At the moment I'm not sure what the next show I'm going to see will be- I have a few booked for early next year and am planning on seeing a couple before then but so far nothing is final so rather than completely abandoning you until I have a review to write, I thought I'd share with you five theatre-related things I'm excited about at the moment!
1. Let's get the sad one out of the way early- Memphis is closing in just a couple of weeks. I saw the show back in August (review here) and was blown away, with the show fully exceeding all my expectations. Much as I would love to I just can't justify going to see it again before it closes which is such a shame because it's a show I don't want to be forgotten about. Today is fellow Wolverhampton-girl Beverley Knight's last performance before she heads off to star in Cats so I'm wishing her the best of luck for her final shows and praying for a UK Tour of the show in the near future!
2. And from something that makes me sad to something that fills me with joy: In The Heights is staying in London until January 2nd! The show was initially set to close on the 1st of November, meaning I probably wouldn't have a chance to see it but with the extension I am now planning to see it around Christmas. Despite only having seen an amateur production of the show (review here), I listen to the OBC recording regularly and it's definitely up there as one of my favourite musicals. This production is the second time it's been in London and impressive reviews are flooding in so I would definitely recommend checking it out and heading to a salsa bar afterwards for a margarita and a dance!
3. The smash hit revival of Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton (review here) has recently been filmed and it due to be shown on the BBC at Christmas, after the show finishes it's run at the Savoy Theatre on the 28th November, and I personally think this is fantastic. Sometimes theatre can become purely for the elite- even the cheapest tickets for Gypsy were still pretty pricey- so this is giving the entire British population the chance to see the brilliance of Staunton and the rest of the cast for themselves for free. I can see why some people who paid to go and see the show might grumble at this, but I'm looking forward to seeing the show from a different perspective as from my seat up in the grand circle it was hard to see some of the details. And hey, I don't know a single person who given the choice would rather watch television than see a show live, so hopefully it will inspire more people to go to the theatre and see the magic for themselves.
4. I am so jealous of people that live in or near New York right now. There are so many incredible shows on Broadway at the moment, with more opening in the coming season, that I am just dying to see. Fun Home, Hamilton and Deaf West's Spring Awakening are all pushing the boundaries of traditional Broadway shows. Fun Home is the story of Alison Bechdel and features incredible songs about sexuality and finding yourself. Hamilton, written and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda (the same man who wrote and starred in In The Heights) is a rap musical based around the founding fathers of America. It sounds odd but give the soundtrack a listen and I guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised. While Spring Awakening isn't a new show, this revival features a half-hearing, half-deaf cast and the entire show is both sung and signed which really brings a new meaning to the story. Plus it features the first actress ever to be in a wheelchair on Broadway which I think is amazing and not before too! There's also some great revivals of the classics opening soon including the very moving Fiddler on the Roof and The Colour Purple. If someone wants to take me to New York soon I'd be very grateful!
5. My love for Les Miserables knows no bounds and I was so happy to see the show celebrate 30 years in the West End last week. Unfortunately I didn't win tickets to the gala performance that took place on the 8th October, but if you didn't either don't despair! The finale of the gala was filmed and will be available to the public soon. If you don't think you can wait that long then all you need to do is donate. The gala was helping to raise money for Save the Children and they are still taking donations over on Just Giving. Once you've donated you'll receive an email instructing you how you can watch the finale from the 23rd of October. I've already donated and am looking forward to sitting at home and crying my eyes out as stars of Les Mis past and present celebrate this very special show.
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