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

Review: Shadowlands

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Shadowlands.
Having not been to the theatre in quite a while, Mum was having a look online to see what shows were on locally in upcoming weeks. Upon looking at Richmond Theatre's website, she came across 'Shadowlands'. She read the synopsis of the play and thought it would be a good show to see. The show follows the true love story of CS Lewis and Joy Gresham. Lewis, a leading Christian academic and author of many classic books including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, , remained a bachelor until his fifties, when he met Joy Davidman. He was enchanted by this remarkable American woman, a divorcee with two young children. They fell in love and were secretly married. Lewis' ensuing encounter with love and suffering led him to reconsider many of the beliefs he had held so staunchly before their fateful meeting. This is a play that I found to be really moving and thought provoking, especially as the character of Joy suffers with cancer, something my Mum is a survivor of. The play delivered such a strong message, it really shows you how important it is to spend time with those close to you and not to sweat the small stuff. I came away from the play with the thought that time is very precious. I was so engrossed in the story and following the play my Mum even did some more research into C. S. Lewis. He was such a remarkable man and it was so interesting to follow his story. Cast members who stood out were Stephen Boxer as C. S. Lewis, Amanda Ryan as Joy Gresham, Denis Lill as Major W. H Lewis. The whole cast were a delight to watch! Stephen Boxer's portrayal is utter perfection. He put so much emotion into the role, he was so well cast. The costumes and lighting were both really well designed. The set was fantastic, which I didn't expect as most of the touring productions I see have minimalist sets. I did some research about the play and found that it had been to the West End and Broadway many years ago. A revival was done in the West End 9 years ago, how about another one? ;) This production has a really mesmerising cast, especially it's leading actor and actress and is definitely West End worthy.

The featured star of Shadowlands is, drum roll please... STEPHEN BOXER!

Stephen gave such a powerful performance and managed to portray C. S. Lewis so masterfully. His strongest point comes towards the end of act two, which really is phenomenal. His performance was definitely the highlight of the whole show and I hope to see him in more productions soon.

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

Before writing this sentence, I went to look up what venues Shadowlands will be playing next. Sadly Richmond Theatre is Shadowlands last stop on the tour, with closing night tonight. To anyone thinking whether to see the show before it closes... do it! You won't regret it!

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: The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery.
After Mischief Theatre's big hits 'The Play That Goes Wrong' and 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong', they have returned to the West End with a new play, but not one that goes wrong. Instead they have created a play which is basically... a comedy about a bank robbery. I had seen The Play That Goes Wrong 2 times so was curious to see this. What was interesting was that the writers seemed to take a step out of their comfort zones to write this show, and I really do think it works.. Sometimes it is really good to see writers step out of their comfort zones and see what they do. I thought the show provided a clever concept and I laughed my socks off! I'm not usually a huge fan of slapstick comedy, but I found it impossible not to laugh. It is definitely one of the best comedies in the West End at the moment. The cast features Henry Shields as Mitch Ruscitti, Charlie Russell as Caprice Freeboys, Dave Hearn as Sam Monaghan, Henry Lewis as Robin Freeboys, Jonathan Sayer as Warren Slax, Greg Tannahill as Neil Cooper, Nancy Wallinger as Ruth Monaghan, Jeremy Lloyd as Officer Randal Shuck and Steven Rostance who was understudying as Everyone Else. The show has such a great cast who all work so well with each other. They all really gel together. A nice surprise was that the set was fantastic, I did not expect this show to have such a good set. Costumes and the lighting design were also fantastic. The show added music, sung live onstage, during scene changes which I thought had a good effect. I am not sure this show will appeal to everyone as the humour features a lot slapstick so please keep this in mind. If you're like me and don't mind slapstick too much then I'd definitely recommend it. It's so much fun to watch!

The featured star of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is, drum roll please... DAVE HEARN!

Dave was perfect for playing 'Sam', I really enjoyed his portrayal of the character, he was the highlight of the show for me! Funnily enough, just before writing this review I read an article of dream casting for Hamilton when it comes to London and this person said Dave would make a great King George. I would have to agree! I don't know whether Dave is a good singer, but he definitely has the comic timing that is needed for the role of King George.

Now for my final verdict on The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. I give The Comedy About A Bank Robbery...

That is now the end of my theatre marathon, I'm glad I ended on a funny note with this play. The play is currently booking until April next year and it doesn't look like it'll be closing any time soon, the West End is lucky to have this comedy!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer