Review - Memphis The Musical (with Matt Cardle)

If you follow me on any form of social media, or you've been reading this blog for a little while, you may have noticed that I am a very big fan of Memphis the Musical. When I first saw it during its preview period last October I fell in love, and subsequently used any excuse I could find to return again, And again. And again. I took my parents to see it, brought along my grandma, my sister and I queued for dayseats on several occasions and my theatre loving friends also embraced the obsession. In fact, I have currently seen the show 8 times and have 2 more visits planned. 

Needless to say I am quite fond of it. 

And so a few months ago when Killian Donnelly (the original West End Huey) announced that he'd be leaving the show early in order to join to cast of Kinky Boots, I was quite surprised. Especially when his replacement was announced to be non other that X Factor winner Matt Cardle. I wasn't an X Factor fan and my only knowledge of Matt Cardle was from a Now CD which he featured on, covering the Biffy Clyro song When We Collide. However, I was lucky enough to attend West End Live this summer and was treated to his rendition of Memphis Lives In Me, which frankly blew me away and exceeded all my expectations. Unsurprisingly, when I finally got round to seeing the show again I was not disappointed.

In case you aren't aware of the story, Memphis the Musical is set in 1950s Tennessee and follows a while DJ named Huey Calhoun who falls in love with a black nightclub singer called Felicia Farrell, and tells the story of the pair as they attempt to find fame and bring rock and roll to the mainstream, despite the racial tensions of the time.  

As Huey, Cardle's voice was staggeringly soulful and incredibly powerful... a perfect match for soul queen Beverley Knight whose spine-tingling vocals have won her much critical acclaim in the role of Felicia Farrell. I was very impressed Cardle's overall performance, and struggled to believe that it was his acting debut, as aside from a few accent slips he more than held his own while sharing the stage with the rest of the cast, and nailed all of the weird quirkiness of his character while remaining endearing and likable.

Memphis Lives in @MattCardle as 'Huey' in #MemphisMusical! Final weeks - don't miss out! http://t.co/sLTxDxGdq1 https://t.co/N5dUCjkdUv

— Memphis The Musical (@MemphisMusical) October 6, 2015

The show itself is just unmissable. With great choreography, fabulous music, gorgeous costumes and one of the most hardworking, enthusiastic, energetic casts on the West End, it's a crime that Memphis will be closing on the 31st October.

If you've already seen the show, please let me know what you think below, or on twitter, and if you've not yet seen it, or had the pleasure to see the cast led by Matt Cardle, then I implore you, get yourself to the Shaftesbury Theatre now. You'll have an absolutely brilliant time!

Memphis the musical closes on 31st October. Beverley Knight is due to leave the show on 17th October and will be replaced by Rachel John (read my review of Rachel in the show here). Find cast holiday information and ticket information on the show's official website. 

West End Live 2015

West End Live, an event which boasts of a free weekend of musical theatre in trafalga square, was an event I'd been dying to experience for several years, so when my musical theatre obsessed friends suggested we all take a trip down to London for the weekend I whole heartily agreed! Looking back now, I can't believe we missed it for the past couple of years! There is no better event on a musical theatre lover's calendar!

I headed down on the train, met my friends at the station and got into the queue at about 8:40. There were already loads of people queuing at both entrances, but when the gates were opened at just after 10am, we managed to grab a spot about 30 rows from the stage and dead centre! Result!

Throughout the day we were treated to some absolutely fabulous performances, some from shows I was already a fan of, and some from shows I'd not seen before. I loved seeing the 30th anniversary Les Mis cast in action, turned into a proper Righteous Brothers fangirl during the Beautiful: The Carole King Musical set, enjoyed the Miss Saigon performance which wowed everyone and, of course, adored the  Memphis performance, especially as we got to see 3 songs from that particular show including the final song, the crowd pleasing  'Steal Your Rock And Roll!'

We stayed for as long as possible at the event, but had to leave a little bit early in order to check into our youth hostel and freshen up before our evening outing to Memphis (what else could it be?)

The show was, of course, fabulous! It was my 5th visit but one of my friends had never seen it before so it was brilliant to hear what she thought of it afterwards! I won't be writing up a seperate recount because I feel as if every other thing I post on here is Memphis related! We saw the full principle cast, minus Rolan Bell, (Delray was instead played by Simon Ray Harvey) and as usual everyone was top notch! It was nice to see Killian in the role of Huey one last time before he leaves for Kinky Boots, but I digress...back to West End Live...

On day 2 due to the fact that we'd stayed overnight in London we were able to join the queue much earlier. In fact, we were one of the first groups of people there. This was fabulous, as when the gates opened at midday we managed to secure a place in the front row, at the very far left of the stage! The view was amazing and totally worth the early start and long wait!

We stayed for the whole day this time and witnessed too many wonderful performances to count! The Billy Elliot number 'electricity' was an incredibly powerful tearjerker (I need to see that show soon!), Let It Be's The Beatles set was rediculously fun, John Owen Jones made a surprise appearance and the West End Cabaret near the end of the day was wonderful too (Ben Stock and Caroline Sheen's rendition of 'Suddenly Seymour' had me longing for a production of Little Shop Of Horrors which I never knew I wanted). Of course, for me, the best performance of the day yet again came from Memphis. Felicia understudy Rachel John wowed the crowd with a rendition of 'Coloured Woman' which literally brought me to tears!

Then we got our very first taste of Xfactor's Matt Cardle as Huey, singing one of my favourite numbers from the show, the showstopping 'Memphis Lives In Me'. I had been sceptical but he really impressed me! He even went for the 'D' at the end if the song! A promising introduction indeed!

West End Live ended with an amazing surprise- a Rock Of Ages cast reunion! Host Oliver Tompsett announced that he would be singing 'Don't Stop Believing' from "Flock Of Cages", which was incredible to begin with, and even more so when ex cast members including Natalie Andreou, Nathan Amzi and Simon Lipkin to name but a few joined the stage. The atmosphere surrounding the performance was AMAZING and it really made the end of the event memorable.

Sadly, the weekend had come to and end though, which meant saying goodbye to my friends and heading home. Still, the weekend was absolutely the most enjoyable time I've had in ages and I cannot wait to check out some of the shows we caught a glimpse of at the event! I'll definitely be heading down again next year. Can it be June 2016 now, please?

Charlotte x

Were you at West End Live this year? What were your favourite performances?

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Review - Memphis the Musical (Double alternate show)

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that I am particularly fond of Memphis the Musical. The music is a mix of toe tapping numbers and powerful ballads, the choreography is incredible and the story is full of ups and downs, comedy and drama. For me Memphis is everything a great musical should be, and more. I first saw the show all the way back in October, while it was still in previews, and it's been wonderful revisiting it every couple of months and seeing how elements have developed, and how the cast have gotten more and more amazing in their roles every time! 

I am totally in love with the Beverley Knight and Killian Donnelly in the main roles, however, from my very first visit I was also very keen to see both alternate's takes on Huey and Felicia too, and so when I noticed that both leads were due to be off on a Saturday, I made a spur of the moment decision to see the show again.

Day seating was my best friend that day! Although I had to get on the slow train up to London at 5:40am (!!!) to get in the queue for 7:30, when the box office opened at 10am, I managed to buy two almost central front row stalls seats (I decided to treat my sister to an early birthday present) for £20 each! I definitely recommend day seating for this show, as the view was utterly fabulous! 

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the show was incredible! I raved about it in my last 3 reviews/recounts, so really this post is more of a recount than a review. I do however, want to talk about the Huey and Felicia alternates, Jon Robyns and Rachel John! 

Wow! 

BB14, I could't have asked for better!

I saw Rachel on my last visit and totally loved her portrayal, and so I was very keen to see her in the role again. Her Felicia was strong and confidant and a little bit sarcastic which was fun, but there was also a vulnerability to her portrayal which was really interesting to watch. As before, her vocals were totally mind blowing. I loved all of the little touches she gave her character, which made her seem believable and made her interest in Huey and his propositions more understandable too.  

Jon Robyns was totally brilliant as Huey. The role itself is very over-the-top and funny (and at times a little bit odd) and Jon's Huey totally embraced this and lent in to the weirdness, but never went too far, which was perfect. He definitely made the character his own, with little traits/looks/expressions that were hilarious. There were so many little moments that were just wonderful (such as a mimed interaction between Huey and Bobby while he was in the radio booth (I've no idea what the technical name for that is!) during 'Everybody Wants To Be Black On A Saturday Night.') Little details like this which I hadn't noticed when I'd seen the show previously really helped to make this cast and this visit memorable. 

I was excited to spot this new poster on the tube.
It's great to see future principle Huey Matt Cardle
in costume. Unfortunately the Memphis programes don't feature
understudy slips, which is a shame. The programmes
for Wicked have cards inside with a picture of the understudy
in costume on it, which is a wonderful idea that I wish more
shows would think about replicating. 

The chemistry between the two leads was very strong and compelling and I really, really rooted for them to be together. For this reason, many of the dramatic moments in the show were particularly shocking and/or emotional! I loved the way Huey fawned over Felicia and how Felicia playfully made fun of him. (And I loved the pair's Eskimo kisses (I have never seen that before! It was very cute!)). Overall, as a pairing, there is now no doubt who my favourites are! Jon Robyns and Rachel John are my Huey and Felicia dream team for sure! 

Honestly, no matter who you see in the lead roles, Memphis the Musical is a must see show! I am looking forward to seeing it again next week (my friends and I planned our post West End Live entertainment months before I found out about this scheduled double alternate show. I don't normally return to a show again so quickly, but I'm still ecstatic to be going back again so soon!) and I'll be catching the show again no doubt after X Factor star Matt Cardle takes over from Killian Donnelly in the role of Huey on July 6th). Memphis has become one of my absolute favourite shows, and I cannot recommend it enough! Go, go, go if you get the chance! 

Verdict - 5 stars!

(Information about the cast can be found on the Memphis the Musical website)

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Review - Memphis the Musical

Last week I visited Memphis for the third time since it opened in October, and as if I hadn't recommended this show/dragged people along to this show enough, this time I persuaded my grandma to see it with me. I fell in love with Memphis the first time I saw it, and my second visit confirmed that love, but I can honestly say that this third visit has been the most enjoyable one so far!

If you're not familiar with the show, Memphis follows the story of a young wannabe DJ named Huey Calhoun, who is inspired by a nightclub singer named Felicia Farrell to become the first white DJ to play Rock and Roll on the radio. It's a touching and inspirational story based on true events, and will have you humming its soundtrack for days. A must see on London's West End! 

I was already extremely excited to be heading back to Memphis for the first time since January, but when I collected my tickets from the box office and saw a sign tacked to the wall telling me that Rachel John would be playing the role of Felicia (the role is normally played by Beverley Knight) I was ecstatic! As I've mentioned in my previous Memphis blog posts, I am desperate to see both alternates in the lead roles, and now I've fulfilled half of this task I've got time to see other shows before returning to Memphis again at the end of June. This is all very exciting for me, but probably not why you're reading this post, so lets move on to the show...

Honestly, Memphis just keeps getting better and better. The music is brilliant (but then, in a show which is partly to do with 'the birth of rock and roll' you'd expect nothing less!), the costumes are gorgeous (I love a good period piece and this show is full of glam 1950s dresses, each and every one of them I'd love to steal for my own wardrobe) and the cast is one of the most hard working, enthusiastic casts on the West End right now! 

On the subject of the cast, I was as impressed as I always am. It feels as if Killian Donnelly was born to play Huey Calhoun, the hapless radio DJ whose story Memphis follows. Supporting cast members Rolan Bell and Jason Pennycooke both gave solid performances too. Bell does a fantastic job of making Felicia's overwrought and sometimes downright scary brother Delray an endearing and relatable character, while Pennycooke injects piles of humour into Bobby, a janitor with hidden skills of the performing variety. I also warmed to Gladys, Huey's mom (played by Claire Machin) much more this time, and had the pleasure of seeing Waylon Jacobs play the role of Gator (the role is normally played by Tyrone Huntly). His breakout moment at the end of act 1 had me and my grandma sniffling well into the interval.

For me though, the biggest treat of the show was finally getting to see Rachel John as Felicia. Not only did she have a stunning voice and embellished Felicia's songs with her own twists, she also brought out a different side to Felicia, which I'd not seen in other portrayals. I felt that the chemistry between between Huey and Felicia developed naturally throughout the course of act 1, and John and Donnelly really savoured the tender scenes, making you root for their relationship to blossom despite the adversities they face. I also loved the way Rachel John's Felicia's confidence grew throughout the show. While Beverley Knight's Felicia radiates star quality from her entrance, Rachel John's Felicia seems slightly more reserved until she comes into her own after her standout solo 'Coloured Woman' (which brought the house down! A really affecting,empowering song, wonderfully sung and acted.). I absolutely loved following Felicia's journey and watching her struggle and grow, and this made every decision she made in act 2 particularly understandable.

I feel so fortunate to have seen Rachel John in the role, and I am definitely thinking of returning to see her in the role again (my goal is to catch a double alternate show, but the next time this is scheduled to happen is a week before I have tickets to see Memphis again anyway, so I'm not sure I can justify to cost to myself... hopefully I'll be able to work something out though. Ahh, the joys of not living in London!) 

If you haven't seen this show yet then what are you waiting for? Not only was it one of my top 5 shows of 2014, it has also been one of my favourite shows of this year as well, and my grandma absolutely adored it too! Even if you have seen it (lucky you!) I recommend a repeat visit. It looks like this cast is only getting better, and it truly has something for everyone. Sharp, impressive choreography, memorable music and some of the most truthful and awe inspiring performances you'll see ANYWHERE on the West End! 

Verdict - 5 stars

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Album Review - Memphis the Musical (Original London Cast)

I've been eagerly awaiting the Memphis OLC cast album for months now. Looking longingly at the February 9th tile on my calendar, waiting for the release date. So you can imagine my surprise when I logged on to twitter this morning and saw people tweeting about how it was available to listen to now! Of course I headed straight to Spotify and amazingly, I saw that it had indeed been released early!

Naturally, I've had it on repeat ever since, and though I did originally plan to review the album on its own, while listening I noticed a couple of very interesting differences between the OLC and OBC, so below is a track by track comparison of the two (focusing of course on the newer release!)

Track 1

Underground

The first noticeable thing about this song on the OLCR is the addition of Simon Ray-Harvey's DJ intro. Backing vocals are much richer and more pronounced than those heard on the OBCR. As Delray, Rolan Bell gives a standout performance, and I am loving his vocal embellishments, especially in the last third of the song. His voice has a really different sound than that of J Bernard Calloway (Delray on the OBCR). While the on OBCR this song sounds wholly fun and celebratory, here Bell's voice has a more regretful, contemplative, aware tone.

Track 2

The Music of My Soul

Donnelly's voice sounds much younger than that of the OBC Huey (Chad Kimball). I did notice that sometimes words are not enunciated as much as I would have liked but I guess it adds to the overall effect. The lack of vocal embellishments is also noticeable, given how prominent they are in the live performance, but there are an abundance of growls! The he most noticable difference however is that there is NO FELICIA! It's such a shame given that The Music of My Soul is such a poignant moment in the show, because it's where they bond as characters! Therefore I think that leaving Felicia out of this song is an unusual choice to say the least! Especially given that on the OBCR Montego Glover and Chad Kimball's voices blend together so well, making the song a highlight.

Track 3

Scratch My Itch

Waylon Jacobs gives a lovely vocal performance! This song often suffers during the show as it is so enthusiastic and accompanies such complicated choreography, so it's nice to be able to hear the performance here.

Track 4

Ain't Nothin' but a Kiss

Beverley really attacks the vocals in this song. She's a real star and this shows through the charisma that she gives Felicia. There's also a lovely piano solo, but backing is understated in this song. Sadly, much as I wish Huey's vocals would be included in the Broadway album, I feel much the same here!

Track 5

That's not Possible

This song doesn't exist on the OBCR, so it's nice to hear it here. It would have also been nice to have 'Hello, my name is Huey' recorded but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. I LOVE the fact that the lines at the beginning are included at for a casual listener it puts the song in context. Such lovely vocals from everyone and I like that ensemble members have a chance to shine here too! This is such a hilarious moment for Jason Pennycooke's Bobby in the show, and it's captured well here.

Track 6

Everybody Wants to be Black on a Saturday Night

This is a fun song to listen too, and there are tight, clean vocals.

Track 7

Make Me Stronger

I always thought this song was unusual on the OBCR because of the way the tempo is constantly changing around as the different characters sing. It feels like a compilation of several songs, which works well on stage but I feel is less effective on the cast album. Nevertheless this is a fun listen. The ensemble is very strong and Claire Machin gives a good performance as Gladys, but overall I prefer Cass Morgan's vocals. Beverley Knight shines towards the end.

Track 8

Coloured Woman

A favourite song of mine on the OBCR due to Montego glover's haunting vocals. Beverley Knight gives an equally memorable performance in this song, which comes at a pivotal moment in the show. Music-wise, the backing is nice until the drama increases, then it feels slightly lacking. The lines 'Mama told me not to dream big/but mama lived her life running scared', are so emotional and in the show the music really swells, but on the OLCR this is not the case. I still get the chills though as it's SUCH an amazing moment. I did notice that the tempo feels a bit slow? Perhaps this is partly down to the understated backing.

Track 9

Someday

I love how prominent the backing vocals are here. This is another really fun moment in the show. On the OBCR Montego Glover's voice is more playful and bubbly whereas Beverley Knight's Felicia is much more strict and less keen on Huey to begin with. She takes herself a lot more seriously and acts a lot older.

Track 10

She's my sister

Although this is sometimes referenced being a cheesy moment, I think it really tells audiences a lot about the characters of Delray and Huey and how different their lives are. I think this song definitely makes the antagonistic Delray much more likable. I adore the younger sound of Rolan Bell's voice, even though J Bernard Calloway's voice is more commanding.

Track 11

Radio

Killian Donnely's voice is also much younger sounding than it's OBCR counterpart. Noticeably, Donnelly's southern accent is not as pronounced here as it is when heard live.

I must say that I literally laughed out loud at the gratuitous 'Hockadoo'! I know it's his catchphrase so it makes sense to put it in the recording but... wow! Donnelly's Huey seems less out of control here than in the show. Chad's Huey sound's out of control from the get go!

Track 12

Say a prayer

So much happens between Radio and Say a Prayer that the contrast feels really jarring. This is brilliant, as the moment in the live show is a real sucker punch too.Tyrone Huntley gives a standout performance as Gator and sounds flawless in this song, so fresh and emotive. It's so emotional and the ensemble sounds amazing.

Track 13

Crazy Little Huey

I love the interaction between Huey and ensemble here. The song is again quite jarring coming just after Say a Prayer, but this makes it sound more in keeping with the show. Although I appreciate them elsewhere, the spoken parts seem unnecessary.

Track 14

Big Love

This is the first we really get to hear of Jason Pennycooke, playing the fan favourite character Bobby. His vocal performance is very different to James Munroe Iglehart, but both have wonderful emotive voices. I love the way the vocals build as the music does.

Track 15

Love will Stand

This super emotional song really complements Beverley Knight's lovely vocals. At this moment in the show, the cracks in Huey and Felicia's relationship are starting to show, so I love/hate Love Will Stand's irony. Female ensemble is so strong they sound angelic. I feel like this is a more raw version than the one on the OBCR.

Track 16

Stand up

This song makes me smile. Vocals blend better on the OLCR than on the OBCR (I've always thought that the line 'live the life that we deserve' sounds a bit odd anyway, but the cast makes it work). I like that this song showcases most of the main cast together. Of course Knight gives a brilliant performance in her solo.

Track 17

Change Don't Come Easy

In my personal opinion, this is the weakest song on the recording. Machin's vocals are definitely unique and the OBCR and OLCR versions do sound very different as a result, which is nice. I don't listen to this song much anyway and I don't think this is going to change that fact. (I do love Delray's 'prettify' though!)

Track 18

Tear Down The House

Honestly, I was distracted on the first listen by the prospect of Memphis Lives in Me coming next! On a second listen, I love how playful Donnelly's vocals are in this song! It gives you a really clear picture of his physical performance. There isn't really much to set this apart from the OBCR though.

Track 19

Memphis Lives in Me

From the moment he opens his mouth Donnelly nails this song. It's so heartbreaking you can't help but be moved to tears. The backing was perfect. The ensemble sound absolutely flawless. The iconic vocalisations in the middle section are stunning and the showstopping ending is absolutely breathtaking. Chad Kimball is the definitive Huey but Killian Donnelly really makes the song his own.

Track 20

Steal Your Rock and Roll

Again, the backing lacks the drama that the OBCR has. Vocals wise, it's lovely and the ensemble is really strong. (the 'na na na' bits are strange. There is a focus of 'NAA' rather that 'NAHH' which it strange. Not good or bad, just different.) Harmonies at the are are amazing.

Track 21

Memphis Lives in Me - David Bryan

This is exactly the same track found on the OBCR, so nothing new there.

And that's the last track!

I was hoping that Jon Robyns and Rachel John (The Huey and Felicia alternates) would get a solo on the cast album too (I mean, this isn't normally done, but I can dream right?) but sadly this is not the case. Such a shame, i'll just have to go and see them perform live!

Overall, I am blown away by the vocal performances given by every single member of the cast! I am so excited that this album was released early as I've been looking forward to it for months and months. In comparison, while both the OBCR and OLCR albums have their merits, I do still prefer the OBCR. For the foreseeable future though I will be listening to this album nonstop, and I would definitely recommend this!

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Review - Memphis the Musical

Since I first listened to the cast album I've been obsessed with the music of Memphis. In a show where the main storyline is revolves around the birth of rock and roll and the first white DJ to play rhythm and blues on the radio, you expect the music to be fantastic. And it is. The songs are entertaining, they wow, and while the lyrics aren’t necessarily the most complex ever conceived, some songs really do pack an emotional punch.

But what is a musical, even with the most outstanding songs, if it doesn’t have a stellar cast to sing them?

Fortunately, Memphis has found that stellar cast in the form of Killian Donnelly, a popular rising star on the West End, and Beverley Knight, a respected and super talented pop singer who made her West End debut in the original London cast of The Bodyguard. Since I last saw the show while it was in previews in October, it’s been nominated for 10 Whatsonstage awards and wowed critics and audiences alike and the cast has gone from strength to strength. Beverley Knight is simply unbelievable as nightclub singer Felicia Farrell, while Killian Donnelly has found the perfect balance of crazy man-child and naïve innocent that makes his Huey Calhoun simply brilliant.

At the performance I saw, several roles were played by understudies. Simon Ray-Harvey showcased an incredibly powerful voice as Felicia’s controlling but well-meaning brother Delray. Though his performance was more understated than that of Rolan Bell, he commanded the stage like nothing else and in Delray’s standout number ‘She’s My Sister’, Ray-Harvey showcased his brilliant singing voice. Likewise, I was hugely impressed with Charlotte Gorton, understudying Claire Machin as Huey’s exasperated mother Gladys. Gorton was a lovely actress whose performance balanced the comedic and more serious elements of the role perfectly. I was very impressed.

As usual, Knight and Donnelly were stunning as the leads. Their vocal performances were incredible and I cannot wait for the London cast album to be released on the 2nd February so that I can listen to them sing their roles again and again (expect a review of that album asap, because I’ve preordered it, of course!) However, I am curious to hear the roles of Felicia and Huey played by the alternates, Rachel John and Jon Robyns, who have both received high praise from audience members.

But one of the most memorable performances of the show comes from Tyrone Huntley playing Gator, the bartender at Delray’s club. Although he stays silent for the majority of act one, when he does sing, it completely silences the room. He’s spine-tinglingly good!

It seems Memphis the musical has been blessed with a cast of complete stars, and with one of the most talented ensembles on the West End performing astonishing dance routines like you’ve never seen, no matter whom you see, you’re guaranteed an incredible show! The band, which perform on the stage rather than in the orchestra pit, further emphasising the importance of music in the show, also deserve a mention. They are the life and soul of the show and sounded flawless on the evening I saw the show.

If you’re looking for a night of feel-good entertainment then get to the Shaftsbury Theatre as soon as possible. Just don’t be surprised if you’re up on your feet, dancing and singing along by the end!

Verdict - 5 Stars

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Review - Memphis the Musical (previews) - October 18th 2014

Having already seen the Broadway proshot and heard the cast album too many times to count, I had extremely high hopes for Memphis, and I wasn’t disappointed. The show only played its first public performance just over a week ago, and it’s still in previews right now, but my god, everything was perfect!

The cast…oh, the cast was incredible. Killian Donnelly played Huey Calhoun, a young man from Memphis who became the ‘first white man to play rhythm and blues for a mainstream audience’. Although his character is fictional, he is based on real DJs from the 1950s. Killian Donnelly’s performance was just outstanding, he was so endearing and adorable and I loved his characterisation. It was VERY different to Chad Kimball’s take on the role, but equally enjoyable. He gave an extraordinarily strong performance throughout the show, but his rendition of Huey’s big act 2 number Memphis Lives in Me was just something else entirely! It was truly one of the most outstanding live performances I’ve ever heard in my life. Donnelly’s voice is so powerful and emotive and characterful too! I could listen him sing that song over and over again (hint hint…West End cast album request!). Playing opposite Killian Donnelly, in the role of beautiful young singer Felicia Farrell was Beverley Knight. I really liked Beverley’s voice already, and have a soft spot for her because she’s from a place very close to where my parents come from, but I had no idea how outstanding her acting was. Oh my gosh she was extraordinary. I LOVED her take on Felicia, because she was so strong and so determined. Her performance of Coloured Woman was just breath-taking, literally. I didn’t dare even blink through it because I was scared I’d miss some little detail of her performance. I literally couldn’t keep my eyes off her. She also had an outstanding number of outfits, and her Felicia always looked so lovely. I was in love with every costume she wore!

Coming to other members of the cast, first and foremost, I have to mention how blown away I was by Tyrone Huntley who played the barman Gator. He was just brilliant. His vocals at the end of act one during Say a Prayer just blew me away. On the subject of that song, it was so, SO well performed and so emotional, and possibly one of my favourite scenes in the show. It was heart-breaking and emotional and the ensemble shone magnificently during that particular song. Stunning. (I did notice a minor lyric change in one song but thinking back I can’t for the life of it remember what it was!)

There wasn’t a weak link in the cast as far as I’m concerned. I did initially feel that a couple of actors had been miscast, but once I got settled in to the show I forgot all of my initial worries and found that each cast member was as talented as the last. Special mention however, must go to Jon Robyns who performs in the ensemble and is also the alternate Huey (and I WILL be going back to see him in that role at some point!). I really love Jon Robyns as a performer (he’s probably best known for playing Enjolras on the 2011 Les Mis UK tour cast album alongside John Owen Jones, Gareth Gates and Earl Carpenter, but also played Princeton/Rod in the original London cast of Avenue Q and has appeared in a number of other shows since) and therefore found myself drawn to him during ensemble scenes. He did appear as Perry Como, Gordon Grant and a number of other minor characters, but I was just excited to see him perform, so that was a personal highlight for me. (oh, one thing I noticed… there were no trapdoors so the actors from the shop scene were brought onstage via a panel that slid across the stage. Also, during the ‘the ride never stops’ part of Radio, the box didn’t raise up, and Huey instead got on to the balcony via the stairs at stage right? Not sure why?),

Music-wise, I was just in love with everything about the music prior to seeing it, but hearing all the songs performed live with a totally different cast is obviously a very different experience. Wow, the music is good… It’s fun, it’s catchy, it fits the period in which the piece is set and each song captures the tone of the scene in which it is performed perfectly! If you haven’t, go and listen to the cast album right now!!!

Memphis is now open at the Shaftsbury Theatre, and I recommend you buy your tickets asap, because I predict that it wont be long until Memphis is a firm favourite with theatre enthusiasts and casual fans alike!

Verdict - 4 1/2 Stars

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

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Edit - August 2015
In response to recent events, I would like to state that this preview review was posted solely for personal use at the time of publication. This blog began as a hobby, and for this reason I was not familiar with embargos or the etiquette surrounding reviewing previews. Even so, this review was posted with the word PREVIEW in the title, so that it would be clear that my comments may not fully reflect the content of the show later in previews or on/after press night. Having now become more a more professional theatre blogger, I would like to state that unless specifically agreed, no preview reviews will appear on this site, and any posts which contain references to or comment upon preview performances will continue to be clearly labelled as such. Thanks for your support!