maria_1981 Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Radio people are also the types we want to be being impressed with Gareth's singing so when he does bring out new music and an album in the future, radio stations choose to play his songs and give him the recognition he deserves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I agree Maria , it's great that someone like Russ Kane , a DJ who was impressed by Gareth , that he can 'REALLY sing , was totally charming on stage and had great stage presence ' , wrote such a fab review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 What a great review Just shows what a message on Facebook can bring too. Thanks for bringing it on here Heather.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 It is an amazing review and so good to know that actually seeing Gareth perform can change people's perceptions of him, and like Maria says rhese are the people we want to impress as they can spread the word. Thanks for posting the review here Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I can't believe what I've just heard. Someone said they were told not to buy the CD from this show by someone on another fansite, because the CD was rubbish and that Gareth was only singing Why God Why on it, which was a previous recording. Also that none of the rest of the songs on the CD were actually from the show. Now all of us who have been to the show know all that to be totally untrue. If any of you still to go get told something similar please don't take any notice of it as the CD is fantastic and Gareth sings 4 songs out of the 13 on there. Please can anyone else who has seen the show confirm what I've said. It would be awful if this CD doesn't sell well because people are being put off buying it by untruths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria_1981 Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 What a load of rubbish, they must be from a totally different planet if they think that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I have every CD that Gareth has ever been on and will not hesitate in buying this one of the show, if the CD includes Gareth then that is good enough for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 Another good review in from Glasgow: http://glasgowtheatreblog.com/2015/10/23/review-mad-about-the-musicals-town-house-hamilton/ A mixture of musical theatre favourites and some lesser known and forgotten gems, teamed with a top-notch live band and a host of talented performers, elevates Mad About The Musicals to the premier league of musical theatre concerts. Starring theatre veteran Michael Courtney and special star guest Gareth Gates, it begins with some surprising choices from Copacabana, City of Angels and recent Broadway flop Dr Zhivago, leaving the audience impressed with the vocals but slightly unsettled that this may be the theme for the evening. Thankfully, any misgivings are soon dispelled and the initially subdued audience come alive when we get to more familiar territory. A selection of songs from Miss Saigon, in particular, Bui Doi, is met with rousing applause and a medley of Queen favourites from We Will Rock You (deftly played by the band) sends the audience into the interval with a spring in its step. The second act is built on more solid foundations; opening on a trio of favourites from Phantom of the Opera, the hits just keep coming: Courtney delivers a spine-tingling The Music of the Night andGethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar and Gates unexpectedly impresses in both All I Ask of Youand Heaven on Their Minds. The whole evening is held together with good-humoured banter and complemented with an attractive set and lighting. This is a well thought out, at times unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 And this one from Cornwall: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 And this is a rather nice personal review from Buxton (together with some lovely photos) http://whatsgoodtodo.co.uk/mad-about-the-musicals-at-the-buxton-opera-house-review/ Mad About the Musicals Buxton Opera House21 October 2015 www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk Reviewed by Lucy Lowndes Me and my daughter (aged 10) are both massive musical fans and we were very excited to be going to see Mad About the Musicals at the Buxton Opera House. The show was due to start at 7.30pm but we arrived about 6.45pm, giving us plenty of time to find a parking space and collect our tickets. We were very lucky and were able to park only a few yards away from the Opera House entrance, it was also free to park as we had arrived after 6pm. We entered the Opera House and were greeted by a cheery man at the ticket office who promptly found us our tickets and showed us the way to the bar for a pre-show drink. The bar was located upstairs, we each had a drink, which were very reasonably priced, whilst sitting on a couple of the chairs which were lined up around the edge of the room. By the time we had finished our drinks, it was about 7.15pm so we made our way to the toilets before being shown to our seats. Our seats were located in the dress circles and we were sitting on row D in seats 9 and 10. Our view of the stage was perfect, and even with the people sitting in front of us my daughter could still see the stage. We could also see the magnificent Opera House ceiling, which is a wonderful sight, covered in paintings of cherubs and with gold embellishments. The stage was set out with 2 glitter balls on either side of the stage and 5 musician stands which consisted of 2 keyboard players, 2 guitar/bass players and a drummer. The show started promptly at 7.30pm and the stars of the show, Gareth Gates and Michael Courtney had everyone wowed with their amazing voices. Throughout the show they were accompanied by 3 amazing female vocalists, who were stars on their own. They all had wonderful voices. During the first half we were treated to some great songs from Copacabana, Miss Saigon, Dr Zhivago, plus many more and ending the first half finale with a fantastic ballad from Queen’s, We Will Rock You which included Bohemian Rhapsody and we are the champions – Absolutely Brilliant! The interval lasted about 20 minutes. We treated ourselves to an ice-cream which were being sold just outside the dress circle entrance. The ice creams were very reasonable at £2.50 per tub and very yummy. After the interval the second half was just as captivating as the first. We were entertained with hits from The Phantom of the Opera, Funny Girl, Starship Troopers, Annie Get Your Gun, The Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar. The evening came to a close with a grand finale of songs from Les Miserables, all of which gave me goose pimples, and had the audience giving a standing ovation! We left the theatre at approximately 10pm with a feeling of warmth inside from such a wonderfully entertaining evening. Although my daughter didn’t know all of the songs she still thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did I. I cannot recommend this show highly enough. It was a fantastic show with an amazing cast. I give the Buxton Opera House and Mad about the Musicals top marks. Rating: 5/5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thank you Chris for finding and posting these fantastic reviews of the show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thanks Eternal ,for finding more excellent reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thanks for posting up links to those fantastic reviews Chris. This is really a spectacular show. So glad Gareth is part of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria_1981 Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thank you so much for posting this Chris, amazing review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethsmelody Posted October 25, 2015 Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 Thank you for posting the reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValR Posted October 25, 2015 Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 Thanks for those brilliant reviews Chris - totally agree with them. I so wish I could see the show again but unfortunately the times it has been close enough since Stockport I've been away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindajan Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I've just edited the song list after seeing the show again in Crewe on Friday, but as it is on the first page of this message I've quoted the up-dated version below. Gareth sounded wonderful, although he still thinks his voice is not quite there yet - ever the perfectionist. I've been to this wonderful show twice - the first night at Redditch and then Yeovil. I've tried very hard to remember which songs Gareth sang or was involved with. Please add any that I've forgotten. Now that I've been to Crewe as well, I'm editing the song list. (As you may realise, changes are in blue.) One Night Only (Dreamgirls) - first song of show, started by Gareth then joined by Michael and the girls You're Nothing Without Me (City Of Angels) - Gareth and Michael Why, God, Why? (Miss Saigon) (as full of emotion as ever) Half A Sixpence - Gareth and Nichola (showed his personality and cheekiness, great facial expressions) Granada - Gareth and Michael (hilarious) We Will Rock You - Michael with Gareth, Nichola and Kerry (and Rosanne at Crewe - Michael did more banter to give her time to change her dress) Hammer To Fall (We Will Rock You) - Gareth with Michael, Kerry, Nichola and Rosanne Only The Good Die Young (We Will Rock You) - Rosanne and Nichola with Gareth, Michael and Kerry Bohemian Rhapsody (We Will Rock You) - Kerry with Gareth, Michael, Rosanne and Nichola We Are The Champions (We Will Rock You) - Gareth with Michael and girls Interval Think Of Me (Phantom Of The Opera) - Gareth and Nichola All I Ask Of You (Phantom Of The Opera) - Gareth and Rosanne Starlight Sequence (Starlight Express) - Gareth and Michael Heaven On Their Minds (Jesus Christ Superstar) (introduced by Michael as one of the best versions he'd heard - no pressure then) At The End Of The Day (Les Mis) - full cast led by Michael A Heart Full Of Love (Les Mis) - Gareth and Nichola (not performed at Crewe) Empty Chairs At Empty Tables (Les Mis) Finale (Les Mis) - full cast (starts with Valjean's death scene then reprise of Do You Hear The People Sing?, Gareth only in second part) One Day More (Les Mis) - full cast (the encore) I thought there was another song from We Will rock You that Gareth took the lead on but for the life of me I can't remember what it was - so if anyone can help ................ I've now added this and the one he was involved in. As you can see, Gareth does a lot of singing in this show, so it's not surprising that after four shows he has commented that his voice is tired and needs a rest. At least he has a couple of days off, but then there are many more to come. I'll try to write a review soon but thought you might like a song list. (This is not the complete list, just the songs Gareth was involved in.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Thanks Linda, very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Thanks for posting Gareth's song list Linda , Gareth certainly does sing a lot of songs in this show , it does seem a lot after his vocal chord opp , but they must think it's OK for Gareth to do this . It sounds a great show and getting fab reviews . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria_1981 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Thank you for your updates song list Linda you did a brilliant job the first time round remembering all the songs you did. Here's another review put on Twitter Charlotte O'G @OddJazzShoes 9 mins9 minutes ago My review of #MadAboutTheMusicals w/ @mcpfirst @Gareth_Gates @marlowetheatre http://talkstageytome.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-mad-about-musicals-uk-tour.html … #theatrebloggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindajan Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I promised to write a review after I'd seen the first two Mad About The Musicals shows then forgot about doing it for a few days, so decided to wait until I'd been to Crewe as well. I've already posted an updated set list of the songs that Gareth took the lead on or was involved in. You will have seen from this that the show is very different from similar shows that Gareth has done before – there was far more collaboration between the artists (duets and group numbers) and proper links between sections of the show. Where there was more than one song from a musical they were grouped together. Between these there was excellent banter from Michael Courtney often involving Gareth and/or the audience. Much of this was ad-libbed – it has never been completely the same at any of the shows I've seen – with Michael reacting to something happening on stage or a comment from the audience. He has gone into a lengthy impersonation of Frank Spencer in the middle of a song at one venue and mimicked his fellow performer at another, on both occasions causing her to double up with laughter – I don't think she knows what to expect from one show to the next. At Redditch, the first venue, whilst duetting with Gareth, Michael repeated Gareth's first line, commented on it, then sang his own line – a genuine mistake, I think, as I haven't seen it happen since. Of course, he also has a fantastic singing voice which he used to good effect throughout the performance. The three ladies – Nichola Lagan, Kerry O'Dowd and Rosanne Priest – all have stunning voices, which are very different from each other but have been matched well with the songs they sing and are all given the opportunity to shine. Throughout the show the singers are brilliantly supported by a live band, which shares the stage. The five members – the MD and keyboard player, lead guitar, bass guitar, second keyboard player and drummer – are very talented and are also given the opportunity to showcase their skills within the songs and at the start of both Acts. Then there is Gareth, looking extremely smart in a grey suit (a different one at Crewe to the one he wore at the start of the tour – even better, in my opinion). He didn't have the costume changes that the ladies had to cope with, just swapping his grey shirt and black bow tie during the interval for a white shirt and straight black tie. His hair looks lovely with the sides and back being longer than we have seen for some time (perhaps in preparation for Footloose). But I've got ahead of myself because you do in fact hear him before you see him. Gareth starts the show and from start to finish he sounds incredible. His voice is back to somewhere close to its former strength with the delicious mellow tone we all love. Although Gareth isn't completely happy with it yet, forever the perfectionist, it certainly doesn't disappoint – a relief for everyone after his vocal cord problems. As ever he oozes charisma, charm and stage presence. It must be so difficult in a concert setting to bring the right qualities to each song but Gareth manages it every time, whether it's emotion, passion or humour he gets it right without fail. There are some wonderful interactions with Michael but I won't go into details for those of you still to see the show – much better as a surprise! Did I notice any difference after three weeks? The rapport between the singers was obvious from the start but has developed as they have got to know each other and the show better. I've already mentioned Michael's banter, which seems to change every show, and now is really natural especially with Gareth who has relaxed into the part he plays. Karen (Courtney), the lady who seems to do everything except get up on stage, said at the first show and repeated at the others that Michael and Gareth get on really well together – this is totally clear to see when they are on stage. They also have enormous respect for each other with neither trying to dominate. The stage-set at the early shows (and on the video trailer released today) had banners at the back with the musical or song on it – these were missing at Crewe (permanently or just a problem for this one show?). At the beginning of the tour Rosanne was not in 'We Will Rock You' but, by Crewe, Michael had padded out his banter before this section giving her time to change her dress and join them on stage. This has always been a well-constructed show that was fully rehearsed before it went on the road but has become thoroughly honed after playing to many enthusiastic audiences and usually sold-out houses. I've seen Gareth after two of the shows at the stage door where he was his usual patient self, willing to sign autographs, have a chat (although his stammer is bad) and pose for photos. At Yeovil we had the pleasure of seeing Missy in the interval helping Karen to sell the brochures and CD. She was taking great care to do the job correctly and is a gorgeous young girl – a real credit to her parents. She'll break a few hearts in the future though, just like her daddy! This is a sensational show and I love seeing Gareth performing songs from the musicals again after quite a gap. The show ends with numbers from 'Les Miserables' and I'm still blown away by the sound created by five singers and a five-piece band. It is so rich and full you could easily believe that there is a full company on stage. If you are still to go, you have a treat awaiting and, if you've been unable to get to a show, I hope this has given you a taste of what it was like – and, remember, it's touring again next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Thank you Linda for a fabulous in detail report of the show after seeing it 3 times its good to find out the comparisons. I am going for the first time next week but after reading all the reviews and watching the video, I know this is a show I will want to see again and hope next year if there is a venue near enough it may be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Linda, I loved reading your report. I am not able to see the show for various reasons, so its lovely reading about it. The video trailer is lovely and gives me a little idea what they all sound like. Can I ask are they selling the CD's after the show or also before? Thank you Maria for finding the reviews. Love reading them all too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindajan Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 You'll love the show when you see it, Elaine. They're doing nearly 50 venues next year so it's very likely there will be somewhere near enough to you. It's a shame that you can't see the show, Khelda, and I'm glad that you enjoyed reading about it. The video trailer does give a flavour of the show - all the singers have excellent voices and they all love being part of it. Karen Courtney sells the CD before the show, during the interval and afterwards too (£10). It has 13 tracks one of which isn't in the show and Gareth doesn't feature on 'Half A Sixpence' as it was a late decision for him to sing it in the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Thanks for posting your very detailed interesting review Linda , I am unable to go for various reasons , but would try and get there if the show came close to me . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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