The Power Of Music

We all know it – we smell a certain scent and it brings us memories that we have put away a long time ago. Like the smell of freshly cut grass, that reminds me, personally, always of the summers as a teen, when I used to play badminton with the two neighbor boys on the lawn next to our house.

And the same thing happens with music.

Last night, out of the blue, I started an 80’s playlist on Spotify. Don’t ask me why – maybe I can blame the Corona Crisis and the resulting lockdown that has kept me from being able to have my weekly coffee intake in my favourite coffee shop in over two weeks (seriously, though – do one, COVID-19, I need my hipster coffee!). Anyway, the moment the songs started shuffling, it was like I was thrown back into 2013; a crazy time, but also – the best time of my life. I earned about 400€ less than what I earn nowadays, and yet, from July on, I travelled every single month to London for a (long) weekend to spent time with people I met there at a musical who’s music was – surprise, surprise – all 80’s music.

Take “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, for example. When I hear it, I remember the very first time I ever stepped foot into the Shaftesbury Theatre, where that song was played before the show, making you feel the buzz of anticipation.

Or “Livin’ On A Prayer”, also by Bon Jovi. All I think is about a show’s Cast Members walking through London, being generally weird as fuck in their Stage Costumes (Mullets rock!).

Or “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. Hearing it, in my mind, I am standing next to a then not-yet-friend who was seated next to me on September 22nd in her “Franzy says No!” T-Shirt and who was infectious with her anticipation and giddy mood – which was the start of a wild ride of meetups and Stage Door antics.

Or “Thriller” by Michael Jackson – here I am, waiting in line at Madame Tussaud’s with the same friend, who not only knew, but also danced along to all the lyrics.

Or “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon – I know it’s a sad song, but whenever I hear it, I can’t stop smiling thinking of two men up on stage, one blowing fog with a Fogmaster 5000 and both basically having a makeout session in public.

“Radio GaGa” by Queen at the beginning of the very first West End Show I visited on my very first trip to London (which was actually at the end of 2012, but you know, it started it all and there were many more visits to that show in 2013), which, up to this day, never fails to give me goosebumps. Although, to be fair – all Queen songs do that, so…yeah.

Or, of course – the never not appropriate “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey (actually, it has just come up on Shuffle and now I’m sat here crying) which in the past 7 years has become MY hymn for the year 2013. If anything throws me right back into that crazy, hysterical year, it’s that one. It makes me think back to Standing Ovations, Lunge-ing hopes at every visit, mornings waiting at the Box Office to get the best seats for the day, evenings in the freezing cold (which gave me my first very serious Peri-Bronchitis, thank you very much, London!) waiting for people coming out of the theatre who had become some kind of family for our group of giddy girls, just the general feeling of belonging to something where you’re not judged, where you don’t judge, where each and everyone was one and the same. And a few friendships from back then are still going strong, and I think due to what 2013 and that 80’s music brought us, and despite us all growing up more with the years, moving on, getting married, having families, it will always keep us together one way or another.

In fact, I think the 80’s were one of the best era’s of music the world has ever and will ever have, right along with the 90’s (I’ll always be a 90’s kid, can I get a “Yayaya Coco Jambo”?). The lyrics back then, they made sense, they were uplifting, they spoke of heartache, of loss, of true love, of desperation, of hope. Nowadays, all that is on the radio is various abominations of David Guetta’s style (seriously – how can almost every song these days sound the same? That damn autotune…) or songs by idiots calling themselves RIN, Capital Bra, Apache or Bausa who degrade women in almost all their songs and call that “rap music”.

So…music. Lifting you up when you need it, taking you back to wonderful times (seriously, though…how did I pay for all those trips then? How did I not have to worry a dime about my IBS or my weight gain? How could I sleep for days in Hostel rooms with at least 3 other strangers? Was I possessed? We’ll probably never know), letting you dance and sing along to songs long forgotten that nevertheless still pull on your heartstrings. It can be a song that reminds you of a dream coming true (like Two Steps From Hell’s “Heart Of Courage”, which reminds me of witnessing the triumph of our soccer national team, becoming World Champions in 2014 after 16 years of being a fan and waiting for that day), or songs that make you so giddy you turn back into a 14-year old fangirl (helloooo, Backstreet Boys!). Music is timeless, and it’s more powerful than anything else in the world.

So thank you, music of the 80’s and really, any kind of music. Like a great poet once said:

“Now I’ve had the time of my life.
No, I never felt like this before.
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth.
And I owe it all to you.”

(Spoiler: it was not a great poet, it was a cheesy 80’s movie that I still have never seen and never plan on seeing up to this day. But you got to admit, that tune’s damn catchy.)

The West End Life

A week ago, my 17th trip to London since 2012 was finally happening – 10 months after booking three tickets to three different, new shows on the West End. And it may have easily been one of the best trips I ever made down there, with each show outdoing the one before, and to me, personally, maybe the three best Casts that are currently working in theatre on the West End.

But let’s take things one at a time.

1. “Come From Away” – Phoenix Theatre 11.12.2019

Thankfully for me, I didn’t read anything about the storyline beforehand – the shock/surprise was bigger that way, which I love about theatre. Originally, I was under the impression that this show was about refugees stuck on an island after escaping some terror or something; but after about 15mins in, I realized it was actually a story about the day when 38 planes on their way into U.S. territory were diverted to the town of Gander, Newfoundland, on 11th of September 2001 – the day two terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Center.
It’s hard to find words to describe this show – despite the obvious difficult subject, Christopher Ashley has managed to turn it into something equally heartwarming, touching and entertaining. The Cast is amazing, considering each of them has to play at least 2 or 3 different characters during the one and a half hours on stage (without any interval), the songs are chosen perfectly for all scenes (especially “Screech In” got me smiling from ear to ear and bobbing my foot up and down), and which was the most wonderful thing to me is that you can see throughout the entire show that every member of the Ensemble deeply enjoys this show, that they’re in it with all their heart, and that they have nothing but fun bringing this great piece of theatre and music to the audience. The Standing Ovations going on for several minutes, even as only the band was on stage after the actors left it are practically speaking for itself. So do its 4 Olivier Award wins, by the way.

2. “& Juliet” – Shaftesbury Theatre 12.12.2019

Now this show I was something I had been going completely blind into – if you ignore the fact I knew all the songs beforehand, as it’s a Jukebox Musical where existing songs are brought to the stage in new ways, enwrought into the storyline. I anticipated seeing the best (for me, personally) male voice on the West End again, Oliver Tompsett (William Shakespeare), after knowing there were Backstreet Boys songs in it, where also dancing was required. Sadly, a cold bug had taken hold of him and also the female lead, Miriam Teak-Lee (Juliet), so I got to see Ivan de Freitas and Grace Mouat instead – WHAT A TREAT!
How to describe this show…well, basically, if you’re looking for the best and most entertaining night out on the West End – THIS IS DEFINITELY IT. The story is simple – what if Juliet never killed herself together with Romeo, but instead, decided to live and take her life and future into her own hands? And all this with the unmistakable soundtrack of the 90’s and 00’s  and also some recent radio tracks added to the mix (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry & Demi Lovato, to only name some of them).
What comes out of that is a show that has the audience in fits of laughter, in bouts of tears, and mostly, dancing in their seats (and on their feet at the last track, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”!). The stage set is also one of the best and most beautiful I personally have seen anywhere recently, with a lot of love for detail, and the message – or rather, messageS – of the story are powerful and some of the best any theatre show could have come up with, picking up current issues in our society. And the Cast, you ask? They’re phenomenal in every regard – singing, acting AND dancing. Seeing them on stage, simply doing their everyday job, you can’t help smiling when they smile, feel sad when their situation seems hopeless, and feel relieved when everything is sorted out for everybody in the end.
This show DEFINITELY deserves to stay on the West End for a long, long time.

3. “Dear Evan Hansen – Noel Coward Theatre 13.12.2019

This show…it was the one thing I had been looking forward to for about one and a half years, ever since I first listened to its Broadway Cast Recording and read the news that it would actually come to the West End. Along with “Hamilton”, that show is the one on the Broadway that it is near impossible to get tickets to – at least not the affordable kind of tickets. The anticipation for me therefor was HUGE in every regard…and boy, did that one not disappoint.
Where to begin…the story, maybe. It’s about a teenager with social anxiety who, with the help of a family friend, makes up a story of being friends with a schoolmate who commits suicide and in doing that, helps the grieving parents coping with their loss and changes things at his school and out in the Social Media world for the better, even if only for a short time.
There are not many words one could use to describe how PHENOMENAL every aspect of the show is, starting with the simple stage set, the small Cast (only 8 actors/roles) or the powerful message behind it. So I’m just going to talk about one single Cast member here, representative of maybe the BEST Cast the West End has to offer these days.

Sam Tutty.

This young man playing Evan Hansen is pure GOLD. The role of the anxiety-ridden teenager is so challenging, as it just has to be convincing even in the very last rows of the theatre, but Sam just does it as easily as he may eat his muesli in the morning. Never in my life have I witnessed something more convincing on a stage; you watch him do his thing, and you just can’t help BELIEVING it. Believing that off stage, Sam suffers the exact same anxieties that Evan does, even though that isn’t the case, of course. Every mimic and gesture, however small or big, is on point with him, and especially the movements of his hands is just out of this world. And his voice? Indescribably perfect. And funny enough, he sounds almost exactly like Ben Platt, who originated the role of Evan on Broadway.
The music that I’ve constantly listened to for over a year, was also giving me all the emotions that I had hoped and prayed for. I laughed, I cried, I had goosebumps, I was singing along silently to every line. What the band (that is positioned in the top left corner of the stage, so you can see them all throughout the show) did with their instruments and the tunes given to them is such a wonderful piece of music that it’s no surprise they got a ton of applause at the end, too. This entire show and its phenomenal Cast are just breathtaking, and like I said – maybe the BEST Cast that’s currently employed on the West End.

Three days, three shows – and every single one of them surpassed my expectations and proved once again why the West End and musical theatre in general have become such a huge part of my life in the past 7 years, and I am beyond grateful I had the opportunity to witness such a perfection and beautiful entertainment on 3 stages last week.

Until next time, London!

Hamilton – Victoria Palace Theatre – 30.12.2017

348 days.

That’s how long I had to wait to see this piece of Musical Theatre after actually managing to get tickets on January, 16th, 2017 during a priority booking period.

Although, to be honest, when I first heard of it and listened to some snippets of the songs, I wasn’t convinced at all. A Musical sung in rap? Why would someone do that? I also didn’t get all the fuzz of its “creator”, Lin-Manuel Miranda. But then, thanks to one of my best friends, Sarah from Chesterfield, who sent me the entire Broadway Cast Recording, I gave it another shot (pun intended! 😀 ) – and after about an hour, I was hooked. I listened to the songs on my MP3-Player every day from my way to work and back home, and quickly, it became one of my favourite albums of all time. And when a West End blogger on twitter announced one day that it would transfer to London from Broadway, my mind was quickly made up: I just HAD to see it for myself on stage.

348 days later, there I was, in my seat, excited, but still not actually realizing what I was about to witness in the refurbished Victoria Palace Theatre. And when the lights went off at exactly 7:30pm on Saturday, 30th of January, 2017, the atmosphere changed and captured me instantly. People already started clapping, before the usual announcement of switching phones of and not taking pictures was made by King George, saying it was “strictly prohibited in HIS show”. Then the show finally started and my view on theatre changed forever.

I have never witnessed such a mesmerized and electric audience as I did that night. The moment that Jamael Westman, who plays the eponymous hero, “Alexander Hamilton”, first opened his mouth with his first line, which is just his name, the entire audience erupted into a massive cheering and applause for the first of many, many times, and I instantly knew this would be an evening I’d never forget. After every number, and even in the middle of it (e.g. when Lafayette and Hamilton go “Immigrants, we get the job done!”), everybody in that theatre erupted into a loud cheer and applause that lasted for as long as when the next number had already started. Normally, I would be greatly annoyed by that, but in this case, it made the night even more magical.

The stage itself was made up simple, but beautifully, with a setting that fits it perfectly, and the fact that the people behind the curtains and made-up walls are capable to do so many different things with it is fascinating. I especially loved the circular plate inside the middle of the stage that turns around a couple of time, making whatever scene is played even more effectively and with more meaning than it already does anyway (e.g. the beginning scene of “Satisfied”). There are not many special effects like in other shows, but the few ones that are there are perfectly well-placed, like spotlights lighting up in bright red to indicate gunshots. All in all, it all harmonizes even better than you’d expect it at the beginning of a show’s run somewhere.

And of course – the CAST. Although there are not really any words that’ll do any of them justice, there are a few things about some of them that have to be said:

Jamael Westman – “Alexander Hamilton”
It might have been the role I was most scared about, because, having basically not listened to anything else for months, the voice of Lin-Manuel Miranda has been branded inside my ear and brain so much, it was really hard to think that it wouldn’t be him on that stage now, and that caused me some concern as to whether I’d like it. So basically, it was do or die from the first moment he opens his mouth.
And boy, did he deliver! The thing about Jamael is, he doesn’t play Hamilton the way I imagine (and have seen in some videos) Lin playing it – he plays him less confident at the beginning, like some sort of shy schoolboy, which is, if I’m honest, the only RIGHT way to play him. Hamilton comes to the USA all alone, father gone, mother dead, and has no idea what life has in store for him in this New World. He dips his toes in at first, but then when it comes to “My Shot”, his first bigger part, where his rapping skills are important, he completely steps right into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s shoes and makes this role his own. Jamael does not try to be Lin, instead, he gives it his all, even makes some slight changes in intonation to prove to the audience that he is the rightful Hamilton. And though, of course, at this early stage of the West End show, he’s not perfect yet, he still is damn near perfect. Even his costume and all-over looks basically scream that he has earned this role, and that he deserves it. And from what I have seen that first time, the future has great things in store for Jamael, he’s going to be a star.

Sifiso Mazibuko – “Aaron Burr”
Fun fact: when he stepped on stage as soon as the show began with the song “Alexander Hamilton”, I noticed instantly that he wasn’t the main Burr, but the Standby, but just given his facial expressions, the way he carries himself, for me, he is perfect for that role. He has an amazing presence on stage, and he delivers his lines, all of his scenes, with such an air of authority that you’d expect for someone like Burr, a politician with a lot of influence. And on the other hand, when it comes to him singing “Dear Theodosia” or his famous but fatal duel against Hamilton, the audience gets to see another Burr, another Sifiso – a quieter one, a serious one, who also manages to hit the silent notes with such force as he does with the loud ones. The song “Non-Stop” has been my favourite one of the Broadway Cast Recording, because of the sound of Leslie Odom Jr.’s voice (the US Burr), the way he hits his notes in perfection, and Sifiso Mazibuko did a damn good job and making me love that last scene of Act 1 as much as I love the original song. And aside from the stage, he’s such a gentle, shy and humble man.

Cleve September – “John Laurens”/”Philip Hamilton”
Probably the guy I was most excited about, after being in touch with him on twitter for the past couple of months; and he definitely did fulfill my expectations and exceeded them even more.
First of all – that guy plays TWO main roles, one in Act 1, the other in Act 2, and he does it with so much passion and love for that role, which you see in every moment he does something on stage, even if it is just smiling in the background. He also looks so cute and shy, but when he comes out on stage, he belts his note as if his life depended on it, and boy, does he have a voice inside this tiny body! I also don’t know whether I should be more impressed or scared as to how versatile it is, as both of his roles are completely different from each other – one a man in war, the other a boy, wanting to be like his father. Needless to say, the rap music going on in this show was made for him, he’s in his element, and he draws the audience in the moment he sets foot on stage – and together with Tarinn Callender (“Hercules Mulligan”/James Madison”), they are the perfect match. They are dorky, they are bossy, they are MEN in their prime, and you can’t help but ride along on their wave of “easy-going-ness”. Oh, and off stage? Cutest and loveliest guy ever. He knows where he comes from, and he never takes for granted what he has achieved so far, but works hard to keep doing what he loves. A real inspiration.

Rachelle Ann Go – “Eliza Hamilton”
I knew Rachelle from a supporting role in “Miss Saigon” two years earlier, so I was excited to see her in the lead this time. Although she was the only one who did not draw me in a 100%, she sure as hell has an amazing voice that sounds near perfect, and I am sure that if “Hamilton” was an opera, she could also pull her part off as easily. Through the entire show, she has some sort of cold air around her, but whenever she was on stage with Jamael Westman, she turned into that small girl that is head over heels for this man and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to have him. Until, that is, her heart is being broken, and she turns into a betrayed wife, bitter with disappointment and loss. Despite its silent music, the way she delivers “Burn” in Act 2 is powerful, and Rachelle makes one feel as if it was you who’s in her situation. And over all of this, she still wears Eliza Hamilton as if she’s above everything; that no matter what is being thrown at her, she accepts it with pride and dignity.

Rachel John – “Angelica Schuyler”
That woman…WOW. I’ve now known her for over 5 years, or rather, her talent, and she still outdoes everything I’ve seen from her. Her Angelica Schuyler is so much different from her “Meat” in “We Will Rock You” a couple of years ago, but in a damn good way. The moment during “Schuyler Sisters” she first opened her mouth, I knew this was going to be good, and then “Satisfied” happened. It is one of my favourite songs on the album, but Rachel exceeded any expectations I had when I heard she would be playing that role, and I might even go so far as to say she is the one I like better than Renée Elise Goldsberry, who originated the role on Broadway, because she has so much more power and strength in her voice, and she also has such a confidence within her that is astounding. And her rap-part during “Satisfied” – I bow down. Rapping isn’t easy at the best of times, but in that tempo and style, Rachel is mindblowing. And right now, I don’t even know if there is anything that woman can’t do?

Michael Jibson – “King George”
Maybe the biggest shoes to fill in from Jonathan Groff, who originally played that role on Broadway, and maybe the one that the audience I sat in that evening loved the most. The moment his first tune, “You’ll Be Back”, came on, the audience erupted into applause and cheering, and rightly so. It’s fun to see how Michael “evolves” in his role during his three Solos, from a tight-up King who barely moves on stage, just screams at the audience and threatens them (all part of the role, obviously), into someone who, at the end of “I Know Him”, sits there, tapping his feet, grinning like a schoolboy on Christmas. Michael definitely had everybody in the room in the palm of his hands, and although, because he’s not American, he maybe can’t play a british King with VERY exaggerated mockery, the way Groff did on Broadway, Michael still manages to have the audience in tears of laughter with just his facial expressions or gestures. And maybe because of that exact reason, he understands better which way of mocking works best with a british audience, and his timing was flawless in every aspect. You know, when you hate and love a role at the same time, that the person playing it is a damn good actor, so hat’s off, Mr. Jibson.

Jason Pennycooke – “Marquis de Lafayette”/”Thomas Jefferson”
Next to Cleve September and Tarinn Callender, the 3rd person with 2 main roles in both Acts, and he might be my highlight of the show.
First of all, his Lafayette – what a hilarious and perfectly mocking french accent! I don’t like neither the french language nor french people (I experienced them to be arrogant at the most of times), so it was delightful to watch Jason on stage being in that role. He not only has the acting skills for it, but also an entire repertoire of facial expressions to prove it. More than once, the audience almost screamed with laughter, especially during his solo, “What’d I Miss” at the beginning of Act 2, where he’s playing Jefferson – definitely one of my favourite scenes of the entire show, where he not only proves he can sing, but also dance like a young God! What is also impressing is that although most scenes in Act 2 are difficult and serious, Jason always manages to lighten up the mood in the audience, with tiny gestures or facial expressions, without making fun of the importance of a scene. You know he’s not Hamilton’s best friend at some point, but you can’t help but love him for the person behind the role, who, off stage, is such a lovely person who appreciates each and everyone of the people who come to see him…I mean….look at that face!

Obioma Ugoala – “George Washington”
Maybe the one role I did not actually know what to expect from, and one of which I was most impressed by. When Obioma came on stage, he WAS George Washington, even if I obviously didn’t know the guy personally. He carried with him such an air of sheer force and confidence on the verge of arrogance, just the way you think a leader should behave. And his voice…wow. It has an amazing power in it, and in “Guns And Ships”, it seems like he sings as if his life depends on it, which is fitting for the situation his character is in during that song. It sure isn’t easy to step in the shoes of Christopher Jackson, the Broadway Washington, but, just like Jamael Westman did with Hamilton, Obioma Ugoala made this role HIS role. He basically sets foot on stage, shouting “Here I am! I am the only President Washington that will now matter to you!” and you’re captured by his presence from beginning to end. “One Last Time” had a special place in my heart for a very long time now, and when the song finally came on, I couldn’t wait to hear the end of it, where Washington sings high and long notes…and I can only say my expectations were truly more than fulfilled, I might’ve even had some tears in the corners of my eyes. Obioma did that certain song more than justice.

So, all in all, what was “Hamilton” to me? Did it fulfill my expectations? Was it worth the wait? Was it worth its money?

Hell yes, it was, and so much more. I sat there, silently sang through every single song, with every single word, which, mostly, I know by heart now. I have never felt so electrified during a theatre performance since “Carrie” at the Southwark Playhouse in May 2015. I have never felt like I wanted to talk about what it was like with someone, but not finding any words to say. And this time, it was not even the songs, which are a huge part of a Musical, no. This time, it was the entire Cast who outdid themselves, and the atmosphere inside the audience that carried one along with it, like it or not. I have never experienced such a breathtaking audience in my life, and boy, did I like it. And I hope I get to go back for a 2nd time this summer.

“Hamilton – An American Musical” has well and truly arrived in the Londoner West End.

Chapeau.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – Palace Theatre – 09.04.2017

Well…I remember laughing at my best friend when she got ticket for this show in October 2015. I remember thinking “Seriously?”, like it would be totally out of sorts to get tickets for something one and a half year in advance.
Funny, that, as nowadays, each and every single show until May 2017 is completely sold out and the next batch of tickets is being released in 2 weeks for three more months (May 2018 – July 2018). And ever since I booked tickets for “Hamilton”, I now know NOT to laugh about booking ages in advance. Especially after I’ve seen this show last weekend.

But let me start.

I’ve never been a huge Potter-Fan. Sure, I read the books, and I thoroughly enjoyed them, and I also still think that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson & Rupert Grint were the perfect choice for Harry, Hermione & Ron. But somehow, the movies never gripped me as tight as the books; I remember sitting through the last 200 pages of “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows”, bawling my eyes out over the brilliance with what those last few pages have been written, with how much suspense and emotion they were put down to paper…and then sitting halfway through the “Deathly Hallows Part 2” movie, thinking: “What a load of crap, that end. Too rushed. Too very different from the heartbreaking suspense in the book. Did they even read it?” From that moment it was clear that I would never be a, as you call them, “Potterhead”.

But the play, it intrigued me, if only for the fact that information about it before it opened was scarce, and even when the previews started, it was all kept totally secret, people not being allowed to bring their phones or to say anything about it at all. It’s like being something forbidden, something you need to wait really long for to really deserve it. It seemed like the best-kept secret in the West End, and all this time, until last sunday, I didn’t really hear anything about it that could give something away and somewhat ruin my experience when I finally got to see both parts, thanks to my sister’s friend giving me her tickets as she couldn’t attend her planned weekend in London, so I could come all the way down to see it from Germany. (I LOVE her for that, btw).  So here goes the actual review.

First surprise when I got in: half of our Cast were Understudy – instead of Jamie Parker as Harry, we had Stuart Ramsay, our Hermione was Alexa Nicolas instead of Noma Dumezweni, and Scorpius Malfoy was played by James LeLacheur, not Anthony Boyle. At first, it was a small downer, as naturally, you’d hope for the complete first Cast; but, knowing the theatre business, you can’t always have that, and sometimes, the show you’re seeing turns out to be even better with the Understudies….and boy, THAT show was proof of HOW much better it was.

2nd surprise: the stage wasn’t covered up. On the contrary; after each interval, the scenery on stage changed and looked different. Especially the one after Part 1, or rather, when you come back in for the 1st Act of Part 2, was amazing. I’m always a friend of the darker sceneries, to be honest.

Now, the much praised effects. I knew that “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” had some technical doings and standards that none other show on the West End had ever done before – which was probably the biggest reason why I was so intrigued: everybody talked about how they used new techniques, left the audience in awe with things you just can’t explain how they happened. And to be fair: I DON’T even want to know how they work, because to me, that takes away a bit of the magic, you know? But I also have to be fair when I say that I thought theere would be more effects in it than what I saw on stage. I do not want to diminish this amazing piece of theatre in any way, that is just my opinion; and I guess having such high expectations about those effects made me a bit biased. BUT the end of Part 1 ALONE made everything SO much worthwhile. Never did I have that kind of goosebumps sitting in my seat than in that moment when the end of Part 1 began and ended. I won’t say anything about it, but I BEG you, if you can, go and see it for yourself. It will be all you could hope for and more. I would pay an entire ticket simply to watch that part of the show over and over again. Stunning.

The music itself is not the same as in the movies – so if you go and see the show for that reason, too, be prepared to hear different music. Still, whenever it played, it smoothly fit the situation, and I loved how they used different scenes to fill the gaps, and even if pieces were used more than once, you don’t notice it, because the scenes always change and you’re so totally caught in the new ones that you just can’t be bothered to even think about it.

And now…the actors. WOW. There simply are not enough words to praise them enough, but I will try my best to write down what I thought and still think of them in a heap of awe, whenever I think back on sunday night. And you’ve been warned: those opinions are very biased and VERY objective, they’re solely mine and nobody has to agree, of course.

Alex Price (Draco Malfoy)

I have to admit, I’m a bit in love with him and his acting. His Draco is…just out of this world. The entire time as you sit there, watching him displaying one of the most breathtaking performances of emotion, wit, confusion, anger & even heartbreak, which is so unlike the Draco Malfoy everybody knows, you keep thinking: “God, Lucius Malfoy/Jason Isaacs, you damn genius”, only to realize that he is indeed Draco as a grown-up, NOT Lucius. I can’t praise him enough, really, because he was just perfectness in any way possible. There is no way he does not convince you that he means every single word that comes out of his mouth and every emotional despair he displays while on that stage. I also loved how the directors began the relationship between grown-up Draco and Ron Weasley right where the books and the movies left off: with digs, teasing and insulting by both sides, just like you would imagine them still to bicker after all those years. Especially towards the end, when Ron has an idea how to defeat (…), Draco’s/Alex’ reaction is beyond priceless, I still grin when I think about that scene, because it’s so somewhat adorably boyish and un-Draco-like. Or the scene where he utters a very dry “Mua. Ha. Ha.” towards Harry/Stuart and Stuart can’t help but desperately try to stop laughing. This constant switch between the serious, sometimes even desperate Draco and the one with the dry humor, trying to fit in with the others – to me, that comes very close to perfection.
Oh, and Alex as a person outside the theatre? Wonderful. So absolutely kind, patient and down to earth…you could see the pride in his eyes when you told him how he is so good he makes you forget WHO he actually is on stage – Draco or Lucius Malfoy -, and that Jason Isaacs himself (the guy who played Lucius Malfoy in the movies) saw the play and thought almost the same.
AND ALEX’ PERFUME…I am sorry, I know I’m a very creepy person now, but I can’t help it, I am absolutely obsessed with it. Ever since sunday, I can’t get it out of my head/nose and really want to find out its name so I can get it for a friend’s birthday, who I KNOW would love it.
So if you get the chance to see the show and Alex in it before Cast Change Day on May 21st, I advise you to go, because you’ll barely see anything more convincing that this man being a Malfoy.

Stuart Ramsay (Harry Potter – Understudy)

Stuart. Wow. Turns out this was his last show as Harry, and boy, was he a convincing piece of theatre. You buy into his struggle as a father of three, especially regarding his relationship with Albus, as if it’s a real family tragic right there, not some play on a stage, because his talent is a real pleasure to watch. The second he set foot on stage, forgotten was my thought what a pity it was I would now never get to see Jamie Parker being Harry, because Stuart definitely owned that stage. I still remember vividvdly how his gestures and mimics looked like he was in a real life situation, now some staged conversation with his acting colleagues. Especially his interaction with Sam Clemmett as Albus was a dream to watch…it was like standing in their living room, feeling awkward to witness a fight between father and son – in a very pleasing and heartwarming way, if that makes sense. It definitely looked like Stuart and Sam shared a real father/son bond there.
Moreover, one of my favourite things was when Draco/Alex came up to him in one scene, talking about how soon, Harry’s office at the ministry of magic might be Draco’s, ending with a VERY dry “Mua.Ha.Ha.”, and Stuart first starting to grin and then trying very unsuccessfully to hide and stifle a laugh. I loved it, and so did everyone else in the audience, gauging from their reaction.
And adding to that, Stuart is such a sweetheart; kind, humble and appreciating in any way possible. My friend and I even chatted to him about how he stayed in Germany (Hamburg) for 6 months a couple of years back, doing “Oh What A Night” at the Opererrenhaus, then “Foley” and other stuff. He also still manages a few german words, which endeared us even more to him.
I wish him all the best for whatever the future has now in store for him after Cast Change, and that he will come even further than he has already come so far – he deserves it so much.

Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley)

Close your eyes and picture the one and only person capable of pulling off being Ron Weasley on stage. Open your eyes again and look at Paul Thornley’s face. You’re welcome.
You always wondered how Ron was displayed perfectly, regarding his character in the books and the movies? Take Paul Thornley and you don’t need anything or anybody else. If I ever would have to think about how I wanted Ron to be on stage, I would not be able to stop swooning over Paul…not that I can since sunday night, anyways. There are not enough words to tell how magically perfect is, just like I always pictured him in my head. Adding to that his constant bickering with Draco Malfoy aka Alex Price and you have the stage “enemies” of your dreams. It feels difficult and somewhat wrong to try to find the right words here to do him real justice for the flawless job he does on the stage of that play, really, because it’s all in those tiny little things he pulls off on stage. Like his grinning whenever he’s faced the fact he owns a joke shop while his wife is the head of the magical ministry, the way he lightens up the stage when he steps foot on it, because you just know that whatever will come out of his mouth will be so…RON, so RUPERT GRINT. The way he lets his character being transformed back into his teenager self whenever he’s greeted by Draco Malfoy, how he is able to hop between that and his grown-up self, the family father, the caring, loving partner and friend who would do everything for his loved ones…it’s like seeing one of your favourite book/movie character being brought to life right in front of you. I keep repeating myself, so I am sorry, but unless you ever get or got to see it with your own eyes, you probably can’t grasp why I am so in a loss for words.
Apart from that, he’s one of the nicest and most calm West End Actors I ever got the chance to say Hi to. If you never got to watch him being a Weasley, you definitely miss out on something big there.

Nicola Alexis (Hermione – Understudy)

In my opinion, Nicola as Hermione is SUCH a better fit than Noma, who just looks so much older than her counterparts Harry & Ron (Jamie Parker & Paul Thornley). Her acting was beyond convincing, and I couldn’t have imagined or wished for a better 1st Hermione if I did. Especially the bossing around of Draco and the air of authority around her is wonderful to watch. I think it’s fair to say that the way the directors have written the role of Hermione, it’s the closest it could get to the actual Hermione as she was in the books and the movies, fierce and not accepting any bulls*** around her. Considering Nicola’s sweet face and her kind character off stage, it’s hard to believe that this lovely woman is playing the minister of magic on stage every now and then!

James LeLacheur (Scorpius Malfoy – Understudy)

James…words can’t express him in this role. Like…picture perfection when trying to tranform an amiable character from a book into an actual person on stage, and there you have James.
I fell in love with Scorpius when reading the book, in the instant he first shows up on the Hogwarts Express, and I fell in love with James’ way of displaying him on stage. It’s an absolute pleasure and honour to watch him doing his thing, being silly, desperate, sad, angry and happy. You forget there is an actual person underneath that peroxide blonde hair and costume, because his acting pulls you right into the world of magical wizardry. He makes watching the Play even more worthwhile, and he definitely was my highlight next to Alex Price, with whom he does not have as many interactions as with, say Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter (naturally), but any of the few of them are quite intense and make you heart ache all over for Scorpius; struggling with all the rumors surrounding his family and him, the resentment from everybody, wishing for a Happy End between him and his hard-hearted father. And especially his dorky, weird side was one of my favourite things on stage that night, because he makes everybody in the audience feel like they are him: a dorky teenager trying to fit in, not making too much of a fuss about himself. At least that’s how I saw it.
And outside the theatre, it’s safe to say that James is the exact same kind of person that you left up on that stage at curtain call – and in just the same adorable, lovely kind of way that you just can’t help liking him. I know he’s leaving after Cast Change, which, in my opinion, is THE biggest loss that show can have, because I honestly somewhat doubt even the principal Cast (Anthony Boyle) would be able to “whoo” me the way James did.

Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter)

(Firstly, I sadly didn’t get to say Hi to him; the moment he came out the theatre, he was already gone and when he went back inside and passed me again, I was somewhere else with my thoughts. Bummer.)
Sam Clemmett…what can you say about this young man to do his massive talent any justice? I am beyond happy I got to see his Albus as my first one, because his expression and gestures were absolutely phenomenal, there is no other word for it. When you see him strut over that stage, standing in his “bedroom”, face-off with his father Harry (Stuart Ramsay), and you just…BELIEVE the emotions shooting out of his mouth and eyes. He makes you want to storm onto the stage and hug him, tell him how you understand him and his struggles, how he is not as alone in this world as he believes with being the son of the legendary “Boy Who Lived”. And you also feel the wish to slap him whenever he screams at Harry, when he tells him he wishes his father was dead. There are so many conflicting emotions, and Sam takes you on his journey, juggling between those emotions, never really letting you take a deep enough breath before another mayhem starts. I have rarely seen such a young man/actor having such a tremendous talent when it comes to facial expressions, gestures and emotions. I know Sam may still be young, but he definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

Poppy Miller (Ginny Potter)

Poppy was one of the biggest changes for me; I still remember Bonnie Wright from the movies, the beautiful, shy, redhead who had to fight her way through childhood against 6 brothers. And I absolutely adored the way the writers have created “Stage-Ginny”! Barely have I seen such a fierce and strong character who makes even the strongest, most serious men (aka Draco Malfoy/Alex Price) almost weep and crawl back into themselves. Poppy gives the audience the kind of Bonnie I think a lot of women can identify with, independent, stubborn even, and at the same time, a loving mother and wife who puts her family and loved ones first – and being very convincing at it.

Esther Smith (Delphi Diggory)

(1st picture courtesy of the official twitter of @esthervonsmith!)
Esther…Delphi. Jesus Christ. I am not going to say a lot so as to not give out any spoilers in case you plan on seeing the Play and haven’t read the book/script yet, only that much: the border between love and hate with this character is SO thin it’s barely existent.
The moment Esther/Delphi shows up on stage, she just captivates you with her bouncy, funny character. And even when the Play moves along, turning right onto the “Uh-Oh” lane to doom, you can’t help but admiring the way Esther does her thing on stage. The way she uses words and expressions, her intonations, her interactions with Albus & Scorpius (in this case, Sam & James)…it gave me chills and the creeps at the same time. I was sheer blown away by such a diversive talent in that young woman and really wished I would’ve had the chance to tell her so in person, if I wouldn’t have been so preoccupied and crap with recognizing some faces. So whatever you do, I advise you to catch her as Delphi as long as you can, she’s out of this world!

So…”Harry Potter And The Curse Child” at the Palace Theatre, London. One of the biggest and most amazing surprises I ever had the honour to witness on a stage, with an extraordinary cast that has a variety of phenomenal talents and wonderful personalities off stage, a technical standard that so far is not achieved anywhere else on the West End yet, and a storyline that has so much more potential than what some people give it credit for.

I will definitely try everything to get another ticket when the next batch is being released soon, to hopefully be swept off my feet again, even by not the same amazing Cast I had this first time.

THANK YOU, Alex, Stuart, Paul, Nicola, James, Poppy, Esther, Sam and everyone else. You made this a very special theatre experience for me. And whatever you’re going to do next, I’m wishing you all the best in the world, from the bottom of my heart.

We Will Rock You – Frankfurt 09.01.2015 (Dernière Day)

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that this last day at the beautiful Frankfurt venue would be one of the best days of my life, two of the best shows I’ve ever seen – and that three of my biggest (show-related) dreams would finally come true.

Matinee
When I first stepped into the Opera House, to my delight, they finally had set up the Cast list for the performances at the reception. The even bigger delight came when I saw who would be on as Galileo & Scaramouche: Fabio Diso & Leoni Kristin Oeffinger! I took the list into my hands and stared at it with a shocked expression on my face and a loud squeak trying to make its way up my stomach, into my throat and out of my mouth – F***ing YES! I had come across the fact of how rare it was to get Fabio as Galileo, and to get Leoni as Scara was even more rare, and I never expected (although wished for it) to ever get to see either of them in one of the lead roles during that short run in Frankfurt – and now I had them both.
Leoni as Scara…uhm, holy moly. I had only known her as teacher so far, and whenever I thought about her as Scara after seeing pics of it, it felt weird, although if you’d ask me, I couldn’t give you a reason why. Maybe I’m too biased by always seeing Jeannine Michele Wacker as Scara 😉 Anyways, the moment Leoni stepped foot on the stage, it was totally hers. Her voice is totally different from Jeannine’s, but absolutely stunning nonetheless. It’s deep, with a slight rasping sound when she comes down to the low notes, but at the same time, all powerful, which left me completely speechless. I’d never guessed that this was lying dormant underneath that teacher role. From the acting point, her Scaramouche is adorable, she has this very headstrong and stubborn attitude, with what she makes the Galileo at her side – in this case, Fabio – look very tiny and small. If I think about it, if I was a guy and was to play Galileo next to her, I’d be pretty scared of her 😀
And now, to Fabio Diso…OH MY GOD. First of all: he is, without a doubt THE most adorable, cute and “Oh, I want to run on stage and hug him like a little boy” kind of Galileo I have EVER had the pleasure and honour to see on and off stage. He has this certain kind of way to style his hair…I mean….just look at him. (Fabio, if you see this: sorry that I borrowed the pic off your page, but I thought best to have people see what I mean, if that’s okay with you 🙂 )

Anyways, second thing: HIS VOICE. I’m honest, I had very high expectations of him after that short recording. And all of them were pretty much just by far surpassed! Even after his first few vocals of “I Want To Break Free”, I couldn’t keep myself from shaking my head, murmuring “Holy crap.”, because he was better than I had ever expected and thought possible. His voice is the most powerful any other Galileo of the german Cast has ever presented to the audience, and especially in the high vocals, he puts all his power, energy and talent into the notes, it was mindblowing. The moment he opens his mouth, you don’t believe your ears, if that makes sense. I could go on and on, keep praising him, but there are just no words to express HOW breathtakingly good and talented this young man is, you have to see it for yourself.
Third thing: the interaction/harmony between Fabio and Leoni. One word: WOW. I always thought there was no pair that seemed to be more made for each other on stage than Christopher Brose & Jeannine Michele Wacker, but those two proved me wrong. Every oh so tiny movement and word is geared to each other, and their voices just match. And as to how they play the characters, I think Fabio is the most talented Galileo of all. Each of them is dorky and insecure and weird in their own way, which is wonderful and a joy to watch, but he gives it the last touch that I think the role needs to be just perfect. He’s even more dorky and insecure than Chris or Stuart, and if you didn’t know the show as I do, you could never believe that that little boy is capable of becoming the biggest rock star in the history of the iPlanet, because hands down, if you look at that cute little face, you don’t buy it that he’s a hero or sort of a “guitar guy”. And seeing him proving everybody wrong – mindblowing. As to Leoni, she totally lights a fire under him, she has him in the palm of her hands and she bosses him around as she pleases. The way Fabio reacts to that is what I call talent. Whoever decided to put these two up on that stage together in the two lead roles has my deepest gratitude. Just wow.
The two other roles that were completely different than usual were Robert Meyer as Brit and Marjolein Teepen as Ozzy. Seeing someone else than Markus Neugebauer in the role of Brit was weird, but refreshing, and although my first thought was “He looks a bit like a milksop without a beard”, I was positively impressed by Robert. I only knew him as Madonna, one of the Bohemians, and I must say, he did a good job. I liked the way he tried to look extremely strong and macho-like, and also, that his voice is lighter than Markus’, it was a refreshing new touch to see in the role. There is a lot of potential in him, and I hope he gets to play the role a few more times during the running tour, because he definitely deserves it. As to Marjolein as Ozzy…let’s just be honest: I’m totally biased as to who plays this role. For me, there’s only one true Ozzy, and that is Andrea Sánchez Del Solar. Period. Marjolein‘s voice is stunning, no question, she has some killer vocals and a huge talent, especially on the high notes, but in comparison to other Ozzy’s, she just doesn’t touch me with them, not even during “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”. I can’t explain it, maybe my mind is too gridlocked on my opinion, and I know people will think I’m a horrible person, but that’s how it is. I met Marjolein in person three times, and I know for a fact that she is a very loving, caring, nice, lovely & patient person who takes her time with her fans, and I would never diminish her talent in any way. But I guess once you have your favourites, and those favourites impressed you so much with their first performance, it’s hard for others to convince you of something else. I’m sorry for that.

Over all, this show left me in total awe, and with a new favourite Galileo – Fabio Diso, with whom the current Cast has THE most talented one in their midst, someone who definitely has the talent to take over the lead role, and I sincerely hope he gets to play it much more during the tour.

Evening
It seems like destiny saved the best thing for the very last show in Frankfurt: Andrea Sánchez Del Solar as Scaramouche. Ever since I had seen her as Ozzy and learned that she was also one of the three understudies for the roles, it was one of my dreams to see her as Scara at least once. And there it was, where I least expected it. When she told me about it right after the Matinee, forgotten was the migraine I suffered from for the entire 2nd Act, pumped full of pills against the headaches and the terrible nausea – nothing in the world would keep me from witnessing my favourite WWRY alumni doing her thing in the biggest lead role. And hell, what a show it was.
The moment she stepped foot on stage in that purple wig and the black dress thingy, belting out the few german lines of “I Want To Break Free” that Scaramouche sings at the beginning…I was feeling like a proud mother. Or friend. I know it sounds strange, but that’s how it is. I felt tears welling up in my eyes when I heard the vocals coming from her, and they almost overwhelmed me. And a few big fans across the aisle that cheered her on loudly proved my point: she deserved this role. Her “Somebody To Love” was absolutely beautiful; she can hold notes for as long as not many people I’ve met (who are in the theatre business) can, and it’s so wonderful and refreshing to have a complete different intonation, a much deeper voice than any of the other Scara’s. And still, even more so, her high vocals are breathtaking, from what I could gather in the first row, she left the audience in complete awe with her amazing singing talent (not that it surprised me, though). As to her acting, her way of displaying Scaramouche…wow. I know that the role is supposed to be cheeky and mean to Galileo, bossing him around, taking the lead and such, and I’ve seen quite the ways of doing it since last year…but without a doubt, Andrea‘s way was just beyond hilarious, adorable and cuddly! The way she intonates some of Scara’s sentences, how she behaves around and with Galileo (Christopher Brose, in this case) is just…whoa. And it looked like she enjoyed herself in that role so much, which is wonderful to see – when an actor gets the opportunity to play big roles and do it with such a naturalness, because that’s what they all work really hard for. No surprise she got some of the biggest applause after that last show, it was more than deserved, and still, after over two weeks, I feel really proud of her. Although it still feels surreal that I really witnessed it.

Thank you, “We Will Rock You”, for amazing 7 shows in Frankfurt, for giving me so many beautiful memories, and I hope to maybe see all of you again in Hamburg – or at the latest, in Cologne, where it all began! THANK YOU for being such a talented, lovely & wonderfully crazy bunch!

We Will Rock You – Frankfurt 19.-21.12.2014

After over one and a half years since the last time I had seen the show on german soil – and knowing that its Cast was almost the same as it had been when they toured through Basel and Essen in 2013 – I went into it with a lot of excitement and expectations. I was mostly looking forward to see everyone again after such a long time, as there were at least two people among them that I dearly missed and had stayed in touch ever since the closing. And I was also looking forward to how much everyone’s talent had improved since the last time I’ve seen them. And I was NOT disappointed.

19.12. 2014 (Evening/Preview)
I didn’t realize the first two shows that weekend would be previews – I was convinced that that show actually was the Premiere, until I saw some of the Casts posts on facebook. Anyways, despite a few technical difficulties (that, honestly, I didn’t even realize were technical difficulties because I hadn’t seen the show since June 2013 and thought “Oh, well, guess they’ve done a few more changes than usual” to myself, ha-ha), the feeling of being back with this talented bunch covered everything that had gone wrong that night.
Galileo & Scaramouche were played by Christopher Brose & Marjolein Teepen. I know Chris from last year, where he completely blew me away. His voice is incredible, and I was excited about having him as my 1st Galileo on this tour again. And despite the fact that he seemed somewhat sick to me, or tired, he still gave me goosebumps. The way he displays Galileo again was exactly how I thought Galileo must be. He’s that dorky, stupid guy who pulls off the role as a limelight hog at the end as if he’s never done anything else. He shows the audience he loves to be up there, which is, for me, one of the most important things any actor on a stage can do.
I was, however, disappointed about Marjolein. Not because of her talent, no way at all, because she HAS talent, she has proven it more than once to me when I had seen her as Killer Queen – her voice is really stunning. But to me, her display of Scaramouche was lacking  something that I love about that character, although I can’t put a finger on what that is. Maybe it was that she wasn’t as cute-bossy as the lead role, Jeannine Michele Wacker, who, until then, had been my main Scara on last year’s tour, or maybe that the relationship between her and Chris seemed a bit cold to me. But that’s all my personal opinion and is not supposed to diminish anyone’s talent in that Cast!
Markus Neugebauer played Brit once again, and after Anna Lidman last year, Ozzy was played by one of the new Cast members, Linda Holmgren. As usual, Markus‘ talent knocked me off my feet. I knew he was good, I had seen him last year and already thought he was the best Brit I had ever seen, but what he did on stage that night – wow. He has developed SO much since 2013, something I thought wasn’t possible. It was just tiny things, notes, that he did and sung differently, but those changes were truly amazing, especially the even more raspy sound of his voice on the high notes or the “waves” he gave some of his notes in “I Want It All”. And to see Linda was something I was curious about. I love the role of Ozzy, because she sings one of my all-time favourite Queen songs, and therefor I always have very high expectations to the person stepping into that role – and I might be a bit overly critical ever since I first saw Rachel John in that role at the Dominion Theatre in London and especially Andrea Sánchez Del Solar in 2013 in Essen. And Linda did not disappoint me, I even liked her better than Anna last year. Her voice is a lot higher than either Anna’s or Andrea’s, but it was something new to me, and she definitely did that role justice – especially in the high notes. That woman knows how to sing.
Brigitte Oelke & Martin Berger as Killer Queen & Khashoggi – do I need to say more? These two are institutions, have been with the show since 2004, and no matter how often I see them, their talent and amazing stage presence blows me away. Their interactions with each other, their voices, their acting – there’s not much better on german stages nowadays than these two. Brigitte’s voice…well, there is no word for it, you have to hear it for yourself. I’d bet that if she wanted to, she could blow up all the headlights in the theatre hall, and not even with a lot of effort, because her voice is THAT powerful.

20.12.2014 (Matinee & Evening/Premiere)
FINALLY, I would be seeing Jeannine Michele Wacker as Scaramouche again, and I couldn’t have been more excited for it. I had missed everything that I adore about her display of the role, and when she first came on stage, I couldn’t stop the major grin on my face. The thing with her and her Scara is, she’s the cutest, but also bossiest one I had seen so far. You look at her and think “Oh, look how tiny she is, how adorable!”, but then that girl opens her mouth and what comes out of it is too good to be true. Her voice is absolutely BREATHTAKING. It had already been like that last year, but what she did on stage that day was beyond my expectations. I knew she had different engagement over the past couple of months, even during this WWRY tour, she’s working at “Artus” in St. Gallen (Switzerland) every now and then, but you’d never guess the stress she has. Her intonation is crazy, her high vocals are not only high, but as strong as I’ve barely heard any other german singer being capable of. And her way of commanding Galileo about is just something you have to enjoy.
My Galileo that Matinee was Stuart Sumner – something I’ve noticed right away during “Radio GaGa”, when I didn’t spot him in his usual place as a teacher in the background. And although at first I was a bit sceptical – I had only seen him in the lead role once, and to be honest, he hadn’t fully convinced me back then. There were quite a few times he mixed up his text or one time, forgot it for a moment, and although I know it’s normal, they’re all just human and german isn’t his native language, (and I’d be the last person to judge anybody about it!!!) it disappointed me a bit, as I had heard opinions about how amazing he was as Galileo. This time, however, I was more than impressed. His voice had always been amazing, it was the one thing he convinced me with last year, but hearing him again showed me how much it had improved over the past months. And his interaction with Jeannine was adorable. He’s the most “manly” Galileo of all I have seen so far, the most “Rockstar” kind of guy of all of them, and every single time, his long vocals at the end of “We Are The Champions” leave me in complete awe – he knows how damn good his voice is, and he sure knows how to use it to have the audience in the palm of his hand.

Then….Premiere night. My first ever, with – of course – all the main Cast in the lead roles. I only want to say a few words to the (for me) dream pair of Galileo & Scaramouche: Christopher Brose & Jeannine Michele Wacker. Ever since Essen in 2013, I can safely say that I can never get enough of the interaction between those two on stage. They work together so unbelievably well, their voices match SO well, too, and all their movements and vocals are totally geared to each other as if they never did anything else in their life than being up on that WWRY stage together. Jeannine’s cuteness in playing Scara takes Chris’ dorky Galileo-behaviour to new highs, and Chris’ rocking side at the end lets Jeannine turn into a small pile of fangirl – I barely have seen two people who seem so destined to sing and act together – and their duet of “Who Wants To Live Forever” is one of the most beautiful and tear-bringing things I have ever seen on a stage.

21.12.2014 (Matinee & Evening)
Two different Galileo’s, Killer Queen’s & Bap’s – nice. When months before, I had booked my tickets for that weekend, I had only booked the evening show, as my original plan had been to meet up with a friend that day – which turned out to be a fail, so 30 minutes before the show started and after I had overheard a conversation whereby Isabel Trinkaus would be playing Killer Queen that afternoon, I spontaneously purchased another ticket in the middle of the 6th row (which was actually the 3rd row – what exactly the staff at the Old Opera House thought about that confusing seating, only god knows!)
To have Isabel as the evil Killer Queen was something I was absolutely thrilled about. Honestly, you can’t compare her to Brigitte Oelke in any way, and you’d be very wrong to even try to. Whereas Brigitte’s KQ is nothing but evil, loud and the very meaning of a “Diva”, Isabel’s KQ is even more evil, loud, scary – and extraordinarily bitchy. Which is actually a good thing. I love that touch so much that she gives the role, and since the last time I had seen her in it, she has improved so unbelievably much, her voice has become so incredible it was more than a delight to see her in that huge lead again.
Now to that day’s Ozzy, who was – in both shows – played by Andrea Sánchez Del Solar…if you know me well enough, you know what that fact means to me. Ever since I had first seen her Ozzy, and everything that comes with that role, I was done. I don’t even have words for the talent that that girl has inside of her. Her deep voice fits perfectly to “I Want It All”, and the soul in it never fails to make me completely cry my heart out during “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”. She’s the first and only person after Rachel John at the Dominion Theatre in London who ever made me tear up at that song, even BEFORE she has started singing – simply because I know what’s coming, and it’s the most beautiful thing I ever witnessed on stage. Moreover, the harmony between her and Markus Neugebauer is perfect. Their voices are geared to each other, it seems, because they’re both so unbelievably strong and a guarantee for goosebumps. If you ever have the chance to see either of them somewhere on a stage in the world – grab a ticket.

Over all, that weekend was a wonderful and memorable one. I met wonderful people again – Jeannine & Andrea, who I had massively missed over the past 18 months, Stuart & Brigitte, who recognized me despite my not so memorable face, and seemed genuinely happy to see me again and cared about how I’d been since we’ve last seen each other, Victor Barretto, who had been part of last year’s Cast and who, sitting in the same row as me during the Premiere show, also recognized me and asked how I had been…and not to mention two of the nicest people I have ever met. Martin, one of the band members, who I genuinely came to like, because he was so lovely and funny, and made me look a teeny tiny less stupid and dumb as I was standing all by myself at the Stage Door between and after all (!) of the 5 shows of the weekend, outside, defying cold, wind and rain, and who I sadly never got to say a proper Thank You & Goodbye to. I hope one day I can have another shot at that. And of course that WONDERFUL blond woman of the crew whose name I sadly never learned, but who was the kindest thing I ever came across at a Stage Door – taking care of me, making sure I wouldn’t freeze myself to death after the Premiere, and after two hours of waiting for the ones I was waiting for, dragged me (under my protest) to the premiere party to get out of the cold and right into the fun of it. If you read this: THANK YOU for everything, and I sincerely hope we’ll meet again one day.
And of course the numerous hugs, smiles, winks & waves of the people I genuinely care so much about – not just as actors, but more, as human beings, as people like you and me, – will stay in my memory of that weekend.

 

London 23.-28.07.2014

After two months, I was finally back – and this time, I would spent almost a week here, with one of my best friends around me 24/7, plus, 6 amazing shows and one soccer game. Safe to say I was beyond excited. And as I don’t want to spam people with numerous blogs about each show, I’ll put them all in here.

Wednesday, 23rd of July: “Billy Elliot”

This was my 2nd trip to the Victoria Palace Theatre since January 2013, and although at first I hadn’t been a huge fan of the show (with not having seen the film and not even being slightly interested in changing that), but even back then I thought it had potential and it was truly hilarious. Now, after this 2nd time of seeing the show, I keep asking myself: “Why haven’t I seen it more often whenever I was in London since last January?” Because hands down: it has gotten to me. Big time. I absolutely adored every single second of the show, and the Billy we had that day – Matteo Zecca,- was beyond amazing. He didn’t impress me as much as my first Billy, Harris Beattie, but then again, no one can beat your first, right? Just as with Tomi Fry, who is just hilarious as Michael, and who always is one of the highlights of the entire show for me. The woman who played Mrs. Wilkerson, Ruthie Henshall, was flawless. Not only her dancing talent, or simply her acting, but the entire way how she displayed the Ballet teacher, and how she treated Billy. Even the moments where she got pissed off at things, or excited, or sad, they were massively impressing, and I think her acting talent is really worth every pound you invest into that show when you decide to see it. Of course, the guy playing Mr. Braithwaite, David Muscat, was adorable, and his ability of tapdancing and doing a split was a real “Wow” moment for me, considering his stature. And the little girls who played the ballet class were beyond adorable, and so absolutely talented in everything they do, and the audience could easily see how much they enjoyed their roles. It’s always impressing when you can see kids on a stage, because sometimes, they can even upstage the grown-ups with their talent. I have to admit that I even kind of fell for the songs this time, especially “Solidarity” or “Electricity”, two really amazing tunes, and, of course, the best thing about the show: the opening of Act 2, “Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher”. That never fails to make me laugh.

Thursday, 24th of July: “Wicked”

My birthday show! One short notice beforehand: I do not hate the show itself, because that’s the impression a lot of crazy “Wicked” fans will get when they read this. Thing is: when I booked my ticket together with my friend Sarah, we decided to go up into the circle, because she said up there you could have a good overview of the stage and everything around it. Which was more than true. The stupid thing is that back then, I did not think of the fact that I was short-sighted, and that, when far away from something, I sometimes have problems with the acoustic in a room like this, meaning I barely understand a word…which made my first experience of the show one that I wish I wouldn’t have made. And the story just isn’t my kind of thing, I have realized after seeing it. The Cast, however, was mindblowing. We had both understudies for Glinda and Elphaba that day, Sophie Linder-Lee and Emma Hatton, plus, Jeremy Taylor as Fiyero.
Sophie was amazing, I loved her display of the bitchy Glinda, the girl who thinks the world evolves around her and who’s just so dislikeable at the beginning; but still, she was hilarious in it, and her voice sounded beautiful. And Emma Hatton…just wow. That girl can sing, and wow, HOW she can sing. I knew her from seeing/hearing her on the “We Will Rock You” stage, and I always knew she had an amazing talent, but what I was honoured to witness on the “Wicked” stage that day was breathtaking. Her voice has improved even more, and the vocals she belted out were giving me goosebumps. No surprise that she got the biggest Standing Ovations together with Sophie, and that various people afterwards said to her they were shocked to hear she was “only” the Understudy, and thought that she should have the principal role.
After the show, when me and my friends were waiting for her and the others at the Stage Door, the biggest surprise showed up: Katie Paine, former Cast Member of “We Will Rock You” (Killer Queen Understudy) and good friend of Emma. We were all so pleased to see her, and it was funny to confuse people at the Stage Door when we ran up to her, hugging her, and everyone thought she had been on the show, too. Whoops.

Friday, 25th of July: Charity Football Match on Old Street
This football match took place in small pitch where the Cast member of various West End shows – “The Commitments”, “Billy Elliot”, “Miss Saigon”, “Matilda”, “Wicked”, etc. – were playing for a good cause, and it was highly entertaining, yet a bit scary to see how those talented men all turned into aggressive sportsmen with the will to fight and to win their games, and how some of them could turn into very bad losers when challenged (don’t look at me like that, even the Cast Members themselves called some of their teammates “twat” at some point!)

Friday, 25th of July: “Miss Saigon”

A show I was excited about since my best friend had made me read its summary on Wikipedia months back. I am highly interested in “War Drama”, as I like to call it, Pearl Harbor, Vietnam War, you name it. And I am really happy that this show didn’t disappoint my expectations, despite the fact that it reminded me of “Les Misérables”, with not more than two or three sentences spoken normally, but sung. In some way, the music in “Miss Saigon” made it easier for me, and almost all of the songs were absolutely beautiful, mostly due to the fact that the people performing them were total stunners. Eva Noblezada, for starters, who plays the bar girl Kim. That girl is only 18 years old, but my God, she can sing like there is no tomorrow. Best voice I have heard in a long time, and her performance of Kim was flawless. She gave me goosebumps all over, and more than one tear in my eye. I see her having a very bright future on the stages of the world ahead.
Then, of course, Alistair Brammer as the soldier Chris. I could go on all day about how beautiful he is, how fit, how absolutely gorgeous and every girl’s dream. But most of all, his voice is breathtaking, and his acting talent was out of this world. I know now that this show isn’t easy at all, it doesn’t have a happy ending, but especially the last scene of it, just before the Curtain Call, is beyond difficult to play, I imagine. And Alistair was stunning in that scene, and in every single one before. You could see how emotionally caught up he is in his role, and that makes his display of Chris even more convincing.
Also, Kwang-Ho Hong as Thuy, Kim’s to-be love interest – WOW. I totally get why he’s so well-respected and popular in Korea. That man is amazingly talented. and it’s no suprise that he got one of the loudest Standing Ovations after the show.
Last but not least, one person who also impressed me was Hugh Maynard, who played the soldier John. His performance of “Bui Doi” was just amazing, and so heartbreaking, with all the pics of poor little kids in the background. These are the things that captivate me most about shows like that: the realistic inputs that remind you that all of this is real, that it has happened at one point in history. Overall, this show blew me away, and I think I will definitely be back at some point.

Saturday, 26th of July: “The Lion King”

That show was something I had heard different things about, and it made me partly wanting to see it and partly to avoid it. I get one of my friends’ disappointment when she first went to see it years back, saying how the heads on the actors heads were confusing her, making her dislike the show because the costumes were so disappointing (which, if you compare it with “Tarzan” definitely is a true thing, I can tell you). But after now having seen it, I am glad I gave it a shot anyways – after all, it was the first childhood movie that really impressed me 20 years ago. And right at the beginning, my tears had already started running down my cheeks, because when I listened to and watched the performance of “Circle Of Life”, all those memories came back to me, and it was a beautiful thing to watch all those animals coming onto the stage, filling it with life and music, and constant goosebumps were the result. Although even the woman right next to me said how silent the sound/acoustic was compared to the tour version she had seen once, and despite the fact that this show is definitely not one that has a lot of challenging vocals compared to other shows, I was impressed and loved it. The Cast was absolutely talented, especially the guy who played Simba that day, Nic Vani. When he came on stage during his “growing-up scene” in “Hakuna Matata”, I constantly fell in love with his amazing voice.
The highlight in this show, though, for me, were 4 people who don’t even have the biggest roles: Brown Lindiwe Mkhize, who played Rafiki exactly as I always thought he should be on stage, and the 3 people playing the hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai & Ed: Sarah Amankhwah, Taofique Folarin & Mark McGee. Just wow. I absolutely adored their costumes, and together with the one of Pumba, they were my favourites and the best in the entire show, and even more so, their acting talent was both flawless and hilarious. Watching them definitely made my night, because they were playing exactly as I remembered it from the movie. Though a few things were completely different to what happened in said movie, it even gave the show more spirit, and those changes were necessary to make it such a successfully running thing on the West End.

Saturday, 26th of July: “Book Of Mormon”

Cast Change day. I wasn’t aware of that until only a few days before my departure, and I knew the theatre and the Stage Door would both be packed, because the two Principal Roles, Gavin Creel (Elder Price) & Jared Gertner (Elder Cunningham) would be having their last show. AND WHAT A SHOW IT WAS. It was my 2nd time seeing it, and I can say nothing else than that I fell in love with it even more than during the 1st time. Everyone on that stage was and is beyond talented, and it’s the most hilarious thing I have ever seen in my life – and don’t even try and get me to explain it to you, because, hands down, “Book Of Mormon” simply is something that you can’t explain to anybody. So I advise you to go and see it yourself as soon as you can 😉
As we had Jared Gertner, who is the First Cast for Elder Cunningham, it was a different experience for me than the first time, when I was lucky enough to get David O’Reilly in that role. Jared was flawless, without a doubt. His Cunningham is beyond adorable, and he has a certain thing around him that makes you forget that behind all that clothing and Make-Up there is a grown man. You can’t help but love his talent and his display of that role, and although his role doesn’t really require huge singing talent (in my opinion, that is), his voice was wonderful to listen to, and there’s no doubt about his future acting career in the USA. Still, I have to admit, I desperately missed David O’Reilly on stage that night, because for me, he is “my” Elder Cunningham, someone who makes that role even more special in my opinion.
Gavin Creel…what can I say? He was flawless, his Elder Price is breathtaking, and with just a few words, a few moves, a few vocals, he has the entire audience tightly in the palm of his hand. His talent is insane, and the way he plays his role is indescribably good. Whenever I listen to him, I can’t help but at least bobbing with my head, or tipping my feet on the ground, and just smile widely the entire time. He has this certain thing around him that makes you feel welcome, that makes you feel kind of “home”, and I am truly blessed and honoured I had the chance to see the massive talent of his twice on stage. And although I hope he will be back on the West End stage more than soon, I wish him all the best for his life and career in the USA.
Alexia Khadime, as usual, was breathtaking, can’t say it any other way. That woman is just wow, no matter what she does or says or sings. I don’t know what is more stunning, her acting or her singing talent, and she is – without a doubt – the best Nabalungi that anybody who goes and sees the show will ever get to see.
With the rest of the Cast, especially the Elders, there is massive talent on that stage. No matter if it’s singing or acting, whenever I see them on stage (I know it’s only been two times, but it feels like way more), I am beyond impressed by how fitting each and every single on of them is in their roles, it never fails to amaze me. And I hope everyone of them will be staying for a while longer in this show, because without a doubt, you can see how much they love and enjoy to be part of it, of the Mormon Family. And they just simply deserve to be in it.

Sunday, 27th of July: “The Commitments”

If you have read an earlier post of mine on here about the show, then you know how little I liked it, mostly due to the fact that I barely understood anything (I blame the thick irish accent). And I think if you don’t understand a show, there is no way that even the best Cast can help you enjoy it anyway. I had, however, decided to give it another shot. And yes, I am SO glad I did.
I have never seen myself as a soul person, and although the songs sounded familiar, I never really liked them, they’re not my kind of thing, I guess. This show changed everything, though. The Cast was absolutely on fire, and I can’t even emphasize anyone in particular, because hands down, what the guys and girls on that stage do up there every night is mindblowing. May it be Ian McIntosh, who is the understudy for Deco, and who is just one of the most talented and blessed young men any stage has ever seen, or Mark Dugdale, who is just hilarious as Derek in any way I could think of, or Joe Woolmer, who I massively adore since the first time I saw him in the role of Mickah (seriously, if that guy doesn’t make you almost pee yourself laughing, then something really is wrong with you), or John McLarnon, Andrew Linnie, Sarah O’Connor, Denis Grindel, who we had as Jimmy that day (and who was good but not as brilliant as Thomas Snowdon on my first visit last November), Brian Gilligan, Stephanie McKeon…I could go on and on. The thing is: the talent on this stage is what makes the show vivid, and even more so, makes it such a feel-good show. I didn’t realize it the first time I went to see it, maybe because I had no idea what it was about, didn’t understand Jack Squad and was accompanied by just the wrong people, but I can safely say that now I absolutely adore this show and its brilliant Cast.
The Stage Door afterwards was total madness for us and I don’t even know how to understand anything that happened that might, but at some point, Mark Dugdale re-named me “Helga” because he thought “Tanja” wasn’t a very german name, hugged me multiple times to apologize that he forgot we had already met and was just a total star, like everyone else. Definitely made that last show experience of the week the best of all. Go and see the show if you can, you’ll come out with the biggest grin on your face and soul in your feet (if you’re not like me the first time you see it, that is 😉 ).
 

Apart from all the theatre experiences, I, overall, had the most amazing time in my favourite city, with the best people I could ever ask for, who not only made my birthday special, but the entire trip. I have amazing friends in them (old and new), and I feel absolutely blessed that they could be with me during almost all of that week. Thank you Sarah, Simone, Laura, Ali, Noor, Sigal, Steph, Jus, Carol, Tracie, Natalia, Gabby, Kim and whoever I have forgotten now. You all rock, thank you for making this trip so absolutely fun and unforgettable!

Any Way The Wind Blows…

May 31st, 2014. The day an era of 12 years at the Dominion Theatre ends, and after that day, neither Tottenham Court Rd. nor London itself will ever be the same.

I have been thinking long about whether I should do this post. I don’t want to sound like my life is ending now that my favourite show of all times is sadly closing. I don’t want to tell anybody out there that it has majorly changed my life or changed it at all, for that matter, because that would be a lie. It’s just going to be my personal way of saying Goodbye to something that means a hell of a lot to me.

I remember the first time ever that I watched the show. It was January, 13th, 2008. Cologne, Germany. Originally, I only went to see this show because I got 2 tickets for a former friend’s birthday 10 days before. She had spoken about it months earlier, and although I always had some kind of soft spot for some of the Queen songs, I never gave it much thought or even planned to go and see it, mainly because at that time, I had nothing to do with musical theatre at all. I was 22 years old, and I couldn’t think of anything more boring than paying to watch people dancing and singing on a stage.

Safe to say that this birthday gift was the best idea I had ever had.

The moment the show started at the Musical Dome, I was sucked inside. “Innuendo” has always had a very special meaning to me since that day, because whenever I hear it, goosebumps are everything I’m made of. I remember when “Radio GaGa” started a few minutes later, and I thought: “I love this shit.” And I do until this day forward. I don’t even know or remember the Cast we had back then, but I know they had a huge impact on the fact I fell in love with this show from the get go (although I was as far away as you could be on your first ever musical from knowing what a “Stage Door” was or that you could actually meet the actors after the show).

Years passed by where I completely forgot about it. My life went on, friends came, friends left. Then I met a certain person online, Kim, who today is one of my best friends. We became friends over the fact that we were both crazy “Supernatural” fans (nothing crazy about that anymore) and went to the same Convention hosting actors of the show in 2011. But what I only discovered later was that Kim was the biggest musical theatre fan I had ever met. I always saw her pictures of shows, “Cats”, “Tarzan”, “Rocky Horror Show”…and I have no idea how it happened, she somehow drew me completely into that musical theatre thing, made me fall head over heels for “Tarzan” (which is until today still one of the best things that could have happened to theatre land), and before I even knew it, I was sitting in Seat C 29 of the Stalls at the Dominion Theatre in London on September, 20th, 2012, on my first ever London trip.

The only thing I regret about that night? That I did not have any device on me to record the show. Yes, I know it’s prohibited, but if I had known back then what I knew today, I would’ve done anything to keep it recorded for eternity. Because that show simply knocked me off my feet. I had both understudies for Galileo & Scaramouche (which I didn’t know until I actually thumbed through the programme), Scott Monello & Emma Hatton. And up to this day, these two will always have a very special place in my heart. I fell head over heels for Scott’s adorable display of Galileo, for his vocals and his small dancing parts, and more than once after the show I thought how it could be that he was “only” the understudy? He was absolutely breathtaking. So was Emma; she sang the roof off the theatre with her insane vocals. Her hight notes gave me goosebumps, and having had the honour and luck to see her perfom one more time exactly one year later, I was more than happy to see and hear how everything in her voice had improved even more. Plus, her Scaramouche was one of the most adorable things I had ever seen on a stage (and note, that was only my 2nd ever musical at that point in my life). That I had also the honour to see Rachel John as Meat that night will probably always be one of the biggest highlights of my life. That woman has a voice that is out of this world, and she was the first and only person until last year who actually made me cry the instant she started singing “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”.

After that 1st visit, I was not only totally in love with London (coming from someone who always despised the british accent and never cared about anything british at all, I guess that’s saying something), but also helplessly with musical theatre, and it was just natural that I was back at the Dominion only 3 months later. This time, I would be seeing the new Cast doing their thing, forwardmost, Oliver Tompsett as Galileo. I had seen him in the role of Drew Boley in “Rock Of Ages” three months before, and back then, I he knocked me so hard off my feet with his talent that I was beyond happy to see him in my favoure show. And what can I say? He did definitely not disappoint me. He was, and still is up to this day, the most talented person I ever had the pleasure and honour to watch. His vocals, his talent, his acting skills, yes, even his silly little dancing steps during the show, were and are completely out of this world, and I don’t even know of one second that he didn’t give me chills all over my body. I had high hopes and expectations about him as Galileo, since I knew what he was capable of if you let him do his thing on a stage, but what I saw that night was beyond said expectations. The moment I saw him performing “I Want To Break Free” and through every song he performed that night, I knew he was exactly where he belonged. There is one word in Germany for someone on a stage who enjoys every second of it, who is practically overflowing with vitality, gratitude and happiness, all displayed by the biggest grin on their faces during an entire show: limelight hog. And that is what hit me the moment Oliver stepped foot on that Dominion stage, and that special feeling never left me whenever I came back to see him four more times; it was a gift from God he was chosen to play Galileo Figaro.
Rachael Wooding, who played Scaramouche – wow. I have barely seen any woman (apart from Emma Hatton three months earlier who had such a positive energy inside her little body and such mindblowing vocals than her. Plus, her interaction with Oliver was amazing, they seemed like they had done this job together for years instead of months! The chemistry between them was the one thing I will always remember the most about all my Dominion shows, because not only between Galileo and Scaramouche it’s a very important thing, but between all the other characters, too.

Months passed until I went back to the Dominion, but instead, I was part of two crazy months in May/June 2013, when the german Cast of “We Will Rock You” were on tour close to my hometown, in a city called Essen. I have talked about it in certain posts on here, and the fact that I spent a hell of a lot money for 7 shows in 8 weeks says a lot about how much I fell even more in love with the show than I already had. The Cast was the best thing I had ever witnessed on a german stage, and the time I spent watching the show and hanging out at the Stage Door was definitely one of the best times of my life. I made wonderful friends during the tour, including two Cast members, and it was all thanks to them that the show grew even bigger in my admiration than it already had. Even though a few songs were sung in german (which was weird after 5 years and recently having seen the West End Cast two times), I couldn’t help but sing, cheer and clap along with them. Some people say that different versions of the same show might be having different impacts on the fans, and I’ve heard a couple of times that a german Cast can never achieve or do what a West End or Broadway Cast is capable of. But here’s me saying: THEY CAN. And hell, HOW they can. The german Cast has shown me that no matter in what part of the world “We Will Rock You” is performed and no matter how much scepsis you will feel towards it at first, the songs and the feelings you have throughout it will never be different. They will always suck you in, because it’s the show itself that will always provide its inexplicable magic.

The thing that impressed me the most was the Cast Change day at the Dominion on October, 5th, 2013. It was a very emotional day, as it was the last performance of Scott Monello, Emma Hatton, Rachel John & Wayne Robinson (who played Brit), but also because it was the day that Brian May came up in the middle of the stage during “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Safe to say that together with the entire Cast smashing the song and his breathtaking guitar solo he totally blew the roof off the Dominion. It is, up to this day, the most amazing show of that Cast that I have seen, because everyone was on fire and giving it 200% of their talent.

I am gutted to no end to see this wonderful and amazing show leave the West End, because theatre is losing one of its biggest and best pieces today, but although I couldn’t see it more than 6 times, I am beyond grateful for these few times, and each and every one of the shows I was part of I will always cherish deep down in my heart. I am also grateful for every single actor of the Cast that ever took their time to come out and chat with the fans, with me, who were always so patient, kind, funny, caring, and never got tired of us showing up on their doorstep to tell them how amazing they are, or asking for photos or autographs. This goes especially out to the following people that I have met over the past one and a half years and that grew to my heart so much that I will always try and support them in whatever they’ll be doing: Scott Monello, Oliver Tompsett, Katie Paine, Rachael Wooding, Rachel John & Emma Hatton.

Thank You, “We Will Rock You”, for the past one and a half years, for every single amazing show, for every laughter, for every tear I shed, for every beautiful moment at the Stage Door, for all the goosebumps you got me, simply for all the beautiful memories that you brought me and that I will keep in that special place in my heart forever. You will all be massively missed, and it is more than wrong and sad you have to go, but one thing I know for sure: you’ll be going out with a bang, because that’s what you deserve.

THANK YOU.

 

We Will Rock You – Dominion Theatre 17.05.2014

My very last ever “We Will Rock You” at the Dominion – that day definitely came way too fast. It had been my very first show back in 2008, and since then, had always been my absolute favourite. But even if people will slaughter me after reading this: I wish my very last memory/experience of this show would be the Cast Change on October, 5th, 2013, and not this show. The reason for this is simple: the Cast. I am not someone to slate new Casts when I see them first, when I am used to an old Cast, because I know it’s all hard work and a tough job to step into big footsteps, and everyone deserves a chance. Maybe I expected too much from my last show, as I already walked down the aisle to my seat with tears in my eyes. But from the beginning.

I arrived in London at 12pm that day, and my friend Sarah had told me that if I wanted to catch Oliver Tompsett & Katie Paine before the Matinee to give them their farewell gifts, I should head right down to the Dominion. Safe to say I rushed into the tube to Piccadilly Circus with my heavy suitcase and the bags, and from there, ran for my life, as it was getting later and later and people seem to love stepping into my way as if they had no care in the world. Thankfully, I reached the Theatre just in time, because after 5 minutes, Katie arrived, greeting me from afar, hugging me and apologizing for not replying to my tweet that morning, asking when she’ll arrive. She then told me that Olly would probably be already in, as they had rehearsals at 1pm, so I did not only give her her own present (she was absolutely taken aback, thanked me a couple of times and told me what a very nice thing to do it was), but also the one for Olly, which she promised to give him. Before she went inside, she asked me where I was sitting in the evening show, and when I told her that I’d be seated in C20 in the Stalls, she smiled and said she’d wave at me from the stage. Such a sweetheart 🙂

First thing that shocked me when I got into the theatre that evening and checked the board – Rachael Wooding (Scaramouche) wasn’t on. Safe to say my heart sank, because I couldn’t have imagined a better Scara to end on than her. Plus, the actual cover, Catriana Sandison, wasn’t on, either, as I noticed when the show started – after the Matinee, she had felt poorly and Sophie Ayers had to jump in, and apparently, the Dominion Staff hadn’t had the time to change the board (which is not a big deal, really, just confusing 🙂 ). Thankfully, the wonderful Oliver Tompsett was on as Galileo, and that was the thing that mattered to me the most.

When the show started, I was already in tears. During every song, every scene, the fact that it would be the last time I see them was in my head, and it broke my heart. What I noticed pretty soon was that since the Cast Change last October, they had changed a lot of the script, which was confusing at first, as I thought maybe the Cast had forgotten some of their text (which is highly unlikely, as they know what they do, but they’re just humans, after all), but as the changes kept happening, I realized it were no mistakes – which I didn’t like, to be honest. For me, it felt like some of the jokes were taken away (like when Olly/Galileo tells Sophie/Scaramouche that he had been tweeting the entire time – what was left out at that point was him saying “Only important stuff, what I had for breakfast and stuff”, which is basically the thing that makes this scene work the most!). Plus, for someone who knows the show by heart, it’s a confusing thing, it actually made me feel like I haven’t seen the show in years instead of only 6 months.

Now to the Cast. I feel bad for stating my opinion like this, but I have to say that from all the different Casts I have seen over the last couple of years, that one was the weakest for me. Not the “old” ones (Alasdair Harvey, Oliver Tompsett, Brenda Edwards & Katie Paine), but the “new” ones. Maybe it’s like I said, I was used to the 2012/2013 Cast, they grew to my heart, and with them being gone, it was bound to be different. But the voices weren’t giving me goosebumps, to be honest. Amanda Coutts (Meat) was probably the one I was most excited about, as I heard a couple of good things about her voice and performance, and I was more than looking forward to her “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”, which had always given me tears when the former Meat, Rachel John, had sung it. I have to admit, Amanda was okay, good, actually, because she has a lovely voice, and you can really see her talent shining through, you can see why she was cast as Meat in the first place. But it’s fair for me to say that she didn’t touch me inside my heart with her performance. Plus, maybe it was only me being spoiled by Rachel John & Wayne Robinson in the roles of Meat and Brit, but to me, it felt a bit cold between her and Rolan Bell, can’t put my finger on it. Rachel and Wayne always had a special connection, you just bought it that they were a couple madly in love, living for the dream of real music coming back one day. I just didn’t feel that about Amanda and Rolan. His voice was good, too, and I have to admit, it was way better than the one of Wayne when I first saw him in 2012, Rolan had much more strength in it, and he was able to sound louder than the orchestra. But I didn’t have that certan special feeling inside of my stomach that I can’t quite put my finger on.
Sophie Ayers (Scaramouche), what can I say about her? I think for people who know the show by heart, the role of Scara, and her songs, it’s obvious that she is the 2nd Scara cover. I’m not saying her voice or performances were bad (because they weren’t, none of the new Cast one’s were, if they were, they wouldn’t be part of the show, after all), but it’s just that she hasn’t got what Rachael Wooding displays in that role; one essential and important thing for me, personally, about this role is to hold notes for a bit longer than usual – especially during “Somebody To Love”. A powerful voice is what makes this song so beautiful, what makes the actor singing it grow to your heart. I am truly sorry, but that just didn’t happen for me with Sophie. I felt like something was missing. I can imagine that something like this can happen if you’re thrown onto a stage on such a short notice, you have to work in your role and work with the other actors on stage, and I know it must be difficult. And I am not saying that Sophie isn’t talented, because she most definitely is, and I can see how amazing she can be with a lot more stage experience as more than a 2nd cover, which I wish to happen to her. I just didn’t warm up to her as much as I did with any other Scaramouche I’ve seen on stage in my life.
The “old” ones were fab as always – I absolutely love how Brenda Edwards & Alasdair Harvey interact with each other on stage as Killer Queen & Khashoggi, there’s nothing like it, really. I know some people don’t agree on that, but for me, Alasdair is Khashoggi, he has been my first one and will always be my favourite; he lives the role. Brenda isn’t my favourite Killer Queen, I have to admit, but I have barely heard such a powerful voice on stage than hers, she just gives me the goosebumps whenever she hits the high notes.
And Oliver Tompsett…what a man, what a talent. I knew he’d blew me away once again, and it’s safe to say he was on fire that night. It doesn’t matter which song he sings or how dorky he dances, everything he does on that stage gives me the biggest goosebumps. Once again, from “We Will Rock You” until the end of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, he had me in tears, and during every second of these songs, you can see how much he loves playing the role of Galileo; to me, it seems like he is actually born for that role. He’s a limelight hog, he enjoys playing with the audience, he enjoys drawing them in, and his “Day-Oohs” are legendary. I have never heard a more powerful voice, or seen more talent on a stage than the one he has. He’s one in a million for me, and having him as my very last Galileo at the Dominion was more than a gift for me. It’s too sad the show is closing in a few days, but I think it’s safe to say that it couldn’t end on a better Galileo Figaro than Oliver Tompsett.

The Stage Door afterwards was barely busy, which surprised me, as it was a saturday and it was getting closer and closer to the end. Thankfully, a lovely woman from Norway stood with me, so I wasn’t completely on my own. I got to talk to the ones I wanted to – Olly & Katie, mostly,- got my pics and therefor, wonderful memories. Olly said he was sorry for it having been my last WWRY show, and he and Katie thanked me again for my gifts, gave me a couple of hugs and were generally the most lovely people you can ever meet at a Stage Door.

I also got a few words with Amanda Coutts, Alasdair Harvey & Brenda Edwards, and I had a funny moment when Alasdair signed my ticket book. Apparently, he had put his autograph into it, writing a bit over the one Olly had written down just moments before, and he apologized, and I told him I didn’t mind, which came out a bit like “Oh, never mind, it’s just Olly!”, and Alasdair pulled a shocked face and went “I’m going to tell him that!”, which was hilarious, as I know he was joking (I had never seen him anything else than serious at the Stage Door before, so that was a nice thing 🙂 )

All in all, yes, I was a bit disappointed by my last show, which was probably my own fault due to high expectations and a lot of emotions inside my body, sue me. But seeing all the familiar faces one last time, talking to them one last time and properly saying goodbye to them was all that mattered. And to everyone in that Cast/Show, I hope they’ll continue to do amazing things, to improve their talent, and to have a bright future!

Book Of Mormon – Prince Of Wales Theatre 17.05.2014

It took me over one year to finally see this show (mostly due to absolutely ridiculous & horrendous ticket prices!), but it’s safe to say I was beyond excited when I got into my seat; the view was absolutely perfect and totally worth its price. Plus, I had nice company right next to me (a 45ish pilot to my left who tried to hook me up with the guy next to my right and was just hilarious). The theatre itself was not as big as other ones, but it was wide and the stage was lovely set, with love for details, that was easy to see.

When the show started, it soon became pretty clear that it is not to be taken too seriously. It’s weird, though, but although I loved it so much, I can barely remember every joke or pun or funny scene, even if someone would point a gun at my head – there were just too many. The story itself is also better not taken seriously, and the entire Cast and Creators definitely don’t take themselves seriously at all. Everyone’s taking the piss out of the whole baptizing thing, making fun of the church and its strict rules and commitments; for someone like me, who has never been religious and neither really believes in a higher power, this is just the perfect show. And the fact that you can’t actually describe it to anybody who has never seen it because it’s just something really different and has to speak for itself…for me, that makes it even more amazing.

What can I say about the Cast? Right at the beginning, it was announced that Elder Cunningham would be played by David O’Reilly, who is actually the understudy for that role. Safe to say that from the moment he came on stage – I absolutely loved him. I don’t know how Jared Gertner plays the role, but to me, David was perfect. His weird laugh was one of my highlights, and he’s definitely one of the funniest guys I have ever seen on a stage. Plus, seeing him, walking, running and dancing over the stage with his “Star Wars” backpack and his need to have a best friend in Elder Price, made me go all “Aww” for him, because something inside of him reminded me of something inside of me. And his voice is definitely very remarkable, too, something you probably wouldn’t expect from a short, chubby guy – but he was absolutely adorable. He kind of stole the show for me, especially whenever he wasn’t able to call Nabulungi, one of the ugandan girls, by her real name, or during the part of the show where he “baptizes” her, which definitely has the most hilarious ambiguity I have ever witnessed!

Gavin Creel as Elder Price – WOW. The moment he first started singing was magical. Even when he was just talking, he was completely drawing me in, and I get why he was cast for that role – he’s born for it. He sells the role of the missionary Mormon so well, the dilemma of his beliefs and where he really wants to be in his life (Florida!), that it’s really difficult to not fall for him, to empathize with him. Even him being a narcissistic young man who thinks he’s the best and deserves the best and that he will be the one who changes the world – you can’t help but love that about him. What’s with his voice, it’s absolutely stunning. There wasn’t any note that wasn’t perfect and everything about his performance was flawless. His version of “I Believe”, his solo – it had already been my favourite before I had even seen the show, and I loved it even more when I finally saw it on that stage. Plus, his hair in the 2nd part of the show – jesus (see what I did there)! Talking about sexy bed hair without being in bed, he can definitely wear it! stage.

Alexia Khadime as Nabulungi, oh my. She has the voice of an angel, it was absolutely breathtaking listening to her hitting the high notes like her life depends on it; you would never guess how much power there is inside this little cute girl. Plus, the way she played her role was adorable. I can’t believe I have never seen her on a stage before, because she has some huge talent right there. Just wow.

Kevin Harvey, Ashley Samuels & Chris Jarman as Mafala Hatimbi, Doctor & General – holy mother of…! These three are the most hilarious people that have ever set foot on a stage! I can’t remember any moment where they didn’t make me almost falling out of my seat from all the laughing. Especially Ashley was mindblowing, casually throwing in “I’ve got maggots in my scrotum” every now and then, when you least expect it. Chris as the General reminded me of some american actor, although I couldn’t put my finger on it, and just as Ashley, he got me in stitches, especially when he revealed his name or during the last musical number.

The rest of the Cast were just as flawless as the forementioned people. They are working together like they haven’t done anything else in their entire life, you can feel the connection between them, and they are all so amazingly talented, even if it’s just pulling weird faces – not a moment where I didn’t enjoy watching them doing their thing. The two musical numbers they sing together (the ugandan tribe), “Hasa Diga Eebowai” and “Joseph Smith American Moses” – safe to say they were two of my highlights, because I think I haven’t laughed so much for a long time.

My resumé of the show: WOW. Although I expected to laugh a bit more than I actually did, it does not diminish the love I already feel for this show, neither does it make me regret paying a hell of a lot for my ticket – because I don’t. I now understand why the ticket prices are so high, why the show and Cast get so many good critics and publicity, why people love everything about it so much. It’s definitely one of the best shows I have ever seen, and it’s worth every penny. The songs are perfectly written, fit into every single scene and are nothing else but absolute catchy tunes – I think flawless describes it pretty well. The directors of this show have definitely done everything right with creating it and bringing it into the West End – and I sincerely hope it will continue its successful run at the Prince Of Wales Theatre for a very very long time!