Judgement Day for LND – and hopefully some literate criticism
Once a mighty organ, now a feeble harmonium, The Times continues to provide a platform (or is that a soapbox) for the online bombardment of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel “Love Never Dies”. Let’s hope that Benedict…
Mourning Philip Langridge
Sad and shocked to hear of Philip’s passing. We met many times over the years and his energy and enthusiasm were exhilarating and inspirational. He was a shining example of everything in music and drama that cannot…
Online trials for LND
There’s nowt more intemperate than an amateur critic – and the web is full of them. Just don’t expect chapter and verse. Take Johnny Fox (quoted in The Times) on “Love Never Dies”, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom…
Kate Baldwin sings Lane & Harburg
She collected great notices for the recent Broadway revival of “Finian’s Rainbow” (which regretfully I missed) and I’ve just been sampling her delightful new album from PS Classics. What a sunny open personality Kate’s voice has –…
Is that Block or Blockbuster?
Only the terminally intrepid Broadway songstress would begin and end her cabaret set with two Streisand classics. But Stephanie J. Block has both the voice and (figuratively speaking) the cajones for it. She only managed the first…
The Age of Aquarius Dawns Again
It’s been pretty scary returning from the Big Apple eager to share one’s excitement over the glorious revival of the ‘American Tribal Love-Rock Musical’ “HAIR” and finding yourself confronted with a series of puzzled faces – “What’s…
Seance for Stephen Schwartz
Josef Woodard’s review of the World Premiere of Stephen Schwartz’ first foray into “Opera” – “Seance on a Wet Afternoon” – in the Los Angeles raises once more the spectre of divisive attitudes to music theatre –…
Reviewing the Situation
So Omid Djalili has stepped into Mr. Bean’s – or should I say Mr. Atkinson’s – shoes at Drury Lane and putting aside the supreme irony of a chap born of Iranian parents playing the most infamous…
Tosca – a step into the breach, a leap to stardom
There’s been more than a buzz about Amanda Echalaz for some time now. Her Tosca at Holland Park wowed even my most hardened colleagues and English National Opera’s decision to strike while the iron is hot and…
Something Wonderful?
There is, of course, one moment where staging Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” ‘in the round’ at the Royal Albert Hall well and truly comes into its own – and that’s the moment where Anna…