Postcard from Abroad
Guest Column Jekyll and Hyde a German premiere!
Jekyll and Hyde Das Musical Photo Gallaryhas been added!
Chicago in Utrecht (Netherlands) reported by Nikki!
Forbidden Broadway in West End? Julie gave us blow by blow report!
Nikki wrote another detail report on German RENT!
NIGHT OF 1,000 VOICES by Julie Meader
World Premiere of Hunchback of Notre Dame by Nikki!
Hunchback of Notre Dame Photo Gallaryhas been added!
Beauty and the Beast with John Barrowman! by Julie Meader
Beauty and the Beast by Julie Meader
Dominion Theatre, Saturday 29th May 1999
Cast��
Beast - John Barrowman
Belle - Michelle Gayle
Mrs Potts - Sylvia Griffin (u/s) usually Gemma Craven
Maurice - Billy Boyle
Lumiere - Mark Cavan
Cogsworth - Barry James
Gaston - Alex Bourne
Lefou - Richard Gauntlett
Madam de la Grande Bouche - Shezwae Powell.
I had seen this show just over twelve months ago with largely the Original London Cast, and had returned to see the new cast, especially John Barrowman, and find out how he would cope with the furry one.
My first disappointment of the day was that Gemma Craven would not be appearing at this performance, who has taken over as Mrs. Potts. Not only was Gemma in the very first musical I ever saw but I was really looking forward to hearing her sing the theme song. Oh, well. Standing in the foyer, my second disappointment soon followed when I went to buy a souvenir brochure - they were still selling the old cast?! Bit of a swizz really, but they�re not compulsory so I didn�t get one! Then we heard �Ladies and Gentlemen, please note���..sigh - what now? If John was not appearing, I was going to leave right then�� �that the stalls bar will not be open this evening.� Phew! Nothing too drastic then!
So, picking up my cast list, I flicked through to see who else was on. And now for some information which made the previous incidents fade to nothing - also in the cast was Annalene Beechey! My (and many others) favourite Cosette ever, who had left the Palace last September was in something. And yes, she is the understudy Belle. So we made our seats eventually, after drying off after the most violent thunderstorm over Oxford Street, and settled down.
Another announcement stated that the use of recording equipment was forbidden and for the safety of the performers, cameras must not be used. This one puzzled me a little - if everyone in the theatre took a picture with flash at exactly the same time, surely it couldn�t be more dazzling than Be Our Guest? Still, I digress.
It has been reported in the press that Disney were getting a little tired of their show being constantly referred to as an upmarket pantomime, so they had decided to do some chopping and changing and came up with the idea of making the Beast �more sexy�. I have a vision of a bunch of grey-suited executives, post board meeting, beating a path to Mr. Barrowman�s door, but I expect it might not have been quite like that.
Michelle Gayle has been drafted in to play Belle, which seemed an odd choice. Ms. Gayle is a very familiar face to us Brits, having starred in Grange Hill and Eastenders, before gracing the charts with her soulful voice. As she�s been on our screens regularly since she was about eleven, and it felt a bit like watching family. I wonder if the casting department had thought of her as a rival to the Broadway version where Toni Braxton is currently appearing? Any misgivings were allayed when she first appeared, looking very Belle-like in her blue hooded cloak. Vocally she was a little quiet for the opening song, but happily tripped through the market-place with her basket and books. During her spoken parts, she seemed to be having difficulty making herself heard at times, but once this first scene was over, I felt she got right into her stride and had no further problems. I did feel that, perhaps due to her largely small-screen background, she tended to over-emphasise some of her gestures. However, the majority of her acting was well-suited to the �new, improved Belle!� She has made her much more feisty; not that afraid of the Beast, and certainly a match for Gaston - a wonderful performance by Alex Bourne. She is very affectionate and loving during the scenes with her father Maurice, and managed to moderate her voice to the occasions, being upfront, dutiful or melancholy, but always endearing. The new song �A Change in Me� written for Toni, has also made the trip here, and I liked it a lot. Michelle sang it well, and generally performed all her songs with stylish ease.
When John first took to the stage, I wasn�t really that sure it was him. Under all that fur and latex, it really could have been anyone, but once he spoke, it sounded like him, despite his English pronunciations. While John was becoming an honorary Brit, Michelle was crossing the Atlantic the other way! Their scenes together were a joy, with John camping up the part considerably, adding a few not-too-ferocious roars, and Michelle proving more than a match with her blank refusal to even have dinner with him. Even though he eventually said �please!'!� Lumiere�s invitation to dine, however, was a little more embellished�..Cue several thousand lightbulbs, dancing cups, plates, knives, forks, cheese grater, salt and pepper et cetera, et cetera (oops, wrong show!!). It�s worth the ticket price alone just to see that scene.
Mark Cavan has taken over the role of Lumiere, and despite our being so spoiled by Derek Griffiths, he made a good effort, even though his accent veered from France to Hungary at times. Barry James has continued in the role he created as Cogsworth, with Sylvia Griffin understudying Mrs. Potts. As I said, this was my second visit, and I�ve yet to see a principal Mrs. Potts, but Sylvia was good; much more homely than I imagine Gemma Craven would have been, but her timely entrance to save Belle from being entertained by Madame de la Grande Bouche was welcome. A great cameo performance by Shezwae Powell as the wardrobe, who appeared to be having a ball, if not actually wearing one!
Gaston�s theme song, which has some great lyrics and some carefully staged tankard-chinking, was put across very nicely, accompanied by his acrobatic, and possibly very bruised, foil Lefou; another excellent showing from Richard Gauntlett.
John�s overall performance was of course marvellous. His main song, �If I Can�t Love Her,� done to death on numerous solo CD�s, sounded fresh and completely at home within the musical. His voice was much deeper for his spoken lines, but reverted to its natural soft tenor which was allowed to soar for his big numbers.
Once the Beast had decided his best course of action was to behave like a �gentle man� the scene was set for the pair to become a little closer. John�s comic acting was at its best here, with Michelle staying nicely in control of her emotions during their reading lesson. Gaston�s plans to have crazy old �Morees� committed to an asylum were afoot with Monsieur D�Arque, which gave the Beast the chance to show his compassion by letting Belle take a look in the magic mirror. Of course, we knew he�d have to let her return, and off she went, leaving the desolate castle, to rescue her father, and the residents to despair of ever being human again. Gaston urged the villagers to �kill the Beast� and the entire company swept towards the castle for some excellent fight sequences, not least Gaston and Beast on the parapet. The injured furry one was carried back to his room and as Belle tended to him, the final petal fell from the rose, just as she said she loved him. Gulp!
The happy ending we knew was coming occurred and we all sighed with wonder and awe as the Beast transformed back into the Handsome Prince and Michelle, changed into a stunning yellow sparkling dress, married him. The enchanted objects returned to their human selves, and Chip ran on stage to choruses of oohs and aaahs.
The show is so corny, but lovely all the same, and I would recommend it, whether you�re six or sixty. The music is sweeping and the songs are mostly hummable if not entirely memorable, though some do stand out. John is a great Beast, and Michelle is a lovely, if unconventional, Belle. In fact, I think I like her more modern, argumentative approach with Beast and pure exasperation at Gaston, who is either a muscle-bound control freak or macho he-man, depending on whether you�re a �silly girl� or not! And as an afterthought, the people behind us on the tube escalator found it odd that Maurice�s daughter was black, but perfectly acceptable for a teapot, candlestick and clock to speak? That�s Disney for you :)
But to the question posed at the start of the show �Who could ever learn to love a Beast?� the answer was loud and clear - WE COULD!!! Congratulations on the new version, not necessarily a sexy Beast, but different. Just hurry with the new brochures, please.
Footnote: John Barrowman is said to be in this show until the beginning of September. Then he will cross over the Atlantic and appear in Putting It Togather on Broadway in November. So if you want to see his Beast, hurry up!
� Julie Meader 1999.Hunchback of Notre Dame - Berlin Press Night
Every musical fan in the country has been excited during the last weeks when Berlin was preparing the world premiere of a new musical by the American Disney company, who have already brought stage versions of their movies "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King" to Broadway. Now Berlin had the honour to see the opening of an other stage adaptation - this one "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Why Berlin and not the States? Nobody really knows though I think it's a sign that Disney enjoys working with German musical producers "Stella" who have already brought "Beauty and the Beast" to Stuttgart.
Having been invited to the press night, I went on the seven hour -ride east to the old and new German capital, which has never ranked among my favourite cities. But my last visit dated from 1994 and it was amazing to see just how much Berlin is changing. East and West, divided by the Wall for 30 years, are slowly growing together again and much refurbishment and modernization is underway in both parts. The Potsdamer Platz, once the heart of Berlin, had been cut in half by the Wall and was more or less deserted on both sides. Now it is Europe's biggest building site and a whole new borough is being build - a borough that reminded me strongly of Manhattan with all the high-rising office buildings and modern, squeaky-clean facades. Most of the area is still under construction, but the Marlene Dietrich-Square has already come to life - there's the musical theatre and the casino on one side, a brand new hotel, a shopping arcade, cinemas, bars and restaurants.
The theatre itself looks just like any other of those new musical theatres, nice, clean and functional, yet without the atmosphere of old, stuffy theatres in London or New York. The lobby is five stories high and one side is made solely from glass, so you can look out over the square. Friends who had seen previews of the "Hunchback" had told me that it was all effects and no music, so my expectations were rather low and I somehow dreaded "Beauty and the Beast 2". For some reason Disney seems to pick exactly those movies for stage adaptations which I had never liked in the first place (except for "Lion King" where I went through a box of tissues). When will they finally bring "Aladdin" onto a stage?!
Anyway, "Hunchback" turned out to be a lot better than I had expected. The music by Alan Menken was on the weak side indeed, the only remarkable songs being the old songs of the movie, like "Someday" which became a hauntingly beautiful duet by Esmeralda and Phoebus, joined by the company near the end of the show. The rest of the score flows along nicely but remains somewhat dull. But if "Hunchback" rises high above the bland "Beauty" the merits go to director James Lapine, who managed to tell a story that, despite its clear Disney influence, is moving and captivating throughout. He also brought human beings with true feelings and emotions on stage instead of two-dimensional cartoon characters. Praise must also go to set and costume designers, who created breathtaking illusions that are worth the high ticket prices alone. Instead of using heavy scenery, most scenes were staged against huge projections that showed the inside and outside of Notre Dame as well as creating stunning sights. The "floor" consisted of hydraulic cubes that could move up to 14 metres and become anything from the cathedral tower to the grisly vaults of a dungeon. When the "Hunchback" comes to Broadway, designer Heidi Ettinger can certainly add another Tony to the ones she already received for "The Secret Garden" and "Big River" earlier. The same goes for costume designer Sue Blane, who managed to bring a colourful medieval world to life.
The show opens with a prologue in 1462: Clopin, the chief of the gypsies, begins to narrate the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Judge Frollo, the strict and cold-hearted sheriff of Paris kills a young gypsy woman in a struggle for an obviously stolen bundle. But the bundle doesn't contain stolen goods but the woman's hideously disfigured baby. The dean of Notre Dame persuades Frollo to take care of the orphaned baby which receives the name Quasimodo.
Twenty years later, Quasimodo, banished onto the tower of Notre Dame by Frollo, rings the bells of the cathedral and lives in solitude, his only company being three gargoyles that come to life in his fantasy. These three gargoyles, named Charles, Loni and Antoine, whom I found terribly annoying in the movie, come alive beautifully now and soon win the audience's hearts. Quasimodo escapes from Frollo's strict supervision to join the festival of fools down in the city.
At the same time a group of gypsies arrives in Paris for the festival, among them the beautiful Esmeralda. Another new arrival is the young soldier Phoebus, who is looking for pleasure but instead gets summoned by Frollo to do his job as Captain of the Guards and help to chase the gypsies out of town. The festival of fools takes place and if nothing else before, this scene should win over the greatest skeptics, because I have hardly ever seen such a colourful, joyful medieval spectacle with song and dance. Everyone falls under the spell of Esmeralda's sensuous solo dance - Phoebus, Quasimodo and even stone-hearted old Frollo. Quasimodo, encouraged by Esmeralda, joins in the elections of the King of Fools, the ugliest face in Paris, and when he wins and is exposed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, soon finds himself abused by the crowds.
Frollo, furious that Quasimodo escaped from the tower without his permission, wants to teach him a lesson, but Esmeralda rescues the poor young man and Frollo orders Phoebus to arrest her. She flees into the cathedral and we are treated to another truly stunning sight, as it really looks like one of those huge, dark cathedral halls everyone knows from the one or other sightseeing trip. The dean offers her sanctuary, but Frollo threatens that he will arrest her the moment she leaves Notre Dame. Esmeralda, secretly watched by Quasimodo, sends a prayer to Mary - the beautiful song "God bless the outcasts" that was already heard in the movie version. Deeply touched, he takes her up to the bell tower and helps her to escape, while elsewhere Frollo is at odds with himself, unable to understand that he is in love with Esmeralda. His tune "The fires of hell" is one of the few remarkable new songs.
Phoebus, refusing his order to hunt Esmeralda, becomes hunted himself by Frollo's soldiers and falls into the Seine, a scene so wonderfully staged it actually made me gasp. We've had somebody jumping into the Seine from a bridge in another musical before, but this version could definitely teach John Napier a thing or two. There WAS a bridge and there WAS water flowing under it - all done with projections of course, but it looked stunningly real when Phoebus fell into the Seine and "drowned".
The second act begins with Esmeralda leading Phoebus (whom she obviously saved while everyone was drinking champagne during the interval) into Notre Dame to seek sanctuary. The tension of the story is broken by a funny, very Disney-esque song in which the three gargoyles convince the depressed Quasimodo that Esmeralda will return to him. Instead Phoebus appears with the dean and Quasimodo agrees to hide him in the bell tower. Frollo arrives as well to tell Quasimodo that his soldiers have found the gypsy hideaway and they will all be arrested in the morning. When he is gone, Phoebus re-appears and convinces Quasimodo that they must go and warn Esmeralda. They arrive at the "court of miracles", deep in the vaults, where the gypsies are partying (another marvelous dance number).
Phoebus and Esmeralda plan to run away together and Quasimodo realizes their love for each other, leaving him behind. But Frollo has followed the men on their way to the court of miracles and both Phoebus and Esmeralda are sent to the dungeons, while Quasimodo is brought back to the bell tower in chains. Frollo tries to blackmail Esmeralda, offering her freedom if she stays with him. But the proud gypsy girl refuses and seals her own fate: She will be burned as a witch. Both she and Phoebus dream of a better world and with the famous song "Someday" our ears are finally getting something to enjoy, too. Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda from the flames in the very last second and takes her into the safety of the bell tower. Frollo appears and when their argument turns into a physical fight, Quasimodo pushes him off the cathedral - his fall from the tower was another stunning visual effect that left me to gasp. Here Disney veers from the original book, allowing Quasimodo to survive. He leaves Notre Dame and ventures out into the world. Clopin, our narrator, finishes the show.
It's too light-weight to leave the audience in tears, but somehow I like it that Disney has made a somewhat lighter approach to Hugo's gloomy story instead of a typical "tear-jerker" musical that leaves you depressed for the rest of the evening. If only the music was better, I'd love to shout out that this is the greatest new musical I've seen in ages, but this way I can only say, that it's definitely worth watching for its amazing effects and colourful spectacle. It was the first time in ages that I left a show thinking immediately "I need to see this again!"
Judging from the fact that shows like "Starlight Express" and "Beauty and the Beast" run very well in Germany, while somber shows like "Les Miserables" failed, I think that "Hunchback" is exactly the kind of musical German audiences love and I trust that the show will find its audience in Berlin. Another big bonus of this show is the cast - Quasimodo is played by American newcomer Drew Sarich, who makes the disfigured hunchback oddly real so that I really felt for him. I also liked the fact that it was made clear from the beginning that he and Esmeralda would never get together, so we aren't torn between our wish to see him happy and Esmeralda's desire for a good-looking, dashing man. I always find it hard to understand why Stella prefers to cast foreigners in leading roles, who often struggle with singing in German, but Mr Sarich has already worked hard on his German singing and since most of the rehearsals took place in New York with the English libretto, he knows exactly what he is singing (this may sound odd, but more than once I have heard performers singing songs in a way that showed clearly that they were only reproducing the German words without having a clue what on earth they are singing).
Judge Frollo is played by German Norbert Lamla (a former Javert and Max von Mayerling in Germany's Sunset Blvd) who took over the role only one month before the opening night when original Frollo Steve Barton dropped out because of a knee injury. He did a good job playing the evil judge as a strict, cold man who can't handle his feelings towards the gypsy girl Esmeralda and the fact that his "godson" Quasimodo doesn't obey him fearfully anymore.
Judy Weiss, who played Esmeralda was a bit of a disappointment though. Her voice never really shone and what's more, she lacked the sensuality and sex appeal of a black-haired, dark gypsy girl. Anyone who has seen the movie versions with either Gina Lollobrigida or the more recent adaptation with Salma Hayek, knows what I mean. Ms Weiss did a good job, but it was hard to understand why every man should lose his head just for this girl.
The dashing captain Phoebus was played by Fredrik Lycke from Sweden, a handsome guy with a fine voice, though his role was rather two-dimensional. A special compliment must also go to Jens Janke, who played Clopin, the king of the gypsies and narrator. He is a fine young actor who appeared in musicals like "Elisabeth" (playing crown prince Rudolph), "Les Miserables" (Marius) and "Sweeney Todd" (Tobias) before. I really hope that this show will mark his big break as he is one of the rare true musical talents we've got in this country.
The audience cheered at the end and judging from the first press articles that appeared on Saturday and Sunday, even the notoriously negative Berlin critics seemed to like the show. Generally everyone seens to hope that Berlin, which has been a graveyard for musicals so far with more than one show failing badly, finally has a true hit on its hands that will attract the tourists who are swarming the city.NIGHT OF 1,000 VOICES by Julie Meader
Royal Albert Hall 2nd May 1999
This concert was staged to celebrate the birthday of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, the largest amateur collection of singers in the UK. They made up the 1,000-strong choir, and we were told later in the evening that the majority had only met that very morning! To help matters along, there were several guest vocalists assembled from the rest of the World, comprising D. Michael Heath, Leo Andrew, Kelli James Chase, Connie Kunkle, Terri Bibb, Kenneth Nichols, David Michael Johnson, Lauri Landry, Patricia Nessy and Philip Quast. Yes, that Philip Quast. Browsing through the running order in the programme, it was obvious that the organisers also felt Philip was the star of the show, cos they�d allocated him more songs than anyone else. Alarmingly, some of the songs contained a banner stating �plus audience�. What a shame, I�d left my singing voice at home! Oh, and the City of London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Don Pippin, directed by David Firman, was to provide the accompaniment.
So, the show got underway with a choral introduction, singing a medley of Another Op�nin�, Another show and There�s No Business Like Showbusiness from Kiss Me Kate and Annie Get Your Gun respectively. Then the soloists took to the stage one by one and Gloria Hunniford was drafted in to act as compere for the evening. David Michael Johnson then treated us to a gloriously souped-up rendition of It Ain�t Necessarily So. Our programmes told us that Philip was due on stage next. A respectful hush descended over the auditorium. In her introduction, Gloria told us that this was the man who stopped the show with his performance as Javert �last year�. For one awful moment, I thought I�d missed the occasion, but no, Ms Hunniford hadn�t quite got her dates right. So out he bounded, yes bounded, blue shirt, black trousers, to perform the first of the sing-a-longs with Oklahoma. It�s probably fairly hard to go wrong with a backing choir of 1000 but there wasn�t much chance of it failing. The audience lapped it up, and seemed to be enjoying it so much, they forgot to join in.
Next was a duet from Brigadoon, Almost Like Being in Love, ably performed by D. Michael Heath and Lauri Landry. Next was a brace from Guys and Dolls; Luck be a Lady by Kenneth Nichols and that crowd-pleaser Sit Down You�re Rocking the Boat from Leo Andrew. Mr Nichols has the most gloriously deep bass-baritone and was assisted by a small selection from the choir to stage the crap game. Leo got the feet tapping with his Sit Down and all was going very well indeed. The girls then had their turn, with There is Nothing Like a Dame (South Pacific) with the added �ahhh� factor of several Sylvia Young pupils all in sailor suits. Then, just when you think how upbeat everything is and the smile on your face is beginning to ache, along came Connie Kunkle to sing that song from Carousel, you know the one. Now I must admit, when I saw this listed in the programme, I groaned inwardly because I don�t like it all that much, but then I�d never heard Connie sing it before. One day soon, a clever inventor will be able to allow you to wind back and replay a moment from a concert. And when he/she does, this is what I�d like to see again. Connie�s rendition, instead of me wishing she�d hurry up, was incredibly moving and made me for the first time, probably, actually listen to the song. But then if I�d rewound, I�d have missed the next instalment; Patricia Nessy singing Glitter and be Gay from Candide. First I have to say that Ms Nessy had the most stunning dress on! And her voice matched it perfectly - sparkling and classy. She was able to hit the notes with consummate ease and had the audience eating out of her hand, velvet gloves and all. Next it was another duet, Make our Garden Grow, again from Candide, sung by D. Michael Heath and Lauri Landry once more. This one was a new one on me, and very nice. They complemented each other well.
Gloria was then back to introduce one of our old-timers in Roy Hudd to perform Get me to the Church on Time with the assistance of the company. A nice piece of comic relief before the real gasp of the evening, The Tonight Quintet from West Side Story. Tony was sung by Philip, who was now suitably attired in a black and looking very �Tony-ish�! The Sharks and Jets goading calls rang out from the choir and the principals all enacted their parts with gusto.
The first half closed with Kelli James Chase performing Don�t Cry for me Argentina, complete with the crowd (or rather the choir) calling out for �Peron, Peron� and midway through, erupting into a frenzy of wild cheering. It was equally matched by the audiences' reaction at the end of the song. Beautifully done.
The second half then got underway with David Michael Johnson once more, this time in a gold suit, singing Jesus Christ Superstar! He was joined by the others (sans Philip) for the backing vocals, and took to the stage like a real showman. My only gripe was that his mic could have been a wee bit louder (yes, louder) because of the enthusiasm of the band and the chorus, some of his words were slightly drowned. Next was the turn of a song from one of our celebrity guests, Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity. This was performed by the choir, who made a real effort. That�s not to say they didn�t on any of the other songs, far from it, but this is a particularly good piece for a 1000-strong group. But it�s quality not quantity that counts, and they had both.
Don Pippin then introduced the composer himself, Cy Coleman, who treated us to a rendition of his more well-known numbers, accompanying himself on the piano. A ripple of applause as each standard was recognised, and then into Hello, Dolly, the International version. The what? The International Hello, Dolly!! From Japan to France to Germany, with appropriate instruments. Sounds horrific, but it was actually very effective. Then the voices joined in for the usual version. [I had to stifle a snigger as I was thinking of Carol Channing in Forbidden Broadway a few weeks before.]
Next soloist was Terri Bibb, who has made over 1000 appearances as Christine on Broadway, and when asked what she wanted to sing, was expected to choose something from Phantom. So she chose Ice Cream, from She Loves Me! Resplendent in blue pyjamas and huge cartoon slippers, she gave a wonderful light moment, but still managed to express her own unique voice.
Then it was D. Michael Heath�s turn again, this time a solo. What do you call him? D? Michael? Whatever. He was to perform Anthem from Chess. And perform it he did! Wonderful voice, great diction, perfect timing. Why had I never heard of him before?!
Now a chance for the voices to be rested as the orchestra launched into Jellicle Ball. Staying with Cats, Kelli James Chase then returned on stage to perform Memory. How appropriate - I have a feeling most of the 6000 audience won�t be forgetting it. She was joined by Lauri Landry who appeared halfway up the choir on the balcony, but most eyes stayed on Kelli. She has a magnificent voice and gave real passion to the song.
No concert being complete without something from our two favourite Frenchmen, the choir then sang Do You Hear the People Sing, starting with one solo male voice. The choir were all seated and as a dozen or so joined in each line, they all stood up, complete with �actions�! Magnifique! Then Gloria was back again to introduce the man who least needs an introduction. Yes, it was Philip and without a shadow of a doubt, even allowing for my own bias, it was the highlight of the evening. He sang two back-to-back Sondheims from Merrily we Roll Along, Good Thing Going and Not a Day Goes By. Pick any word you like from poignant, heartfelt, intense, passionate, touching�..or just Quast.
The chorus then gave us time to recover with a rather nice piece called Sail on Titanic. And now the man with the smooth, dark chocolate voice was back! Kenneth Nichols, a man who apparently made his name in Showboat, once again reprised Ol� Man River with that deep, deep voice from the deep, deep South.
Next it was Gloria once more to introduce the first of the Lifetime Achievement Awards. The first was to be presented to Elaine Paige who ironically was in New York, so we had a live phone link-up where she said how delighted she was and also sang an impromptu chorus of �Happy Birthday� for NODA. Then Cy Coleman received his award too, and seemed delighted. Next it was Howard Keel. He said he didn�t know what to say. Sing! came the instructions from the audience. He said he was being saved for the following night, but gave a nice speech, thanking the audience for their support over his long career. He was genuinely moved by the reception. The guy is eighty years old and looks in tremendous shape. Then it was the surprise guest, the one who wasn�t in the programme. Michael Crawford. Gloria said he was also in America, cue groans, but had broken-off his tour to be here tonight. Cue cheers! And there he was! He was also moved by the reaction and when the cheering died down, gave us a funny story of when he was a member of NODA, as a nineteen year old and lasted a week before being sacked. He said he has been waiting for his just reward ever since!
The presentations made, the show nearly finished, the choir settled and the orchestra ready. Gloria introduced the Finale with rather a nice little piece, saying perhaps if we all strived to be more childlike, and less childish, the World might be a better place. They had chosen Circle of Life and who was to sing it? None other than our very own Lion King, Philip! Joined by the full choir and the soloists, the words rang out and then another collection of assorted youngsters from Sylvia Young formed a circle round the stalls seats, and lined the front of the stage. Philip had to touch their outstretched arms for them to stand, to form the Circle (geddit?!) and one teeny-tiny girl was left behind. She was then elevated onto his shoulders for the last notes, as the oohs and ahhs sounded! A perfect finale to a wonderful evening. The choir were magnificent and looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying it, the soloists were really World-class. I feel so ashamed I hadn�t known who half of them were! But the one I did know exceeded my expectations and I made several new friends. I hope we don�t have to wait another 100 years for the like again. But I have a strong hope that the concert has been recorded for future broadcast as it would be a real shame for no-one else to hear it.
And, if anyone knows where I can get recordings of the other soloists, (esp. Kenneth and Kelli) I�ll be most grateful! Thanks!
Go back to
the Cream of the Crop pageGo back to
the Home page