Review: The Bodyguard

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Bodyguard.
I saw The Bodyguard exactly (give or take a few days) two years ago, on it's closing night at the Adelphi Theatre, after it had just finished a two year run. It is now back in the West End for a limited run in the Dominion Theatre and the show is in great shape! I'm over the moon that I was able to go again as it is such a phenomenal show. Despite knowing the story well from last time, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire show. I don't know why, because I knew what was going to happen, but I was even getting goosebumps! It's such a good storyline, I loved every second! At the performance I was at Beverley Knight was absent and in her place was Carole Stennett in the role of Rachel Marron. She was utterly brilliant! I've said it 100 times before and I'll say it again, understudies are the best! I always really love seeing an understudy, I always know they'll give the performance 110%. Just because someone is an understudy doesn't mean they are any less good than the full-time performer (in most cases they are even better), but sometimes it is just down to being in the right place at the right time that can lead to someone getting the role full-time. Carole is perfection in this role, really good acting, phenomenal voice and a great dancer, the perfect leading lady! If I dare say it, I thought she was even better than Alexandra Burke, who I saw in the role when I first saw the show. Other cast members who stood out were Ben Richards as Frank Farmer, Rachel John as Nicki Marron and Matthew Stathers as The Stalker. All the cast were exceptional, there was not one weak link! They are also assisted by a brilliant orchestra. The music is amazing, I love every single song in the show. 'I Will Always Love You' was a real stunner and excellently sung by Carole Stennet. The show features some top-notch choreographer and I think it is very well directed. The more 'frightening' scenes are done perfectly. The lighting and set design is also very impressive. Rachel John has a really powerful and stunning voice and if she isn't cast as Angelica in Hamilton when the show comes to London I will not be a happy reviewer! ;) I seriously cannot fault anything with this show, every bit of it is perfect! Sadly the show is only having a limited run, which I find a real shame as it deserves to run and run!

The featured star of The Bodyguard is, drum roll please... CAROLE STENNETT!

Carole is incredible, she really deserves to be playing the role full time! Carole is yet another understudy who gives a performance of perfection, she is amazing in the role!

Now for my final verdict on The Bodyguard. I give The Bodyguard...

I give this rating because I think the show is perfect in every way, people need to run to the box office before this shuts again!

Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Join me next time when I will be reviewing Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Color Purple

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Color Purple.
Ever since seeing The Color Purple's performance at the Tony's I have been wanting to see this show so badly. For my last day in New York, I thought  this would be a good show to end on. The show had a lot to live up to, having won two Tony Awards and a lot of people I've met raving about it. The show stars English actress and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo as Celie, who I saw over two years ago in a show called I Can't Sing: The X Factor Musical. I Can't Sing closed after 6 weeks, but it's so great to see how far Cynthia has come since that show. I'm not even sure if words can describe how good her performance is. Her voice is extraordinary, I don't think I have heard one similar. I have been listening to the cast album non stop, she is amazing on it! She is definitely one of the best singers on Broadway at the moment. Her solo 'I'm Here' brought the house down and she actually received a standing ovation after the song (which is quite rare). The show follows such a heartbreaking and moving story, I loved every second of it. It was very well written, I was transfixed and I even shed a tear or two. A new addition to the cast is Heather Headley as Shug Avery, who also has such a stunning voice. Heather and Cynthia do a duet during act one called 'What About Love' which is beautiful. Their voices work so well with each other, that song was perfection. Heather was also stunning during her number 'Push Da Button' which is another song that amazes the audience. I also loved Danielle Brooks in the role of Sofia, she was perfectly cast in that role, she was hilarious! The score is wonderful, each number is written perfectly. As I said, I have been listening to the cast album non-stop and have decided that my favourite songs are 'Big Dog', 'Push Da Button' and 'I'm Here', but that was a really tough choice. The orchestra were also amazing and I thought the lighting design was great. I'd also like to say a few words about Isaiah Johnson as Mister, because I thought he was also excellent. Even though the character does some really horrible things, you can't help but feel sorry for him during 'Celie's Curse' and this is due to Isaiah's great performance. The only criticism for the show I have, it it's set design, which I really was not a fan of. I think I may be missing something with it, I wondered if it might have some hidden meaning, but I just didn't get it and felt it could've been more creative.

The featured star of The Color Purple is, drum roll please... CYNTHIA ERIVO!

Cynthia's voice is out of this world, her performance is spectacular. I cannot stop raving about her, she gives such a powerful performance and one that the audience can really connect with. I can't wait to see what Cynthia has planned for her next role!

Now for my final verdict on The Color Purple. I give The Color Purple...

I give this rating because the show has such amazing performance and not ones I will be forgetting anytime soon. This is a must see and I hope that you will be as moved as I was.

Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Sadly that is the end of my New York reviews. I have been back in London for a week now, but I cannot wait to get back to the Big Apple as I think the shows there are spectacular! Join me next time when I will be reviewing The Bodyguard.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Cagney

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Cagney.
As I said in my Sense and Sensibility review, there really isn't much on Broadway at the moment so during my NY theatre marathon I decided to see what shows were Off-Broadway. I asked an American friend (shoutout to Broadway Bob!) if there were any new good shows Off-B.Way at the moment and he said that he had heard good word of mouth about Cagney, so off to Cagney we went. The show has a great trailer, so I was really excited and curious as to what this show would be like. The show features a lot of tap-dancing, all of which astonishing! It was well choreographed and the cast were fantastic tappers (is that even a word?), all of the tap was perfect. I used to go to a theatre school, where I learnt tap dancing and the show really made me want to take it up again. I left the theatre inspired! The show features a cast of 6, including Robert Creighton as James Cagney, with Jeremy Benton, Danette Holden, Bruce Sabeth, Josh Walden and Ellen Zolezzi all playing several roles. I thought Robert Creighton was remarkable! He was so perfect for the role, amazing at acting, singing and dancing. He wrote the music and the lyrics for the show, which I loved as he seemed to have such a connection with the character, which reminded me of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton. The rest of the cast were also brilliant, they all worked really well together. Sometimes actors playing several roles at at time can be difficult, but I felt Cagney handled it very well and differentiated the characters perfectly. I think the music was really well written and I was informed at stage door that they are doing a cast album. I cannot wait for this to be released, I really hope it will be coming out sooner than later (and that it'll be available to those of us in the UK). I found Cageny's life to be such an interesting story to follow, it's so great to see how he rose from a son of an Irish immigrant struggling with his Mum to pay the bills to a big Hollywood star. I didn't have any prior knowledge about James Cagney before seeing the show, but I would love to see one of his movies now. I think this production could do very well if it toured, especially if it toured in the UK ;)

The featured star of Cagney is, drum roll please... ROBERT CREIGHTON!

Robert is the perfect leading man and gave a Broadway quality performance. He was perfect for this role in every way and I am so happy he got nominated for a Drama Desk Award because he really deserved it!

Now for my final verdict on Cagney. I give Cagney...

I give this rating because the show has a great cast, with lovely songs and a good storyline. It doesn't quite get 5 stars, but it is very, very close!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Sense and Sensibility

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Sense and Sensibility.
With not many new shows being on Broadway at the moment I decided to turn to Off-Broadway and see what interesting shows were on. After months of reading the BroadwayWorld forum, I decided to join it to ask if anybody had any recommendations on what to see, so I would like to give a shoutout to Susanswerphone who recommended this play to me. I wasn't really too sure what to expect, but I had read a glowing review of the show by Ben Brantley, so was very interested to see it for myself. The show is so creative and such an interesting concept. I have never, ever, seen a play like this, ever... and that is what is so wonderful about this show. It is so great to see such originality and creativeness like this, it is truly rare to come across a show like this. I did not know any Jane Austen story's beforehand, but it is great to be told one of her stories in this way. The company has limited props and set, and yet they use them so perfectly. The play features a very talented group of actors featuring Laura Baranik, Kate Hamill, Nigel Gore, Jason O'Connell, Kelley Curran, John Russell, Vaishnavi Sharma, Samantha Steinmetz, Eric Tucker and Jack Haley (who was performing in the place of Stephan Wolfert). This cast are absolutely phenomenal. They are each so well cast and all had great chemistry. There was not a single weak link, I was really impressed. The English accents (coming from a Brit) were brilliant. I actually thought a few of them may be English. I stagedoored after the show and asked the cast if any came from England and to my amazement they were all American. English accents can be quite difficult to do and they are often confused with an Australian accent (I'm looking at you Jake Gyllenhaal), but this cast did the accents to perfection. The actors do occasionally interact with the audience, which I absolutely loved. I felt like I was transported to olden days England. I also really liked the venue of The Gym at Judson, it was nice and intimate, which works for a show like this (Even though I  wasn't really a fan of the uncomfy seats). As I stated, I don't really know too much Austen, but one thing I found really interesting in Ben Brantley's review is that he thinks that people who don't usually like Austen will like this play. The only criticism I have for the show is that at several points during the play I did get a little confused. Some of the actors play several roles each, which I think was the source of the confusion, but I feel this can be easily resolved if more was done to differentiate the characters (for example, one character could have glasses and the other without).

The featured star of Sense and Sensibility is, drum roll please... KELLEY CURRAN!

This was a really touch choice as I thought they were all exceptional, but if I had to choose a featured star, I think Kelley would have the edge. I thought she was perfectly cast in this role, she was really good from start to finish. She also reminded me of Anne Hathway, who I am a big fan of!

Now for my final verdict on Sense and Sensibility. I give Sense and Sensibility...

I give this rating because I found this to be such a unique and innovative production, there is nothing like it, but I did get slightly confused at parts.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Join me next time when I will be reviewing Cageny.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: On Your Feet

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of On Your Feet.
I originally had On Your Feet planned last time I was in the Big Apple, but sadly didn't get the chance to see it due to limited time. This time I finally got to see it and I am so happy I got this chance, because it was sensational! The show is so much fun, I left the theatre with a big smile on my face. I would like to start by talking about the music. WOW... the music! I was not too familiar with the music, the only songs I'd heard were from the show's trailer, but I left the show becoming a big fan of Gloria Estefan. It's music that just makes you want to get up and dance. The music is assisted by a phenomenal orchestra and a very good sound design. Cast members who stood out were Ana Vilafañe as Gloria Estefan, Ektor Rivera as Emilio Estefan, Doreen Montalvo who was understudying as Gloria Fajardo and Alma Cuervo as Consuelo García. There was quite a bit of upset when Ana wasn't nominated for the Tony Award so was very curious to see her performance myself. After seeing her, I can say with 100% certainty that I am shocked she wasn't nominated. She was a superstar! She has a phenomenal voice, she is such a good actress and is also a great dancer. A triple threat, she is the perfect leading lady! The brilliant choreography, which won the Outer Critics Circle Award and Fred and Adele Astaire Award, is absolutely faultless. I would also like to say kudos to Doreen Montalvo who was perfect understudying as Gloria Fajardo. I really love seeing understudies as they always put 110% in. Almost every performance by an understudy I have ever seen have been exceptions to this rule and in some cases I have found them to be better than the full time performers. I was also a big fan of the lighting, set design, staging and I found it to be a really fascinating storyline to follow. One of the things I love about theatre so much is that you can be greatly educated about certain subjects, I came out of On Your Feet knowing Gloria Estefan's life story. It is the perfect formula for a musical, I loved every second! If you aren't a fan of jukebox musicals, there is no denying that this show is so much fun!

The featured star of On Your Feet is, drum roll please... ANA VILAFAÑE!

I was seriously impressed with Ana's performance, she is one of my favourite leading actresses of the year so far. She was exceptional! This is not a performance I will be forgetting any time soon.

Now for my final verdict on On Your Feet. I give On Your Feet...

I give this rating because I haven't had so much fun at a musical in ages, and at the end of the show everyone is 'on their feet'. There is no faulting this show, I thought it was the perfect formula for a musical!

Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Join me next time when I will be reviewing Sense and Sensibility. 

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: An American in Paris

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of An American in Paris.

I hadn't originally planned to see An American in Paris, due to the fact that it is coming to the West End next March, however I lost the Hamilton lottery and thought it would be a good idea to go and see An American in Paris instead. Boy, am I glad I lost that lottery, because An American in Paris was groundbreaking. WOW WOW WOW! An American in Paris, which has been on Broadway since 2014, breaks new ground by featuring the most ballet in a musical ever. I have never seen anything like it. It was so great to see something so inspiring and original. That's one of the reasons I love Hamilton so much as well, it's great to see a show break new ground. Cast members who stood out were Nathan Madden, who was the alternate, as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Matthew Scott as Adam Hochberg, Max von Essen as Henri Baurel, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel and last but not least Jill Paice as Milo Davenport. I was really impressed with Nathan Madden's performance and was very surprised that when I looked in my playbill at intermission that he is the alternate for the role of Jerry. I thought he was absolutely brilliant and did not have a clue that he was the alternate. Leanne Cope is absolutely stunning in the role she was born to play. She does, what is possibly, the best dancing I have ever seen onstage. I couldn't imagine the show without her, she was a real highlight. Funnily enough, I spoke to her at stage door and it turns out she comes from the same small English town that I come from. What are the chances? Leanne will be transferring with the show when it makes it way to London, which I will hopefully get to see again! The choreography is complete and utter perfection and would come very close to my favourite choreography of all time (which is Hamilton). I would love to see more work of this fantastic choreographer's as this was fantastic. The title number 'An American in Paris' completley blows the audience away and is excellently carried out by all of the phenomenal dancers. The costumes, set and lighting were all perfectly designed and I also found the show to be well staged.  The storyline was so interesting to follow and there were some twists I did not expect at all. I really loved the music so much and I couldn't wait to download the album (I did have some problems with wifi to download it, but tried and tried and it eventually worked! YAY). 

The featured star of An American in Paris is, drum roll please... LEANNE COPE!

As I said above, Leanne gives such an incredible performance. Even though she doesn't need to act or sing, when she does she is also great. I wish her good luck at the Olivier Awards when she comes to London next year!

Now for my final verdict on An American in Paris. I give An American in Paris...

I give this rating mainly due to the fact it is so groundbreaking and the show dared to do what not many other shows do. It also features a great cast, songs and some of the best choreography I have ever seen.

Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Join me next time when I will be reviewing On Your Feet.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Cats (Broadway)

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Cats.
As some of you may have read on my Twitter (@thereviewer23) last week I was in the Big Apple (one of my favourite places on Earth)! I was lucky enough to see 6 shows, beginning with the new revival of the old classic 'Cats'. I've loved Cats since I was really young, I've had the DVD since around the age of 6. My family even travelled to Luxembourg to see a touring production.  Cats was recently in London, however I was not a huge fan of the London production due to the addition of a rap number. I'm a big fan of rap (well I'm a big fan of Hamilton anyway), but Cats and rap didn't go well together. Luckily for the new production the decision was made to cut it (hooray). I really do think this was the right decision. It's good to make changes to a musical when you revive it, but it needs to be a change for the better. The show features new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, which caused some controversy due to replacing old choreographer Gillian Lyne (who really got her claws out when she heard the news). I actually loved the new choreography and felt it was definitely a change for the better. I'm a big fan of Andy Blankenbuehler's work in Hamilton so it was great to see more work of his. I think Andy is a really talented choreographer and I can't wait to see more of his work. Cast members who stood out were Leona Lewis as Grizabella, Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap, Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy, Tyler Hanes as The Rum Tum Tugger, Ricky Ubeda as Mr. Mistoffelees, Daniel Gaymon as Macavity and Arianna Rosario as Sillabub. The whole cast are absolutely phenomenal, it was so great to see such a talented group of singers and dancers onstage. Each and every one of them were so talented. The costumes and make-up, as they always are in Cats, were incredible. I thought the lighting design was amazing and may even pick up a Tony award for it, if not at least a nomination. I was a big fan of the set as well, which jumps out at you the second you walk into the theatre. Now on to Leona Lewis, who was brought into the production last minute after Nicole Scherzinger dropped out. Leona was panned in most reviews, but I went in with an open mind. I do not think Leona deserved to be panned, however there is a lot of room for improvement with her performance. Her singing is mesmerising, she brings the house down with 'Memory', it completely and utterly stuns. The room for improvement is with her movement. Her cat-like movement comes across as really stiff and unnatural, but I definitely think this is something that could easily be worked on. The more performances Leona does, the more she'll improve.

The featured star of Cats is, drum roll please... ANDY HUNTINGTON JONES!

This was a really, really tough choice as Cats is an ensemble piece and all the cast were terrific. After seeing the show 8 days ago, Andy remains in my memory the most. Andy gives a really good performance as Munkustrap and, if I had to choose, would be my favourite Munkustrap of all time!

Now for my final verdict on Cats. I give Cats...

I give this rating because overall it is a great production with a good cast, set, costumes, lighting and choreography... but Leona Lewis could use some help for her cat like movement as she does stick out for this reason alone.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Join me next time when I will be reviewing An American in Paris

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer