My Favourite Musicals

 

I went to see The Lion King musical  by Elton John & Tim Rice) recently, which was very good and great effects and all.  I was asked what my favourite ever musical is. I answered Westside Story (composed by Leonard Bernstein) which I do love for its energy and songs. But later I thought my top musical may be Cabaret (composed by John Kander)  I saw the film of the Cabaret musical in 1972.

I grew up playing musicals on piano – from The Mikado, South Pacific to the Sound of Music – which I loved to sing.  Most of these musicals were composed by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. 

Gilbert and Sullivan wrote some of the best musicals which were great fun to play and which I saw on stage several times. 

In more recent times the biggest stage musicals have been composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I saw The Phantom of the Opera in Edinburgh’s playhouse which was a top rate musical with wonderful songs.  

Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim. According to The New York Times, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history."
Richard Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. His compositions have had a significant impact on popular music down to the present day, and have an enduring broad appeal. Rodgers was the first person to win the top show business awards in television, recording, movies and Broadway—an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony – an EGOT.
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado are among the best known.  Gilbert, who wrote the words, created fanciful "topsy-turvy" worlds for these operas where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion—fairies rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offence, gondoliers ascend to the monarchy, and pirates turn out to be noblemen who have gone wrong. Sullivan, six years Gilbert's junior, composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humour and pathos. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber, is a British composer and impresario of musical theatre.  Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals and he has won 7 Tony Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, 14 Ivor Novello Awards, 7 Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006. Several of his songs have been widely recorded and were hits outside of their parent musicals, notably "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "You Must Love Me" from Evita, "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and "Memory" from Cats

KT Tunstall O2 Academy

KT Tunstall, Scottish singer songwriter played a gig at the O2 Academy Glasgow 21^st November 2013 as part of her UK Tour for her fifth studio album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon.

The new album is a step on for KT and she spoke of touring with folk royalties the Carthy family and learning so much from them. The diverse folk roots influence can be heard in a more mature and sophisticated sound and songs.  She has also been over working in  the States which gives this album a more cross over feel with both Scots and American influences. Tunstall has won a Brit and an Ivor Novello Award.
 http://kttunstall.com/  

A Year now since Emeli at Royal Albert hall

It is now exactly a year since Emeli’s Royal Albert hall gig - it was one of the best days for me and totally unforgettable. Emeli shone on the stage for her big moment and I am sure a night she will never forget. I remember so well her entrance down the hall steps - and the vivid realization that she had made it as an artist

I first saw Emeli at the Oran Mor Glasgow jn December 2007. Emeli was at medical school with my daughter then and she told me of her big voice. The event was an ep launch with a backing band and she also took to piano to play a Nina Simone song. We thought then that she had a strong voice but needed better songs. I took photos at the gig that were used in her promotions for gigs and press over several years. Emeli worked hard at her degree and writing in London and meanwhile had several chart hit collaborations. 

I have met and spoken with her manager. I first heard her wonderful album songs at the Oran Mor Glasgow again in 2011.

I was pleased to meet Emeli at her King Tuts gig in 2011. 

In November 2012 I took photos at her Royal Albert hall London concert. Wonderful memories...

Fleetwood Mac SECC

Their music has travelled well over the decades. Fleetwood shone on the SECC stage.  A Revelation. Buckingham still rocks and their songs all these decades later still ring true and relevant - the sign of a classic album! 

Lindsay Buckingham played to the enthusiasm of the crowd and allowed a few at the front to pluck his guitar strings as he came to the edge of the stage - as the sweat dripped off his forehead and he laid into his guitar as if he drew power from it!  He still has what it takes to get an audience rocking!  Stevie changed her dresses several times (from black to burgundy) and she played an danced with her colourful tambourine. She and Buckingham are the centre stage.

It was a delight as they ran through their Rumours songs. There still appears to be this chemistry between Nicks and Buckingham.  The love friction both couples were going through (Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham; Christine McVie and John McVie) led to cutting yet releasing songs - Nick's "Dreams" with 'You say you want your freedom and who am I to keep you down' and Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way" with 'Loving you isn't the right thing to do, If I could I would give you my world, showed their differing reactions after their breakup!

Sadly McVie choose not to continue touring with Fleetwood back in 1987.  I loved her piano songs "Songbird", "You Make Loving Fun", "Don't Stop" and others.  

Uniquely with Fleetwood there was the female/ male mix alongside the British blues and rock and the West coast LA influence. Drummer Mick Fleetwood on their ground breaking Rumours album ' I always imagine us making Rumours a bit like Paris in the 1920s. My all time favourite Stevie song is "Angel" from Tusk - just has that great style and attitude!  And also her song "Rhiannon" (great live version on iTunes)    

Stevie Nicks - is one of my all time favourite female rock stars. I love her style and attitude and the way her voice cracks yet remains strong and true. 

In Q this month she says she was inspired by Janis Joplin's presence on stage even though she was tiny and by the flamboyance yet humility of Jimi Hendrix.  'Buckingham Nicks' came fully formed when they joined Fleetwood Mac -  their album in 1973, folk rock sound was influenced by Cat Stevens and Jimmy page's acoustic guitar playing in Led Zepplin.

In the 70s Fleetwood’s Rumours was one of the biggest ever selling albums. Their music was so often the backdrop to our lives at that time and in a sense truly reflected the times too the way many great artists have and do. Their music has travelled well over the decades.

Some extracted quotes from Songs for Swinging Lovers, Mojo Janaury 2013 -

As soon as we started rehearsing with Fleetwood Mac found this chemistry, Buckingham recalled. Of the 11 songs, Monday Morning, Landslide and Rhiannon had been written for Buckingham Nicks album. 

' It worked right from the start. Chris, Lindsey and Stevie's voices created these wonderful; harmonies, says Fleetwood.' Lindsey had so much every. We needs someone with a vision.'      

THE CHAIN lyric:  "I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain" and recalled Fleetwood, ' the realization that the music we were making together was more powerful than any of us.'