Review: Half a Sixpence

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of Half a Sixpence.
Earlier this year, I visited Half a Sixpence with an American friend who was eager to see the show. Those who read my review of the show in February will know that I absolutely loved it and raved about every aspect. After hearing my thoughts on the show, my Mum was really disappointed that she had missed out on it, as it seemed to be her type of show. The show announced closing notice a few months ago, so time was against my Mum's quest to visit Half a Sixpence. Fortunately though, with just weeks to spare before the show closed, she was able to go on her Birthday. I was thrilled to get the chance to see it a second time, and it was just as brilliant the second time as it was the first time. The aspect of Half a Sixpence which has stunned me both times are the production numbers. Half a Sixpence contains multiple large production numbers, which consists of brilliant songs assisted with a large amount of choreography, an enormous amount of energy from the cast and in one instance, a use of props as instruments. The production numbers which truly blew me away were "Pick Out a Simple Tune" and "Flash Bang Wallop", they were like nothing else and are an absolute delight to see. Large production numbers such as the ones in Half a Sixpence can be a rare sight in the West End, so this is evidence that Half a Sixpence is a very special show. Andrew Wright is a magnificent choreographer. With every song in the show featuring this amazing choreography, his work is very consistent. I am still extremely bitter that Half a Sixpence was not nominated for "Best Choreography" at the Olivier Awards. Instead of nominating Half a Sixpence for its phenomenal choreography, the Oliver Award committee chose to nominate Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a play which features a small amount of modern movement. The Cured Child is my favourite play of all time, but it did not really deserve to be nominated over Half a Sixpence for best choreography. As I'm sure you can tell, that decision absolutely shocked me. On the positive side of things, Half a Sixpence rightfully won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Choreography, which proves that the majority of theatregoers disagreed with the Oliver Award committee. The score of Half a Sixpence is wonderful, I never tire of listening to the cast album. If I had to choose three favourites, my personal highlights of the score would be "If The Rain's Got to Fall", "The One Who's Run Away" and "Pick Out a Simple Tune". Completely coincidentally, at both performances of the show I have seen, Charlie Stemp has been absent from the show and Sam O'Rourke has been understudying in the role of Arthur Kipps. I was amazed by Sam's performance the first time I saw it, and I even nominated him for Best Understudy for the Basic Theatre Awards earlier this year. When I saw the show in February, it was his fifth or sixth performance in the role. I had no idea that when I saw the show again I would be seeing his last performance as Arthur Kipps. It was great to see how he has progressed in the role. He is an outstanding actor, singer and dancer; a triple threat! Ian Bartholomew is excellent as Chitterlow. I've now seen him onstage three times (once in Mrs. Henderson Presents and twice in Half a Sixpence) and he is flawless throughout every performance. Portraying Ann Pornick was Devon Elise-Johnson, who has an absolutely beautiful voice, as evidenced in the song "Long Ago". I was also struck by the fact that she is a brilliant dancer, something which I did not notice last time. When I saw the show in February, Emma Williams, who portrays Helen Walsingham, was absent from the show, so it was great to finally see her in the role that gained her a WhatsOnStage Award. Emma is so natural when she is onstage, she throughly transforms into any role that she plays and that is a wonderful quality for any actor or actress to have. She is a true star and it'll be really interesting to see what show she goes into next. I would also like to give special mentions to Alex Hope, as Sid Pornick, and Samantha Hull, who was understudying as Flo, who were both superb. The orchestrations, lighting, set and costumes are all tremendous as well. It's so sad that the show is closing, as it deserves to run and run. Sadly a lot of my favourite shows seem to be closing in September (The Great Comet, Bandstand and Groundhog Day), but i suppose all good things must come to an end. I urge everyone to go and see Half a Sixpence before it closes on September 2nd. I have my fingers crossed that Half a Sixpence will appear on a UK tour someday!

The featured star of Half a Sixpence is, drum roll please... SAM O'ROURKE!

Sam gives one of the best performances for any understudy I have ever seen. He gives it his all when he's onstage and always seems to be full of energy, in what must be a very demanding role. Sam is more than good enough to play the role of Arthur full time, and perhaps if the show were to ever make a return, he would hopefully be able to do so.

Now for my final verdict on Half a Sixpence. I give Half a Sixpence...

This was a very hard choice between 4 and 5 stars, but in the end I decided to go with 4 stars. As I said, it is a real shame that this has to close, but let's hope it won't be the last we hear of Half a Sixpence!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 was at the very top of my "theatre wish-list" throughout my America trip and there was nothing I wanted to see more than this show. I had made plans to see the show on my final night in America, however the show was involved in a controversy within that time, and there were certain people saying that the show might close before I could see it. I was really concerned, as I desperately wanted to watch it. I was over the moon when I found out that the show would still be playing beyond August 13th, but was still sad to hear the show would be closing soon after that date. I went into the show with high expectations, which can sometimes be a bad thing as in most cases the show does not live up to what you had predicted. I am over the moon to say that The Great Comet was everything I wanted, and more! Entering the Imperial Theatre was like going back in time. The outside area of the theatre (the entrance and where merchandise is sold) was designed like the Moscow streets, with several posters regarding Moscow up on the walls. Then I entered the actual theatre... my, oh my! The creative team behind The Great Comet have completely redesigned the theatre to make the whole room (including the audience seats) look like a Russian club. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, it took me quite a long time to digest all of it. I was so struck by the creativity of the set; it more than deserves the Tony Award for best set design! I was sitting on a "stage seat" so all the action of the show was going on around me. I have never been to a show like this. It was an immersive and wonderful experience which I will never forget. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 takes 60 pages from War and Peace and turns it into a stand-alone story, full of humour and heartbreak. I was really touched by the story told by the show and was close to tears by the end of it. The music has a wide variety of genres, but is best described as an "electro-pop operatic" score. To put this type of music to a novel like War and Peace sounds insane, but boy is it good! It took me a while to pick my favourites, but having listened to the cast album over three times now, my highlights would be "Prologue" and "Dust and Ashes". The lyrics are truly beautiful and meaningful, whilst the music is wonderfully composed. Both the music and lyrics (along with the book) have been written by Dave Malloy, so I will be keeping an eye out for another Malloy musical. Denée Benton had a wonderful voice and was the perfect Natasha! Natasha goes on a long journey throughout the show and Denée is stunning for every moment of it. Scott Stangland was an incredible Pierre! I really invested my feelings into the character of Pierre and truly felt so much sympathy and hope for the character. His performance of "Dust and Ashes" was mesmerising. I have heard audio recordings of fellow Pierre's singing the song, however none of them seem to be as good as Scott was. Lucas Steele, who gained a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Anatole, had a voice like I had never heard before. His voice goes so high; it is absolutely insane! His mannerisms and facial expressions were brilliant and he gave a very memorable performance. Britain Ashford, in the role of Sonya, has a voice different to her fellow cast members, with a voice that actually sounded a little 'country and western'. I liked this as it made her stand out from the rest of the cast, and not to mention the fact that her voice is beautiful. Her solo of "Sonya Alone" is a real stunner! The whole cast are stunning, and cast members that deserve a mention are: Amber Gray as Hélène, Grace McLean as Marya, Nick Choksi as Fedya, Nicholas Belton as Andrey and Old Prince Bolkonsky, Courtney Bassett as Mary and last but not least, Paul Pinto as Balaga. It is no wonder that the show won best lighting design; the lighting design of The Great Comet is terrific, especially during the song "The Duel" which features strobe lighting. The costumes were also great and helped to add to the effect of Russia in 1812. The orchestrations are also superb, as is the sound design. I could go on all night praising this show, but I'll stop there. To see something so fresh and innovative is so much fun. I'm absolutely devastated that The Great Comet is closing and I really hope that it comes to England, as I can't imagine not seeing the show again!

The featured star of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is, drum roll please... SCOTT STANGLAND!

I read an opinion of the show online from someone who had seen every Pierre who had ever done the role, and they stated that Scott was the best Pierre that had ever played the role. If that is the case, then I am so glad I got to see Scott. He is such an amazing Pierre and I am really happy that he got the chance to perform the role for a full week on Broadway. Anyone who saw Scott's portrayal of Pierre was very lucky!

Now for my final verdict on Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. I give Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812...

I had no doubt in my mind that this deserved 5 stars. The Great Comet is only playing until September 3rd and I implore everyone to see it before it closes its doors for the last time.

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Broadway)

Hey readers! 

It's time for my review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I had seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in London's West End four times (and loved it), so I wasn't so sure whether I should see the Broadway production, as I had heard mixed opinions surrounding the show. However, there are only a limited amount of shows that play on Broadway on a Monday, so I decided to give the Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a try. Whilst, as predicted, it wasn't as good as when it was in the West End, it's still a great show and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The show has had many changes, however the storyline, which I consider to be a classic, is still the same: Willy Wonka, world famous inventor of the Everlasting Gobstopper, has just made an astonishing announcement. His marvelous—and mysterious—factory is opening its gates…to a lucky few. That includes young Charlie Bucket, whose life definitely needs sweetening. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing, life-changing journey through Wonka's world of pure imagination. Get ready for chocolate waterfalls, exquisitely nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka's army of curious Oompa-Loompas. I love the storyline of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I never tire of it. Despite this being my fifth time sitting through the story, it was as exciting and fresh as always. The book of the show (written dialogue and backbone of the show) had some very significant changes to it, to the point where some people say it has been completely re-written form the London production, but luckily I didn't feel that the book changes didn't affect the show too much. As long as it's the same old story, it'll always be good. Exactly half of the songs from the original London production have been kept in the show and whilst I was disappointed that some of my favourite songs have been removed, I still think the score is terrific. My favourite additions to the score were "When Willy Met Oompa" and "The View From Here". "When Willy Met Oompa" was so strange and wacky, but I adored it! It had me in stitches. "The View From Here" has taken the place of the song "Pure Imagination" and I'm quite happy with that change, as I think that "The View From Here" is a beautiful song and excellently performed. The removals I was unhappy with were "Almost Nearly Perfect", "The Amazing Tale of Mr. Willy Wonka" and "Simply Second Nature". The biggest loss out of those was "Simply Second Nature" as I really relate to that song and I usually find it to be a large highlight of the show. Christian Borle was the perfect choice for Willy Wonka and he truly does the role justice. Christian's Wonka is bonkers and I loved it! Performing as Charlie Bucket at the performance I visited was Jake Ryan Flynn, who was brilliant. I would even say that he was better than the majority of Charlie actors I have seen in the past. He is extremely talented and has a bright future ahead! Other cast members that stood out were John Rubinstein as Grandpa Joe, Emily Padgett as Mrs. Bucket, Ben Crawford as Mr. Salt, Michael Wartella as Mike Teavee, Emma Pfaeffle as Veruca Salt, Trista Dollison as Violet Beauregarde and F. Michael Haynie as Augustus Gloop. I've read online that there a large number of people that take issue with adults being in child roles, however I personally did not have an issue with this and was able to easily suspend disbelief. I assume this was because the adult actors that were playing the children were so good. The costume and lighting design were both great and definitely deserve a mention. Now for the main reason this production is not as good as it was when it was in London... the set design. When taking the show to Broadway, they had a fresh new start to try and make the show even better than it was in England, but the set design lets it down. In London, the sets are gigantic. They would probably be my choice for the best set design in any show I have ever seen. However, the Broadway sets were extremely downscaled, to the point where there was just no comparison. I understand the stage is much smaller, but more effort could have been put into it. My only other fault for this production of Charlie is that I wasn't a big fan of the ending. For the London production, the show had quite a nice ending, with Charlie bringing his family to the factory for the first time, followed by Willy Wonka appearing one last time, by himself, to say goodbye to his glorious factory. None of that happens here and the show ends a little abruptly. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed myself at this show!

The featured star of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is, drum roll please... CHRISTIAN BORLE!

I had seen Christian in Something Rotten as William Shakespeare three times, and all three times he was amazing. I remember being really excited for him to play Willy Wonka, as I knew it was a role he would be great at. He certainly was great; the casting directors made a very wise decision. He's a stunning actor, a stunning singer, has great comic timing and even looks the part!

Now for my final verdict of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I give Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is quite close to a four star, but I have chosen three stars on the grounds that the set design was a little weak. However, it's still a fabulous show and provides a lot of fun!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Hamilton (Chicago)

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Hamilton.
When planning my Chicago trip, the idea of seeing Hamilton there was thrilling, but tickets were so expensive so it looked a little unlikely. My Mum and I had a search online for tickets and we found some rear circle tickets that were fairly well priced (when I say that, I mean as fairly well priced as a Hamilton ticket can be) so we went for it! I saw the original Broadway cast of Hamilton in December 2015, and then saw the new cast on Broadway in April 2017, so to see a production of Hamilton that wasn't Broadway was so exciting. Seeing Hamilton in Chicago was just as magical as it was when I first saw the show in December 2015, and it was even better than the second time I saw it on Broadway. As I've said in my previous reviews, the choreography in Hamilton is the best I have ever seen. The choreography itself tells a story; even if the characters were not speaking, the audience would still be able to follow the story through this mesmerising choreography. The choreography is like nothing else I have ever seen onstage, it is extremely special. When I first saw the set of Hamilton, I liked it, but did not think much of it at the time. However, having seen Hamilton twice since then, I am beginning to like the set design more and more, which I believe is due to the reason that I have now noticed much more of the set. Similar to the shows choreography, the lighting design in Hamilton is the best I have witnessed at any show. I have never seen so much thought and effort go into the lighting design. The costumes are perfect, and as I said in my review of Hamilton in 2015, my favourite costume is King George's. The orchestrations were one particular aspect of the show which had not jumped out at me as being noteworthy previously, however seeing it this time the orchestrations seemed mesmerising. I could hear every single instrument, to the point where it seemed like I could feel the music. This could be due to the theatre having a great sound design. Hamilton consists of my favourite score ever written for musical theatre, and I will admit to knowing every word in the show. The lyrics are extremely well written and are like no other. It is clear that a lot of thought and effort went into the lyrics. Now onto the part of Hamilton that can either make or break a show... the cast!

Joseph Morales as Alexander Hamilton (Alternate)
The two previous portrayals of Hamilton that I had seen were Lin-Manuel Miranda and Javier Muñoz. They were extremely different from each other, with Lin's being a cocky and ambitious freedom fighter and Javier being a man of honour. As much as I liked Javier's portrayal, I struggled with it a little bit, as it was hard to get used to the role being played so differently. Luckily though, I did not have that problem at all with Joseph, I loved his portrayal of Hamilton! He played every stage of Hamilton's life perfectly and you could see the progression of Hamilton throughout the show very clearly. Joseph plays Hamilton with a lot passion and very convincingly. In addition to this, he was phenomenal in both rapping and singing. He really was a great Hamilton!

Daniel Breaker Aaron Burr
The two previous Burr's I had seen were Leslie Odom, Jr. (who won a Tony for the role) and Brandon Victor Dixon. Burr is an extremely difficult role and a lot is needed from the actor that portrays him. Daniel Breaker was the best Aaron Burr I have ever seen. He combined the best aspects of Leslie and Brandon, and in addition added a lot of his own abilities to make the role his own. Daniel nailed the comedic parts of the role and definitely had the best coming timing out of the three Burr's I had seen. His strongest point within the show is at the end of "The World Was Wide Enough", which was when I felt sympathy for him like no other Burr. Burr commits murder, and yet somehow I still felt so bad for the character. It gave me chills. If that wasn't enough, he has a wonderful voice, which is largely displayed during "Dear Theodosia". Seriously, this was a performance for the age.

Ari Afsar as Eliza Hamilton
Both Eliza's I had previously seen in the role (Phillipa Soo and Elizabeth Judd) have been excellent and I am glad to say Ari was also excellent. Ari has a stunning voice and a great stage presence. Her performance could not be faulted; she was a great Eliza!

Jonathan Kirkland as George Washington
Jonathan gave a great portrayal of George Washington. Every Washington I've seen in the show has been great and luckily Jonathan did not let the team down. Jonathan is extremely tall, which was very effective as it gave the character a high status and showed that he was an important figure. He had a powerful voice and sung like no other. It was a wonderful performance!

Aubin Wise as Angelica Schuyler (Understudy)
Karen Olivio (the original Angelica in Chicago) had just left the show a few days ago, but understudy Aubin Wise did not disappoint! She was just as good as Renée Elise Goldsberry (original Broadway cast members) and even better than Mandy Gonzalez (current Angelica on Broadway). Aubin had a large command of the stage and came across as being very powerful, exactly what Angelica needs to be and what I felt was missing from Mandy's performance. Aubin would be more than good enough to play the role full time!

Chris De'Sean Lee as Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson 
Chris was very good in both roles, however I am still struggling to have anyone in those roles who isn't Daveed Diggs (original Broadway cast member). Daveed was phenomenal in these roles and it was like the roles were written for him, so he is very hard to match. Having said that, Chris certainly did a good enough job with both roles, as opposed to Seth Stewart (replacement on Broadway) who had a good Thomas Jefferson but struggled with Lafayette.

José Ramos as John Laurens / Philip Hamilton
José acted and sung both roles exceptionally well. This dual role requires a vast amount of versatility from the actor, and José certainly has this quality. The moment of his performance which is the real stunner is Phillip's final scene, where he plays the role with heartbreaking vulnerability.

Wallace Smith as Hercules Mulligan / James Madison
Wallace is good as Hercules Mulligan, but he truly comes into his element when he portrays James Madison. James Madison has limited stage time, but Wallace delivered the lines of Madison hilariously and had impeccable comic timing. I would even go as far to say that he was my favourite James Madison.

Samantha Marie Ware as Peggy Schuyler / Maria Reynolds
Samantha played Peggy quite differently to how I've previously seen the role, but was still good and certainly left an impression, despite limited stage time. The highlight of her performance though, is her portrayal of Mario Reynolds. Her version of Maria Reynolds seemed to be quite manipulative, something which I thought worked very well for the role.

Alexander Gemignani as King George III
Alexander does have a good voice, however he doesn't quite match up to the two previous King's I have seen (Jonathan Groff and Taran Killam). The King generally seems to work better if it is portrayed as being quite camp, but this wasn't how Alexander chose to play it. Alexander was by no means bad, however I just preferred the performances given by Jonathan and Taran.

In summary, the sit down production of Hamilton in Chicago is a stunner. If anyone is thinking of seeing Hamilton, I would urge them to see this production instead of the current Broadway production. Not only is it much cheaper to see it in Chicago, but it is also much better!

The featured star of Hamilton is, drum roll please... DANIEL BREAKER!

This is a cast full of extraordinary talented actors, but this decision came easily. Whilst in America I saw 14 shows, and in all 14 shows I did not see another performance like Daniel's. This is an outstanding and phenomenal performance; I doubt I will ever see another Burr like Daniel's. Daniel left the Chicago company of Hamilton yesterday, but will be joining the show in New York in a weeks time, so anyone seeing his performance on Broadway is in for a treat!

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

This rating is obvious; I think my review gives enough explanation as to why this is a 5 star!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Idina 2017 World Tour

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Idina 2017 World Tour.
Whilst in Chicago, I spotted that Idina Menzel would be performing, for one night only, at the Chicago Theatre. I had seen Idina in If/Then whilst is was on Broadway and thought she was a terrific performer, so I thought this could be quite interesting. It also appealed to my Mum a lot, so we  got some tickets and saw her concert. The performance was very enjoyable and Idina, along with back-up singers and a fantastic orchestra, put on a really fun show with a large amount of good songs. Idina entered the stage and the first thing she said was "Hello Detroit!", before immediately dropping to the floor in embarrassment, realising that this was Chicago. She told the audience that she would spend the next two hours making it up to the audience, which she certainly did. Idina was brilliant. She provided us with some beautiful vocal performances, with songs from Frozen, Rent and Wicked. Idina is a great performer and entertainer; to keep an audience engaged for a whole two hours is a very hard task, but she pulls it off. All the songs were great, but I personally think that the highlights were: "Seasons of Love" from Rent, "I'm Not That Girl" and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, "Perfect Story" from her album named "Idina", "Wind Beneath My Wings" from the film Beaches, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel and last but not least "Let It Go" from Frozen.
 I enjoyed her music a lot and I will most likely have a listen to her new album when I have some free time. The orchestrations were great, with the pianist and the drummer standing out. Sometimes in a large theatre, such as the Chicago Theatre, the sound design is not so good, however on this occasion the sound design was great and I could hear every word perfectly, despite being in the circle. The sound was very well amplified. I really liked the way Idina connected with the audience and made everybody feel included and a part of the show. She interacted with the audience often, and even invited certain fans to take selfies with her during the show. One particular moment of audience participation that was great, was that when she performed "Let It Go", she invited younger children onto the stage with her to sing the song alongside her. All in all, this was a truly brilliant performance. It's a concert I would highly recommend to any musical theatre fans, Frozen fans, or simply Idina Menzel fans!

Now for my final verdict on Idina 2017 World Tour. I give Idina 2017 World Tour...

My rating of 4 stars was easy. It's not something I would give 5 stars to, but it's miles ahead of a 3 star. I have only been to one or two concerts in the past, so this was a great experience!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: An American in Paris (US Tour)

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of An American in Paris.
I had seen An American in Paris on Broadway, and I was planning to see it again in London, so I did not originally intend on seeing the US Tour of An American in Paris during my time in Chicago. However, just by pure coincidence, my hotel was right next door to the Oriental Theatre. I decided to just go to the theatre and enquire about tickets, and I found out that $25 rush tickets were available. How could I refuse?
I adored the show on Broadway, and I know from experience that tours are usually very downscales, so I was a little wary that it would not be as good. I am over the moon to report that this tour is just as good as the Broadway show, and I enjoyed myself even more second time around! There were no major changes that lessened the show and some of the cast members were even better than the Broadway cast I saw! The highlight of An American in Paris is the choreography. In my eyes, An American in Paris is the second best choreographed show I have ever seen (my personal number one favourite for choreography is Hamilton). The choreography is stunning from beginning to end and it is what makes the show as mesmerising as it is. The score of An American in Paris is very special. I have had the cast album of the show since I saw it on Broadway last August and it is one of my favourites to listen to. My personal favourites from the score are " 'S wonderful" and "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise". Sara Esty, who portrays Lise Dassin, reminded me so much of Leanne Cope, the original Lise. Sara sounds and looks like Leanne; they could be twins! Sara's dancing is utter perfection and cannot be faulted in any way. She also has a beautiful singing voice and is a fantastic actress; a triple threat! The role of Jerry Mulligan is currently being portrayed by McGee Maddox, and he is also a phenomenal dancer and singer. He seemed to be very suited to the role. In the role of Adam Hochberg is Etai Benson. I felt that I understood the character of Adam more than I did when I saw it on Broadway. This time around, I picked up on the troubles Adam was facing after being a solider at war, and therefore I felt more sympathetic towards the character. Nick Spangler is in the role of Henri Baurel, and I actually preferred his portrayal to Max Von Essen's, who performed the role on Broadway. Nick made the characters emotions and motivations clearer, which made him more relatable and likeable. He also reminded me of a young David Hyde Pierce. As I mentioned earlier, after a show has been on Broadway and begins to tour, it general becomes very downscaled. However, An American in Paris seems to be an exception, as it still excels in set, lighting and costume design, which was a very pleasant surprise. This is an absolutely marvellous production and I urge all to go and see it if you have the chance. An American in Paris is going to several other locations throughout 2017 and 2018, so make sure to take a look on your website, as anyone who sees this is on for a real treat.

The featured star of An American in Paris is, drum roll please... SARA ESTY!

All cast members are amazing, but Sara's performance is something very special. It can be very rare nowadays to find a triple threat (amazing at acting, singing and dancing) and that's what makes Sara's performance so unique. I would be very interested to see which show Sara joins next, as any show would be very lucky to have her.

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

I haven't given any show 5 stars since April, so I think my rating speaks for itself. This is one of the best shows around at this moment in time; I adore it! Everything in the show is absolutely perfect and there are no flaws whatsoever!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Spamilton

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Spamilton.
Before heading to the Windy City of Chicago, I had a long search online to look up what was happening on the Chicago Theatre scene during the few days I was on holiday there. Being the Hamilfan I am, Spamilton was very appealing to me. I went to the Royal George Theatre to see what the ticket situation was like and I was able to get a student rush ticket, so I saw Spamilton on my first night in Chicago. It was also a good time to see it, considering I was seeing Hamilton 4 days later. Spamilton is an extremely well written show and is fantastically witty. Spamilton takes on a large amount of musicals (including Hamilton, Gypsy, Chicago, The King and I, Assassins, Camelot, The Book of Mormon and Sweeney Todd), but re-writes the lyrics to add humour and to make them revolve around Hamilton and its original Broadway cast. An example of this would be, the show features the song 'Finishing the Hat' (from Sunday in the Park with George), but changes the song to make it 'Finishing the Rap'. The lyrics that feature in Spamilton are the cleverest I have seen in quite a while. In my spare time, I love searching up musical theatre songs that have been re-written for humour, so this made Spamilton ideal for me. Spamilton is performed by a cast consisting of Yando Lopez, Eric Andrew Lewis, Becca Brown, Donterrio Johnson, David Robbins and Adam LaSalle. The cast are truly outstanding. They provide non-stop laughs, and if that wasn't enough, they all have phenomenal singing voices. They're voices were so good, that I would even say that they are better singers than some actors I have seen in the West End and on Broadway. This cast of seven gelled very well with each other and all complimented each other's talents nicely. Every single one of them brings a very special quality to the show. The Royal George Theatre had a very small stage and therefore no real set, except for a poster saying 'Spamilton'. This means the actors have to work extra-hard to transport you to their world, which they did excellently. Spamilton has a fairly small budget, which the cast mention themselves during the opening song, so I went in not expecting too much from any of the design aspects. However, to my surprise, the costumes were brilliant. They were very detailed and fantastically designed, so that was an extremely pleasant surprise. I had the time of my life at Spamilton and would urge all theatre fans, whether you live in New York or Chicago, to go and see Spamilton. It is a must-see for all theatre fans!

The featured star of Spamilton is, drum roll please... BECCA BROWN!

All 7 actors in Spamilton was very, very talented, so this was always going to be a hard one to choose. However, having seen Spamilton a week and a half ago, the actor who is the most memorable is Becca. She has to play a total of 12 characters, more than any other actor in the show. Despite this, all 12 characters felt very unique and each character she brought in was hilarious. In addition, she definitely has the strongest voice within the cast. Maybe Becca will join Hamilton someday!

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

Spamilton is a definitive 4 star; a good show which I would highly recommend!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer