WICKED (Trip 5)

Hmmm I'm not sure I should really publicise the fact that I have now seen this show 5 times, but it is difficult to differentiate between them really.

5th time and this show is still good and I must say that I enjoyed it as much as any of the performances of the show I've seen. I was particularly excited to see the (not so) new cast performing including Kerry Ellis as Elphaba and Dianne Pilkington as Glinda.

I said before the show that Kerry Ellis was going to have to work hard in order to impress me. I am big, big fan of the other leading ladies states-side such as Eden Espinosa and Shoshana Bean who are pretty damn perfect. I had read lots of other reviews that had said that Kerry had managed to win them over by the end of The Wizard And I. Initially I was very cynical about this and was prepared to be very critical of her. Still be very critical I can definitely say that she was outstanding and did win me over by the end of the song. Her voice is really consistent, very powerful and her characterisation was very human and very down to earth. You could quite easily imagine her Elphaba being someone you'd meet at a party or going out with as one of your friends - it just had that ring of truth to it. The american leading ladies make more of a hollywood character out of it and that's not a bad thing. For Kerry, her interpretation just worked. A big plus for Kerry is her diction. This is something the american leads have problems with. I've seen WICKED 5 times now (yeah I really shouldn't admit that) and on this viewing I heard lyrics I had never understood.

I am a big Dianne Pilkington fan so was eager to see her perform, having last seen her in The Far Pavillions and having followed her career before that in things like Beauty And The Beast. I had nothing against Helen Dallimore and thought she did a very good, unique job. Dianne goes for a more standard performance, but it is good to see that this is a good British Glinda rather than a UK copy of an american one (if that makes any sense). Her accent and particularly, her chemistry with Kerry is the best I've seen. Their voices blend perfectly and it is nice to see Dianne adding her own twists and comic moments to the piece. It was interesting to see that she extended the comic moments of the ball scene into the amazing dance sequence. You might think "oh no this is wrong, you should actually be really sad for Elphaba that she is being made to feel lonely", but the way that Dianne brings the comedy right up to that line makes you feel like the horrid school kids who first laugh at Elphaba - but then as an audience member you suddenly feel yourself becoming very self aware. This was a brilliant directed and constructed scene, the way Dianne and Kerry work this just makes it perfect!

Oliver Thompsett is a welcome replacement for Adam Garcia who, when I originally reviewed WICKED in London, I found to be the weakest link.

The Apollo Victoria still has problems with the sound. This show needs to be big. It needs to be loud. It isn't. It's just weedy.

My night was made even more perfect by:

a) Getting top price seats for half price and getting amazing seats (centre Row A and B of the Dress circle)

b) Going to Yo Sushi at Victoria. I love Yo Sushi so much. Can't get enough of it.

Within Temptation, Brixton Academy

I had the pleasure of seeing Within Temptation live for the second time this year. Within Temptation were playing at the Carling Brixton Academy which is a really amazing venue because what I assume is original architecture from the 1930s has been preserved. The rake of the floor and positioning of the bars and other facilities is really good and the bouncers very friendly which only enhances your experience.

When you think about all the concert antics of people like Amy Winehouse who perform attrociously, play for less than an hour, cancel performances, arrive late and end up swearing at the audience, it is a real job to watch a band that has such an amazing quiet professionalism about them. If any band can claim that they are "all about the music" then these guys can. It was a joy to hear them play all the old favourites and some new material, almost back to back for nearly 2 hours. Within Temptation keep the chat to the minimum and the music to the maximum. Sharon Den Adel's voice was flawless throughout. Her voice has a unique purity and everything she does seems effortless. The set list really let her show off her vocal prowess and my particularly highlight was an acoustic version of All I Need.

I love the theatricality and drama of Within Temptation's performances. As performers it is not overdone - there are no gimmicks, the band rely on their material to create atmosphere and boy does it work.

Full set list below:

Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)
Howling
Stand Your Ground
The Cross
What Have You Done Now
Hand Of Sorrow
Heart Of Everything
Forgiven
Restless
Our Solemn Hour
Hold on growl
Angels
Mother Earth
Frozen
Jane Doe
The Truth Beneath The Rose
Deceiver Of Fools*
All I Need*
Ice Queen*

(*encores)

The fun thing about attending these gigs is that they are invariably an ego boost trip. When surrounded by people with various inappropriate piercings, unruly facial hair, virtually non existent head hair, fat girlfriends and wardrobes that look like they have had their print settings turned to "grayscale", you can't help but feel like an oasis of pretty boy in a desert of munters.

Notes for the Stage: The Rain Feels Colder

Once again I am putting my ego on the line and entering a composition competition. This particular competition, Notes for the Stage is great because it is all about finding a new voice of musical theatre. Their marketing reads:

Notes for The Stage is a brand new initiative offering budding musical theatre composers the opportunity to have their work considered by a panel of West End professionals. We are inviting single song submissions centred on a seasonal theme, with the winning entrant receiving the chance to have their song performed in Christmas in New York at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.
Entries will be considered by a panel of four major players in the musical theatre world. Leading lady Anna-Jane Casey, who will headline Christmas in New York, joins Musical Director of the show David Randall, critically acclaimed composer Grant Olding, whose work will be presented in the show, and arts journalist Mark Shenton, whose musical theatre knowledge is nothing short of encyclopaedic.

So there you have it!

My submission is below and it is called The Rain Feels Colder. With Gordon having lost both his mum and his auntie around this time of year and with the rite of passage I underwent last year of not going "home" (i.e. my parent's house) for Christmas, I got to thinking (how very Carrie Bradshaw of me) about the whole issue of people not being around for Xmas - more specificially, people not being there for the first time. When someone has died, left the country, grown up, we often use phrases like "this will be the first year they aren't here...". What is interesting about this phenomenon is that suddenly we try and freeze everything - you often find in a grieving process that people fix things as if nothing had happened. For example, they keep the deceased's room exactly as it was. With Christmas there is very much a sense that everyone else should carry on regardless.... even though you feel rubbish. So my musical theatre song is a character song that expresses those sentiments really.

I don't normally write lyrics to my songs because I am a bad lyricist but the deadline was pressing and I couldn't get anyone on board quickly enough so if this songs sucks then it is totally my fault.


THE RAIN FEELS COLDER

We all hoped you'd make it home
For December 25th
It's a "time for family"
If our "family" exists.

And the pressure is so great
To still do things we do each year
But ev'ry detail is a reminder
You're not here.

And the rain feels colder in December
People ask me how I'm feeling
Am I "dealing" now you're gone?
Christmas isn't Christmas when you're minus one.
And the lights don't see to be appealing
When friends ask me how I'm feeling
I just say I hate the rain.

All those things we do each year-
Christmas dinner, buying gifts.
You're one less to consider.
But one that can be missed.

So I'll lose those thoughts in spending
Put my credit card to good use
I know it won't
But at least it's a good excuse.

When the rain feels colder in December.
There are friends who think you might like
Endless invites to forget;
Christmas isn't Christmas when you're minus one.
And the gifts don't seem to make me happy
But I'll smile when it's expected,
Keep them protected from this pain.

How I hate to see them with their families
How I begrudge them having fun
I'm sure they know they're happy
They should know that they're happy
I hope they're really happy.

I was.

We all hoped you'd make it home.

For Christmas, For Life

I am delighted to announce I have been contracted to orchestrate the upcoming concert of Oxford Gospel Choir. The choir is run by professional singers and the choir has appeared at many professional events including some top music videos.

For their christmas concert they are going all out to create a bigger sound and are working with a jazz band as well as some additional instrumentalists (including me).

The concert will feature some well known tracks used on the gospel circuit such as I Will Follow Him (adapted first for the film Sister Act), Higher Love, Oh Happy Day and Aint No Mountain High Enough as well as tracks written by the enigmatic preacher Hezekiah Walker such as Faithful Is Our God and Do You Know Jesus.

Although I am not a christian by any stretch of the imagination I have found listening to recordings of these songs (many of which I didn't know before) really inspiring. The music is so upbeat, catchy and emotional. What is even more amazing is that the must is so honestly performed and organic - the people singing it, really mean what they are singing and enjoying it.

The major task has been to emulate and capture the original arrangements of these songs which were written for quite different ensembles. I have found that I can preserve the impact and the emotion of a song by translating it slightly into a different version. For example, the song The Night That Christ Was Born has been recorded with a pop ensemble featuring a lot of keyboards. I was able to preserve the intentions by orchestrating it in the vein of a church brass band - it kept the reverence and clarity of the music.

I will also be playing flute for the performance.

Details are below:

For Christmas, For Life
The Oxford Gospel Choir performs in aid of ‘For Life Thailand’
15th December 2007 from 7.30pm
Headington School, Oxford

A spectacular Christmas concert performed by The Oxford Gospel Choir in collaboration with:

· Brazilian percussion group Sol Samba

· Renowned Brookes Jazz Band

· Local African Drumming Group

On Saturday 15th December 2007, The Oxford Gospel Choir will be performing at ‘The Theatre at Headington’, Oxford, where all profits will be donated to the charity ‘For Life Thailand’.

For Life simply exists to bring life to the hundreds of disabled children living in Thailand. These children are abandoned, living in poverty, malnourished and uncared for. With your help, we seek to change their situation, for life!

Tickets can be purchased through the box office at Headington Theatre by phoning 01865 759138 or visiting the website at http://www.headington.org

Tickets are priced at £10.00 (£7.00 concessions)

We are a community choir open to all, performing Gospel and Contemporary songs at a variety of events across the country. With this concert, our 50 strong choir aim to bring some well deserved Christmas cheer to all the people of Oxford. We hope to see you there!