boffs out there, the exhibition is well worth a visit. It does bring home the human cost of the disaster as well as the sheer arrogance and stupidity of ignoring 6 ice warnings. Very poignant. Even if it did mean we spent the rest of the day humming the Titanic soundtrack and remembering and re-enacting scenes from the film ("Hold my skirt, Jack!'."Can`t you just tuck it in your pants?"..or was that French and Saunders...?); Oh yes. Indeed we do 'drink like men', and 'spit like men'.
We know how to live. Then we went off to a real party...
The Adelphi beckoned for a viewing of 'Love Never Dies'. Cast change, dontcha know, and we'd bought our tickets thinking we'd be waving goodbye to Ramin Karimloo. Fantastic show. The atmosphere was amazing, and from the very first scene, Ramin was on fire!!! Literally; we're not sure we've ever heard him sing so well. From soft, barely audible whispers to menacing growling to belting top notes that sent shivers running down our spine - he was magnificent.
Sierra Boggess, Joseph Millson, Summer Strallen and Niamh Perry were among those taking their final bow and they gave it their all. It'll be interesting to see where their careers will take them next. We've enjoyed seeing them in their parts and since they have originated the roles they played, seeing how those who take over those parts will interpret them will be intriguing. There were lots of emotions on show, and Sierra got a lengthy and well-deserved ovation for her final rendition of the title song. Naturally, we are now waiting with baited breath to see David Thaxton as Raoul (but you knew that) - not saying Joseph Millson wasn't good in the part because he was. Brilliant. But yes, Thacko and his legendary lungs need to be heard on the stage of the Adelphi alongside Ramin's golden tones. As we write, the first performance is on it's way with the new cast...and we have tickets. Though not for a month or so...
It's worth mentioning, that after our first viewing of LND we weren't big fans. We saw it a second time and the music had really grown on us (let alone hearing Ramin's interpretation for the first time...) and by the third time, after the changes, we were hooked, and saw the show for what it was: a complete, robust, fantastic bit of theatre. The changes really do make all the difference. We would go on record as saying that if we'd seen the 'new' version first, we would never have had any doubts about this show. And we know a thing or two about shows!
There are still rumblings and murmurings on the ether about this show, probably caused by pathetic little sabotage attempts by pitiful groups such as 'Love should die' (and our ranting on this topic is also on record...) - all we're saying is this. Before anyone has an opinion on this show, go and see it for yourself. Hear the music, listen to the singing, take in the beauty of the sets, the talent of the cast...then decide. This is a show worth seeing and worth loving. Though Miz will always be our golden child, LND is running a close second. And not just because of Ramin either. It's a show that really, really works. It's up for heaps of Oliviers so clearly it is hitting the right spots...we're obviously not the only two people appreciating it.
And speaking of the Olivier's...yes.
We caved.
Of course we bloody did.
So we're in the nosebleed seats. So what? Our credit cards are making pitiful little whimpering noises, hobbling along on crutches and too scared to peep out of our purses, but so be it. We have frocks and crippling shoes, and dammit we are gonna use them. We'll soon be frog marched by our loved ones to personally book appointments with Martin Lewis the money expert but HAH is what we say!!! We'll be quaffing champagne and watching the show and SEEING BARRY MANILOW ( All together now;'...Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...') and whatsisname from 'Lost' and Michael Ball twinkling away as only he can and and and...! Oh, we are happy. Very happy. And naturally we'll report back whatever we see and hear. Which should be many delights as the wondrous JOJ is performing as well alongside Sierra. And a tribute to Sondheim (Although not huge Sondheim fangirls, we recognise an MT legend when we see one ).
Considering we thought this was going to be a quiet few months for fairykind, we're not doing too badly at all.....
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