Smash

“Sing to me and I will forgive you, for taking my heart in the suitcase you packed”

Well, Smash definitely locked my heart up and sent it away! In the last month or so I have been OBSESSED with Smash, after a friend from dancing recommended it to me!

Smash is a TV series with 2 seasons filled with love, heartache, dreams and everything Broadway! A lot of people compare it to Glee, however it has a much deeper storyline with more developed characters.

Season one is about the making of a show based on the life of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, called Bombshell. You see the struggles that go into the making of a Broadway show. The two leading ladies, Katharine McPhee (Karen) and Megan Hilty (Ivy), of Smash are equally beautiful and talented. There is a battle between Karen and Ivy for the role of Marilyn. The best and most famous song from Smash has to be ‘Let Me Be Your Star’. Other stars include Christian Borle, Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Jack Davenport and many others.)

Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee

 Season two introduces Jimmy (Jeremy Jordan- Bonnie & Clyde, Newsies), a normal city boy who dreams of getting onto Broadway. Jimmy and his writing partner Kyle (Andy Mientus) are in the process of writing their own musical, Hit List. As Bombshell makes its debut on Broadway, Karen is faced with a difficult decision; to go with her head or her heart? Season two includes darker material with a fresher sound.

Jeremy Jordan

The music in Smash is truly amazing and it is all I have been listening to in the last few weeks. Season two is definitely my favourite and Jeremy Jordan could well be one of the reasons for this! There are beautiful songs like ‘Heart Shaped Wreckage’ and ‘Broadway Here I Come’. Then there are the heart-breaking songs like ‘The Love I Meant to Say’ and ‘The Goodbye Song’.

Jeremy Jordan and Katharine McPhee

I highly recommend Smash to any Broadway/theatre/glee lovers as I can guarantee that you will love it!

I am still in shock that it got cancelled after the 2^nd season because I cannot see why, all the reviews are glowing. I am missing it so much that I am re-watching it and trying to get my sister as hooked as I am!

Let me know your opinions on Smash!

- Lois xo

Wicked Review

Okay first of all I need to apologise for the lack of posts over the last month or two. I haven't seen another show yet, but this is a review of when I saw Wicked in July.

'So much happened before Dorothy dropped in!'

I saw Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on the 17th July as a part of a school trip and I absolutely loved it!

Wicked is a musical based on the book written by Gregory Maguire and it is a prequel to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Wicked is given to us through the perspective of Elphaba Thropp and how she is gifted with an abnormal talent. Through the struggle of University life she meets, G(a)linda, who soon become best friends in spite of their physical differences. There is also a love triangle with the Prince of Munchkinland, Fiyero, with a surprising twist at the end.

When I went to see Wicked, the amazing Louise Dearman was playing Elphaba and she was truly phenomenal. Her voice was truly enchanting and brought me to tears. I had goosebumps throughout every single song she sung, especially the legendary 'Defying Gravity'. G(a)linda was played by the stunning Gina Beck and she played the character fabulously. She was a ditzy blonde with a deeper, heart-touching feature. The Fiyero was also fab but I was kind of hoping that Aaron Tveit would pop out and be the Fiyero as he is my favourite.

(from left to right) Louise Dearman as Elphaba and Gina Beck as Galinda

The unique staging fits very well with the story line, and the flying dragon did fascinate me. When the story went to the magical land of Oz, the whole theatre lit up with bright green, it was dazzling.

Also, as a dancer, I have to say I was captivated by the dancing monkeys. They were extremely flexible and moved around as if they had no bones in their body.

On a slightly lower note, I do have to say that on the boiling day of July that I was there, I was literally dripping due to the lack of air conditioning. Also, before I went I noticed on other reviews that there is not much leg room in the seats and unfortunately I do have to agree! As I am rather tall, I did feel like my legs where very cramped.

However, the heat or the lack of room did not spoil the experience for me. The combination of the songs, the actors/actresses and the whole atmosphere, meant that I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend it to any musical theatre lover.

Thanks for reading, comment your views, whether you liked this post or what other theatre things you would like me to review.

Hopefully I will post again shortly.

-Lois x

A Chorus Line

(this is a joint review from Hannah and I- check her blog out here)

'All I ever needed was the music, and the mirror, and the chance to dance'

outside the stunning London Palladium

A Chorus Line is a musical set at an audition for a dancing chorus for a Broadway musical, where at this time all singing and dancing choruses were being scrapped and replaced with triple threat choruses. Throughout the musical the director, Zach, looks into the lives of the auditionees asking them to step into the spotlight, introduce themselves, reveal their pasts, their secrets, their hopes, their dreams and their motivation to dance. All based on true stories.

Through the musical genius of Marvin Hamlisch and the amazing lyrics by Edward Klebean we have the phenomenal score of 'A Chorus Line'. The score is brilliantly composed with incredibly funny lyrics that convey the character's feelings and stories so well. In places it moved me to tears. The music is so diverse; with the humorous numbers of 'Dance: 10 Looks:3'/'Tits and Ass', to the more moving numbers like 'What I Did For Love'.

Now, the dancing! A Chorus Line must have one of the best choreography on the West End. From the very beginning of the show the dancing was on top form! With complex choreography which was done to perfection! These actors and actresses must be incredibly fit because 2 hours of full on dancing surely isn't easy!

This choreography is almost the exact same as in the 70's. The choreographer from this showing of 'A Chorus Line' was in it in the 70's and the original choreographer assisted. They really stayed true to the choreography! (that was a little fun fact from Hannah)

Cassie Ferguson, a once successful dancer who was once a love interest of Zach, now having to go back to the chorus line. Cassie is an extremely talented dancer who has a dance solo in her song 'The Music and the Mirror'. This dance is absolutely indescribably amazing. I sat through the whole number with my jaw hanging low. According to my mum this was an extremely funny sight but I couldn't get over the talent of Scarlett Strallen (Cassie). Strallen is a stunning triple threat performer who made the audience live the audition with her. Her dance abilitu is beyond words and she is basically great. We wanted to be her so so so badly.

the beautiful and talented Scarlett Strallen

Throughout the whole performance I wanted to get up from my seat and join the dancers on stage. Before anything had even begun and when the theatre went into darkness, I made a comment which I don't think I will ever forget; I said 'what I would give to be on that stage'. And 'A Chorus Line' has inspired both Hannah and I to try our very best to get up onto that West End/Broadway stage and live our dreams!

I am actually in shock that 'A Chorus Line' is closing. I wish I would have seen it earlier so that I could have seen it again, I am so jealous of Hannah who is seeing it on its last performance. All I can say is that it will be an emotional one. Hopefully, 'A Chorus Line' will make it back onto the West End stage one day so I can be in the wonderful presence which it brings.

Thank you for reading and remember to go check out Hannah's blog here!

Please leave any comments below

-Lois&Hannah x

Matilda

For my birthday I received tickets to go see Matilda the musical with my best friend, Isabel. It was an amazing performance which is suitable for anyone at any age.

outside the cambridge theatre

Matilda the musical is based on the very popular children's book, Matilda, by Roald Dahl. It is about an extraordinary young girl who has a rough childhood. She is neglected by her parents and is also mistreated. But she finds a comfort in reading very complex books for her age, she spends more time in the library reading books and telling stories than she does at home. Matilda then reaches the age where she starts school. Here, she meets her teacher, Miss Honey, who is fascinated with Matilda's knowledge in maths and literature. However, not everyone is as nice as Miss Honey. There are people like Miss Trunchball who's aim is to make everyone's lives miserable. Miss Honey and Matilda build a strong friendship and help each other with their tough memories. Along the way, Matilda discovers that she can do things that other children cannot. Unlike other musicals, Matilda teaches one lesson that I believe should be taught more; not everyone has a happy ending. In my opinion I think that as children we are showed that happy endings are inevitable, which is not always the case.

I have to start with the children! These young performers where truly astounding. They had so much energy which made me want to get up and dance with them! They were set from the word go. It was if they were hyped up on sugar because 2 hours and 40 minutes later, they were still full of beans! The Matilda we saw was Lara Wollington and she was amazing, I was in awe of her talent! I was jealous of all of the children's confidence and of them! I wanted to be up on that stage jumping on desks with them! But unfortunately, I am a bit too big for that!

The choreography mesmerized me, it was very unique and something I had never seen before. I loved watching the adults acting as older children, this makes a very fun atmosphere. The choreography was very energetic which is why I don't understand how the children manage it for that amount of time, I don't think I would have survived 5 minutes!

As well as the choreography, the music was phenomonal. The lyrics were so cleverly written which told the story so well. Tim Minchin has done an amazing job in transforming the book and film we all know and love so much into one big song!

The performance was absolutely incredible and I enjoyed it so much. Even though I already had the soundtrack, it still felt new and exciting!

When walking into the theatre, the stage and the sets can draw you in or put you off the whole show just by one look. In this case, after stepping into the theatre I knew I was going to enjoy it. The whole stage is covered in letters and it really sets the mood for the show, very cleverly done!

the stage

I couldn't leave out writing about my favourite parts. One of my favourite parts is the school song. This is done so well and looks so effective! The use of the school gates, the alphabet blocks and lighting makes this scene so fun to watch. Also the lyrics are so so clever, the use of the alphabet hidden in the lyrics is just pure genius! Also my other favourite scene is Revolting Children. This song is so powerful and finished the whole performance brilliantly. The choreography for this is so dynamic and works so well! It left me with goosebumps!

I highly recommend Matilda to absolutely everyone! There was a little girl sitting next to me and she must have been 3 or 4 and she was enjoying it so much, the look on her face was priceless. 

Thank you for reading, please comment what you want me to write about or what you thought about this review.

-Lois x

My Love For Newsies

“They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines…’

Newsies is one of the hottest musicals on Broadway at the moment. Newsies the musical made its Broadway debut in 2012 at the Nederlander theatre, and is soon to find a home on the West End (which I can't wait for!)

Newsies the musical is based on the 1992 film, Newsies, which is about the real-life Newsboys strike in 1899.

The soundtrack for Newsies has to be one of my favourite at the moment! The inspiring story matches so well with the powerful music and lyrics. Songs like ‘The World Will Know’ have left me walking home from school as if I were part of the strike! Only having to snap back out of it and coming back to reality.

Then there are the beautiful love songs of Jack Kelly and Katherine Plumber. ‘Something to Believe In’ is my favourite song on the whole soundtrack. Kara Lindsay, (Katherine) who has the voice of an angel, never fails to give me goose bumps! And then there is Jeremy Jordan (Jack-who is now played by Corey Cott) who has such a beautiful voice!

And that is just talking about the music!!! The dancing in this musical has to be one of the best on Broadway! These talented young men inspire me so much, as a dancer myself! With people like Ryan Steele (Specs), of course you are going to have fantastic dance numbers! There is also the main tap number at the beginning of act 2, King of New York, which I find fascinating. Tap has to be one of favourite genres of dance, so when I see it done on such a huge scale with so many talented dancers, it leaves me speechless! And this is just from the different youtube videos I have seen, I cant imagine what it must be like to see it live.

The dancing genius of Ryan Steele

This isn’t a review as much, it is more of a way I can express my love for this musical, and to share my excitement of it soon to be moving to the West End (in 2014).

I would love to hear about your opinions of Newsies, if you’ve seen it, or if like me, you are excited to see it when it comes to the West End. I know I will be seeing it as soon as it comes over here! Please comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-Lois x

Les Miserables Review

As this is my first review it just feels like it should be a review of my favourite thing ever, Les Mis! I saw les mis on Wednesday 24th July. My mum and I went as a joint birthday present, and it was the best birthday present I have ever received!

Les Miserables is a musical based on the novel written by the genius we know as Victor Hugo. It shows the story of a man, Jean Valjean, who struggled as a convict during the French Revolution. Just as he thinks that his life will be a misery forever he sees a light of hope which helps turn his life around, although he is still being chased by Inspector Javert. The story of les mis then develops through the time of the June Rebellion where a group of young revolutionaries attempt to overthrow the throne. Les Miserables is a story about love, passion, dreams, hope and so much more.

Thanks to Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boublil and Claud-Michel Schӧnberg we have Les Miserables, the musical phenomenon, which is the longest running musical and I had the privilege in seeing it!

When I arrived at the Queens Theatre in London I was totally overwhelmed with emotion as I knew that it would be a performance I would never forget. I remember every little detail so vividly!

The performance I watched had an understudy for the main role, Jean Valjean, and I could not tell this one bit! Daniel Koek performed as if he was the man who had gone through this extraordinary story, he was so convincing with a strong vocal  performance. The whole cast were extremely talented, however there was one person who stood out for me. Carrie Hope Fletcher. Carrie played Eponine Thenardier and she played the role very convincingly! Her voice was truly outstanding and I could see the pain of her character in everything she did! She moved me to tears many times, especially her death! She left me blubbering like a baby! Hats off to Carrie! As well as that, Enjolras (Anton Zetterholm) was extremely talented and also very well cast!

There were many things that did intrigue me which were to do with the sets. For example, Javert's suicide was very cleverly done! Before watching this part I was wondering how it would be done in a theatre, where you don' have as much freedom as a film. But the use of prop, lighting and the actor's reaction made it look very real! Also how the streets of France quickly turned into a barricade fascinated me, it must have taken a lot of time and a lot of brains to think of a seamless transition like that!

The ensemble (and even the main cast) often have to multi role but this is nearly impossible to see because of the different costumes that they wear, the difference between being a factory girl and a lovely lady was huge so they looked like different people in general. One scene that I loved, in particular, was Lovely Ladies. This scene was set with the 'Lovely Ladies' in the middle of the rotating stage. The lighting on them lit up their colourful costumes and made it a very bright scene, which is very different in comparison to the other scenes which are normally rather dark.

I went to theatre expecting to shed a few tears, similarly to the film, however the emotions and overwhelming atmosphere got the better of me and left me close to a meltdown. I would say I was in tears throughout the majority of the second half. I never understand when someone complains about les mis because it was 'too sad' or 'so depressing' because when you translate Les Miserables to English, it is 'the miserable'. Therefore, your opinion is invalid!

When it comes to standing ovations, I normally find them cheesy and cringey but it felt wrong to not stand up to show my appreciation, like the rest of the audience 

The Queens Theatre is truly beautiful with a stunning chandelier and gorgeous art. However, one negative of the theatre is that where I was sitting, in the dress circle, I had to lean forward to see the front of the stage. But this is hardly a problem because the performers are hardly ever right at the front of the stage.

There are two performances of les mis, the matinee at 2:30 and the evening performance at 7:30. The tickets price at £70 (roughly) and it is worth every penny! 

I would highly recommend you to go see les miserables if you haven't already, and if you have then why not go again? Because I think (no, I know) that I will be going to see it again! But again, remember to bring your tissues!

I would have to give Les Miserables a 5/5 

Here are some pictures of the theatre;

Thanks for reading :) please leave any comments, constructive criticism or anything else below!

-Lois x

hi :)

okay, this is my first blog post ever so I am going to introduce myself and tell you what this blog is all about.


-My name is Lois Cooper, I live in London and I am 14

-You could call me obsessed with musical theatre

-I have danced since I was 3 and I now dance an average of 9 hours a week

-There are only a few people that know about my love for musical theatre

-Les Miserables is probably my favourite thing EVER!

-Aaron Tveit is perfect

-My bestfriend is beautiful and you should check out her blog here


So now you know a bit about me you should know what I aim to write about on this blog. I created this blog so I could let everyone know my opinion on different shows on the west end, different soundtracks, different theatre people and much more! So if you love the theatre or want to know what shows to go and see then this is the place for you!

So there you have it! Now you know about me and my blog!

Speak soon!!

-Lois x