The celebration of musical theatre took place in January and was recently broadcast on the BBC.
As always, the National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is joyous to watch as the musical theatre come together to celebrate the joy and power that it possesses, with this concert event leaving with plenty of smiles on the faces those in attendance and I’m sure those catching up on the screen at home.
From Ava Brennan’s stunning rendition of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ from Oliver! to the liveliness of Marc Antolin and Andy Nyman’s ‘We Can Do it/I Wanna Be A Producer’ there is certainly something for everyone available.
Elsewhere, the show was filled with plenty of special moments including a Disney Meledy that paid tribute to the work of Alan Menken, with classics from Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast (Lucie Jones, Mae Ann Jorolan, Trevor Dion Nicholas). Each song blended perfectly into the next thanks to wonderful orchestrations of each song.
Audiences were also given their first look at La Voix as Miss Hannigan for the upcoming new UK tour of Annie the Musical with a rendition of ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ that also showcased the talent of the Wild Things Performing Arts. Meanwhile, Alex Kingston and Zizi Strallen offered a very soulful and heartfelt version of ‘For Good’ from Wicked.
The cast of The Lion King performing ‘Circle of Life’ was as always a mesmerising way to open the show, equally matched with a dazzling finale offering a glimpse of Alexandra Burke as Chakka Khan performing a medley of hits from I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical.
In another debut, audiences were also treated with a glimpse of Sam Ryder, performing ‘Gethsemane’, ahead of Jesus Christ Superstar’s return to the West End stage this summer. In his performance, Ryder offered assuredness and powerful vocals that showcase just how right he is for this musical.
In the 90 minute concert, it really feels as though it brings the theatre industry and its fans together for one glorious evening that is completely irresistible from start to finish. This was a really well curated and put together concert, well worth watching (just too many incredible performances to include here). It highlights not only the joy in musical theatre but just as importantly the hard work and dedication that goes into these shows.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️