Reviewed by Debbie Lowndes
My husband and I were given the opportunity to visit the Pomegranate Theatre in Chesterfield. We were requested to review the critically acclaimed Mad About the Musicals, which was visiting Derbyshire as part of their tour.
The tour was a whistle stop performance of London theatre and the glitz and glamour of Broadway.
The performance lead and hosted by Michael Courtney along with his strong cast of signers.
The cast features Lorna Amy Sullivan (Dreamboats and Petticoats, This Is The Greatest Show), Elizabeth Atkinson (Phantom of The Opera, Pirates of Penzance) and Megan Gilmartin (Beat It Live, Across The Wall). Cast members acting and vocal abilities were outstanding. They made the hairs on the back of our neck stand up in a good way.
Michael is known and loved for his excellent musical theatre vocals. Plus he has toured throughout Great Britain in so many musicals over the past 25 years.
We celebrated some of the best and most popular theatre and Broadway musicals. There were songs which we all knew and loved along with complete curve balls along the way!
The show featured numbers from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Boublil and Schonberg and Rodgers and Hammerstein to mention a few. The spirit of the stage shone throughout the whole stage performance.
The performance lasts last two hours and includes the main musicals you would expect such as La Mis and The Greatest Showman to name a few. The best part for me was the puppet performance, it was captivating and obviously very well-rehearsed.
There were numerous costumes changes for the ladies, and they wore some very elegant outfits. All of the cast gave the performance their all. It was a non-stop energetic performance which was definitely high quality in the vocal area. The band was amazing, and the sound quality was excellent. The audience was packed with a whole range of ages – both young and old, they had you singing along. When the songs were being introduced they would take the opportunity to gain audience participation by asking questions and factual information. Some props were used and they slotted into the performance with ease. Some songs were sang as solos and some were as groups. The cast integrated with one another with ease and this added to shear quality of the performance.
During the performance, prior to the interval, they allowed a local theatre group to be part of their performance by taking to the stage to sing a couple of songs. It was obviously from the students faces that they were proud and truly grateful for this opportunity.
At the end of the performance they focussed upon La Mis and covered all songs (Barr three is believe) in around 9 minutes – true quality!
I recommend you go and see the quality performance as it will not disappoint. I hope this review encourages you to book to see the tour. I do not want to say too much more as I do not want to approach on your enjoyment for the performance.
The Chesterfield venue is an excellent place to host a performance of this nature. The stage was nicely set out and it appeared as if you were able to view the stage from all areas of the room. Drinks and snacks are the prices you would expect at the theatre. I’ve creams were also in sale at the interval. There is adequate parking dotted around Chesterfield and it is also reason priced.
Rating: 5/5
For other shows at the Pomegranate Theatre in Chesterfield visit www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 01246 345 222.
Pomegranate Theatre, Corporation Street, Chesterfield, S41 7TX | 01246 345 222
