A Walk through the West End

There was a simple set for this evening of West End songs, with a raised area at the back of the stage and an easel placed at each side with the concert title displayed. Costumes too were kept simple with the cast mainly in black, with additional items as the song required. What was not kept simple was the lighting, with an extremely impressive array of effects to suit the mood of each song, not least in the selection from Six.  Sound had a few issues, with crackling mics and poor balance, so it was not always possible to hear the soloists over the band or chorus, which was a shame. The small band of three musicians produced an impressive sound throughout.

Favourite musical numbers from the West End came thick and fast in this talent filled, slick production.  Many of the songs were cleverly linked with dialogue, such as the two mothers having a conversation between ‘He’s my Boy’ from Everybody’s talking about Jamie and the next offerings from Dear Evan Hansen.  This clever device worked extremely well so each number flowed smoothly into the next.

There were so many excellent solos, I couldn’t mention them all here, but highlights included ’She used to be mine’ from Waitress, ‘He’s my Boy’ from Everybody’s talking about Jamie, and ‘So Big, So Small’ from Dear Evan Hansen. All were sung with real emotion and terrific vocals.

There were other great performances from these three musicals, followed by an upbeat medley from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and then everyone’s favourite Les Misérables. After two great solos from the latter, Act 1 ended with a rousing rendition of ‘One Day More’, with amazing vocals from an exceptional group of soloists and chorus.

Act 2 began with a light-hearted offering from Book of Mormon.  Elder Cunningham was particularly hilarious in his rendition of ‘You and me’ with Elder Price.  Next followed a quite remarkable performance of the vocally challenging ‘Ex-Wives’ number from Six. The six young ladies sang and moved so well; it was hard to believe I was not watching from a seat in a West End theatre!  All of the songs from this section had great characterisation and, along with the fabulous lighting, treated the appreciative audience to a real ‘pop concert’ style performance.

Two songs from the multi-award winning Come from Away followed and we enjoyed more outstanding vocals during ‘Me and the Sky’. These were followed by a great selection of songs from Hairspray and The Lion King. Act 2 was rounded off with a medley from Mamma Mia that had the audience on their feet and clapping along.

This was a really exceptional concert with a well-chosen assortment of West End hits delivered by a really first-rate line-up of singers.  The Musical Director and Vocal Coach had worked wonders with the cast and, together with strong Direction and excellent Choreography, this was a winning combination. The audience quite rightly loved the show and the whole evening had a wonderful atmosphere. A simply superb performance for which the whole cast and crew should feel very proud.  Very well done.  

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