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(ear)
Tribute brings glee to the Grand Don't Stop Believin' Wolverhampton Grand Theatre **** DON'T
Stop Believin'
is what it says on the tin, it is the stage tribute to the phenomenal TV
programme
Glee and other
‘gleeful' tunes.
Glee, the TV show, centres on a group of very talented misfits, the rivalry between two college glee clubs and their principles and some great, nay anthemic, songs and dancing. The connection between the two shows is a great cast, many hit songs and collegiate preppy costumes. The show is good;
crowd-pleasing, clap along, non-stop entertainment with great, high
energy choreography from director Carol Todd. The show opened to rousing
cheers from the mixed audience who were treated to great tunes and dance
routines. I especially liked Kanya West's Gold Diggger
which was choreographed by Craig ‘Moz' Morris.
There was a delight in store before the second half of the show the Grand's very own Glee choir gave us an enthusiastic and energetic interpretation of The Eye of The Tiger; with young people in neon legwarmers and headbands and two slightly implausible, but great fun, boxing champs battling it out. A splendid time was had by all. ICONIC TUNES
The second half of the show,
an even more eclectic collection of music than the first, featured
iconic tunes from artists as diverse as Bacharach and Beethovan and
Beyonce and the Beatles. Local lad, Jonathan Dudley (Jodie) did a
great job of Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it) with
the whole cast taking on camp character in sequined American football
kit. Naomi Miller gave us a rousing rendition of Cindi Lauper's
True Colors.
For me, attempts to get the
audience involved fell just short of the mark, it was amusing but
I felt let down that I didn't get chance to use my new moves or to join
in with the full blown The Lion Sleeps Tonight and, at times,
voices were a little too powerful for the sound system. The band, lead by Andy Ralls
was first class and they appeared to enjoy themselves as much as the
audience.
Overall everyone had a good
time and the show closed to a standing ovation in the most part. BSL Performance: Thursday 25
November at 7.30pm. Signed by Sarah Ainsworth. Lynda Ford
One more member of the club . . . . **** THIS non-stop show is a riot of good
singing, lively dancing and get-on-your-feet music guaranteed to send
audiences home in a happy mood. Inspired by the hit American TV show, Glee, it
has already built a big fan base in the UK judging by the reaction of
the first-nighters who screamed with anticipation even before the
curtain rose. And it's easy to see why there has been a
resurgence in the popularity of glee clubs as the dazzling dozen cast -
six young men and six glamorous girls - deliver a string of exciting
songs, linked to some slick choreography by show director Carole Todd
who brought Dreamboats and Petticoats to the Grand last year. There's never a dull moment in the action which
opens with Don't Stop Believin', from the 70s band Journey, and
moves swiftly on through songs like Gold Digger, Walking on Sunshine
Livin' on a Prayer then And I Am Telling You, the latter
beautifully sung by Naomi Miller. Thirty local youngsters sing The Eye of the
Tiger just before the second half opens, and the cast continue the
good work with a Beatles medley, finishing with Lean on Me
after inviting the customers to become a Wolverhampton Glee Club for the
night. A gleefully performed show, boosted by an outstanding five-piece band, directed by Andy Ralls, runs to Saturday night 27.11.10 Paul Marston |
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