The Phantom of the Opera (May 26th, 2014)

The Phantom of the Opera

I'm going to apologise in advance for the snarkiness of this review; wasn't my favourite cast (so I chose to focus on Olivia and Lara, the two I do like in this grouping, as well as the ballet girls) and I really wasn't feeling the first act at all (Honestly, I spent most of Act one stretching my feet…). Fortunately the second act picked up the emotion that was missing from the first and I quite enjoyed the second act. Funnily, I think Geronimo was supposed to do the show but I saw him leaving the theatre around 7 and he didn't look too well, so hoping he's better by next week. I did take some notes but they're rather messy and I can't really decipher them, so this is more of a jumble of thoughts than a coherent review. Also included at the bottom of the review is my favourite dancers; the ballet is one of my favourite parts in the show and it's taken me four shows to properly hammer down my list (they're all incredible dancers and performers, but obviously I have my favourites, same as with anything else; see: http://strangerthanyoudreamt.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/favourites.html). 

Olivia Brereton (Christine)

Incredible, as usual. She seems to be going towards a more of a mature portrayal of Christine (it seemed less childlike - a lot less smiling and giggling than usual at the beginning). Her voice has matured a lot as well; there's so much more power and volume behind it (Wishing is where this is most noticeable for me), but with that said, she's not losing any of the expression in her voice that I've always loved. The Dressing Room was very well done; I maintain that she's the only person who doesn't turn that scene with Raoul into an awkward mess. The reactions are very natural and realistic (actually, this is consistent through the whole show. Every action, reaction, emotion, etc. all seem so natural. It's not a person acting a part; it is the character). I like that she's now tucking her head behind the fan for the 'kiss' in Il Muto (I really just loved her in Il Muto today anyway. Her and Lara work well together, and they're both funny in different ways. I also like that there's a clear distinction between Christine playing a part - either Serafimo or Aminta - and real Christine. But back to the head turn - it was a little thing that always bothered me and I liked that she's changed it - when little things change you know the actor/actress is consistently working on the role), and despite her height I think she fits in with the dancers in Hannibal quite well (natural ability or training - either way, she can pass for a proper dancer if you ignore the shoes). All I Ask of You was very nice as well; I like the range of emotions portrayed. Raoul's 'proposal' was particularly well done by both parties; I couldn't see Raoul's face but Christine's were the perfect combinations of emotions. 

In Masquerade, I liked how she approached the Phantom. Most approach him as if in a trance, but hers appeared to be more curiosity or intrigue (which I think is more believable). Wishing was sublime as per usual; the way she sings "Name" and "Die" are heartbreakingly beautiful. Wishing really is her song; no one else puts quite the same quality and quantity of emotion into it. But the main reason Olivia's portrayal of Christine is my favourite is that she's brings out Christine's fiery side, as opposed to making her meek or dull. The best examples of this are Twisted Every Way ("I'm sorry, I can't!" is so good - while it's a bit confusing that she can go from being completely convinced not to do Don Juan to rehearsing it in the next scene, I prefer that to a weak/wimpy line). She's also brilliant at this in the Final Lair. At this point, I think that Christine's really been pushed to her breaking point, so she should be standing up to the Phantom, just totally fed up with all of his games. This is exactly what Olivia does; Christine doesn't take any more abuse lying down and shows a lot of anger and frustration. A brief mention of PONR - I think this is where she typically loses a bit of energy (possibly saving it for the Final Lair, as that always looks 150%), but I do prefer her 'choreography' in this scene as opposed to Harriet's (it feels less contrived). This song is really growing on me (as is that costume - swishy. There's this twirl that Olivia does that neither Harriet nor Ashleigh do that I love because of how the dress moves. It looks like it'd be a lot of fun to just twirl around in), and I do really like Olivia's performance of it. Again, it's not all about the perfect voice, there's actual emotion in the performance. 

One last thing; a slight costume mishap. The Aminta dress is usually undone in the back during the boat ride to the final lair, but it had come down off her shoulder and there was a white/beige strap showing. She waited until Scott-Phantom was done manhandling her and had thrown her back into the boat before sort of protectively pulling it back over her shoulder - I liked this because one, there's no way Christine put herself in that wedding dress, so I think it's better when the Aminta dress is obviously open, and two, costume issues happen, and I don't think there's any point hiding or ignoring them. I like to see interesting ways people work around costume issues, and when they do it so completely in character it's amazing to see. Anyway, I'm never unimpressed by Olivia. So many effective little details added to her performance, and a portrayal that is consistent but always interesting. It's also interesting that she's constantly improving or changing little things; even though she doesn't need to, it adds so much more interest to the role (that's probably why I can see her 11 times without getting bored). London's losing possibly the best Christine they've ever had. 

I also wanted to say something on the Final Lair, but this is about the trio, not Olivia-specific. Sean was pretty easy to ignore most of the time; once he was noosed he pretty much stayed quiet and was more of a prop. You could barely hear him singing. Scott, on the other hand, was very much there. The final lair is where he gets the most hissy and overdramatic, but he toned it down a bit this time, which I appreciated. Olivia had amazing volume and power in her voice for this; every word was clearly discernible without losing any emotion. The suspense leading up to the Raoul-release was quite something; at first I thought it was dragged out too much, but then I realised I was holding my breath and shaking the whole time, so it was more effective that I immediately thought. 

Lara Martins (Carlotta)

I love sassy Carlotta. I do keep hoping that one of these days she'll hit someone with her umbrella in Notes/Prima Donna, though I'm not holding my breath. Whoever didn't put an umbrella whack in there was missing something. I love her big voice, the accurate and consistent accent (though I guess hers is natural, as opposed to the two covers), and the personality-filled character. She makes Carlotta such an interesting (and melodramatic) character, which is amazing. Definitely my all-time favourite Carlotta; when she's on I always wish Carlotta had a bit more stage time, just for the humour. I'm not really sure why, but one of my favourite parts of her Carlotta is the "Those who tangle with Don Juan!" trill (terminology is not my thing) in the Don Juan Rehearsal. Her voice is crystal clear and I always find this a very effective moment, but it's best when Lara is Carlotta. Mostly I just like all the energy she brings to the stage - it's that idea that certain people just light up the stage no matter what they're doing, and Lara's one of those (so are Layla and Olivia, off the top of my head). But of course she's an amazing, entertaining Carlotta. 

Scott Davies (Phantom)

Still quite hissy and overdone at times, though I quite liked what he did at the end of the final lair. He took his time after the kiss, touching Christine's lips and then his own in disbelief, and really building up suspense (aided by Olivia-Christine's reactions) leading towards Raoul's release. He also had a really good I Gave You My Music at the end of the first act; that was his best acting moment in my mind. Understated but effective (it was a nice touch adding the sobbed "Christine!"s). He also does the disappearing Phantom trick on the throne very well; always impressed by how well he does that (if you don't know how it works, you'd have no idea what happened. He's just gone). He's really inconsistent with the voice though. Some shows, like this one, he sounds incredible, and others I really question his ability to hit the notes with any power or conviction. 

Sean Palmer (Raoul)

I do quite like his voice; he's developed a big, powerful voice with great expression. Now if the expression in his voice could move to his face, I'd be much happier. It's a very monotone performance, really. Not much interest, no distinct personality - Raoul doesn't have to be likeable, but there should be something going on that makes him less a character and more a person. 

Cat Lane (Meg)

Sort of like Sean; she only has a few different expressions. She smiles, and she looks mildly concerned. And she's back to being on her feet before anything's actually happened in Hannibal. Her voice has a lot of volume and power, but it's awfully whiney in tone. It's always hard to go back to seeing a Meg I'm not fond of after seeing my favourite, but emotional attachment aside, this just wasn't a particularly strong performance. I've been more impressed by her in the past. I didn't get any particular personality or purpose to her Meg. Meg in this show was really more of a prop in a tutu. Also, I don't care if she's only in the show til August. She needs either a new wig or a better styled wig. It's long and a gorgeous colour, but it's completely limp with no volume, and looks very different from the other girls'. I also think a fuller wig would be more flattering on her. 

Marc V (Piangi)

Maybe it was the mic, but he seemed to have a very weak, quiet voice. Not a lot of comedy in his portrayal, and I don't think he made Piangi interesting or deep. His strongest moment was the prelude to PONR, where he was Piangi playing a character, which I found interesting. I think there's a lot more he could do with the character and he's just leaving it very flat. But my main issue with him was the strength and volume of the voice; very underwhelmed there.

Andre and Firmin

Love these two; they're a great pairing with brilliant comedic timing. Distinct characters without clashing. 

Jacinta Mulcahy (Mme Giry)

Her voice seemed a little off today, but I love her Mme Giry in general. Nice transitions between being very strict with Meg and the BGs to being very caring and worried about Christine. Believable without being overdone. Usually has a massive voice, though not so much today. 

My Favourite Ballet Girls
For my own amusement; I like lists and this one took me forever to hammer out. It's not meant to offend anyone; it's just who I feel stands out most or who has interesting quirks that work (or don't work). 
1. Layla - … do I really need to say anything? It's all the expression; no step or movement is left 'blank', so to speak. Like Lara and Olivia she has massive stage presence and draws the eye straight to herself. Seriously, she's the Alina Maksymenko of Ballet.
2. Anna - She has some amazing faces and really she's just a lot of fun to watch. You do have to watch for her though; she doesn't stand out immediately in Hannibal.
3. Georgia - Gorgeous flexibility and lines; a very elegant dancer. Also the butterfly in Masquerade is my favourite anyway.
4 (tie). Charise - Another one with great faces (sometimes a bit overdone, but at least they're funny), and one of her lines during Buquet is one of my favourites in the entire show.
4 (tie). Danielle - Also very elegant, beautiful long lines and gorgeous arms. She doesn't draw the eye immediately (though it's definitely obvious when she's gone), but once you notice her you can't take your eyes off her. A good choice to have in the one very different wig colour, I think.
6. Fiona (Swing) - Obviously skilled at various different roles (swings are amazing people); it's hard to bring any personality to something that's constantly being switched around. Not particularly interesting to watch, though I think she's quite a nice dancer. Today I was just grateful that another girl was off so she was the monkey instead of in that awful Hula Girl costume.
7. Claire - Honestly I don't even know which one Claire is (Strawberry in Masquerade?) except by process of elimination, so… 

Playing Our Part: The West End sings for Target Ovarian Cancer

Playing Our Part

The West End sings for Target Ovarian Cancer

This really isn't a review; I don't feel that a one-night concert for such an amazing cause really needs critiques or any deep or detailed thoughts. Instead, I'd just like to make a brief mention of a few of my favourite moments from this incredible evening. There were so many amazing performances that it was hard to narrow down my favourites, but here they are. 

Olivia Brereton, The Light in the Piazza

First of all, I have to start out by saying this is not one of my favourite songs or shows. I saw it quite a while ago, and it falls into the same category as Guys and Dolls; it just really isn't my kind of show. So, although my opinion of the song hasn't changed, I thought Olivia's performance was outstanding. For those few minutes the character was so totally present; no costume, set, or storyline was needed. It was all there on that stage. She never fails to impress. 

Tim Morgan, No One Is Alone

This was the first song of the night that made me teary. I love Into The Woods anyway, but the lyrics of the song coupled with the heartrending performance made it a tearjerker. A simple but effective performance. 

Olivia Brereton and Jeremy Secomb, The Prayer

Beautiful, stunning, captivating - need I go on? Not so much an emotional piece, but quite possibly my favourite of the evening. If I hadn't known better, I wouldn't've realised that this was not the original pairing for this duet. Their voices together and individually are gorgeous, and all together this piece was just so elegantly beautiful.

Shona White and Gillian Budd, For Good and Celia Graham, Love Never Dies

I'd been avoiding For Good and the entirety of Love Never Dies for personal reasons (the same reasons that mean Purple goes to every show with me), so as soon as I saw these on the program I knew it was going to be emotional. Both performances were outstanding, and I'm glad that I saw them. A nice balance between singing and performance. Honestly I can't say a whole lot about the performances though; I could barely see through the tears. But I needed to hear these songs again eventually, and I can't think of a better way to do it than with the lovely performances of Shona, Gillian, and Celia. 

Also a massive shout out to Killian Donnelly, who came straight from a performance of The Commitments (not the most energy-conserving show!) and sang with so much energy and gusto. That was hugely impressive. 

That was an incredible, entertaining, and emotional evening I'll never forget. I had an amazing time, and although I can't suggest you go see it (as much as I wish it happened every Sunday night), I do suggest you go support the performers in their shows, including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and The Commitments. 

If you want to get involved with Target Ovarian, take a look at their website: http://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk

The Phantom of the Opera (May 15th, 2014)

The Phantom of the Opera

Just a quick little review made up of notes I made on the train home when I didn't feel like studying. I would usually be more detailed and I may add back to this next week, but unfortunately I do have to study for exams. 

I saw both shows on May 15th; mostly the same cast but two different Phantoms, and there were many ensemble out of both shows (so two swings swapped tracks for the second show). A few interesting things happened but I will mention those later.

Scott Davies (Phantom, Matinee): Over-exaggerated; he gets very 'hissy' at the end ("You try my patien-sssssssssssss") which ruins the moment. Getting a bit tired of him; not bringing anything new to the role.

Geronimo Rauch (Phantom, Evening): Detailed and subtle portrayal; effective and realistic without overdoing it (he only goes 'mad' when it's really necessary). Stunning voice, great little touches in the voice (PONR accent, emotion, etc.). Loved what he did with the veil at the end; hugging it to himself and really acting like it was the last thing he had left of her. I absolutely adore Geronimo during the final lair; the choking-Christine bit, the creepy face-touching after the kiss - consistent but interesting portrayal. I prefer the Gero-Harriet pairing to the Scott-Harriet pairing now.  The one thing I would like Geronimo to do would be the dramatic cloak sweep that Scott does to hide his disappearance on the throne at the end. It's painfully obvious when Geronimo disappears, whereas with Scott, he's just suddenly not there (you don't see the knees disappear. 

Harriet Jones (Christine)
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Harriet Jones (Christine): Essentially perfect. Beautiful on stage (how can one person be so beautiful and so talented? I'm jealous), acting is spot on, she's using her voice to express emotion now. Dancing has improved (still a little tentative but that will come with more time). The only things I don't like of her are the - for lack of a better term - 'body stroke' in Angel of Music ("Enter at last, master!" - Getting a bit too literal there!) and the skirt holding in PONR. It just looks wrong. But really, I have literally no complaints about her, yet somehow she's just not clicking for me emotionally. I watch the whole show going "Wow, that was good!" or "Love how she did that!" but no emotional involvement. I don't know why; Harriet's absolutely amazing. It bugs me to no end that I don't love her Christine as much as I think I should. AIAOY, PONR, and Twisted Every Way are particularly incredible, vocally (obviously) but mostly because the acting is perfect. Those were the songs I had the most emotional response too (at this point I know the show back to front, so I evaluate everything by the emotional response as opposed to being wholly analytical). 

Sean Palmer (Raoul): Stronger voice than I usually hear from him, but still a very muted, uninterested portrayal. Only appears to have two facial expressions: bland and mildly irritated. That one line where Raoul goes "Angel of Music, fear my fury!" (I think that's the line?) this is what my mind went to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtM3KAychok (from 0:13) Just replace wrath with fury.

Layla Harrison (Meg Giry)
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Layla Harrison (Meg): Very pure, sincere voice (especially in show 2). Probably could've used a touch more volume (might've been a mic issue though? Janet/Carlotta's was going in and out a bit), but the sound itself was beautiful. Loved the interaction between Meg and Christine; strong relationship between the two. Gorgeous Il Muto pirouette. The interaction with Monsieur Reyer during Hannibal is hilarious; Layla's Meg cracks me up. The faces are just so accurate and interesting. Notes was amazing as usual; I was torn in the first show as I was trying to watch the unfamiliar Carlotta and Layla at the same time, but for the second show I focused solely on Meg. Again, it's the faces, the reactions, the expression - absolutely perfect. She gives Meg such a big personality. Meg's reaction to Piangi's death was very emotional (even more so the second time around even though I knew it was coming); she looks utterly terrified and upset and it's traumatising, to say the least. And on top of everything else her best friend was just kidnapped, so everything Layla did with Meg in this scene was just… heartbreaking. Layla's Meg is so detailed that it makes you really think about the character itself, which is even more depressing. Anyway, Layla's Meg is nothing short of perfect, but most importantly it's an interesting, well-executed portrayal of a character that has the potential to be really annoying, but is made to be entertaining and emotional. 

Janet Fischer (Carlotta): New Carlotta for me! I didn't check the cast board when I went in so I was very shocked when she walked out on stage! A very pleasant surprise as I didn't think I'd be lucky enough to see the second cover Carlotta (as second covers so rarely go on). She has a big voice, but I thought the acting could've been less muted and more interesting. The accent could've been less understated (and it fluctuated quite a bit), but but I loved her back-and-forth with Jeremy during Notes. 

Bloopers/Mistakes

- Harriet tore a ruffle off the bottom of her dressing gown when it caught on the portcullis during the first lair in the second show. Interestingly last time I saw her, she tore a ruffle off the bottom of her Aminta dress, so I hope Harriet's not my new Olivia (Olivia used to always have something go badly wrong with her costume when I saw her). 

- Janet tripped coming out for Hannibal; didn't flinch though. Well handled. 

- Apparently there was a collision between two dancers in Masquerade, but I didn't notice despite the fact that I had my eyes glued to one of them, so obviously that was very well hidden (is there anything  such skilled dancers can't handle?). 

All in all, two amazing shows. Lovely to see Harriet so much improved (really there's nothing left for her to improve. The only thing I'd like to see would be a bit of spontaneity or some added details, but I can't put my finger on exactly what I'd want within those parameters), and an absolute privilege to see the most incredible Meg - a complete, well-rounded, and gripping portrayal.