Direct from the West End, Stomp, stormed its way in to Birmingham for its opening night at the Hippodrome, playing to an almost full house and great audience response. Stomp is fresher, faster and funnier than ever before with a new cast all of whom are amazingly talented drummers. Although Stomp follows no real story, as an audience member I did feel I was being taken on a journey, something which I’d not experienced before!

Stomp is made up of seven virtuosic percussionists, that play music through manmade items such as metal bin lids and kitchen sinks. The sound and the skill of these performers is just phenomenal, something I feel is not evident in other shows. I did feel it wasn’t going to be my taste. I’m not an amazing drummer or a real fan of that art form, and when I was informed that the show lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes without an interval, I feared the worst. Nevertheless I was, as ever, open minded. I can’t stress how wrong I was. I loved every minute and as for been bored, well let’s just say I wasn’t at all. A truly wonderful show!

The set of Stomp was wonderful. Although quite basic on the ground level, the upper section of the stage was full of saucepans, piping and goodness only knows what, attached to a large metal structure which was played at various points during the performance. Undoubtedly my favourite scene was one when four of the performers were harnessed on to the upper section of the metal structure, swinging and at the same time playing the man made drums.

Even though I enjoyed the majority of the performance, I did feel some parts in contrast were not as good. This is not to say that I thought moments were weak. I feel some scenes did not live up to the amazingly high standards of others which slowed the quick pace of the performance. Although all of the cast were truly wonderful, the leader of the ensemble stood out to be by far the best. I would guess that he was on stage around 90 percent of the time, which without an interval or break and with the amazingly fast pace of the piece, is phenomenal.

Stomp is only at the Hippodrome for a while longer, but don’t worry if you’re not lucky enough to grab some tickets here, It continues to rock out other cities on its UK Tour, and as always, can be heard drumming in the heart of London’s West End. Fantastic!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Matthew Bournes work, celebrating with the highly renowned Nutcracker, playing at the Hippodrome all this week. This modern interpretation of Nutcracker thrilled audiences and critics alike  last night with its clever story and phenomenal dancers. Definitely one for all the family to see!

I normally write about standout performances, but on this occasion I honestly feel there were no stars, but everyone stood out as an amazing individuals. The lead played by Hannah Vassallo shone, enticing the audience  with her standout dance and amazing theatre qualities. For me I felt this  cast will struggle to beaten in the future.

One aspect that really impressed me was the quality of the set and choreography. Nutcracker was one of the most amazing sets I have ever seen outside the West End. It was phenomenal! From carefully crafted scene changes to the amazing standard of sets, everything was perfect and suited the show tremendously. As well as this, the choreography was faultless, and completely portrayed Nutcracker within dance.

Nutcracker is one of the most beautifully staged Ballets I have ever seen. Congratulations to the amazing Matthew Bourne who has managed to direct and produce yet another special piece, and on making this 20th anniversary year such a successful one.

Nutcracker runs from now until Saturday, but seats have almost sold out so click on the link to buy tickets…

The Hippodrome claim this years production of Cinderella is “The greatest pantomime of them all” and after last nights press event, I couldn’t agree more which is why I would award 5 Stars to this amazing production.

Cinderella has to be one of my favourite Pantomimes, but this years production has topped all I’ve seen before, with famous faces including Linda Bellingham, Brian Conley and kids favourite Basil Brush. From start to finish the whole audience became a part of the show, with boo’s, cheers and “oh no he isn’t” echoing from kids and adults alike. This really is a fantastic family show, appealing not only to younger children but also to adults – one commenting “I never thought I’d enjoy a pantomime as much as I did. My daughter has wanted to come for a few years now but I’ve always tried to put it off in fear of been bored out of my head. Tonight I realised how much I was missing out on, and can’t wait to come back next year.”

The un-doubtable star of the show was Brian Conley who played Buttons. Such an amazing performance was witnessed last night, with so many unbelievably funny jokes, ad-libbing and innuendos; he lifted the show so much and took the Pantomime to a different level. Amazing! A true star of Pantomime, but don’t worry if you can’t make it to see him this year as Brian is set to return in next year’s Christmas spectacular “Robinson Crusoe”, bringing his magical sparkle to The Hippodrome. Equally as funny were the Ugly Sisters, played by Davis Robins and Martin Ramsdin. Both characters were just hysterical, with a few costumes rivalling Lady Gaga ! The Fairy Godmother was played by the loose woman herself, Linda Bellingham. A superb performance from start to finish, bringing her maturity and control to this otherwise hectic tale. The role of Cinderella was played by Kathryn Rooney, who returned after playing Alice in Dick Whittington last year. “Simply marvellous” was just one of many positive comments I heard whilst leaving the auditorium, and I feel that this completely sums up her performance last night. Brilliant lead that proved she was more than fit to be the Princess in this tale!

I have to say I noticed such a positive improvements in the sets for this years Pantomime, with brilliant Lighting, amazing Pyrotechnics, and who could forget Cinderella’s and Button’s entrance to the ball, both flying over the audience, leaving the audience both amazed and thrilled.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this years Pantomime. It really brought back memories of when I was a small child. Shouting “Oh no she isn’t “and” it’s behind you” a number of times just made me feel ten again. Brilliant, loved every minute of this marvellous show. Cinderella runs from now until Sunday 29th January, so there’s still plenty of time to get tickets!

Burn the Floor follows no real story, but mini plots between dancers can be seen in each number. The cast of 22 dancers, singers and drummers from all around the world, were slick and brilliant to watch with energy and enthusiasm to each beat of every song. The level of dance required to be in the show far outweighs any other, making for a brilliantly intense dance performance. 

For me, the star of the show were local born Brummie Emma Slater and USA Dancer Janette  Manrara. Both were absolutely outstanding drawing me into their dances and making me want to get up and dance too. Emma started dance at an early age, and has been a member of Burn the Floor since it opened on Broadway in 2009. After hearing she was born in Birmingham, the audience went wild, cheered and stood up to applaud this amazing dancer. 

Burn the floor is a brilliant feel good night out, and sadly soon comes to an end after four years of dancing from country to country, but don’t worry, a post show Q and A with the cast, reveals that a whole new schedule is been planned for the show and should shortly start touring the world again. Burn the floor runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 29th October. 

Fantastic. Truly magical. Astonishing and brilliant were just a few of so many phenomenal comments made by audience members at the opening night of “End of the rainbow”. An instant standing ovation for the quartet cast marked a wonderful end to a magnificent evening at the Hippodrome, with applause and smiles lasting until the auditorium was empty.

“End of the rainbow” tells the sad story of Judy Garland and her final few performances before her fatal overdose. This heart breaking story really has the audience crying with laughter, weeping with sadness, and speechless with shock as her final few weeks are uncovered to reveal the grim and addictive life she lead.

Winning Celebrity Stars In their Eyes as Judie Garland, Tracie Bennett  must have known that this role was made for her and last night opened the first of several performances as Judie, completely drawing in the audience. Her portrayal was stunning,  right down to small hand movements or little blinks you would imagine Judie to have done. Vocally, Tracie was outstanding, making each and every song sound exactly like the original, and true to how she sang them. Overall, a stunning performance worthy of any standing ovation.

What a fantastic show End of the Rainbow is. With its success in London’s West End, there’s no doubt the tour will continue the same way, and roll into Broadway with a standing ovation which it truly deserves. End  of the Rainbow only runs until Saturday in Birmingham, before heading off to tour the rest of the UK, so book your tickets quickly. 

Yesterday, I along with a like minded theatre goer took in the evening performance of Zoonation’s “Some like it hip hop”. I had heard some bad reviews about the show, and the foyer that was almost empty at 7.00 didn’t fill me with loads of confidence but never the less I remained open minded and took my seat.

“Some like it hip hop” is a combination of acting, singing and of course Hip Hop. The show tells a story of love and mistaken identity, in a city where books are banned and a time where women are seen as slaves to men. We see two female characters who sneak into a “mans world” and end up falling in love.

The first thing that struck me at curtain up was how impressive the set was. Simple in a sense, with a main background and two moving towers that were transformed into different scenes, ranging from an office to beds. This made for a good first impression and lifted my spirits about the production.

As the scenes passed I felt myself ease more and more into the play and soon felt my foot tapping along to the music, being mezmorized at the truly amazing talent on stage. The dancer who stood out for me the most was “Teneisha Bonner” who danced the role of “kerri”. Teneisha’s dance ability was immense, with on the point moves and slick hip hop tricks, she really drew me in!

Overall I would say the production was great. After expecting nothing but a train crash, I actually quite enjoyed the performance, and would love to see another “Zoonation” performance in the near future.

Last night, I was treated to evening of contemporary dance, at Dance Exchange in the Birmingham’s Hippodrome. This amazing night was split into two spellbinding halves, with Act 1 consisting of an all male dance troupe and Act 2 consisting of an all female dance troupe.

I have to admit, before last night I had never seen a contemporary dance show, finding it boring and perhaps not to my taste. Last night completely changed my opinion of dance and the art form, finding it completely interesting and almost mesmerising. This visit has now opened my mind to the world of dance, and made me think more about seeing those genres of shows rather than the traditional musicals or plays etc..

During the show there were many amazing moments, but a couple stood out to me. One of these was the rewind scenes between the two casts at the end of the performance. In this we saw the dance performed backwards to the amazement and astonishment of the audience. Another area that I enjoyed was the was simplicity of the set, or more like, there been no set. This I found really enjoyable seeing dance in it’s raw and not hidden behind sets which many shows are. Bar a matted dance floor, all of the lighting and backstage could be seen, making it plain and simple and easier to focus on the dancing.

This unique piece of dance really warmed the hearts of all that watched it, which was rewarded with huge support from the audience. Although performed in a small studio theatre, I felt the performance far from lacked in energy or space, and feel this was a real positive to the evening!

Dance Exchanges performance ends soon, So not much time to take advantage of this truly wonderful show!

On Monday night, the world renowned musical “Evita” arrived in Birminghamon its tour of Europe, after leaving London’s west end in 2007 where it ran for 12 months to mark its 25^th anniversary. Evita tells the story of Eva, a radio broadcaster who touches the hearts of Argentina and becomes a leader of the poor. In this hit by musical Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, we see the story of Argentina, Eva, and her battle to overcome cancer and keep on leading. This emotional story touches the hearts of everyone who experiences it, with well known songs such as “Oh What a Circus” “Buenos Aires” “High Flying Adored” and the most famous “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”.

The amazingly talented “Abigail Jaye” led this impressive touring cast taking on the role of Eva. Her amazing vocals, superb acting and wonderful passion resulted in an outstanding performance which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. “Mark Powell” performed the role of “Che” also adding great passion, excitement and tremendous vocals into the show. One cast member that stood out for me was “Sasha Ransley” who played the role of Mistress. Sasha completely stole the show and the hearts of audience members with the truly beautiful song “Another Suitcase in another Hall”. “An excellent cast member” and “Brilliant, moved me to tears” were just a few of so many positive comments I heard from the audience.

“REALLY enjoyed “Evita” at Birmingham Hippodrome. Didn’t have any expectations going in, and was impressed! Great leading cast, clever set and some amazing songs” is just one of many hit reviews I’ve read since its opening on Monday. Although I enjoyed the performance, I did feel something was missing. I wasn’t blown away with the plot and some cast members which I feel let the show down. Saying this, I do feel Act 2 was much stronger that Act 1, with what seemed more energy and passion over the interesting twist of Eva falling ill with cancer.

Evita runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 24^th September 2011, and the popularWest End and Broadway hit is selling out fast, so buy tickets now!

Tickets can be brought here

http://www.birminghamhippodrometickets.com/tickets/production.aspx?pid=13728

And theBirminghamHippodrome

http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/default.asp

There were top hats and tiaras all around at the opening night of the magnificent “Top Hat” at the Hippodrome last night. It was a truly glittering occasion, styled to take the audience right back to the 1930’s, and treat them to a feel of what an opening night was like back then. Starring “Strictly Come Dancing” star “Tom Chambers” this all singing all dancing throw back musical is certain to entertain the most stubborn of audiences.                

Once again, I was invited by the “Hippodrome” to the opening of night of “Top Hat”. Set in the 1930’s it is the story of Jerry Travers, a Broadway star who is about to make his mark on the West End stage. Whilst in London, he meets a woman called Dale Tremont and falls madly in love – following her around Europe in an attempt to win her heart, and possibly her hand in marriage.

The stunning choreography by “Bill Deamer” completely made the show as special as it was, and brought a new edge to the performance which far from lacked enthusiasm. With high energy numbers, lavish sets and outstanding vocals, the show really did have the audience spellbound from overture to curtain call.

All the cast were stars, but for me “Tom Chambers” was outstanding. “A real star” and “absolutely amazing” were just a few of so many positive comments I heard from audience members. The star of “Strictly Come Dancing” had already proven he excels at ballroom, waltz and Latin, but the audience was blown away when Tom broke out into tap, making this particularly difficult skill look effortless and natural.  The biggest surprise for me were the amazing vocals from Tom, a side of which I had not seen before, and a side which should be seen more often. A mind blowing performance resulting in a well deserved standing ovation! 

“Top hat” runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome from now until the 10^th September. Not long to get your tickets booked, and experience this truly wonderful show live on stage.

Top hat tickets can be brought here -  

 http://www.birminghamhippodrometickets.com/tickets/production.aspx?pid=13169

And Info on the show here -

 http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/WhatsOn_focus.asp?showId=1695

Let’s face it, going to watch the Ballet wouldn’t be top of the list for a teenager’s night out. I mean, the idea going to see a ballet bored me slightly, but last night’s performance by the “Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China’s Ballet of “Swan Lake” proved just how wrong I could have been!

Kindly invited once again by the “Hippodrome” myself and a fellow blogger “Marcus Hubbard” (Who’s blog you can found at  http://thecitydream.blogspot.com/ ) headed to the magnificent Birmingham Hippodrome to enjoy the Opening Night of “Swan Lake” – a combination of ballet and Circus mixed together to create a truly magical and exciting show that is sure to thrill audience members!

The ballet not only had me gripped from curtain up, but the whole audience was spellbound, with cheers, laughs and Ooo’s emanating from all directions of the theatre, something which I had never experienced before and only excited me further. From roller-skating swans, to the magic of the two amazingly talented leads, from men swinging, flipping and somersaulting from poles, to men dressed as ballerinas, there really is something for everyone to see in this truly magnificent production.

So what has this experience taught me? Well a lot really. Before yesterday, like many young adults, I would have never have even stopped to read about the ballet in the Hippodromes guide, never mind going to see one and thoroughly enjoying it!   So in many ways, it’s taught me to be more open minded about theatre, and maybe not to just go and see the same old Musicals or plays, but to try something different, and you never know, I may even enjoy that too!

The first night scheme is such a privilege to have, allowing younger members of public to go and witness spectacular productions like “Swan Lake” for only five pounds, which is severely discounted form the face value. I really feel privileged to have become a “First Night Blogger” for the scheme, and would love thank “Ben Wooldridge”, “Mandy Rose” and their team at the Hippodrome.

“Swan Lake” Runs at The Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 27^th August  2011, so you’d better be quick to buy tickets as they are selling fast with many performances almost sold out!