Filmed in London at The Royal Festival Hall in 2012, ‘Alfie Boe: Bring Him Home’ was not surprisingly a sell-out. Streamed as part of ‘The Shows Must Go On’ series, this is a performance not to be missed.
Alfie Boe may be one very talented tenor, but this performance also showcases not only his powerhouse of a voice but also his charismatic stage presence. His personality is warm and engaging with the audience. With lots of audience ‘banter’, especially with a certain Matt Lucas in particular, he was instantly likeable and also displayed a very witty sense of humour throughout.
He performed several duets with special guests including Matt Lucas, Mel C and Tom Fletcher from McFly. His performance of ‘The Impossible Dream,’ with Matt Lucas was impressive and was also interjected with much humour. Asking Lucas, dressed in a green waistcoat, why he had come dressed as ‘Toad of Toad Hall’, their genuine friendship and mutual admiration was clear to see.
His surprising performance with McFly’s Tom Fletcher (who knew they were friends?) singing ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,’ from Les Misérables was spectacular and very moving.
‘Bring Him home’, accompanied by Claude Michel Schonberg on piano was of course faultless. Despite the numerous times Boe must have performed this infamous piece from Les Misérables it remained fresh, packed with emotion and would have surely brought a tear to the eye of most of the audience. Needless to say he received a standing ovation for this.
The orchestra or ‘Boe’s Band’ as he preferred to call them must also be applauded. Their performance of the Bond themes was simply outstanding, and the brass section controlled to perfection. Conductor James Morgan kept the orchestra and the accompanying choir, ‘The Brighton Festival Choir,’ on point throughout.
With classics such as ‘Some enchanted evening’, ‘Maria’ and a very mesmerising ‘Hushabye mountain,’ it was an eclectic evening of musical theatre. In addition, his performances of The Beatles medley and Bond theme tunes added variation to this spectacular evening, showcasing Boe’s vocals.
‘The Shows Must Go On’ series is showcasing the crème de la crème of musical theatre and I would urge you to watch. Available for only 48 hours, Alfie Boe’s live performance will certainly deliver sheer joy to all ages in these challenging times. This performance was undoubtedly 5 stars and if I could give it 6 I would! http://youtu.be/sFMTTdiTCN8
Reviewer: Angela Kelly
Reviewed: 16th October 2020
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★