100 Years of Musical Theatre

Trinity AOS won the NODA award last year for their concert/revue show, and this week, produced another musical treat for their supportive audiences.  Directed by Alicia Whittaker, this show had something for everyone.  Although technically 100 years of musical theatre only offered songs from the last 82 years, it didn’t matter.  Audiences were treated to songs from the different era’s in a slick way that kept the pace.  The clever use of the screen and the graphics as the backdrop, meant that we didn’t have to look at the programme to see what song was coming next.  The clever use of having the cast onstage for the show meant that backing vocals were added to some songs which gave them an added impactful level and aided the pace.  Visually, this concert/revue was lovely.  I liked the juxtaposition of the random style of the choreography that was set with more traditional songs.  Dance was used as a creative tool that (mostly) aided the song delivery.  There were some strange decisions too.  The endings of some of the numbers were a little abrupt (We’re in the Money, One Night Only and Voulez Vous).  I also wasn’t a fan of the numbers that were just danced and not sung, such as Voulez Vous.  I also found it strange that the ‘Defying Gravity’ solo was slightly upstaged by the dancers yet ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’ didn’t have any choreography at all.  It was particularly evident that a lot of the cast didn’t smile throughout, even in the up-tempo numbers which made it slightly serious and robotic.  I also had a problem with the lighting design, which left several areas of the stage cast in shadows.  Overall though, I really enjoyed the staging of some of the numbers, particularly Phantom of the Opera.  I also appreciated the use of the colour scheme in costumes and the discipline of the cast of their hand placements etc whilst on the rostrum at the back.  The cast seemed very well rehearsed and seemed very much in control of staging and choreography.  Whilst the men in this cast seemed a little weaker than their talented counterparts, everyone was given their chance to shine and showcase their talent which was appreciated by the audience.  I also liked the way that after each song, each singer bowed to the audience.  This made it seem more personal and allowed the audience to applaud each singer straight away.  The whole concert/revue was completed by a nice little number from Waitress which was brilliantly staged and was a perfect set up for the final bows.  This was very much a society show where everyone was given a chance in the spotlight.  Well done to Alicia Whittaker and her team for an enjoyable night at the theatre.

Sam Sherliker’s choreography was great and added another level to the songs.  I loved the staging of the choreography; having the cast facing different directions and starting at different times etc.  It was weird and random and right up my street!  As I mentioned above, I felt that the choreography in ‘Defying Gravity’ distracted from the soloist, (although I loved the rockier version), whilst big numbers such as ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’ lacked any choreography.  The staging of the Phantom song, with the four soloists moving around was fab!  Cell Block Tango choreography was excellent also, as was the staging of ‘Opening Up’ (Waitress).

Musical Direction by Beckie Morley, was a little hit and miss for me.  Whilst I loved some of the harmonies in the group numbers and the excellent vocals from most of the cast, for me, there was a distinct lack of musicality.  This is due to the fact that all songs were tracked and not played live.  This meant that each singer had to stick religiously to the timing of the track and not on their own musical expression.  Some of the singers suffered slight timing issues because of this.  Whilst I appreciate that not every song has to sound the same, I missed the rall of the soloist and the tenor belt during ‘Seasons of Love’.  I also really missed the top tenor line in ‘One Day More’.  Overall though, the highlights were the group numbers which created a lovely wall of sound with stunning harmonies!

Sound (Tom Maurice) was fab.  The clever use of the handheld mics and the onstage mics meant that we could literally hear every word, even during choreography.  The blend between mics and the audience was great and the levels were great also.

Lighting (Nick Walker) wasn’t so great for me.  One of the biggest issues for me was the use of the side lights.  This cast shadows from the (other) mics on to the singers.  Because each of the six on stage mics were lit in their own pool, at times, some of the singers were left in darkness when not standing directly behind the mic.  This was evident in ‘Suddenly Seymour’ and ‘Luck Be A Lady’.  The two ends of the whole cast line up in ‘Season of Love’ were also unlit.  Despite this, I appreciated the colours used (greens and reds) during their appropriate numbers and I also liked the use of the flashes of light during ‘Born to Hand Jive’ in the clap section.

As this is very much a company concert/revue show it would be unfair for me to go through every song and critique it.  I loved the company numbers; it provided the opportunity to showcase the harmonies and strong vocals.  In Act 1, the main stand-out performances were from Funny Girl, Jesus Christ Superstar and Chicago.  Cell Block Tango was brilliantly staged and sung, and I loved each of the individual performances from the six merry murderesses!  The biggest highlight in Act 1 was Sam Sherliker’s stunning vocal during ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade’ (Funny Girl)! - A wow moment!  For me, Act 2 was stronger and more entertaining than Act 1.  The main stand-out performances in Act 2 were from Dreamgirls, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Ghost and The Book of Mormon.  Whilst I loved One Night Only, it ended far too soon and left me wanting more.  The Phantom section was excellent and brilliantly sung by all four soloists, Wicked was… wicked, and The Book of Mormon song was very entertaining and brilliantly performed.  The highlight from Act 2 was the stunning vocal from Alicia Whittaker during ‘With You’ (Ghost).  It gave me goosebumps, made me well up and the story of the song was brilliantly told. 

Overall, I preferred the songs that were told in character or in a way that was emotive and drew the audiences in.  This was an entertaining night at the theatre, and it gave the audience the chance to reminisce with a trip down memory lane, as well as the chance to experience new memories from some of the newer musicals.  Visually, this concert/revue was well-staged, well-choreographed and well-rehearsed.  I only wish the cast could’ve looked like they enjoyed it as much as the audience did!  Well done to Trinty AOS on another great concert/revue show.  I wish you all the best for your next production of ‘’The Full Monty’! 

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