Carly Mercedes Dyer Archives - North West End UK

9Sep

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

High Society – Edinburgh Playhouse

Well-bred socialite Tracy Lord (Helen George) is about to marry oddball accountant George Kittredge (David Seadon-Young), much to the dismay of her upper-crust family. Journalists Mike (Freddie Fox), and Liz (Carly Mercedes Dyer) infiltrate the glitzy wedding, hoping to get a lucrative scoop for their tabloid. Meanwhile, Tracy’s rehabilitated ex-husband Dexter (James Hume) has his own agenda. It’s never a good sign when the characters hold a big party the night before the wedding. Cole Porter’s music and lyrics are timeless, accompanied by a live jazz band. I loved Who Wants to be a Millionaire, sung by Fox and Dyer as the astonished journos explore the mansion and discover how the other half live. As the rowdy party gets underway, the full company performance of Let’s Misbehave capture...

26Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

High Society – Leeds Grand Theatre

Well, Did You Evah hear a more peerless collection of classic showtunes as High Society? Fans of other musicals will no doubt quibble with that claim, but Cole Porter composed at least three timeless songs for this reworking of double Oscar winning, The Philadelphia Story, which was also a hit movie starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Ol’ Blue Eyes. This scrumptious production of High Society was hardly Shakespeare as spoilt New England socialite Tracy Lord was about to marry boring George, and her lovelorn ex-husband Dexter equally determined to get her back. Throw in a couple of undercover reporters, and a case of mistaken identity, and you had all the ingredients for a classic light hearted musical, but with wall to wall Porter masterpieces. One of the main criticisms o...

5Dec

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Singin’ in the Rain – Royal Exchange

We all know that Manchester has a reputation for enjoying a drop of rain, so it was entirely apt that a downpour greeted ‘Singin in the Rain’ as it landed in the Victorian splendour of the Royal Exchange for the festive period. The weather did nothing to dampen the palpable sense of excitement of the packed press night audience and were not to be disappointed. This is a show with the high quality production values, a great ensemble, superb leads and a beautifully orchestrated score, that left me walking through soggy St Anne’s Square singing 'do de do do, do de do de do do do, I'm singin' in the rain, just.......', into the Mancunian night. The plot, charting the demise of silent pictures and the rise of the 'Golden Age' of 1920s Hollywood 'talkies', is well known, less so is the fact t...

A Chorus Line – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

26Sep

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

A Chorus Line – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

A Chorus Line, originally performed in 1975, is one of the most successful musicals on all time. However, it’s reputation for highly technical choreography and of requiring a large cast of superb dancers, with equally big voices, make it one of those shows which the amateur companies tend to give an almighty body swerve, which actually makes it quite a rare beast. This fabulous touring production is a must see for all serious musos, in fact with only four Edinburgh performances it is very much a case of catch it while you can. This classic Broadway hit follows harsh Director Zach (Adam Cooper) as he puts 17 hopefuls through their paces and baring their souls in the hope of being one of the chosen 8 for the chorus of a new musical. Highlighting the brutal reality of what it takes to get ...

3May

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

The Drifters Girl – Edinburgh Playhouse

Faye Treadwell was the manager, and driving force, behind the iconic American vocal group, The Drifters. Formed in 1959, the group’s hits included Hello Happiness, Saturday Night at the Movies, Under the Boardwalk, and so many more familiar numbers. Between the soundtrack, and the trailblazing lead character, the story seems to be made for musical theatre success. The line-up of the Drifters changed frequently during their history. We see members being drafted into the military, or fired by Treadwell and her husband George, or undergoing other personal tragedies. Sometimes – like Ben E. King (Ethan Davis), they move on to greater success elsewhere. In total, The Drifters featured 60 different vocalists during their history. This means a lot of multi-roling. Matthew Dawkins, Davis, Tarik...

The Drifters Girl – Birmingham Hippodrome

17Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

North West

The Drifters Girl – Birmingham Hippodrome

Faye Treadwell, born in Arkansas in 1926, owned and managed the Drifters following the death of her husband George Treadwell in 1967 and since then navigated their careers and oversaw many legal battles over the use of the name. She made history as one of the first African American managers in show business and created a reputation as a hard-headed businesswoman. Plus, she gave the world the Drifters! For those of us brought up in the seventies the great American songbook was filling up nicely with much loved numbers by tunesmiths who’d long since packed away their music stands and headed for swimming pool filled retirement, but not Miss Treadwell and not the Drifters. They were still touring well into the eighties and beyond with Tina Treadwell taking over her mother’s musical mantle a...

13Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Drifters Girl – Hull New Theatre

There aren’t many 1950s singing groups whose story can still pack theatres 70 years later. But The Drifters are no ordinary group as we discovered while watching The Drifters Girl, a new musical, at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday. This entertaining production was as much about the group’s manager, Faye Treadwell, as about the group itself. Treadwell (the amazing Carly Mercedes Dyer) managed the group from the 1970s for 30 years, when women weren’t expected to be in business, never mind actually running the whole shebang. And being the first female African American manager brought its own difficulties. Faye’s husband, George, was the original manager of The Drifters, but when he died in 1967, his wife took over the management. Facing litigation in the US and needing to ma...

29Feb

By Andrew LeeNo Comments

North West

The Drifters Girl – Liverpool Empire

The Drifters Girl is the story of the R&B vocal group The Drifters, and the remarkable woman behind their success. The story follows the ever-changing line up of lead singers, backing singers, promoters, writers, and producers, with the one constant being the group’s robust manager, Faye Treadwell. It narrates how so many tried to cash in on The Drifters name, yet there can only ever really be one true ‘The Drifters.’ If, like me, you love going to the theatre to listen to great music, sang by quality singers, supported by a superb live band, with glamourous lighting and costumes, then this show is perfect for you. The singing was great throughout, and the inclusion of all of our favourite Drifters hits such as ‘Save the last dance for me’, ‘Saturday night at the moves’, and ‘Under ...

15Jul

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Anything Goes – Barbican Theatre

Put together three pairs of (almost) lovers and their muddled relationships, against the backdrop of a grand ship with scintillating choreography and music, and you get a spirited production of Anything Goes. There isn’t very much else to the plot, just a classic case of entangled couples, falling in love and attempting to see it through. But the story is not what the audience comes for. It is the escape into this magical world of a magnificent ship where everyone talks in song and dance, makes silly jokes and enthrals the audience with contagious energy! Cole Porter’s classic masterpiece is back with an award-winning cast including Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney, Denis Lawson as Moonface Martin, Simon Callow as Elisha Whitney, Bonnie Langford as Evangeline Harcourt, Samuel Edwards as Bill...

23Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Anything Goes – Liverpool Empire

In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but now God knows, anything goes. Last years’ Olivier Award nominations were proof that Cole Porter’s 1934 musical hit is a timeless classic and can still please audiences today. This new touring production also shows, that with the right casting, it can raise the roof on large theatre venues. Set on the SS American, as it sets sail from New York to England, the press and passengers on board are complaining that there are no celebrities to make this trip worthwhile and worth the price of the ticket. Unbeknownst to them, there are stowaways and gangsters hiding in plain sight aboard and chaos, of course, ensues. With storylines that follow four main characters, it’s easy to think you’d get confused with the multipl...