Forgotten Musicals: ‘Soho Cinders’ (2011)

Forgotten Musicals: ‘Soho Cinders’   (2011)

Book by Anthony Drewe & Elliot Davies  

Lyrics by Anthony Drewe 

Music by George Stiles

History:

George Stiles and Anthony Drewe ('Betty Blue Eyes', 'Mary Poppins', 'Honk', 'The Three Little Pigs') started work on 'Soho Cinders' in 2000, having come up with the idea of updating a very basic version of Cinderella into something different in the 1990s. In the summer of 2000, they sat in Regents Park to start developing their adaptation and wrote a lot of it in France at Stiles' sister-in-law's house.Although the musical was almost finished, the pair had been busy with other projects which hindered their progress.Workshops for the musical began in the early 2000s but it was not until 6th July 2008 that some of the musical's songs were exclusively premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre as part of a gala concert that celebrated the 25th anniversary of Stiles and Drewe's songwriting partnership, entitled 'A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe'. 

It then had a gala concert production at the Queen's Theatre on 9th October 2011 in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. The concert, which was supported by Whatsonstage.com, was sold-out and featured a cast of West End performer. In 2012, Soho Cinders received its world premiere as a full-scale production at Soho Theatre, running from 3rd August to 9th September 2012.

Plot:

'Soho Cinders' is a modern musical fable that is set and celebrates the London district of Soho which mixes politics, sex-scandals and true love in a story about an impoverished student Robbie, who is paying for his college bills in a somewhat unorthodox way, becoming romantically involved with the engaged prospective mayoral candidate James Prince. James and Robbie's worlds collide forcing them to fight for their own fairy-tale ending in this hilarious, satirical twist on the classic Cinderella story.

In a Nutshell: 

Are fairy tale endings possible in real life ?

Production:

The production that I saw was at the Union Theatre in Southwark (10 minutes walk from Waterloo Station, or 5 minutes from Southwark Station), where a month before I had seen a disappointing production of the musical 'Moby Dick'  (There's only so many times that '__ years at sea, and still no sign of Dick' is funny). The show opened on 23rd November 2016, and I excitedly caught the second night, due to 'Betty Blue Eyes' (Drewe & Stiles) and 'Loserville'  (Elliot Davis) being two of my favourite musicals of recent years. The auditorium has moveable seating, and no actual stage, and in this case, seats were at the top and bottom of the hall with the action happening in the middle.

Our hero Robbie (Joshua Lewindon), the 'Cinders' of the piece, took a while to sing loud enough to be clearly heard over the band, but it was with the introduction of the main female characters that the show really took off for me. First his evil step-sisters, Clodagh (Michaela Stern) and Dana (Natalie Harman) appeared to throw him out of his late mother's flat and demand rent for the family launderette (a hint of 'Aladdin' creeping in), then were were introduced to his best friend, Velcro (Emily Deamer)  [geddit?] who runs the laundry with him, and who for me was the emotional heart of the show.  I found Robbie's daliances with both a middle-aged peer (Chris Coleman) and a mayoral candidate (Lewis Asquith) not as engaging as I would have liked, mainly due to the likely fall-out for other characters of any 'happy ending' but any musical number involving the Sisters or Velcro seemed to fly. The first Act ended with the remarkably catchy, 'You Shall Go To the Ball', and I was itching for it to start again. With Robbie and James' secret out, it was down to spin-doctor, William George (Samuel Haughton) to salvage what he could, both for James and himself. I also must praise Lowri Walton who was playing Marilyn Platt, James' fiancee, for all her scenes after the revelation, in particular her duet, 'Let Him Go', with Velcro. Happy endings were reached for some, with promises of happiness to come for others, and the action was ending with a full ensemble-version of 'You Shall Go To The Ball'. Very highly recommended.

'Soho Cinders' runs at the Union Theatre in London from 23rd November 2016 to 22nd December 2016.

Signature Song:

Once again I find it difficult to choose - my emotional side wants 'Let Him Go' and my fun side wants either of the Sisters' big numbers 'I'm So Over Men' and 'Fifteen Minutes' (a song easily customisable to current 15-minuters, such as Honey G) or Velcro's 'It's Hard to Tell' (about the difficulty in working out which men are gay and which are straight)

Links: 

Production website.
Some of the songs can be found here.

Forgotten Musicals: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (2008)

Forgotten Musicals: ‘The Toxic Avenger’   (2008)

Book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro

Music and lyrics by David Bryan

History:

This rock ‘n’ roll musical comedy from the Tony Award-winning creative team behind ‘Memphis’, Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, is based on the 1984 cult classic film from Troma Entertainment. It was first produced under the direction of John Rando at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey and opened after previews officially on 10th October 2008. The New York City premiere opened at New World Stages on 6th April 2009, closing on 2nd January 2010 after over 300 performances, when the production left for a tour across the United States.

Plot:

The citizens of Tromaville, New Jersey, are crying out for a hero - enter Melvin Ferd the Third, an aspiring earth scientist determined to clean up the toxic waste problem. But when a corrupt Mayor and her government goons try to stop this heroic feat, Melvin is tossed into a vat of toxic waste and transformed into The Toxic Avenger, New Jersey’s first superhero! ‘Toxie’ is a seven-foot mutant freak with superhuman strength and a super-sized heart to match. He’s out to save New Jersey, end global warming, woo the prettiest (and blindest) librarian in town and get home in time for dinner, in the most toxic of love stories, with an environmental twist.

In a Nutshell: 

Can a seven-foot mutant freak ever save the day and get the girl, even if love is blind ?

Production:

The European premiere of 'The Toxic Avenger' was at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in April 2016 [where I was later to see the UK premiere of 'Side Show’]. Mark Anderson played ‘Melvin/Toxie’, whilst Hannah Grover, was Sarah, his love interest. Having heard good things about the show from my parents who had caught it off-Broadway on a visit to my cousin who actually lives in New Jersey (but not Tromaville), I booked a ticket for May 2016.

Taking my seat in an auditorium full of barrels of ‘toxic waste’, I was surprised when cult-musical star, Patricia Quinn, took a seat two rows behind me (she’s ‘Magenta’ in the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’, as well as being in Seventh Doctor TV story ‘Dragonfire’ and Seventh Doctor audio story ‘Bang-Bang-A-Boom’). Following a prologue involving a swearing nun and two workmen, the show began in earnest with the introduction of Melvin and Sarah the blind librarian whom he is in love with, followed by the villain of the piece, the sexy Mayor (Lizzii Hills). It also became clear that two actors, deemed Black Dude (Ashley Samuels) and White Dude (Marc Pickering) in the programme were playing all the other parts, from the bullies that throw Melvin in the toxic waste to Old Ladies, Police Officers and Doctors. The change to Melvin was well-realised, and Hannah Grover made the most of having to ‘feel her way’ off stage, climbing over those on the front row, admitting on the second occasion that this was just to allow for costume changes by Ashley and Marc. The rock score was excellently infectious, whilst also being very rude in the style of ‘The Book of Mormon’ (which both Mark & Ashley have been in). Highly recommended.

'The Toxic Avenger' ran at the Southwark Playhouse in London from 22nd April 2016 to 21st May 2016.

Signature Song:

Unfortunately my two favourite songs are both ‘parental advisory’, but my favourite is the sung fight between the Mayor and Melvin’s mother (who are both played by the same actress, rapidly swapping from one to the other) – ‘Bitch, Slut, Liar, Whore’. Running it close are ‘Evil is Hot’, again featuring the Mayor, and ‘You Tore My Heart Out’ – Toxie’s big number.

Links: 

Production website.
The songs can be found on Spotify here.

Forgotten Musicals: 'Side Show' (1997)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Side Show'   (1997)

Book and lyrics by Bill Russell

Music by Henry Krieger





History:
This musical is inspired by the true story of conjoined twins the Hilton Sisters, featuring a score by ‘Dreamgirls’ composer Henry Krieger and lyrics by Bill Russell (lyricist of Elegies for Angels’ and ‘Punks and Raging Queens’, rather than the Ian Chesterton actor). The original production, directed by Robert Longbottom, opened on Broadway in 1997. That production, despite the fact that it only played for four months, managed to find an incredibly loyal fan base that has only grown year after year, thanks to the enduring popularity of its Original Cast Recording.

Amongst the fans of that production was an up-and-coming writer and director named Bill Condon (who, at the time, was just a few months away from winning an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gods and Monsters"). Years later, when he was working with Henry Krieger on the film adaptation of ‘Dreamgirls’, he revealed his affection for ‘Side Show’, and expressed a desire to direct a production. Taking the opportunity to revisit the show, Russell, Krieger and Condon re-examined every syllable and note, strengthening the story, with an emphasis on fleshing out the male characters. A lot of long-abandoned ideas from those early drafts also re-emerged, in the new 2014 production, which had a "darker approach" and incorporated new songs as well as additional biographical details of the Hilton twins' life and historical figures of the era. The production began previews on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on 28th October 2014, opening officially on 17th November 2014. However, despite very positive reviews, the revival did not catch on with audiences and closed on 4th January 2015 after only seven weeks.


Plot:
The musical concerns conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who make ends meet playing a headline act at a seedy side show, languishing under the rule of an oppressive ringmaster. But when spotted by a talent agent, they are thrust into the spotlight of the famed 1920’s Orpheum Circuit. They soon become the highest paid vaudeville stars of their time, but whilst Daisy relishes the spotlight, Violet wishes for a quiet life with a man she loves, and who loves her. Can they balance their individual dreams with their inescapable physical connection ?

In a Nutshell:
Can a conjoined twin ever find love where there’s always going to be three in the relationship ?

Production:
The UK premiere of 'Side Show' was at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in October 2016. A venue beginning to build a reputation for musical theatre not that far off that of its near neighbour, Menier Chocolate Factory, that is only a fifteen minute bus ride from the Court where I work  (In fact I was originally intending to feature one of their previous productions in this entry). The twins were played by Louise Dearman (according to the programme, the only actress to ever play both Glinda and Elphaba in ‘Wicked’) and Laura Pitt-Pulford (2016 Olivier Award nominee for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ for her performance in ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). I caught the show (the amended 2014 version) in the middle of its run on 15th November 2016.

The small auditorium was done up as a travelling freak-show, with the seating plan being so complex, it needed around four ushers to direct patrons to their seats. The show started with a grand opening number in which the supporting cast – including a wolfboy, tattooed lady, human pin-cushion, bearded lady, man/woman, fortune teller, lizard man, three-legged man, and cannibal chief – were introduced in song by the wicked freakshow owner, ‘Sir’, played with a wonderful moustache by Christopher Howell. The twins then made their entrance, their dresses tied together with ribbons to represent their shared ‘fleshy link’. The abuse of the ‘freaks’ soon became clear, but the twins were offered a lifeline by the arrival of a talent agent and his friend. Act One focused on court proceedings to sever the twins from their legal guardian (the other ‘freaks’ playing all the parts), and the beginning of their vaudeville career, as well as the twins falling in love for the first time, albeit seemingly not reciprocated. Act 2 featured the girls as stars and built to a climax that I had not predicted, with the ever-present suggestion of the possibility of an operation to separate the two regularly arising. Casting was perfect with Louise and Laura’s voices complementing one another wonderfully, and I was impressed how they coped with stairs when attached to one another. Christopher Howell was the perfect villain, and Haydn Oakley & Dominic Hodson were excellent as the twins’ ‘saviours’/love interests. Definitely recommended.

'Side Show' runs at the Southwark Playhouse in London from 21st October 2016 to 3rd December 2016.


Signature Song:
Again quite difficult to pick one, but I am going for "One Plus One Equals Three " (closely followed by "Stuck with You" and "Come Look At The Freaks")

Links: 
Production website.
Some of the songs can be found here.

Louise Dearman – Official Website