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New Momentous Musicals Tour 2013

Val4Gareth

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maria_1981 Newbie

maria_1981

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I'm thinking the same about the Boogie Nights mention wondering what they mean, though I did think they was meaning this years as they said Sleeping Beauty from November when that was last year, its Cinderella this year but it does sound like next Jan when they said another BN.

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Khelda Community Regular

Khelda

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@Gareth_Gates really enjoyed the show last night and was lovely to meet you too

@Gareth_Gates had a amazing time gareth Thankyou hope u liked the presents love you and Thankyou xx

@Gareth_Gates @NewWimbTheatre Was a fantastic Show Gareth thank you very much!

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Val4Gareth Newbie

Val4Gareth

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Nice review from West End Frame from last nights show.

http://www.westendframe.com/2013/07/review-MomentousMusicals.html

Momentous Musicals (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 17th July 2013
4+star.jpg

Four West End stars, four recent drama school graduates and a mixture of songs from musicals old and new. Momentous Musicals provides a glorious evening of entertainment for any lover of musical theatre.
Theatre concert shows often run risk of being hugely cringey, I recently saw The West End Men which didn't quite work as the cast performed each song in the context of the musical it was from. However, in Momentous Musicals the cast appear more relaxed and seem to enjoy the evening. Many songs cross over, meaning there is little time for 'awkward chatter' with the audience.
Gareth Gates is the headline performer. While he may be known for coming second in the first series of Pop Idol, over the past few years he has built up an impressive theatrical CV having starred in Legally Blonde, Loserville, Les Miserables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Gareth is clearly at home on stage and performs each song with a great deal of passion and feeling. I particularly enjoyed his rendition of 'Corner of the Sky' from Pippin which is currently enjoying a triumphant run on Broadway. Ghost was recently adapted into a musical, providing a great excuse for Gareth to perform his 2002 chart topping version of 'Unchained Melody'.
Ex-Elphaba standby Ashleigh Gray is the star of the show, dazzling the audience with her powerhouse vocals. She made both 'The Wizard & I' from Wicked and 'Don't Rain On My Parade' from Funny Girl her own. I could listen to Ashleigh's voice all day, somebody needs to cast her in another West End show immediately.
John Owen-Jones is theatrical royalty. This was my first time seeing him perform live and it was a privilege to do so. He appeared the most comfortable on stage, joking with the audience about the almost unbearable heat and lack of aircon in the New Wimbledon Theatre. His voice is so gentle and pure before he belts out those big notes which sent shivers down my spine. His rendition of 'Til I Hear You Sing' from Love Never Dies cannot be faulted and it was very exciting to hear him perform 'Suddenly', the song which was written for the film version of Les Miserables. Finally, John performed the song everybody wants to hear him sing... 'Bring Him Home', also from Les Miserables. You could hear a pin drop as he took to the stage to perform a seemingly effortless rendition of the iconic song.
Rachel Wooding, who is currently starring as Scaramouche in We Will Rock You, also provided superb vocals and huge stage presence. Her feisty duet with Ashleigh Gray, 'Take Me or Leave Me' from Rent, was one of the highlights of my evening.
It was great to see four recent drama school graduates, Bronté Barbé, Richard Lowe, Maggie Lynne and Cellen Chugg Jones perform as part of the ensemble. However, during the opening number 'One Night Only' the four looked a little unsure as to what they were meant to be doing and seemed to look at each other for guidance while performing the unimaginative choreography.
The four also had their own moments in the spotlight as they each performed a solo number. Bronté Barbé seemed a little nervous as she began to sing 'Over The Rainbow' from The Wizard of Oz but, eventually became lost in the music and gave a stunning rendition. Loserville's Richard Lowe gave a high energy performance of 'Santa Fe' from Newsies which left me very excited to see the musical in the West End next year. During Act Two Cellen Chugg Jones bravely took on the title song from Jesus Christ Superstar. He came across a little overconfident and I would like to have seen him hold back more. However, Cellen is clearly a very talented individual.
Maggie Lynne began the Andrew Lloyd Webber section of the show by performing a nice rendition of the title song from Whistle Down The Wind. She was then joined by John Owen-Jones to sing a beautiful version of 'All I Ask of You' from Phantom of the Opera. The Andrew Lloyd Webber section was seemingly cut short as there was no performance of 'With One Look' from Sunset Boulevard as promised.
Momentous Musicals ended with a duet between Rachel Wooding and Gareth Gates. They performed 'For Good' from Wicked. While they both gave strong vocal performances, having a male singing the song completely changes the meaning which I wasn't too fond of.
For what it is, Momentous Musicals is a great opportunity to see some very talented performers sharing a (sweaty) stage and singing some great show tunes. Momentous Musicals felt a little under rehearsed and frantic in places, but I expect this will improve as the tour continues, visiting Torquay, Bradford and Manchester.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
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eternal Veteran

eternal

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That's a great review Val and always good to see.

There is another one here; Think this Lucy Thackray has reviewed before. :unsure:http://www.thepublicreviews.com/momentous-musicals-new-wimbledon-theatre-london-2/

Momentous Musicals – New Wimbledon Theatre, London
Director: John Garfield-Roberts
Musical Director: George Dyer
Reviewer: Lucy Thackray

The Public Reviews Rating:****

Momentous Musicals is, as the title suggests, a concert of favourite show tunes. Set to tour around four UK locations, the show has Pop Idol‘s Gareth Gates smiling smugly down from the posters, but don’t let that put you off – a closer glance at the billing reveals Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables star John Owen-Jones, We Will Rock You and the Evita tour’s Rachael Wooding and Wicked‘s Ashleigh Gray. On press night, the cast were battling sweltering temperatures and a few first-show hiccups but did a great job of bringing energy and passion to the diverse set list.

Rachael Wooding kicked things off with One Night Only from Dreamgirls, which looked frankly exhausting, but did its job of waking up the lethargic (and mostly middle-aged) audience while also showing off the dynamic band, led by George Dyer on the piano. Wooding was backed up vocally by a quartet of young performers who would go on to feature in solo and duet numbers later. These weren’t perhaps the most show-stopping sample of Britain’s musical theatre graduates – very blonde and a little bland – but were reasonably slick and contributed a lot of smiles some nice harmonies. The format settled into a groove, surprisingly, with the appearance of Gareth Gates, who gave a very assured and Disney-esque performance of Corner of the Sky from Pippin – with some very impressive falsetto – and, less surprisingly, with John Owen-Jones’ first number. A compilation show like this needs some gravitas, and Owen-Jones brought that, along with a flawless tenor performance and the only cheeky banter the audience got the whole night. The rest of the cast might think about adopting his chatty approach for the rest of the tour. Gates’ numbers were met with squeals of joy, while Owen-Jones’ invited admiring whispers and wall-to-wall applause. Four child performers also provided a sweet moment, opening the second act with When I Grow Up from recent smash hit Matilda.

The girls certainly held their own, with Wooding and Gray’s duets an unquestionable highlight (they aimed high, too, with Let Me Be Your Star from the TV show Smash and a riff-tastic Take Me Or Leave Me from Rent.) So far, so classy. A Disney medley from the four younger singers was a nice touch, though Brontë Barbe (of Over the Rainbow fame)’s Just Around the Riverbend rather squared up the flow and shimmer of the river mentioned – making it more of an exercise pool, really. Fresh-from-drama-school Maggie Lynne really pulled her weight, with a lovely, rich Whistle Down the Wind and a surprise soprano moment in All I Ask of You with John Owen-Jones. Though an obvious choice, this was a classical oasis in what felt at times to be a vast desert of pop riffs and belting. Last year’s Momentous Musicals had the light and shade of Emma Williams, while this year’s female voices are perhaps a little too similar.

This (along with a few dropped lyrics) was one of the only flaws of the show, however – it is rare to hear such a great range of musical theatre styles and composers performed with such a solid band and such high production values. Momentous Musicals will be a real treat for musical theatre lovers far from the West End as it travels around Britain; it has all of the big ones (Les Mis, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Wicked) that fans will be waiting to hear, and two incredibly popular performers in Gates and Owen-Jones. It’s not edgy, but it is classy and heartwarming – and, with a little more relaxed patter from the performers, will be a really excellent show.

Tours to Torquay, Bradford and Manchester until 25 July. speckulationentertainment.com

Momentous Musicals - New Wimbledon Theatre, London, 5.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings

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Khelda Community Regular

Khelda

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it is rare to hear such a great range of musical theatre styles and composers performed with such a solid band and such high production values. Momentous Musicals will be a real treat for musical theatre lovers far from the West End as it travels around Britain; it has all of the big ones (Les Mis, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Wicked) that fans will be waiting to hear, and two incredibly popular performers in Gates and Owen-Jones. It’s not edgy, but it is classy and heartwarming – and, with a little more relaxed patter from the performers, will be a really excellent show.

:):):)

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Val4Gareth Newbie

Val4Gareth

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Another review from Pocket Size Boy who did the lovely review of the album last week.

http://pocketsizetheatreboy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/momentous-musicals-theatre-review.html

Momentous Musicals: Theatre Review
Momentous+Musicals_Poster.jpg
Having perviously played a One off night in Wimbledon last year, Momentous Musicals is back. Keeping some of the songs from last years show with lots of new additions. From classics like Andrew Lloyd Webber to new Broadway hits like Newsies, this show celebrates generations of shows that have audiences coming back. The production also showcases what British musical talent has to offer, from the extremely experienced and well respected John Owen-Jones to new graduates from Drama Schools such as Mountview and GSA. The set list for the show has been chosen very well, I loved the selections of songs because even though there was the expected like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and West Side Story there was also some surprises like a Disney Melody, SMASH, Ghost and The Wiz.
For what the show was it was very good, when you see something like this you could expect a bit of a budget performance with poor quality orchestrations and average performers, this was the total opposite. First of all the stage looked very classic, a simple black background with a starry effect was elegant and made room for Tom Boucher (lighting designer) to really fill the stage with some fantastic colours. The lighting had a lot of great moments, it was a delightful design and he adjusted the lighting to every song which really added to the over quality of the performance.
George Dyer returns as Musical Director, I was so impressed with his work on the Momentous Musicals Live CD (see my review here) and he did not disappoint this time around. He manages to put new life into these songs and really pulls everything together. The show opens with One Night Only (as does the CD) sung by Rachael Wooding (We Will Rock You, Evita, Hairspray) who really sets the bar for the rest of the show, Richard Lowe (Loserville, The Light Princess) Bronté Barbé (Over the Rainbow Finalist) Maggie Lynne (Recent Mountview graduate) and Cellen Chugg Jones (Recent GSA graduate) provided backing vocals for the number. I felt they seemed pretty nervous and Rachael's energy in the song was way above theirs, a little disappointing but they soon picked it up and from then on matched the star quality of the headlining cast entirely.
Gareth Gates (Les Mis, Joseph, Legally Blonde) then sings Corner of the Sky from Pippin, this was my favorite song that he sung through out the show. It seemed to fit his vocals perfectly and was a little different from what you’d expect, I love the song and he really did it justice and through out proved why he deserved to be on that stage. Ashleigh Gray (Wicked, I Dreamed a Dream, Betwixt!) stood out to be one of the star performances for me, her vocals were top notch and exceeded all my expectations. Her Wizard and I was pitch perfect and her rendition of Don’t Rain On My Parade blew the roof off the theatre, paired with Rachael Wooding in Let Me Be Your Star(SMASH) and Take me or Leave Me (Rent) really were my top highlights of the night, love a good belt off!
John Owen-Jones (Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera) is musical theatre through and though, I also loved that he talked to the audience which wasn’t done by any one else. The performers seemed to just come on stage, do their song and rush off stage. An occasional introduction would have been nice, whilst the songs were done brilliantly the show as a whole seemed quite rushed. Till I Hear You Sing was one of the numbers performed by John and it was incredible, its an incredibly written song and I can not fault it.
Richard Lowe sang Santa Fe from Newsies in the first act and what performance it was! Although I believe it didn’t totally suit his voice, he put everything he had into the song and showed that he deserved another number! Rachael Wooding proves why she should be a bigger musical theatre name in the show, her talent is remarkable. I did think it was a little strange when With One Lookwas cut, I was looking forward to hearing her sing this and it was somehow missed even though it was listed in the programme.
Bronté Barbé also provided a beautiful rendition of Over The Rainbow, being the first of the four supporting singers to perform she was obviously nervous and it did feel a little rushed but none the less it was a charming performance. I’d also like to mention how great she was in When I Grow Up (Matilda) providing the vocals for the Miss Honey solo. Cellen Chugg Jones was a surprise for me, when he came out and performed superstar from Jesus Christ Superstar; his confidence was amazing and his vocals were brilliant, a performance you’d expect from someone who has far more experience than him.
Maggie Lynne showed a lot of versatility in the show which was nice to see because all the other performers in the show stuck to one thing (not a bad thing though!), she really had her starring moment when she sang All I Ask Of You with John Owen Jones. I must say also that she is one of the most stunning girls I have ever seen! I can not wait to see these four performers careers blossom, no doubt we’ll be seeing more of them.
This is a good quality show with an incredible showcase of the Musical theatre talent we have to offer, its a wonderful selection of songs and I can grantee you’ll have a wonderful night! I urge you to catch this show, won’t be one to miss!
Rating: ****
Cast Includes: Gareth Gates, John Owen-Jones, Rachael Wooding, Ashleigh Gray, Bronté Barbe, Richard Lowe, Maggie Lynne, Cellen Chugg Jones, Louise Duncan Sean McCrystal, Caspar Meurisse and Ashleigh Read. The band includes Sam Edwards, Alex Karban, Lewis Turner, Fraiser Patterson, Chez Taylor, Sebastian Philpott and is lead by Musical Director George Dyer.
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KGates Newbie

KGates

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I'm (hopefully) going to see Momentous Musicals tomorrow in Bradford and I am really looking forward to seeing the show.

However as I am going on my own, I was just wondering if I could please ask those who may have gone to previous dates, roughly what time did the show finish? - just as I'm booking a taxi to pick me up afterwards.

Thank you. :)

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Val4Gareth Newbie

Val4Gareth

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I'm (hopefully) going to see Momentous Musicals tomorrow in Bradford and I am really looking forward to seeing the show.

However as I am going on my own, I was just wondering if I could please ask those who may have gone to previous dates, roughly what time did the show finish? - just as I'm booking a taxi to pick me up afterwards.

Thank you. :)

Of course I don't mind Inge. Yes Katie it finished at about 10.10. If you are waiting to see Gareth, he came out at about 20 past 10.

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eternal Veteran

eternal

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That's a great offer Dorral. I notice a lot of the shows are coming up on either Travel Zoo or Groupon at the moment.

Think anyone needs to bear in mind they are probably not that great a seat but even so better to go and hear Gareth sing than stay at home and wish they had.

Enjoy your evening Katie. You are in for a treat.

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eternal Veteran

eternal

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Another fine review (with a lovely photo)

http://musicaltheatrereview.com/momentous-musicals-new-wimbledon-theatre/#.Uezyx47UNMI:

Momentous Musicals was performed at the New Wimbledon Theatre, London and continues to tour until 25 July.

This being a sweltering night at the New Wimbledon Theatre, minimalist attire was definitely the order of the evening. If it was very hot in the auditorium, goodness knows what the temperature was on stage. At one point, top of the bill, Gareth Gates, visibly perspiring in a sharp suit, but still managing to maintain a coolness befitting his star image, was forced to employ a mini hand-held fan.

That was after this production, the opening night in a four-date tour, got off to a belter of a start. West End regular, Rachael Wooding, gave her vocal all during the opening ‘One Night Only’, from the musical Dreamgirls, before Gates made his clearly eagerly awaited entrance, covering ‘Corner of the Sky’ (Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin).

Despite being entitled Momentous Musicals, the show only included a few of the older established classics. But, given the very diverse age group of this night’s presumably representative audience, it needed to include the likes of ‘Over the Rainbow’, sang touchingly and with confident ease by Bronte Barbe, one of the ten finalists in BBC1’s search for a Dorothy back in 2010.

As the evening continued, it was actually refreshing to realise it didn’t involve sitting through a collection of all the old, familiar musical standards – yet again – and the director John Garfield-Roberts and producers Speckulation Entertainment deserved applause for taking that creative decision. On a night that was to boast a wealth of vocal riches, one performer stood out – John Owen-Jones, a superb musical talent. With his charming, disarming honesty and confident on-stage banter, the audience was soon putty in his hands, especially after his superb covers of ‘’Til I Hear You Sing’ from Love Never Dies, and ‘What Kind of Fool Am I?’ from Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, the 1961 Anthony Newley musical.

Top of the billing though was Gates, and in Act I he joined Wooding for ‘Serious’, from Legally Blonde, and then revelled in the chance to perform solo with ‘Proud of Your Boy’ (Aladdin) after what was a rattling good ensemble Disney medley. The audience loved him from the very start, so by the time he sang ‘Unchained Melody’, from the hit, tearjerker movie and stage musical Ghost, he could do no wrong.

Neither did his supporting cast with Ashleigh Gray in superb, feisty form for a cover of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’, from Funny Girl, certainly giving Streisand a run for her money.

A quick look through the cast members’ biographies revealed that a number of them honed, or are still honing their talents at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and the Guildford School of Acting, while musical director George Dyer hailed from Durham University and Mountview, and lighting designer Tom Boucher studied at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

Clearly, the future of British musical theatre is in safe, talented hands. For the forthcoming performances of Momentous Musicals, it will be the name Gareth Gates that really puts derrieres on seats – the shivers down the spine will be courtesy of Owen-Jones’ voice.

Derek Smith

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Guest NicolaJayne

Guest NicolaJayne

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Thank you for the lovely reviews from Chris and Val.

the tickets for Manchester were really a bargain Dorral.

Hope you enjoyed the show Katie does anyone know if Heather made it to Bradford.? Keep thinking about her.

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