Musical biopics have become fairly commonplace on the musical theatre circuit … but rarely with such a varied and beautifully vocalised back-catalogue as The Eva Cassidy Story.  Theatre Productions present the music of Eva Cassidy with the extraordinary vocal talent of Sarah Jane Buckley at Motherwell Theatre this week.

Eva Cassidy’s story came to the attention of the British public back in 1998 when Britain’s most popular radio presenter of the time, Terry Wogan, added her unique vocal talents to a playlist which reached millions of listeners. ‘Songbird’, the album produced after her untimely death in 1996, sold over 100,000 copies by late 2000 attaining the coveted ‘gold’ status.  All this before a black and white amateur recording of her performance of “Over the Rainbow” was played on Top of the Pops in 2001; sending her to the top of the charts all over again.  Eva Cassidy remains the only female solo artist to achieve three posthumous number one albums in the UK.

 

Sarah Jane Buckley steps into this role as if she was born to sing the songs of Eva Cassidy.  This is no mean feat.  The principal reason that Eva Cassidy was not a popular recording artist in her lifetime was that the range of her vocal talent was too vast!  Eva couldn’t be classified by the radio stations; blues, country, jazz, folk and easy listening standards all came naturally to her and, true to her principals, she couldn’t be labelled – always singing from her heart.  Sarah Jane Buckley seemed unphased by this vocal challenge, covering Eva Cassidy’s back-catalogue as though she had written the arrangements herself.  Songs like “Songbird”, “Over the Rainbow”, “Fields of Gold”, “Yesterday” and “True Colors” were just beautiful in their simplicity and vocal clarity while up-tempo numbers like “Take Me to the River” were a joy to hear.  The supporting cast, too, added significant vocal and musical talents into the mix delivering tight harmonies and live music from the stage.

 

As is the case with many musical biopics, though, the narrative failed to maintain the high standard of the music.  Dialogue and direction linking the musical numbers was a little contrived, even wooden at times.  This was unfortunate as there was a real story to tell here.  It was important to cover Eva’s uncomfortable relationship with her father, for example.  But the use of the starring cast in the roles of the children was a mistake as these scenes could only leave the audience unconvinced.  A simple solution would be to have young actors depicting the drama while the stars provide the vocals from the onstage band.  Audience participation in later scenes often fell flat.  However, the quality of the musical performance easily carries the audience through the story and the dialogue seemed happy to take a supporting role with the exception of some quite moving scenes in the second act as Eva’s illness takes hold.

 

The production was unremarkable save for the superb quality and balance of sound together with excellent musical direction and arrangements by Martin Hughes.  The stage seemed a little cluttered at times with the band kit in full view but this suited the recording studio scenes well.  Unfortunately, there were a couple of technical faux-pas which detracted from the unfolding drama in the second act.

 

This show really is a must see for any fan of Eva Cassidy and her music.  Sarah Jane Buckley’s voice is worth the ticket price alone and carries Eva Cassidy’s high standards with ease (while the drama plays second fiddle).

Listings Info:

The Eva Cassidy Story
Motherwell Theatre
Mon  6 – Wed 8 Feb
Mon – Wed eves 7.30pm

Tickets: £17.50 - £20
Box Office 01698 403120 (Bkg fee)
http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6249 (bkg fee)

Tour Dates:

 

10th February	Derby Assembly Rooms	http://www.derbylive.co.uk/	01332 255800
11th February	Wellingborough Castle Theatre	http://www.thecastle.org.uk/	01933 270 007
12th Feburary	Richmond Theatre	http://www.atgtickets.com/Richmond	0844 871 7651
14th February	York Grand Opera House	http://www.atgtickets.com/35/910/Grand_Opera_House_York	0844 871 3024
15th February	LYTHAM ST ANNES, Lowther Pavilion	http://lowtherpavilion.co.uk	01253 794221
16th-17th February	Worthing Pavilion Theatre	http://www.worthingtheatres.co.uk/	01903 206 206
18th February	Hawth Theatre, Crawley	https://tickets.hawth.co.uk/public/	01293 553636
22nd Feb - 23rd Feb	Winchester - Theatre Royal	http://www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk/	01962 840440
24th February	Exmouth Pavilion	http://www.ledleisure.co.uk/index/Exmouth_Pavilion/index.asp	01395 222477
25th Feb	Chatham - Central Theatre	http://www.medwayticketslive.co.uk/	01634 338 338
28th February	Edmonton Millfield Theatre	https://forms.enfield.gov.uk/peo/	020 8807 6680
29th February	Bradford St George's Hall	http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/	01274 432 000
1st March	Yeovil Octagon Theatre	http://www.octagon-theatre.co.uk/	01935 422884
2nd & 3rd March	Mansfield Palace Theatre	http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/palacetheatre/	01623 633133
4th March	Glasgow Theatre Royal	http://www.atgtickets.com/Theatre-Royal-Glasgow	0844 871 7647
5th-7th March	Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury	http://www.theatresevern.co.uk/	01473 281281
8th March	Rotherham - Civic Theatre	http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/theatres	01709 823621
11th March	Manchester Opera House	http://www.manchestertheatres.com/operahouse.htm	0844 871 7660
13th March	Chesham Elgiva	http://www.elgiva.com/	01494 582900
14th March - 16th March	Colchester - Mercury	http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk	01206 573 948
14-16th March	Mercury Theatre, Colchester	http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/	01206 573948
18th March	Scarborough Spa Theatre	http://www.scarboroughspa.co.uk/	01723 357869

 

 OMG you are SO going to love this show!  If you like your shows frothy, fun and frivolous then this is the perfect show for a girls’ night out at the Waterside Theatre all this week.  Legally Blonde The Musical opened in December 2009 to rave reviews and the show went on to win seven theatre awards including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. After almost 1000 West End manicures, perms and make-overs, Legally Blonde The Musical will have its final performance at the Savoy Theatre on 7 April 2012, but you can still catch it on its UK tour. During its first year on Broadway in 2007, Legally Blonde the Musical earned seven Tony Award nominations, 10 Drama Desk Award nominations and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The show also ranked in the top 10 for the most requested Ticketmaster "Arts & Theatre Events" for 2007.

When blonde sorority queen Elle Woods is dumped by her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, she decides to follow him to Harvard Law School to win him back. Once there she learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined and with some help from new-found friends Paulette, Emmett and her Chihuahua Bruiser, she learns that it’s so much better to be smart.

Directed by Tony and Olivier Award winning Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray), Legally Blonde The Musical is the funniest and most fabulous musical around.  The best show in town, case closed.

Faye Brookes gives a sparkling performance as Elle, with strong vocals, great comedy timing, warmth and energy.  Faye is a relative newcomer to the business and prior to graduating from Guildford School of Acting, played Sandy in Grease in the West End.  X-Factor finalist and Dancing on Ice winner Ray Quinn plays the ultra ambitious two-dimensional Warner, who spurns Elle in favour of Vivienne (Charlotte Harwood) as they vie for an internship with top lawyer Professor Callahan.  Les Dennis gives a very credible performance as the ruthlessly seedy lawyer and he can hold a tune!  Les’ recent TV appearances include Life’s Too Short and Extras, but he was best known for presenting Family Fortunes.  UK musical tours include Hairspray and High School Musical 2.

Emmett (Iwan Lewis) shows Elle that she can be much more than just a ditzy blond, as he helps her to enjoy learning.   Iwan has played Nick in Fame and Private Augenti in the West End.  Claire Sweeney plays the garish Paulette, the other friend who helps to teach Elle to value and accept who she is as an individual and to look beyond her obviously attractive appearance.  Claire has an extensive CV and played Paulette in the West End and we saw her at the Waterside last year in the UK tour of Tell Me on a Sunday.  Other West End roles include Roxie in Chicago and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls (opposite the sadly missed Patrick Swayse) and TV appearances include Candy Cabs and Brookside.

We loved the UPS parcelman (Lewis Griffiths) and it will be very disappointing when I next receive a ‘package’ not to have a hunky guy turn up in tight shorts !  Also the very camp hairdresser (Jon Reynolds) made the most of his role, but the standard in musical theatre is so high now everyone delivers an exceptional performance. The multi-talented cast includes Gemma Baird, Lori Barker, Niamh Bracken, Andrew Gordon-Watkins, Hannah Grover, Charlotte Harwood, Katie-Marie Hicks, Sophie Isaacs, Nia Jermin, Graham Lappin, Sinead Long, Rhona McGregor, Chris Milford, Zak Nemorin, Andy Rees,  Micha Richardson, Amy Ross, Michael Steedon, Barnaby Thompson, Michael Vinsen and Hannah Woolley.

Of course we mustn’t forget our canine stars and Bruiser is played by Pringle and Breezer and the very cute Rufus is played superbly by sharpy.

Legally Blonde on tour is produced by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group, Bill Kenwright, Tulchin/Bartner Productions,  Jamie Hendry Productions in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber and with associate producers Rupert Gavin for Incidental Colman and Amy Anzel.

Howard Panter, joint Chief Executive of Ambassador Theatre Group said:

‘Legally Blonde The Musical is a roaring success, people across the UK from Bristol to York and as far as Glasgow have taken Legally Blonde into their hearts and are having an Elle of a party at the theatre.  Critically acclaimed on tour and getting standing ovations night after night, we are thrilled that Legally Blonde The Musical, the success story from Broadway and London is continuing around the UK before embarking on a further international tour.’

This fun should not be legal!  Get your tickets today at:
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
31 January – 4 February 2012
0844 871 7607
http://www.atgtickets.com/Aylesbury-Waterside-Theatre
Liverpool Empire
7 – 11 February 2012
0844 871 3017
www.atgtickets.com/liverpool
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
14 February – 25 February 2012
0114 249 6000
http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Norwich Theatre Royal
28 February – 10 March 2012
01603 6300 00
http://www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Theatre Royal Brighton
13 – 24 March 2012
0844 871 7650
www.atgtickets.com/brighton
Leicester De Montfort Hall
27 March – 7 April 2012
0116 233 3111
http://www.demontforthall.co.uk
Dublin Grand Canal Theatre
10 – 21 April 2012
0818 719 377
http://grandcanaltheatre.ie/
Grand Opera House, Belfast
24 April – 5 May 2012
(028) 9024 1919
http://www.goh.co.uk
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
7 – 19 May 2012
0844 871 7645
www.atgtickets.com/woking
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
22 May – 2 June 2012
01224 641122
http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com
Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
5 – 16 June 2012
01227 787787
http://www.marlowetheatre.com
Southampton Mayflower
19 – 30 June 2012
02380 711811
http://www.mayflower.org.uk
Bradford Alhambra
3 – 14 July 2012
01274 432000
http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Milton Keynes Theatre
31 July – 11 August 2012
0844 871 7652
www.atgtickets.com/Milton-Keynesa>
Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre
14 – 25 Aug 2012
029 2063 6464
http://www.wmc.org.uk

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
31.1.12

We all need some fun and laughter in our lives, particularly in these stressful economic times and who better than the front man of Madness, Suggs, to bring a smile back to our lips?  Anyone who expects to be seeing a concert of Madness songs will be disappointed though, as this is a scripted one-man show detailing Suggs’ life story from his humble beginnings to international pop star.   The story is interspersed with an occasional song or few verses, accompanied on piano or guitar by his ‘manservant’, culminating in It Must Be Love.

The set is very simple - an armchair stage left lit with a spotlight and a microphone on a stand stage right, next to the grand piano that ‘manservant’  sits at throughout.

Suggs is a huge personality and bounds onto the stage with effervescent energy and enthusiasm, immediately winning the audience around with his warmth and humour.  We are in no doubt that this is not a stand-up comedy routine, but essentially a well-crafted monologue and requires 100% concentration to deliver.  The odd heckler is to be expected I suppose, but one annoying woman didn’t seem to understand this concept during the second half and, thankfully for everyone else who did, was asked to leave! 

The story begins when Suggs reached his 50th birthday last year, when after a wonderful celebration at Wilton’s Music Hall in London, his much beloved cat Mambo sadly died the following day.  These two major events triggered a search for more of an understanding of his life and who his father was, as he’d never met him.  He takes us on his personal quest to find and understand his absent father and travels cleverly between past and present day.

I’d always assumed that he was born and bred in Camden and Madness was formed from kids he’d grown up with.  The truth is not quite as simple as that, as he was born in Hastings and spent several years living with relatives in Haverfordwest in Wales, even attending grammar school there.  If his aunt and uncle had not split up, he may well have remained living there and not returned to London and joined a band!  Music in the 80s would certainly have been a lot blander without Madness and their crazy antics.

It was great to hear about how the band developed and how the Specials frontman Jerry Dammers set up Two Tone records creating Scar music and giving Madness their first record deal.  It really was a great time for fun music and it’s always uplifting to stick a Madness CD on in the car or dance around at home.  I wasn’t surprised when the musical Our House was written and became a West End hit. Their popularity and music is undiminished with everyone speaking fondly of the band and Suggs in particular.

Suggs’ life story is a fascinating glimpse into the real life of this national icon and the show is full of laughter, personal insights and pathos that we can all identify and empathise with.  The 1200 seat theatre was full, which demonstrates just how much respect and affection this talented performer commands!

January Tour Dates:
25th Southend Palace Theatre
26th York Grand Opera House
27th Newcastle Journal Tyne Theatre
29th Richmond Theatre
31st Dartford Orchard

For further dates and information please visit:
http://www.suggslive.com

For Waterside Theatre’s Winter/Spring programme information contact:
Box Office:   0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:  0844 871 7614
Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury   (bkg fee)

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
21.1.12

Perennial musical favourite, Grease, returns to the King’s Theatre to tickle the funny bone and quicken the heartbeat of the Glasgow audience.

 

Grease is familiar to audiences the world over since it debuted to Chicago audiences in 1971 and quickly moved to Broadway, running for 18 years and 3388 performances!  It broke box office records in 1978 when the movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John was released (John Travolta had played a role in the original Broadway production run).  This UK revival production originally opened in the West End in 1993 where it enjoyed a run of 6 years before hitting the road on national tours.   Since 1993, the show has been seen by audiences of over 12 million people in the UK alone. 

 

Grease is the original high-school musical featuring everyone’s favourite characters - Sandy, Danny, the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies - with the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, We Go Together, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

 

The production was very slick with fast paced dialogue joining the much-loved elements of the score together smoothly.  There is little room in the script to develop character, but the cast added great physical traits to ensure that everyone was a unique presence onstage.  Arlene Phillips’s choreography was exciting and energetic with the Hand Jive and Competition dances showing off the cast’s ability in partner dances and lifts to great effect.

 

Headliner, Danny Bayne, was a little disappointing for me.  Winner of ITV’s “Grease is the Word” in 2007, Danny looked like his five-year association with this role might be beginning to take its toll.  His talent, particularly in dance, was undeniable but his performance lacked that little spark of freshness that every audience deserves.  Dramatically the story is light but Kate Somerset How shone as Rizzo who hints that 50’s high School life is not all cheerleading and bobby socks.  Derek Andrews and Laura Wilson built a nice chemistry as Roger and Jan with Derek, in particular, showing off a significant vocal talent.  Leading lady, Carina Gillespie as Sandy, delivered her transformation from ‘Sandra Dee’ to size zero hotty with ease while X-factor talent “Tesco” Mary Byrne delivered a great character as Teen Angel singing “Beauty School Dropout”.

 

Big, bold, bright and brash, Grease is the perfect cure for the winter blues.  Take your seat and summer seems like it might be just around the corner.

 

Listings details

GREASE

King’s Theatre, Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JN

17 – 28 January 2012

Tickets £12 - £39.50

Box Office: 08448 717 648

MProductions’ highly popular evening of our favourite musical theatre tunes is back… and this time we’re on tour! Featuring legendary songs from shows such as American Idiot, Into the Woods, Shrek and Hair, the show is coming to venues in Milton Keynes & St Albans.

As the house lights dim to clock bells chiming, the scene is set for Dickens’ dark tale – only to be broken by some beautiful company singing of various Christmas songs in a wonderful “round” arrangement.

 

Like a picture postcard of Dickensian London, the set and costumes are a big clue to the sumptuous production that lies ahead – and the audience are not let down in anyway. With fantastical effects from illusionist Paul Kieve (famous for being Magic Consultant on the Harry Potter films and also to Derren Brown, as well as creating the spectacular effects for the current west end production of Ghost The Musical) there really is no expense spared in this production. The orchestra create a wonderful sound and are accompanied by a very tight company on stage, whose vocal talents and energy do well to overcome what is really a forgettable score. The best effect of all however is Tommy Steele himself. Leading the show at the age of 75, he is very rarely off stage and has the energy of men a third of his age. It is difficult not to like Ebenezer Scrooge when played by Mr Steele and his disparaging remarks and “bah-humbug” throw-away lines provide great humour, in what is already a charming and witty script. He also shows that he still has the voice to carry off songs like “A Better Life” and “Begin Again” with great style and control.

 

A show however cannot survive on its leading man alone, and luckily this is an exceptionally talented company, with a real community feel . Barry Howard is a greatly grumpy Jacob Marley – a far cry from the role that made him famous, as Barry the Ballroom dancer in Hi-De-Hi. He was also involved in one of the most exciting effects in the show, and his first appearance in Scrooge’s bedroom saw the whole audience jump with surprise. Sarah Earnshaw and James Head make exceptional ghosts too, in very different ways. Miss Earnshaw’s rather serene and sweet Ghost Of Christmas Past was a very gentle start to Scrooge’s change of heart, quickly followed by the Brian Blessed style presence of James Head’s Ghost Of Christmas Present. His view of the Cratchit family Christmas gave us a chance to see some lovely performances from the local children procided by Ann Edmonds’ Starstruck Stage School, in particular young Ethan Kerr as Tiny Tim whose touching rendition of “The Beautiful Day” was beautifully sung and would bring a lump to any throat.

 

Director Bob Tomson has put together a very slick production utilising a clever set from Paul Farnsworth. Lisa Kent has created some nice touches in the choreography too, making good use of the set, particularly in the number “Thank You Very Much”. The only downside I can find for this Christmas show is that it is not here for longer, as it would be a lovely treat for the family on Christmas Eve (although I’m sure Sleeping Beauty will be an adequate replacement – either the Ballet in this theatre, or the pantomime in sister venue The Kings). As you only have until Saturday, make sure you don’t feel like the miser and treat yourself to one of the best shows you’ll see this year.

 

Listings

 

Mon-Sat Evenings – 7.30pm

Thu & Sat Matinees – 2.30pm

 

Tickets £11-£32

Box Office: 08448 717 647 (bkg fee)                 
Web: www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

 

Best known for his role as the android Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Brent Spiner is a versatile and multi-talented performer who started his career in the theatre. Born in Houston, Texas, Spiner first began pursuing his interest in acting while in high school, where his inspirational drama teacher, Cecil Pickett, started the careers of a group of young actors and directors including Spiner, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Thomas Schlamme, and Trey Wilson. When Pickett went on to teach at the University of Houston, Spiner followed, but he quit university before completing his degree and moved to New York. Brent then appeared in various Broadway and off-Broadway productions, such as A History of the American Film (1978), The Seagull (1980) at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Sunday in the Park with George (1984), The Three Musketeers (1984),and Big River (1985). After starring in the play Little Shop of Horrors, he moved to Los Angeles, where he played a number of character parts in television films and series such as Hill Street Blues, Cheers, and the recurring guest role of Bob Wheeler (1985-1987) in the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. In 1987, Spiner landed the role of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation.Following a seven-year run on television, he appeared in the Star Trek feature films Generations, First Contact, and Resurrection, and appeared in and co-wrote the story for Star Trek: Nemesis. He also co-starred with Halle Berry inIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which he was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award, and appeared in films like Independence Day, Out to Sea, Phenomenon, and The Aviator. On stage, he played Ivanov in the touring production of Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1992) and was nominated for a Drama Desk award as Best Actor in a Musical when he returned to Broadway playing the role of John Adams in the Roundabout revival of 1776 (1997).  A few years later, Spiner co-starred in Yasmina Reza’s play Life x 3 (2003) at the Circle in the Square Theater and played the title role in Man of La Mancha(2009) at the Freud Playhouse. In 2008, Spiner developed a new concept for a “musical of the mind” and released the intriguing CD Dreamland, an audio “film” beautifully performed by Spiner and Maude Maggart. Recently, Brent has done voice work on The Simpsons and Young Justice and has appeared inAlphas and The Big Bang Theory. He is currently filming ten new episodes of the web series Fresh Hell, which Spiner describes as a “sit-trag”—a comedy with elements of tragedy, highly comical but also touching on very serious issues: http://www.youtube.com/user/freshhellseries?blend=13&ob=5 

I talked to Brent Spiner at the Star Trek convention in Chicago in October 2011.

CK: First of all, I’d like to thank you for your time because I know you’re busy.

BS: Never too busy to do this.

CK: That’s very nice. Right. What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?

BS: The most beautiful thing I’ve seen. (sings to the tune of “Maria,” West Side Story) The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…. (talks) It’s really hard. You know, it’s like “What’s your favourite food?” in a way.

CK: Let’s change it to “one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen”. That might be easier.

BS: Well, my son. He looks just like me. He’s incredibly beautiful. (Ponders the question.) I like Clare Danes a lot too, by the way.

CK: Ah! So let’s talk about something related to your career.

BS: All right.

CK: You’ve done so much, so many different things, on stage, on TV, films—Star Trek, Threshold, The Aviator, Independence Day; in the theatre, 1776. What was your best experience about doing 1776?

BS: It was actually being on Broadway again. There were many wonderful experiences doing that show. I worked with some amazing people. Everyone connected with the show was just great - Peter Stone, who wrote it, Pat Hingle and Tom Aldrich, and all these other wonderful people. Working at the Roundabout, which is a great organization. It was a magic experience. But I hadn’t been on Broadway at that point in twelve years.

CK: How did you cope with the fact that that you were being back on stage? You have to project on stage, it is a different medium.

BS: Right. Particularly that show, which requires a lot of volume because it’s all about arguing. You’re debating the entire show and it’s a long show, it’s three hours. My character, I played John Adams, had eight songs and lots of debate. There is a time in the show, forty-five minutes without a song because this debate is going on and I’m at the centre of it. So I was really worried about my voice. It got to a point in rehearsal where Paul Gemignani, who is the greatest conductor in the musical theatre now, he was doing the show, came up to me and said: “Be careful of your voice.” And I went: “What?” He said: “You could lose your voice, I can hear it.” And I thought: “Oh my God.” So I got really scared. It was at a point when we’re just going into the theatre, when we’d been given dressing room assignments. I was in the dressing room with two guys, Tom Aldrich, who just passed away, he was a fantastic actor, and Jerry Lanning. Jerry happened to be a voice teacher and I said to him, “Jerry, I am really worried I’m gonna lose my voice.” He said, “You’re not.” I said: “Really?” And he said: “Your vocal chords are really challenged right now because every day you wake up you’re stronger than you were the day before. Don’t worry, you’re getting stronger, you’re not getting weaker.” Everything turned for me at that moment. I knew I wasn’t going to lose my voice. I knew I was fine. He was dead right and I got stronger every night. I did the show for eight months and I never missed a performance. I did 250 performances. And I never came close to losing my voice. By the end I was stronger than I was in the beginning. It was just a psychological thing.

(A couple of teenagers approach Brent.)

Teenage Boy: We have a question.

BS: You know what, we’re really right in the middle of an interview. We’ve got a recorder going.

Teenage Boy: Sorry.

CK: You’re on it now. You’ll be online, you know.

Teenage Boy: Me and my friends were wondering. What would Data eat at McDonalds?

BS: This is the stupidest thing anyone has ever asked me. The single dumbest thing anyone’s ever said. Would Data eat at McDonalds? Data wouldn’t be so stupid to eat at McDonalds. Data would go, “I want something nutritious. I don’t wanna kill myself, I wanna live, right?”

Teenage Girl: What if you were starving?

BS: He would just starve.

Teenage Boy: Sorry to bother you.

BS: Don’t worry about it. See you in a bit.

(The teenagers leave.)

BS: There you go. It was interesting that you were taping and involved in that. If you say to somebody: “I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of an interview”, they barrelled right through that as if I hadn’t said anything. People have their own agendas. If they want something, they will go for it. It does not matter what you said.

CK: That’s really rude.

BS: Rudeness is just, you know, it’s part of the human condition, right?

CK: I think you enjoy doing new things and challenges. You are doing Fresh Hell, which is very different because it is an online series on YouTube.  

BS: Right.

CK: Why did you choose to do it online? To reach a new audience? Because more young people will watch things on YouTube?

BS: No, not really. I would love to have a television series, but nobody has offered me one and so the Internet allows you to do whatever you want.

CK: That’s true.

BS: If you’re creative.

CK: It’s an interesting idea to do it on YouTube.

BS: It’s not staying on YouTube. We’ve a got a new website that’s been designed for the next episodes.

CK: Oh yes, I saw that. But to do it online, in this format….

BS: There are people who say to me, why would you do that, and my answer would really be, why not do it? Everyone was saying, “Do a web series ,” years ago, “that’s the future.”

CK: Yes, that’s what I think. You think there’ll be TV forever?

BS: There will be TV but it will come off the Web.

CK: Fresh Hell, it’s about celebrity. What are your experiences when people meet you for the first time? Do they project ideas onto you because they don’t really know you?

BS: Right. Certainly.

CK: I expect many people think you’re like Data.

BS: That’s right. And of course I’m not. Because I’m an actual person from Texas. So obviously I’m nothing like Data except that I’m incredibly brilliant….

CK: That goes without saying.

BS: Exactly. I mean, we do have some similarities. I look a bit like him, too.

CK: Yes, you do.

BS: But I do have emotions.

CK: When you first met your fans and they approached you as if you were Data, how did you react?

BS: I tried to be nice about it, but….

CK: What did you feel?

BS: Well, it’s not like I’m not a fan of other people. I like a lot of actors, I like a lot of performances. When I met William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy for the first time, I didn’t talk to them like they were Spock and Kirk, I didn’t think they were. I kind of got the idea they were actors who were playing those parts. It is kind of peculiar. Even to this day, if I write something on Twitter that is so counter to what Data would have been, if it’s ironic or if it’s sarcastic, whatever, the things that I am, people think: “Oh man, I don’t really like you. You’re not like I thought you were.” And my reaction is: “That’s too bad! You know, you’re not like I thought you were either! I thought you were an adult.” (Laughs.) 

CK: Well, I think, just because you don’t know anything other than the character you play and some of the interviews you give, people have a certain image of you and….

BS: Right. But I’m not responsible for that. I’m responsible for being me. And being honest. And you know what? You can’t please all the people all the time.

CK: Of course not, who wants that?

BS: Exactly.

CK: But, let’s get back to the theatre. Would you like to do something in England?

BS: I’m dying to do something in England. I’ve wanted to forever. I’ve had a couple of opportunities. Didn’t work out at all. When I was 24 years old, 23 years old, I auditioned for a play in London and the producers wanted me for the part and British Equity wouldn’t let me do it. And then, years later, I was offered a play in London and I couldn’t go because I’d just bought a house. It was in the middle of being remodelled so I couldn’t leave. And so I’m waiting. I’m ready to go.

CK: Do you like London?

BS: Love London.

CK: What do you like about it?

BS: Well, I like that there is so much history. I’m a big history buff. I’m not too much into the future. My preference is not sci-fi or even fiction, for that matter. I like history, documentaries…I am reading David McCullough’s book about Paris in the 1830s right now. I love the book. I love the idea that people experienced in 1830 the same thing I do when I go to Paris, how beautiful it is. And London for me is the same. We did a convention in London, at the Royal Albert Hall, and I walked out on stage, and I thought about the people who had walked on that stage before me. Unbelievable! I love the theatre; I love just the whole feel of London. I love the way London smells. It smells different than most towns.

CK: Yeah.

BS: I like it.

CK: What kind of play would you like to do if you had the choice?

BS: I’m not that picky. I’d just like it to be good.

CK: Yes, that’s the first thing. Are you interested in doing modern plays? For example, this “in-yer-face” kind of theatre, like Sarah Kane, or Jez Butterworth, or Anthony Neilson?

BS: Do people enjoy those plays?

CK: It depends on the people. I like them.

BS: Well.

CK: But…I mean, you have the audience that goes to the West End and the audience that goes to the alternative kind….

BS: Yes, but there is the audience that goes to both. I think I like just interesting theatre. If you look at what I’ve done in my life, it’s all kinds of things. There are musicals, there are straight plays, there are old plays, there are new plays. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s interesting and involving.

CK: Do you go to the theatre often?

BS: I don’t go that often. I go occasionally in Los Angeles. Whenever I’m in New York I go to the theatre. Whenever I am in London I go to the theatre. Well, not whenever, but most of the time.

CK: You, as a member of the audience, what do you like best?

BS: I like it if it’s short. (Laughs)

CK: No four-hour plays….

BS: No, a nice hour and a half, no intermission.

CK: That’s rare.

BS: A play that I really enjoyed. Did you see Red? Red was John Logan’s play? It was at the Donmar Warehouse? Alfred Molina and Eddie (Redmayne)….

CK: The play about Rothko.

BS: Yes, about Rothko. Eddie was great. A two-character play, an hour and twenty minutes, but it did its job efficiently and it left you provoked by the whole thing, thought provoked, interested in art and the nature of art. It was fantastic!

CK: What is one of the biggest challenges as an actor?

BS: To get hired is the only challenge, really. You have to think, if you get hired, it’s because the people who hired you think you can do the job and that’s pretty reassuring.

CK: That’s true. But once you have the job what was….

BS: What was the challenge?

CK: For example. It’s always difficult….

BS: Yeah, it is always difficult, I think. It is a series of problems to solve and that’s how I approach things. How do I solve this and turn it into something that people can receive, understand and relate to?

CK: If you went to London to do a play, would you just do it in the West End or would you be interested in doing it in other venues?

BS: I would like to work at some place where people would come. My friend Saul Rubinek wrote a play that Scott Bakula is doing right now at the Menier Chocolate Factory, that’s a fine venue.

CK: Yes, they do a lot of musicals.

BS: This is not a musical they’re doing, though. I know they do musicals. They do a lot of Sondheim.

CK: You were in Sunday in the Park with George.

BS: I was.

CK: Is Sondheim one of your favourites?

BS: Sondheim is the only genius in the last forty years working in the theatre. There are some young guys coming up that are really good but in terms of Broadway and Broadway musicals, Sondheim is the only true genius. He is an amazing man and a once-in-a-life-time talent.

CK: How much influence do you think theatre has? Say, if you do a political play to make people aware of something? Do you think this is preaching to the converted or do you think it actually….

BS: Changes minds?

CK: Yes.

BS: I don’t think any minds change ever, by anything. I think occasionally somebody will change their mind. But I think it’s very rare that you can actually change somebody’s mind about something. How many times have you been in an argument with someone and they stopped and said, “You know what, I think you’re right. I’m wrong.” Almost never.

CK: It depends. If it’s politics….

BS: If it’s politics they never change their mind.

CK: There is going to be a fight.

BS: Yes.

CK: What about verbatim theatre? Do you think it’s a good thing? Because it can be dangerous if it’s selective. I saw a play called Lines about a verbatim play that led to the death of an actor because he was making fun of a real person. He didn’t have anything to work with so he tried that, the director was an idiot, so he ended up getting knifed. Because this person who he portrayed was not a public figure and he was made fun of on stage every day, every night.

BS: Well, I guess you have to be careful, but that’s kind of silly to kill somebody for any reason.

CK: Somebody who was disturbed already.

BS: Then you have to be really careful. I don’t know that theatre influences anything. Maybe young people go to the theatre and think: “Oh my God, that’s illuminating to me.” But that it changes everything that I ever thought….

CK: Maybe not to that extent but to a certain extent….

BS: Yes, I hope it changes minds and enlightens. But I’m really of the mind primarily to entertain and if it happens to enlighten, well, that’s nice, too. But like Star Trek, for example, there’s a—I wouldn’t call it cult, necessarily, but there is a large number of people who take it very, very seriously and build their lives around it. It’s a religion to them almost.

CK: I met a guy who told me that The Next Generation was the Bible to him.

BS: Well, there you are. To me, it’s basically a western set in space and we’re trying to entertain people. And, yes, there is a little bit of a kind of philosophy running through it that’s kind of tame.

CK: You’re accepting everybody, the way a person is, which I like.

BS: I do, too. I like that about it, too. But I think there is an illusion about it. You know, if you ask somebody, why has Star Trek lasted so long, they always say the same thing: because it has a positive vision of the future. But to tell you the truth, I don’t know what is so positive about it. We are still blowing people away. We carry guns. It’s a joke. It’s like that illusion that it is somehow all about peace. It’s really not. It is a western, it is a shoot’em up. But it does have elements that are nice, like the fact that all people are celebrated for who they are, their differences rather than their similarities, and I think that’s a very positive thing. The positive thing about it is just that it depicts a future, and that is somehow reassuring, that there is going to be a future. I don’t think it necessarily depicts a future that’s better or worse than where we live right now.

CK: But people think if you don’t have the blowing people away there probably isn’t any conflict.

BS: There is conflict. Again, that’s what they say, but there is conflict. How is it that we are always blowing people up and blasting our phasers?

CK: I don’t like that, either. That’s my least favourite part of the show.

BS: That’s the shoot’em up, that’s the western. They asked Gene Roddenberry, he said, “Well, it’s ‘Wagon Train to the stars’.”

CK: That’s why it’s called “Trek.”

BS: Right, that’s what he designed. He did not design something that he thought would become a religion of any sort.

CK: Thank you very much for your time.

BS: I’m delighted. Okay. This is Brent Spiner signing off.

The interview was conducted by Carolin Kopplin. 

 

The Scottish Premier of what must be the biggest touring show in the UK sets up camp at the King’s Theatre for 4 weeks!

 

You know what a bandwagon is, right?  A wee history lesson: back in the day, a bandwagon was the first part of a touring show to arrive in town.  It literally carried the music band.  Whether the show was acrobats or a circus or a troupe of performers, the band wagon would be the first to roll into town making as much noise as possible to attract attention and help to sell tickets to the townsfolk.  The actual show would parade along behind the bandwagon before setting up the entertainment.  Dirty Dancing is such a big show that the ‘bandwagon’ arrived in January!  Producer Karl Sydow held a publicity event at Glasgow’s plush new Central Hotel to show off just how good the show would be when it arrived in October.  Well this is one show that lives up to the enormous hype!

 

Dirty Dancing rose all the way to movie immortality shortly after its release in 1987.  The story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (played by Hollywood starlet Jennifer Grey) falling for edgy dancer Johnny Castle (iconically portrayed by Patrick Swayze) during the hot summer of 1963 struck a chord with audiences all over the world, not least due to the atmospheric soundtrack of hits from the era blended seamlessly with new music written for the movie soundtrack.  That atmosphere is transferred flawlessly to the stage in this production with a combination of live music and original masters of the 1960’s tracks.

 

Being such a universally loved movie, every audience member arrived with a preconception of the elements that MUST be in the show.  I can tell you that non-one appeared disappointed!  Classic quotes, immortal choreography, timeless music, iconic characters and semi-naked bodies all made it to the Glasgow stage intact!  There was a huge cheer as Baby exclaimed “I carried a watermelon” and an even louder reaction as Johnny uttered the long awaited words “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”.  Somehow this show blends the most potent aspects of nostalgia and excitement to inject energy into an audience.  It is amazing to be a part of it … if a little frustrating for traditional theatergoers who don’t want to be distracted from the onstage performance.

 

Traditional is something that this show is not.  It is not a musical (nor is it advertised as such) as the principal characters do not sing.  But there is plenty of singing onstage and the ensemble dance routines (which are mind-blowing in themselves) make this much much more than a play with music.  The production standards are among the highest I have seen for a touring show.  Electronic screens were used to great effect to set mood with still and moving backdrops that extended into the wings as the floor to ceiling ‘legs’ (black cloths that are used to mask backstage activity in the wings) were replaced with 10m electronic screens.  These combined with a stage revolve and flying scenery to make scene changes seamless.  If you are reading this and wondering how the scene in the lake is reproduced … you would have to see it to believe it!

 

Performances from this immensely talented cast were first class.  The dance numbers from Johnny Castle (Paul-Michael Jones) and Penny Johnson (Charlotte Gooch) were just breathtaking – this was almost to be expected as Paul-Michael Jones formerly represented England in Latin dance championships … but I honestly think that Charlotte Gooch could be the best dancer I have ever seen!  Even so, the show belonged to Emily Holt as Baby.  She was just perfect.  The character, the dancing, the physical comedy and a maturity and professionalism in the presence of an (at times) rowdy audience that was truly admirable.

 

You have to see this show.  Tickets aren’t cheap but, even in tough times, they are worth every single penny.

 

Listings Info:

Dirty Dancing

Wed 19 Oct – Sat 12 Nov

Mon – Thus eves 7.30pm

Fri 5pm & 8.30pm

Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm

 

Tickets: £10 - £48.50 (Premium seats £75)

Box Office 08448 717 648 (Bkg fee)

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

“Crazy For You”

Produced by Theatre Guild Glasgow at Eastwood Park Theatre (4-8 October 2011)

 

As this performance was to be my return to the fold of theatre criticism after a work induced hiatus, I must admit I was a trifle nervous. In two senses, I was entering into the unknown. Initially, the performance was in an unfamiliar venue, Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock (one which, on reflection, had a terrific sound capacity) and the show was one I had very little prior knowledge of. From the get-go, Theatre Guild Glasgow, a drama group who never fail to impress, hit all the high notes in a farcical plot with echoes of the play-within-a-play spectacular “Noises Off” and with slapstick moments two men named Stan and Oliver would be proud of.

The story of Crazy For You kicks off in grand New Yoik as we see our jumpy, hen-pecked protagonist, Bobby Child, auditioning fruitlessly to the seemingly cold but undoubtedly eccentric theatre director, Bela Zangler. To make matters worse, he has to put up with a demanding mother and a prima donna girlfriend who, despite their similar attitudes towards him, dislike each other.  His mother works for the bank, and our man is forced to travel to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a property. This idea is soon forgotten when he meets our leading lady, Polly, an outwardly rough-and-tough country girl whose father owns the local theatre. In true farcical fashion, it turns out that this theatre is the very property Child is there to foreclose on. Unaware of this, the two share a night of whirlwind romance before Polly finds out who her mystery man really is. Still madly in love with Polly, and aware of her distaste towards him due to the nature of his business, he hatches a madcap plan to impersonate Zangler in order to help Polly put on a theatre show, with a view to bringing some much needed life (and cash) into the sleepy town.

Child enlists the help of a troupe of lovely ladies from back home, to motivate the country-bumpkin types who populate Deadrock. Hi-jinks ensue as the plot develops, with Polly falling in love with Bobby’s Zangler guise, something he is happy to go along with until the real Zangler appears in town. In one of the most striking scenes in the play, the two Zanglers, both heavily intoxicated, mirror each other’s movements, eventually dancing drunkenly around the saloon, before passing out on the floor next to each other. Polly enters the saloon the next morning looking for the real Zangler, only for Bobby to pop up, in the guise of Zangler, talking as himself. After initially feeling humiliated, Polly eventually decides that Bobby meant well, and after Zangler manages to get them an audience for the theatre show, Bobby and Polly end up getting hitched in a spectacular finale!

All the cast were terrific, with energetic performances from all; however notable performances in particular came from David McCurrach, as Child (in particular, his drunken feint down the stairs), Adele Simpson as Polly Baker, whose vocal performances were spot on, Cameron Lowe as Moose, who provided much of the comic relief of the piece and gave a tooth-less (but by no means toothless) performance. However it was Gylen Boardman’s saloon-owner, Lank Hawkins, who uttered the most memorable line of the show – when opening a casino was suggested; “Who would come out here to the Nevada desert to gamble?” comes the brilliantly ironic reply.

I also feel a need to mention the terrific music, penned by the Gershwin brothers, as I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the songs I actually knew and could sing along with. The band was excellent as ever and there were strong vocal performances from all.

All in all, another fantastic performance from Theatre Guild, and I look forward to their next annual production!

Next production:

“Footloose – the dance musical”

Eastwood Park Theatre

October 2012