Thriller Live at the New Alexandra Theare Birmingham Review
Thriller Live
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
7-12 March 2016
Reviewed by Stacey Lamb
I attended the opening night of Thriller Live at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.
The New Alexandra Theatre looks inviting from outside, and it didn’t disappoint inside. It had a lovely atmosphere, was clean and well presented, and the staff were friendly and welcoming.
Another bonus was the pay and display car parking, which was right next to the venue, reasonable in price and involved minimal queuing.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the show. Thriller Live is a trip through Michael Jackson’s musical career, beginning with his Motown roots and continuing through the decades and his different musical genres. It showcases a collection of his best loved songs, sang and performed on stage by a collection of different ‘Michael’s’ (including a white male and a female vocalist). The show has minimal narrative between songs, to set the tone of his story.
It was bright and energetic, and the music from the live band was loud and powerful. The lighting and special effects added to the overall finish.
The cast featured some fantastic singers and dancers with high energy performances. The choreography of the production was impressive and there were plenty of flips and kicks within the dance routines, along with some colourful and iconic costumes. There was also several moon walking sequences (of particular note was Sean Christopher as MJ).
Lead vocalists Cleopatra Higgins (from 90’s R&B band Cleopatra) and Rory Taylor both stood out for their vocal performances.
Disappointingly, Cleopatra was replaced with the understudy (Angelica Allen) after the interval, and I felt the show lost a bit of its sparkle. Whilst still a good performer, she was not as powerful vocally, and I kept waiting for Cleopatra to come back onto the stage (which she never did).
Personal highlights were the songs; ‘Beat it’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Thriller’; which had a fantastically choreographed zombie sequence.
‘Dirty Diana’ was also dramatically performed alongside two dancers, in a raunchy routine.
Overall, there was audience participation and lots of singing and smiles. The show ended after a grand finale of ‘Black or white’; with the audience up on their feet. At certain points you couldn’t help but tap along to the beats.
Thriller Live is a great way to showcase some of Michael Jackson’s popular hits, and I would recommend the show, to both fans and non-fans alike. I’m not sure I would go again, but I left feeling I had been thoroughly entertained for the evening, and have been singing the songs from the show all day.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £19.65 to £35.65 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Thriller Live is at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until 12 March 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3011.
New Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4DS
