Direct from the West End

As a single girl, I am naturally inclined to shun Valentine’s Day, or as I shall henceforth be referring to it; Singles Awareness Day. There are no (double the price) roses for me, no slushy card (usually in my mum’s handwriting!), no teddy bear holding a little red heart that says ‘I Wuv You’…and don’t I just feel sick about it? Not really! Instead, I spent my Single Awareness weekend with my one true love; musical theatre.

Friday night was spent in the front row of the stalls at Love Never Dies, falling in love with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess all over again! The show is a completely different experience when you’re that close; an unforgettable night.

The weekend wasn’t over there however…

On Sunday, I travelled up to Windsor to spend an evening basking in the musical glow of Direct from the West End; two hours of songs from some of the best musicals around, performed by some of the best voices currently performing on the West End stage. Having booked my tickets nearly three months ago, it was a great feeling to finally be at the Royal Windsor Theatre, front row, only a couple of feet from the stage. By the time it was over, I considered those tickets to be one of the best purchases I have ever made.

I spent my musical theatre weekend with the person who has always loved me unconditionally; my lovely mum! The evening was off to a good start even before the show began; having gotten to Windsor earlier than planned, we picked up or tickets early to avoid later queues and whilst there, we went looking for the ladies room. We wandered off down the stairs and at the bottom, we could hear one of the songs from Love Never Dies…Mum thought it was a tape playing and I was adamant that someone, somewhere, was singing it. Drawn in by the music and the voice – as well as the need to prove who was right – we went investigating and found ourselves peeking at the theatre stage, where the wonderful Scott Garnham was running through a sound check (ha, I was right!). We huddled there until the end, and then gave him a round of applause before scurrying off! He seemed a little startled to see us there, so you can relax now Scott, you’re not being stalked…and thank you again for the ‘private performance’!   ;-)

We returned when we were actually SUPPOSED to be in the theatre and settled in for two hours of musical magic. The stage view was magnificent; the microphone stands were set against a starlit backdrop, on a beautifully lit stage. The show kicked off with the opening number, ‘A New World’ from the musical Songs For A New World; and it went from strength to strength from there on. Two hours has never passed so quickly (unfortunately); the entire audience was swept up in the performances as they were taken on a fantastic journey through the West End. With songs taken from a range of musicals, from The Phantom of the Opera to Guys and Dolls, we laughed, we cried, we laughed some more…and went home with hands that were red and smarting from applauding so much! I feel I must take a moment here to recognise the brilliantly talented company who made Direct from the West End the roaring success that it is:

Samantha Barks  Samantha was one of two special guests performing in the show. Currently wowing audiences as Eponine in Les Miserables, she was also involved in its 25^th Anniversary Concert playing the same role. Anyone who has seen her perform knows how talented she is and last night was no exception; possessing a strong, clear voice and just the most fabulous facial expressions and mannerisms to accompany it when she sings! Samantha was one of the highlights for me when I booked my tickets and she didn’t disappoint; she is an absolute joy to watch.

Antony Hansen  The second special guest performing in the show, Antony has just gone into the popular West End hit, Wicked. His voice is pure and smooth - just lovely, and perfectly showcased in the song, ‘Close Every Door’ from the musical Joseph and the Techni-coloured Dream Coat. With his cheeky smile and a twinkle in his eye - she’ll not be best pleased with me for saying this - my mum was quite taken with him! ;-)

Rachel Bingham  Part of the Les Mis team, Rachel was one of the three girls taking part in the show. I must confess to not being particularly aware of her name before tonight, but I shan’t easily forget it now. Any Mamma Mia lover would have greatly enjoyed her, ‘The Winner Takes It All’, but for me, the stand-out moment had to be her performance of, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ from the musical Oliver. She was Nancy up on that stage…a great talent.

Gina Beck  Being a huge phan of the musical The Phantom of the Opera (apologies for the pun, but get used to it people, I’ve got loads of ‘em!) I must confess that I was very much looking forward to seeing Gina onstage, due to her having recently been in the role of Christine Daae. I didn’t have to wait long as the phantastic (told ya!) title song was the second performance of the night – and what a performance it was! Duetting with Jeff Nicholson – more on him in a bit – Gina quite literally moved me to tears with her voice, soaring to new highs with those famous harmonies at the song’s close. She was simply stunning; I just wish I’d worn water-proof mascara… ;-)

Killian Donnelly  Every great night out needs an Irishman, and we had the pleasure of Killian’s company to make this one beyond great. Another Les Mis-er, Killian can currently be seen in the role of Enjolras. The rich tones of his voice made his version of the iconic song, ‘Bring Him Home’ a real treat for the ears; a breath-taking performance that left mum very impressed, which is no mean feat, let me tell you! I can’t let his ‘Jesus’ go unmentioned here either; Killian strutted his stuff upon the stage like a true ‘Superstar’, with the backing vocals of the full company – I couldn’t help but tap my foot and clap along…

Scott Garnham  The best thing to come out of Yorkshire since their puddings… Scott can be found most nights of the week at the Queens Theatre with his fellow Les Mis friends, performing as Feuilly. Tonight however, he was just Scott, and that was all he needed to be. Having just seen the incomparable Ramin Karimloo perform, ‘Til I Hear You Sing’ at Love Never Dies just two nights earlier, I wouldn’t have expected anyone else to measure up to the high standard he sets, but Scott’s rendition of that song  completely blew me away. He oozes charm and charisma and the audience absolutely loved him. A very special talent.

Jessie May  Most recently seen playing Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia, Jessie was the final addition to the girls onstage and what an addition she was. She made a phantabulous (couldn’t resist, sorry!) Christine with Killian’s Raoul in, ‘All I Ask Of You’ and she brought the house down with the girls backing her up in, ‘Somebody To Love’ from the musical We Will Rock You. She has been blessed with a powerful voice, capable of taking on any song and not only doing it justice, but making it totally her own. Again, I will admit to not being overly familiar with her name before the show, but I believe we’ll all be hearing it a lot more in the future – this girl has a long career ahead of her…

Jeff Nicholson  Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome...he made up the last of the eight. Once I got past his uncanny resemblance to an ex of mine, Jeff was one of the biggest (trying to avoid height puns here…) hits of the night for me. Another Les Mis boy, Jeff is currently playing the part of the Foreman and I have to say, with no offense intended, is completely wasted in the role. The duet with Gina and his cover of, ‘Music Of The Night were unfaultable. His intense performance and deep, velvety tones make him a perfect Phantom and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at Her Majesty’s Theatre one day, although he seemed to relish the Pharaoh’s, ‘Song Of The King’ from Joseph with a puppy-dog enthusiasm – the lip-curls were particularly impressive! ;-)

The songs were sublime, the voices even more so, but what made the night so magical was the performers themselves; more specifically, the fun that they had with it. They were clearly enjoying themselves up there and it spread throughout the theatre so that, by the end of the show, the audience were right there with them, through every note and every nifty little dance step! Grinning and laughing away on the stage, taking to the mic between numbers to entertain the masses…they had us in the palm of their hands – and we were quite happy to be there!

These guys are used to being on the stage; they perform in their respective musicals night after night in front of hundreds of fans…but Direct from the West End is a different ballgame. With no scripts and no characters to adhere to, the show is all about performing the songs they want to perform and being free to do whatever the hell they want up there really! We didn’t buy our tickets to see Les Miserables, The phantom of the Opera, Guys and Dolls or Joseph…we came for them: Samantha; Scott; Jessie; Jeff; Antony; Rachel; Killian and Gina. We came to see them, no frills and fanciness, just them being them. That must be a great feeling…and I can say with a great deal of certainty that not one member of that audience went home disappointed with what they gave us.

For those of you who are not aware, Scott Garnham is the mystery man behind the curtain of Direct from the West End. Together with Martin Neely, he created Musical Ovation Ltd to provide fresh and creative shows that will entertain – I think they have been successful…

I asked Scott about the idea behind Direct from the West End. I was curious to know what it was that spurred him to put all of this together and his reply was very simple:

“Not everybody gets the chance to go to London and see the amazing talent that it has to offer so we decided to bring the West End to them! Because all the performers are currently appearing in West End shows you know the show you're seeing is current and up to date... and of course the quality is fantastic!”

                   

Scott clearly has a passion for theatre and his talent, coupled with his nice-guy personality, is going to see him shooting straight to the top. As with any career, there’s a goal to aim for, a target you strive to reach…Scott, as I mentioned earlier, is currently performing as Feuilly in Les Miserables, but I wanted to know what his aspirations were; what is the dream role(s) he’s always wanted to play?

“Jean Valjean (Les Miserables), Billy Liar (Billy) and Roger De Bris (The Producers).”

Scott is keeping tight-lipped on whether or not Direct from the West will be returning at a future date, but one can only assume that after the success of the show in York, Oxford and Windsor, we will be seeing them again. They would certainly be most welcome! I for one would definitely be going back for second helpings, and it is such an incredible experience that those who were unable to share in it this time deserve the opportunity to.

I would like to make mention to the boys of a few points of consideration for if (or when) this tremendous show returns:

·         Killian, if Scott is a true mate he’ll give you a couple of dance lessons for next time! Your ‘wiggly Jesus’ was full of good intent, but bless, it seems your voice box stole all the talent…

·         Jeff, keep those Elvis hip thrusts under control; those were some dangerous moves you were throwing up there! There were grown women swooning in the audience…

·         Scott, you need to get on that new musical – you know the one; Superstar? Jesus Christ! That’s a hit right there…

(disclaimer: the above comments are to be taken in jest (as is most of what comes out of my mouth) and are not representative of the author’s actual opinions) ;-)

My final point must be directed towards myself:

·         Next time you go to a show, do not sit next to the big, fat guy who licks the ice-cream lid like he’s seducing it, sniffs his programme lingeringly and rubs himself every time one of the girls performs…sadly, I am not making this one up! This is the type of weirdo I seem to attract to me; people wonder why I stay single?

All in all, it was a fantastic way to spend my Singles Awareness weekend; musical theatre is the way to go, it seems. It gives you a gift you actually appreciate, its entire existence revolves around you and let’s face it; it gives a girl more pleasure than most men can right? (see above disclaimer …)

Thank you to the cast of Love Never Dies and all eight performers of Direct from the West End. You made this girl very happy this weekend and I went home feeling like life couldn’t get any better…then a car drove through a puddle and splashed my mum, so hey! Obviously, it could.

Remember…create, love, inspire!

Miss Julie xxx

PS. Please support these guys by checking out their websites, following them on Twitter and DEFINITELY go to see them in the West End! They are all very talented individuals and let's be honest boys and girls, they're easy on the eye too right? ;-)

NEW LINK ADDED: For those who were unable to make it to Direct from the West End (ot if you just want to re-live the magic!), here is Scott Garnham in Windsor performing his beautiful rendition of 'Til I Hear You Sing' from Love Never Dies - enjoy!

Scott Garnham - Til I Hear You Sing