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If
I were to tell you that it was possible to see 25 different musicals
in one night you wouldn't believe me would you?
Well
I have to say that I was a little dubious myself when I heard that
'A Night At The Musicals' was scheduled at The New Theatre.
The
night, hosted by Duncan Breeze and his four follies, promises classic
songs from a huge variety of hit West-End musicals.
Breeze
has for four years been touring the length and breadth of the country,
not only bringing a little bit of the West-End to towns such as
Skegness and Newark but also a taste of what's fresh off the boards
from theatres in Broadway.
When
I arrived at The New Theatre I wasn't really expecting it to be
packed, it was a Wednesday night after all. But
I was sad to see that the auditorium wasn't even half full.
Breeze
and the rest of the crew have all had experience working on some
of the top shows, ranging from 'The Phantom of The Opera' to 'Miss
Saigon'.
This
introduction left the audience with high expectations, which, I'm
afraid to say weren't necessarily lived up to.
I've
mentioned before my love of musicals; the excitement of the buzzing
audience, the anticipation of a thrilling night.
Unfortunately,
on this occasion the 'buzz' wasn't there. The show itself is a kind
of cabaret act, but because the songs have been plucked from their
original story-lines (and there is little acting involved) it's
difficult to feel absorbed in the performance, as you would do if
you had seen the real show.
Ideally
I feel the show would have been better suited to a smaller stage.
As
the performance went on, it soon became clear who the audience were
really there to see.
Every
performance the company enlists the help of a local stage or dance
school to perform a 'musical medley'.
On
this occasion, 'A Night At The Musicals' was joined by pupils, aged
six to 14 from the Vera Legge School of Dance.
They
truly were the stars of the show, causing the loudest rounds of
applause for the whole night.
It
was a pleasure to see bright young talent enjoying themselves on
such a large stage.
The
night didn't turn out exactly as I thought but it wasn't all bad.
The voices of the performers were strong and in tune, and Breeze
was a humble host.
But
if it's a true peep at what its like to go to a West-End show, I'd
say your better off paying that little bit extra and going to see
the real thing.
By
Cherry Jordan
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