Unlike some other jukebox musicals, the songs make perfect sense in their placement and in moving the story along, therefore they do not feel shoe-horned in. There is good reason why the album has barely been out of the charts over the past five decades and those reasons are all on display here. Meatloaf back catalogue is full of songs that are whole stories within themselves which, alongside the powerful vocals from both him and those he has duetted with, make a perfect source of material for musical theatre.

The show is leans heavily on the Peter Pan themes that inspired the original Bat out of Hell tracks and barely disguises it. Glenn Adamson plays the lead role as Strat, one of a group named “The Lost” who are feral youths who live underground and are unable to age.

Raven (Martha Kirby) is a girl on the cusp of her 18th birthday and lives with her parents, who provide her with material goods but keep her on a tight rein, particularly from the one thing she craves – excitement. Strat provides this for her with his rock-star stylings so far removed from the plush upbringing she is used to. Needless to say, her parents are not keen on her associating with Strat so the tale of forbidden love begins.

Adamson’s Strat has more physically in common with (a much younger) Iggy Pop than Meatloaf (especially when he removes his t-shirt) but it suits the teenage waif. The vocals and performance are top quality with the blood-smeared Bat out of Hell, For Crying Out Loud and I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) displaying his power and range.

Making a welcome homecoming to the Opera House are Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton, reprising the roles of Raven’s parents, Falco and Sloane, they starred in at the original launch. The chemistry between the real life couple Fowler and Sexton is still there for all to witness, especially when performing Paradise By The Dashboard Light.

Sexton is quite rightly an in-demand musical star in her own right but if you are not familiar with her work, imagine someone who matches Sheridan Smith’s comedic capabilities and powerful vocals and you’ll be close.

Fowler somehow manages to make his character at times funny, vulnerable and menacing yet believable, however he is behaving.

The mightily impressive set designed by Jon Bausor is dominated by Raven’s bedroom and a giant screen which shows live close ups of the action.

The supporting cast were also in fine voice throughout. Former The Voice finalist, Joelle Moses / Zahara and James Chisholm / Jagwire belt out a great version of Dead Ringer for Love while Killian Thomas Lefevre plays a jealous and naïve Tink.

Taking on Celine Dion’s vocals from It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, Kirby nearly steals the show with a stunning rendition that genuinely gave me goosebumps.

Well deserving of the standing ovation this revisit is a fitting tribute to Jim Steinman who passed away earlier this year.

Bat Out of Hell UK Tour is at the Opera House, Manchester from 11 September to 2 October 2021.

The post Jim Steinman’s Bat out of Hell: The Musical Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Now the story of the record label’s success, and phenomenal number of hits, is told in Motown The Musical. Currently a smash hit in the West End, the show embarks on its first UK Tour in October, stopping off at Manchester Opera House from 26 February – 23 March 2019.

We sat down with two of the people who know Mr Gordy, and the show, best: director, Charles Randolph-Wright and Creative Consultant, Michael Lovesmith who worked with Berry Gordy at Motown Records, coaching the Jackson 5, and producing the likes of The Temptations and The Supremes alongside a successful career as a performer.

“I was basically born and raised in music,” says Michael. “I was on the road as a child, singing in churches as a trio with my brothers. Then at age 11 I was introduced to Holland-Dozier-Holland, who signed me to a song writing contract, and I wrote my first song for them, to be performed by Dionne Warwick.

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it was a good thing I had a good song! I met Mr Gordy at age 17, and by that time I had produced about twelve artists. Motown wanted me to work with the ‘Jackson 5’. I was their age, so I could relate to them in a way that not everybody could. They were so used to working with older people who didn’t quite understand their energy! I ended up becoming Berry Gordy’s protégé, and started producing and vocal coaching Michael and his brothers. Then soon after that I started recording with The Supremes and The Temptations. That’s pretty much how I got started.”

Charles Randolph-Wright joined the Motown family at a later stage, coming on board to direct Motown The Musical which premiered on Broadway in 2013. “For me Motown has always been part of my life,” he says. “The opportunity to work with Mr Gordy was mind-blowing when this project came up because he was and is a major inspiration to me.

“In terms of how I got started in directing, my family says that I was directing from the minute I was walking. Theatre fascinated me from my very first experience in the audience. But even as a performer, I always was intrigued by directing and writing. I was in the original cast of Dreamgirls on Broadway and directed a fellow performer’s nightclub act. That lead to several other acts, and more jobs followed. I knew then that would be my focus.”

Motown The Musical tells the story of Mr Gordy’s life and the development of Motown Records in Detroit, Michigan, which soon became known as Hitsville USA. But what was it like for Michael being at the epicentre of the Motown movement at the time? “I was desperate to get to Detroit and get working in music, but my parents wanted me to get through school, so I studied and studied so I could graduate from high school early and from there I went straight to Detroit,” he explains. “The funny thing about Motown is, I think Motown could have been anywhere, and in a sense it was.”

Charles nods : “Absolutely. Every city had a girl group, a guy group, a kids’ group and a lead singer, but the unique thing that Detroit had was Berry Gordy.”

“He was this beacon of light,” Michael agrees, “showing you what you can do and what you could be. There were musicians and singers all over the country, but Detroit had Berry Gordy, so it became a magnet for them.”

Charles explains how that then informed his direction of Motown The Musical, “Of course, that’s what we are able to explore in the show, how Mr Gordy’s ambition and talent founded Motown. It’s not a Detroit sound, it’s a Motown sound. Although some people think Motown is a real place!”

Michael laughs: “You know what though, it almost was.”

With such an iconic sound that audiences have loved for almost six decades, how do you begin the process of faithfully recreating that on stage? Michael looks to Charles, and smiles. “We searched high and low for someone who understands the need for the show to sound like Motown,” he says. “One person came to meet us, and gave us his idea of how he would find a Stevie Wonder, a Michael Jackson, a Smokey Robinson, which we didn’t think was possible, and that person was Charles Randolph-Wright.”

“Oh, you were talking about me!” says Charles. “I didn’t realise, I was listening so intently!”

Michael adds: “Charles walked into the room and knew what Motown is, who Motown is and what Motown looks and feels like. He grew up on this music. He understood Motown, and that is what we were looking for. We put the show in his hands.”

“Motown is all we ever really listened to growing up!” agrees Charles.  So, with such an emotional link to the project did Charles feel under pressure when directing? “Oh yes, I felt pressure. It was so important to me because Mr Gordy is one of my idols, so I wanted to create the show that he wanted to see. I approached it the way that Berry Gordy approached it – I needed to find artists that would evoke a certain thing. What I never wanted to do was find people who would just impersonate those performers, I wanted them to make me feel the way Diana Ross made me feel, an actress that would actually make me put my hands up and sing ‘Reach Out and Touch’. I had a goldmine to work with because Mr Gordy and Michael were there to help, and they knew these people before they were the icons they became. I wanted to find people who had what these people did before they became stars. What was that spark, what was that tone?”

Michael says: “What was great about Charles’ casting process is he would find people who were so good, we wanted to sign them as artists in their own right! He had a vision, just like Mr Gordy. Sometimes I even call him ‘Little Berry’. He understood what to look for.”

Charles explains: “It’s finding that energy, sometimes it’s such raw performers and sometimes it’s people who have been in ten shows. It’s an instinctive thing – they’re Motown. Working closely with Mr Gordy and Michael I’ve been able to ask, what is that thing that Stevie Wonder has, what is that specific thing that Smokey has? We find that in someone that is authentic in them, rather than make them pretend to be that.”

After success on Broadway and in the West End, Michael explains why the team really wanted to bring Motown The Musical to the rest of the UK. “We owed it to the UK,” he says. “The UK is probably 50% responsible for the success of Motown, it is the heart of Motown and the UK has kept Motown alive. The vibe here is fantastic, audiences are screaming and cheering and it’s incredible, it’s like being back in one of the shows from the 70s.

“The UK has always loved Motown, and we needed to do this tour because we know wherever we take Motown The Musical in the UK, it will be loved.”

Charles adds: “What has surprised me the most with audiences is that Motown appeals to every age. I love that each audience member finds some aspect of this show that resonates with them. The show is infectious, and the UK truly knows and loves this music.

“It’s not just a record label, it’s not just a show, it’s a movement.”

Motown the Musical tours the UK for the first time in October with X-factor finalist, Nathan Lewis as Smokey Robinson, Edward Baruwa as Berry Gordy, Karis Anderson as Diana Ross, and Shak Gabbidon-Williams as Marvin Gaye. It comes to Manchester Opera House from 26 February to 23 March 2019. See website for details.

Read our review from Manchester Opera House.

The post Michael Lovesmith and Charles Randolph-Wright on creating Motown the Musical appeared first on Quays Life.

Since then the African-born, global genre has grown in popularity to become increasingly more known on the mainstream, being hailed by BBC Radio as the sound of the summer for 2018.

Happy Monday! @BBCRadio4 discusses the rise of Afrobeats.

Cc: @shopsydoo @PureYinkz @ReSaucedEnts @HatchEvents #Afrobeats #Culture #BBCRadio4 #London #radio #interview pic.twitter.com/DNqkPeVjO5

— Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical (@OlivaTMusical) 4 June 2018

And with the multi-award-winning Broadway Hip-Hop musical, Hamilton rewriting traditional views of a West End musical, Oliva Tweest creator, Yinka Ayinde (stage name: PureYinkz), felt the time was right to revive the show.

“The theatre industry has been looking for this mythical ‘new audience’ but we are going to show them that the people are out there,” he says. “I’ve developed this show to bring two worlds together – introducing a traditional theatre audience to the Afrobeats culture, and filling up theatres with young, energetic Afrobeats fans.”

Indeed, the audience was out there when Yinka first opened the show at London’s Lyric theatre. Following a sell-out run in 2013, the musical enjoyed a short-run at the legendary Hackney Empire in 2014, a one-off special at the 2016 Lagos Theatre Festival, supported by British Council, and a week-long development residency at The Barbican.

The story follows the ambitions of London hustler and club-promoter Tobi, who has no problem winning female attention, but yearns to shake off his shady reputation and move up in the world. Driven by his need to succeed, he plans the ultimate concert to attract his idol and Afrobeats legend D’Banj, naming it after the musician’s global hit ‘Oliver Twist.’  But when he finds out that the landlord of his chosen concert venue intends to convert the building into a church, Tobi is forced to disguise his true intentions.

It’s a universal tale of love versus ambition and this revival includes new songs specially written for the musical as well as renditions of some of the biggest Afrobeats hits from the likes of D’banj, Wizkid, Maleek Berry, Afro B and Tiwa Savage.

“It’s a dream come true for me to see the show going on tour,” says Yinka. “We have been given so much support and encouragement to get to this point. It will be the first time showcasing the fully developed Afrobeats show and we’ll be working with the same partners as ‘Motown The Musical’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Wicked’ so I am excited about what happens next.”

The musical returns to London in October with tour dates in Coventry 4-6 October and Manchester Opera House on 9 October 2018. See Oliva Tweest website for details.

The post Oliva Tweest: The Afromusical to Play Manchester on First UK tour appeared first on Quays Life.