ELKIE BROOKS:   50^th ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Some performers stand in a league all of their own – and Elkie Brooks is one of them. Now celebrating half a century in the music business, she wowed a heaving Civic theatre as she belted out hits from her back catalogue, including Fool if You Think It’s Over, Sunshine After the Rain, Don’t Cry Out Loud, Lilac Wine and Pearl’s a Singer.

At 65, Elkie looks and, more importantly, sounds fantastic. Her versatility is stunning and she moved with ease from blues to rock to jazz and back again, electrifying the audience as she did so. Indeed, Miss Brooks doesn’t simply deliver a song she makes love to it, caressing the lyrics and sensuously teasing out raw emotion from every line.

Never an artist to just bask in the glory of her past successes, Elkie also introduced the audience to a couple of songs from her brand new album. The hauntingly beautiful Why and the title track, Powerless, are not just two exceptionally brilliant ballads, but also proof that Elkie Brooks just keeps getting better and better and testament that she still has one of the best voices in the business.

 Steve Burbridge.

Tom and Catherine and Dan Dare in Concert featuring Encore

The Customs House, South Shields

Encore return to the Customs House as part of its fifteenth anniversary celebrations, performing abridged versions of Tom Kelly’s musicals, ‘Tom and Catherine’ and ‘Dan Dare’.

‘Tom and Catherine’ chronicles the life of bestselling author Catherine Cookson, who was born and lived in the Tyne Dock area of South Shields until she was 23 years old, and her husband, Tom, from the time they first met until their deaths in 1998.

Blighted by her illegitimacy and her mother Kate’s drinking problem, she moves to Hastings where she meets her beloved Tom. Among John Miles’s musical score, ‘Something Special’, ‘Hanging onto Life’, ‘Blessed With Peace’ and ‘I Need Your Love’, sung at pivotal periods in their lives: on first meeting; during her terrible bouts of depression; on the death of her mother, Kate, and when Catherine dies, respectively, bring pathos to the show.

Patricia L. Whale (young adult Catherine) and Andrea Atkinson (older adult Catherine), John Whitfield (young adult Tom) and John Robinson (older adult Tom) and Janet Lord (Kate) portray their characters superbly and the lyrics enable them to bring their singing talents to the fore.

Narrated by Caroline Wells and Karen Aynsley, this musical production re-enacts Tom and Catherine’s lives tastefully, completely captivating the audience.

After the interval, in complete contrast, Dan Dare (who will evoke childhood memories to many of the male members of the audience) follows one of the many adventures of the comic strip character. Embarking upon a mission to Venus with the purpose of saving the Earth, which is suffering from food shortages, he and his crew are captured by the Treens and Dan is forced into battle with the evil Mekon. Meanwhile Dan’s assistant, Miss Peabody, and Crew One are vying for his affections.

With very lively songs, ‘Keep A Checking’, ‘Can’t Keep A Good Man Down’ and ‘Two Minutes Fifty Nine’ to name but a few, combined with energetic dance routines and special lighting and sound effects, ‘Dan Dare’ is much more light-hearted than its predecessor.

The excellent band, Andrew Richardson  and Johnny Winter on keyboards, Ian Paterson, bass guitar, James Birkett, guitar, and David Francis on drum, compliment Encore’s sensational singing perfectly.

A very entertaining evening and well worth a visit!

Linda Barker on behalf of Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 15^th May 2010.

Celebrate Christmas

With

Thomas Spencer-Wortley

www.thomasspencerwortley.com

****

"We are so excited about the upcoming concerts. As we are coming into our fourth Winter season, we can't wait to pull together all our experiences of live performances over the years help to create a really brilliant show with the wonderfully talented Thomas Spencer-Wortley”…..All Angels

“The Drop-dead, Sinatra-eyed quintessential Englishman made the hairs on my neck stand up when he sang his self-penned track ‘Credere’.....Lesley-Ann Jones, Sunday Express

Thomas Spencer-Wortley- an exceptional young tenor who possesses talent, looks, integrity and the drive to continually push musical boundaries- will be bringing his spectacular Christmas concert to London, Birmingham and Harrogate. The evenings will include popular classics to songs from the shows and festive favourites.

Thomas will be joined by Platinum & Classical Brit nominated ‘All Angels' as special guests alongside- Natalie Hope– direct from the UK Tour of Evita and soprano Mairead Carlin. He will also be accompanied by Thomas’ own quartet- ‘The Midnight String Quartet’ and a number of past and present students of the Royal Academy of Music. Details of his tour are below:

Celebrate Christmas with Thomas Spencer-Wortley Tour dates:

December:

20^th      London           St John’s Smith Square, Westminster                     7.30pm

                                    (Feat. the Fulham Camerata)

21^st      Birmingham   Town Hall, Birmingham                                           7.30pm

                                    (Feat. West End Academy Chorus)

22^nd     Harrogate       Harrogate International Centre                               7.30pm

                                    (Feat. Leeds Philharmonic Chorus / West End Academy Chorus)

Thomas’ debut album Credere is out now and contains self-penned songs such as lead-off track- ‘Credere’- a beautifully arranged song with haunting vocals and a soaring melody- a song so brilliant it could stand alongside those of any of the great master works. Other songs present on the album include his take on classics such as -‘Ave Maria’; ‘The Prayer’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’, and it marks the introduction of a major new voice in music. With his English charm, Italian style and world-class voice, Thomas Spencer-Wortley is destined for great recognition. 

To date, Thomas has been described as ‘The English Josh Groban’, the ‘solo version of Il Divo’ and the UK’s answer to Andrea Bocelli but to those who know him, he’s just Thomas...

Thomas lives and works with his younger brother, composer & arranger, Oliver Spencer-Wortley. Between them they set out to create a sound, and one which is becoming clearly recognisable, where the excitement of the modern era meets the classics yet retaining all of the beauty and artistry of the original composition. 

Thomas was born and raised in Derbyshire and then moved to study voice at Trinity College of Music, going on to gain a post graduate diploma and LRAM at the Royal Academy of Music.  After working in music theatre it was evident that Thomas’ classical sound was individual, a real blend of the operatic world and the ‘West End’.  This left Thomas with an apparent decision to make, although now it would appear an obvious step, he chose to combine the best of both and become a solo classical cross-over artist.

For more information, please visit:

www.thomasspencerwortley.com

The Nolans: I’m In The Mood Again

The Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne

The most talked-about tour of the year took Newcastle by storm as Bernie, Linda, Coleen and Maureen – collectively known as The Nolans – proved that sisters are doing it for themselves with a concert that captured the girl group’s energy and spirit perfectly.

It’s incredible to think it’s now thirty years since their smash-hit single, ‘I’m In The Mood For Dancing’ stormed the pop charts and became a cult classic. It’s even more incredible that the quartet look and sound even better than ever.

The show is spectacular - their greatest hits, disco diva anthems and songs from their new album – and right from the beginning it kickstarts an evening that quickly develops into an enormous party.

Many of the girls’ original hits have been subtly updated and each number is choreographed carefully and performed with seven hunky male dancers - enough to raise the blood pressure of many a middle-aged woman in the arena.

Having slung the spandex, banished the boob-tubes and parted with the platforms, the costumes now are sophisticated, stylish and yet equally as sexy. And, for those who appreciate a bit of glitzy glamour, there are still sequins and stiletto heels to keep you happy.

As well as belting out their own back catalogue, the group bestowed the Nolan magic on Girls Aloud’s ‘The Promise’, Ernie K. Doe’s ‘Here Come The Girls’ and ‘Eternal Flame’ by The Bangles. Each of the siblings was also allowed to shine individually with a solo performance: Coleen kicked off with a playful cover of Alesha Dixon’s ‘The Boy Does Nothing’; Linda gave a true rock-chick rendition of Duffy’s ‘Mercy’; Maureen showed off her impressive vocals with ‘Valerie’ by The Zutons and Bernie completed with Pink’s ‘So What?’

It was a cracking comeback concert from the group who were giving us ‘girl-power’ long before The Spice Girls were even thought of.

Steve Burbridge. 

Dancing In The Streets

Darlington Civic Theatre

The magic of Motown is sensationally celebrated in this spectacular show that includes hits by The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight. Okay, so the format’s a bit like Motown meets Matthew Kelly in the sense that the performances are delivered in a Stars In Their Eyes style. However, that didn’t stop the audience at Darlington from ‘gettin’ on down’ and having a great night to remember.

Before long, Dancing In The Streets had them dancing on their feet. Whilst some shows metaphorically bring the house down, there was a real danger that this one would bring the dress circle down as the balcony groaned and vibrated to the pounding rhythm of three hundred pairs of feet.

Songs including You Can’t Hurry Love, My Girl, Please Mr Postman and, of course, the title number reverberate throughout the auditorium and remind us just how good the golden era of Motown really was.

The performances on stage are loosely linked together by master of ceremonies who provides an easily digestible chronological history of the record label and its artists. A joyful celebration of the genre and its lasting legacy.

STEVE BURBRIDGE.

‘Dancing In The Streets’ runs at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 17 October 2009.

Thriller: Live

UK National Tour

Reviewed at Darlington Civic Theatre

In a career that has spanned forty years, Michael Jackson has sold an unparalleled 750 million records worldwide, with his Thriller album still the world’s best-selling record of all time. Love him or loathe him, his impact upon 20^th century pop music cannot be denied.

So, it would seem, the time is right for musical theatre to pay tribute to his achievements in a production that is dedicated to his career. After all, Queen has We Will Rock You, Madness has Our House, Boney M has Daddy Cool, Barry Manilow has Can’t Smile Without You . . . you get the point, right?

However, the difference is that Thriller: Live does not present the audience with a musical play based around Jacko’s hits. It is an all out, no-holds-barred concert tribute to the ‘undisputed King of pop.’

Taking the audience on a toe-tapping, finger-clicking musical journey from his time as one fifth of the Jackson 5 right up to the present, the show is certainly something of a spectacle. All the hit songs are there including ABC, I Want You Back, Ben, Blame It On The Boogie, Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough, Can You Feel It, Beat It, Bad and Black and White. The crowd enthusiastically sing and dance along for all they are worth.

 Thriller: Live has many plus points to its advantage -  breathtaking choreography, brilliant vocal performances, multi-media effects and pyrotechnics and the back catalogue of the man who, arguably, has made the biggest impact upon contemporary music from blues, jazz and Motown to rap, disco and pop.

Former Pop Idol contestant, Hayley Evetts is the headliner and she can certainly sell a song. She is supported by an array of talented singers including Ian Pitter, Peter Murphy and eleven-year-old Tyler McLean as the young Jackson.

Backed by a truly gifted group of dancers, the show is an eye-popping extravaganza of vocal and physical brilliance. I must make particular mention of Daniel Uppal, whose performance was a captivating combination of physicality, charisma and star quality.

A few minor points marred what might have been a truly triumphant evening’s entertainment. Firstly, the production provided a totally one-sided version of Jackson’s life and career that was firmly focused on the positive and that completely skimmed over the negative elements. This was epitomised when Jackson was compared alongside Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.

Additionally the title number, Thriller, was badly mimed to a recording by Jackson, therefore it was not Live.

Despite these disappointing flaws, this production is an uplifting, invigorating theatrical experience that you cannot help but enjoy.

Steve Burbridge.

‘Thriller: Live’ runs at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 6^th June 2009.

Jane McDonald In Concert

The City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne

It seems like the synopsis of a rags-to-riches romantic novel – a working class club singer lands a job on a luxury cruise liner, is spotted by a television crew, and makes the big time. In fact, it is the amazing true story of one of this country’s best-loved songstresses, Jane McDonald.

Legions of loyal and loving fans filled Newcastle’s City Hall to see her perform in concert and she rewarded them with more than two and a half hours of top notch entertainment, proving that she really knows how to get a party started.

Demonstrating an astonishing versatility, Jane performed numbers from virtually every genre. Big ballads, disco floor-fillers, country classics and songs from the shows were all sprinkled with the McDonald magic, making each and every one a showstopper. She was supported by a trio of talented backing singers, Sue Ravey, Stephen Foster and Jo Boyne, and a brilliant orchestra.

One big thing that distinguishes Jane from other performers is the rapport she has with her adoring fans, some of whom frequently announced their love for her at the top of their voices during the show. She is, obviously, a lady who does not take their support for granted and graciously acknowledged their declarations with charm and humility. The affection that they have for Jane is genuinely reciprocated.

As well as sounding fantastic, Jane looked fabulous, too. At times, the sequins on her gorgeous gowns were outshone by the sparkle of her smile as she strutted her stuff across the stage, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

The songs were interspersed with amusing anecdotes and risqué revelations, which were all delivered with the brand of Yorkshire charm, warmth and humour that has become Jane’s trademark.  

In addition to cementing her reputation as a sensational singer, the self-confessed “cruise ship cover-artist” also displayed her innate talent as a songwriter with a selection of her own compositions. I defy even the most hard-hearted cynic to listen to her performing ‘Not A Day Goes By’ without a lump in their throat.

The evening was brought to a close with a disco medley, rapturous applause and a well-deserved standing ovation for the legendary Jane McDonald.

Steve Burbridge. 

Elaine Paige: Celebrating 40 Years On Stage

THEATRE ROYAL, NEWCASTLE

Monday 23 & Tuesday 24 February 2009

The legendary star of the West End and Broadway, Elaine Paige, is celebrating forty years on the stage with a magnificent concert in which she recreates many of her starring roles in the biggest musicals of the modern era.

The diminutive diva wowed last night’s audience with a powerhouse performance that included just about every song that she is famous for.

Paige looked stunning, in black trousers and a silver three-quarter length coat, as she made her entrance on stage to demonstrate just why she is renowned as the First Lady of musical theatre.

It is amazing that such a powerful voice emanates from such a petite lady – she stands at only 4’ 11” tall – and Miss Paige, herself, acknowledges in a rhyming couplet: “I may be short, I may be svelte but, bet your ass, this bitch can belt!”

Her lack of height and the problems that it posed early in her career are summed up in a witty song, written for her especially by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, entitled Small Packages.

In addition to the songs, Elaine also shared some fascinating anecdotes from her illustrious career, including the occasion when she was presented to the late Queen Mum and got stuck in a curtsy.

Paige performed some new material from her latest album, but it was her showstoppers that really brought the house down. She proved that, at 61, she still has what it takes and renditions of I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar), Hello Young Lovers (The King and I) and Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (Evita) received rapturous applause.

The second act opened with Miss Paige reprising the character of Norma Desmond, from Sunset Boulevard, in her original costume from the Broadway production, and delivering a fabulous performance of As If We Never Said Goodbye.

She also belted out numbers from Sweeney Todd, Anything Goes, Les Miserables and Piaf. The evening came to a close with Memory from Cats, With One Look from Sunset Boulevard and a standing ovation that elevated from the stalls to the gallery. Encore!

Steve Burbridge.