Sunday, December 22

Tag: Andrew Hilton

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium
London

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

Act normal. Wear a black dress or pinstripe suit. Paint your face and snap along. At the London Palladium it’s Halloween in February. Copious amounts of fog billow forth from the palatial stage and the theatre is bathed in purple light as audiences amble in, many dressed for the special occasion and already buzzing with excitement. The orchestra, unlike the assembled spirits of the dead, remains unseen but makes its presence known in a vigorous overture playing jauntily under conductor Andrew Hilton, and is energetically reinforced by a skilled ensemble dancing in choreography by Alistair David. Consistently visually interesting even as the plot stretches itself thin and tired jokes leave audiences groaning, this rendition of a mid-tier musical is nonetheless entertaining and well perfo...
Chicago – New Wimbledon Theatre
North West

Chicago – New Wimbledon Theatre

New Wimbledon Theatre had it coming as the show razzle dazzled its way onto the stage, with popular musical hits such as Cell Block Tango, Mister Cellophane and many more. The show is set in 1920’s Chicago and follows the story of Roxie Hart (Faye Brookes) and Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott) as they battle for a space on the front of the newspaper to gain fame and stardom, after murdering various lovers after not getting their way. Billy Flynn (Russell Watson) takes the case of the two stars. The set for this production was stripped back, which by no means takes away from the show but frames the stage and band quite literally as they take centre stage while being immersed into the show and given a character of their own. Interacting with the cast led by Andrew Hilton (Musical Director) ...
Chicago – The Regent, Stoke
North West

Chicago – The Regent, Stoke

Originally directed by Bob Fosse, based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and with music by John Kander, ‘Chicago’ graced the stage of the Regent Theatre in Stoke on Monday night. Directed originally by Walter Bobbie and with a recreation of the original direction by Stacey Haynes, ‘Chicago’ was set in the decadent 1920s and tells the story of the flamboyant ‘Roxie Hart’ (Faye Brookes) whose lover is murdered when he threatens to leave her. The story unfolds as she is desperate to avoid conviction. With several well-known names in this particular cast, the surprise of the night was the role of classical tenor, Russell Watson. Whilst his vocals were never in doubt, his acting was unknown but from his performance with ‘the Girls’ to ‘All I care about’ it was evident he would not disap...