After a long wait, I finally got to see my premier musical theatre idol after Tommy Steele last night at the Lowry, on what is cited to be her last UK tour. Britain’s first lady of the stage: Miss Elaine Paige. -Who has shared her initials with 2 fantastic ladies, whom she was going to portray tonight. Anyone tell me their names for some Brownie points?
The show opened to an orchestral medley of her most famous songs ‘Memory’ ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘With One Look’ before the petite Miss Paige ran onto the stage to sing her opening number full of energy ‘Life Goes On.’ The money note at the end she hit effortlessly, as she did with every number in the show. A bland opening costume –black velvet ‘skinny’ pants, a purple ‘quilt’ type jacket and a new hair do to suit!
This sliced nicely into ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, and Paige’s version of it was practically the same as on her 1980’s ‘Stages’ album. After this, she introduced herself to the audience and said that she was ‘celebrating 40 years on the West-End stage, and this was the first time she has played the Lowry’s stage.’
She then went into quite a boring version of ‘Easy to be Hard’ from Hair, which she told us was the first song she sang on the West-End stage. This went nicely into ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies, which was interspersed with anecdotes and stories from her life on the stage, backed up by a nice lighting trick which projected a Broadway-themed effect on the walls of the theatre. A very funny tale was of her starring in a show about premature ejaculation. “It was all over in the first scene!”
Next was a song especially written for this show by the 2 new lyricists of the Mary Poppins’ additional material, called ‘Small Packages,’ –which was Paige detailing how she has lost many roles on stage due to her height. The riot of a song detailing her wishes to be higher ended with Paige stood on top of a step ladder belting out the last notes. I think it a travesty that this song is not on her new live album, which will be detailed later in the review, and I sincerely hope it will be released elsewhere. She then danced with these step ladders for a little bit of the tune to ‘Shall We Dance’ from the King and I, before singing 'Hello Young Lovers' -again, not on the album.
After ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ –again, reminiscent of her ‘Stages’ album, we had a nice little story about meeting Dustin Hoffman and how he influenced her to continue a career in the theatre, which went into his and Bette Midler’s ‘Shoot the Breeze’ –which IS included on the album. Next we had Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Yesterday,’ which was Paige’s audition song for Evita.
She explained to us that she was offered a role in Les Miserables, but couldn’t take it due to Chess. Tonight was her chance, and she sang a fantastically powerful version of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ before walking offstage. A Spanish Guitar medley of Evita tracks followed, before Paige came back on with a full-length red sequinned robe for a powerful version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Whoever says that her voice has ‘deepened’ or her songs have to be re-pitched are wrong. There was nothing different than this rendition than in the Original London Cast recording of Evita. Even her terrible diction of the line ‘I never invited them in’ was the same. A 5 minute ovation closed the first act.
‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset opened the second act, dressed and performed as the one and only Norma Desmond –wearing her original cloak from Broadway, turban and sunglasses and a long sparkly black dress. It was fantastic to see how she actually performed that certain song, with the hand actions of disillusioned woman. Fantastic. She removed her garb after this behind the Piano, did her hair and donned an apron to sing ‘By the Sea’ from Sweeney Todd –a song she’s never sung in concert before, or recorded up until this album.
‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ followed, with a memory about meeting the Queen Mother and getting cramp during a courtesy at a performance of ‘Anything Goes.’ After this, she left the stage again to a scorching orchestral working of the Overture from Chess, incorporating ‘One Night In Bangkok.’ –It’s a shame that isn’t on the Live CD too, as it was truly fantastic. Paige returned to the stage in a shorter black velvety dress and sang ‘Someone Else’s Story’ from Chess –available on her album ‘Essential Musicals.’ This led, of course, into ‘I Know Him So Well’ without too much of a mention of Barbara Dickson, sat on a chair by the piano, singing solo –as unlike on the new Live CD.
Following this, she went to the back of the piano and changed her shoes to flats, put on a brown wig and red lipstick and hobbled to the front of the stage. Edith Piaf. She once again took on the character, and shouted at the orchestra leader, Chris Egan, a la Piaf, and sang my favourite from her Piaf album, the quirky ‘La Goulante Du Pauvre Jean,’ into ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and finally a massive applause followed the passionate ‘Hymne a l’Amour’ which she immersed herself in.
She sang ‘Cry Me A River’ –not the version you’re all thinking of, but one from her earlier albums, and left the stage. A standing ovation followed, before she returned to the stage in a long black velvet coat with diamante cuffs and down the front –glittering, to a fantastic version of her immortal ‘Memory,’ before leaving the stage, only to return to another ovation to close the show with a powerful ‘With One Look.’
Easily, Paige is the best ‘star’ I’ve seen on stage –her charisma for a 61 year old is fantastic. Her ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ comment drew wolf-whistles from the audience, and her continuous jokes kept the crowd please, breaking up nicely anecdotes and music. For a height of under 5 feet tall, her stage presence is much bigger.
Chris Egan provided arrangements and Piano playing for the fantastic band that accompanied Ms Paige, and the lighting was absolutely fantastic –often corresponding to the colour of dress she was wearing, and a net of fairy light-types hung on the back curtain, often changed colour in synch with the spots. In the interval, when queuing for my ice-cream, a ‘roadie’ went to the lighting desk and I heard quite loudly ‘Ms Paige is very pleased with the lighting.’ No wonder! It was great!
As said about this new ‘Live CD.’ A fantastic release of some new recordings, and a wonderful recording of the concert. The problem is that I feel it could have been made a double CD, and incorporated all the songs and chats, as opposed to cutting 5 of them out –one of them, the quirkiest in the show. It is also dubbed ‘her first live CD’ and she mentions this frequently in the programme and stated that it “now feels right to release a live recording.” The fact is, she released a live recording of her 1991 tour….Sorry EP, you’re wrong there m’love!
Now all I have to do is to wait and see whether the proposed Live DVD for release on the 9th of March comes into fruition or not, and if it does, has these missing tracks on!
Seb Lassandro
Monday 2 March 2009
40 Years and still going strong
After a long wait, I finally got to see my premier musical theatre idol after Tommy Steele last night at the Lowry, on what is cited to be her last UK tour. Britain’s first lady of the stage: Miss Elaine Paige. -Who has shared her initials with 2 fantastic ladies, whom she was going to portray tonight. Anyone tell me their names for some Brownie points?
The show opened to an orchestral medley of her most famous songs ‘Memory’ ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘With One Look’ before the petite Miss Paige ran onto the stage to sing her opening number full of energy ‘Life Goes On.’ The money note at the end she hit effortlessly, as she did with every number in the show. A bland opening costume –black velvet ‘skinny’ pants, a purple ‘quilt’ type jacket and a new hair do to suit!
This sliced nicely into ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, and Paige’s version of it was practically the same as on her 1980’s ‘Stages’ album. After this, she introduced herself to the audience and said that she was ‘celebrating 40 years on the West-End stage, and this was the first time she has played the Lowry’s stage.’
She then went into quite a boring version of ‘Easy to be Hard’ from Hair, which she told us was the first song she sang on the West-End stage. This went nicely into ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies, which was interspersed with anecdotes and stories from her life on the stage, backed up by a nice lighting trick which projected a Broadway-themed effect on the walls of the theatre. A very funny tale was of her starring in a show about premature ejaculation. “It was all over in the first scene!”
Next was a song especially written for this show by the 2 new lyricists of the Mary Poppins’ additional material, called ‘Small Packages,’ –which was Paige detailing how she has lost many roles on stage due to her height. The riot of a song detailing her wishes to be higher ended with Paige stood on top of a step ladder belting out the last notes. I think it a travesty that this song is not on her new live album, which will be detailed later in the review, and I sincerely hope it will be released elsewhere. She then danced with these step ladders for a little bit of the tune to ‘Shall We Dance’ from the King and I.
After ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ –again, reminiscent of her ‘Stages’ album, we had a nice little story about meeting Dustin Hoffman and how he influenced her to continue a career in the theatre, which went into his and Bette Midler’s ‘Shoot the Breeze’ –which IS included on the album. Next we had Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Yesterday,’ which was Paige’s audition song for Evita.
She explained to us that she was offered a role in Les Miserables, but couldn’t take it due to Chess. Tonight was her chance, and she sang a fantastically powerful version of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ before walking offstage. A Spanish Guitar medley of Evita tracks followed, before Paige came back on with a full-length red sequinned robe for a powerful version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Whoever says that her voice has ‘deepened’ or her songs have to be re-pitched are wrong. There was nothing different than this rendition than in the Original London Cast recording of Evita. Even her terrible diction of the line ‘I never invited them in’ was the same. A 5 minute ovation closed the first act.
‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset opened the second act, dressed and performed as the one and only Norma Desmond –wearing her original cloak from Broadway, turban and sunglasses and a long sparkly black dress. It was fantastic to see how she actually performed that certain song, with the hand actions of disillusioned woman. Fantastic. She removed her garb after this behind the Piano, did her hair and donned an apron to sing ‘By the Sea’ from Sweeney Todd –a song she’s never sung in concert before, or recorded up until this album.
‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ followed, with a memory about meeting the Queen Mother and getting cramp during a courtesy at a performance of ‘Anything Goes.’ After this, she left the stage again to a scorching orchestral working of the Overture from Chess, incorporating ‘One Night In Bangkok.’ –It’s a shame that isn’t on the Live CD too, as it was truly fantastic. Paige returned to the stage in a shorter black velvety dress and sang ‘Someone Else’s Story’ from Chess –available on her album ‘Essential Musicals.’ This led, of course, into ‘I Know Him So Well’ without too much of a mention of Barbara Dickson, sat on a chair by the piano, singing solo –as unlike on the new Live CD.
Following this, she went to the back of the piano and changed her shoes to flats, put on a brown wig and red lipstick and hobbled to the front of the stage. Edith Piaf. She once again took on the character, and shouted at the orchestra leader, Chris Egan, a la Piaf, and sang my favourite from her Piaf album, the quirky ‘La Goulante Du Pauvre Jean,’ into ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and finally a massive applause followed the passionate ‘Hymne a l’Amour’ which she immersed herself in.
She sang ‘Cry Me A River’ –not the version you’re all thinking of, but one from her earlier albums, and left the stage. A standing ovation followed, before she returned to the stage in a long black velvet coat with diamante cuffs and down the front –glittering, to a fantastic version of her immortal ‘Memory,’ before leaving the stage, only to return to another ovation to close the show with a powerful ‘With One Look.’
Easily, Paige is the best ‘star’ I’ve seen on stage –her charisma for a 61 year old is fantastic. Her ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ comment drew wolf-whistles from the audience, and her continuous jokes kept the crowd please, breaking up nicely anecdotes and music. For a height of under 5 feet tall, her stage presence is much bigger.
Chris Egan provided arrangements and Piano playing for the fantastic band that accompanied Ms Paige, and the lighting was absolutely fantastic –often corresponding to the colour of dress she was wearing, and a net of fairy light-types hung on the back curtain, often changed colour in synch with the spots. In the interval, when queuing for my ice-cream, a ‘roadie’ went to the lighting desk and I heard quite loudly ‘Ms Paige is very pleased with the lighting.’ No wonder! It was great!
As said about this new ‘Live CD.’ A fantastic release of some new recordings, and a wonderful recording of the concert. The problem is that I feel it could have been made a double CD, and incorporated all the songs and chats, as opposed to cutting 5 of them out –one of them, the quirkiest in the show. It is also dubbed ‘her first live CD’ and she mentions this frequently in the programme and stated that it “now feels right to release a live recording.” The fact is, she released a live recording of her 1991 tour….Sorry EP, you’re wrong there m’love!
The show opened to an orchestral medley of her most famous songs ‘Memory’ ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘With One Look’ before the petite Miss Paige ran onto the stage to sing her opening number full of energy ‘Life Goes On.’ The money note at the end she hit effortlessly, as she did with every number in the show. A bland opening costume –black velvet ‘skinny’ pants, a purple ‘quilt’ type jacket and a new hair do to suit!
This sliced nicely into ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, and Paige’s version of it was practically the same as on her 1980’s ‘Stages’ album. After this, she introduced herself to the audience and said that she was ‘celebrating 40 years on the West-End stage, and this was the first time she has played the Lowry’s stage.’
She then went into quite a boring version of ‘Easy to be Hard’ from Hair, which she told us was the first song she sang on the West-End stage. This went nicely into ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies, which was interspersed with anecdotes and stories from her life on the stage, backed up by a nice lighting trick which projected a Broadway-themed effect on the walls of the theatre. A very funny tale was of her starring in a show about premature ejaculation. “It was all over in the first scene!”
Next was a song especially written for this show by the 2 new lyricists of the Mary Poppins’ additional material, called ‘Small Packages,’ –which was Paige detailing how she has lost many roles on stage due to her height. The riot of a song detailing her wishes to be higher ended with Paige stood on top of a step ladder belting out the last notes. I think it a travesty that this song is not on her new live album, which will be detailed later in the review, and I sincerely hope it will be released elsewhere. She then danced with these step ladders for a little bit of the tune to ‘Shall We Dance’ from the King and I.
After ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ –again, reminiscent of her ‘Stages’ album, we had a nice little story about meeting Dustin Hoffman and how he influenced her to continue a career in the theatre, which went into his and Bette Midler’s ‘Shoot the Breeze’ –which IS included on the album. Next we had Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Yesterday,’ which was Paige’s audition song for Evita.
She explained to us that she was offered a role in Les Miserables, but couldn’t take it due to Chess. Tonight was her chance, and she sang a fantastically powerful version of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ before walking offstage. A Spanish Guitar medley of Evita tracks followed, before Paige came back on with a full-length red sequinned robe for a powerful version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Whoever says that her voice has ‘deepened’ or her songs have to be re-pitched are wrong. There was nothing different than this rendition than in the Original London Cast recording of Evita. Even her terrible diction of the line ‘I never invited them in’ was the same. A 5 minute ovation closed the first act.
‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset opened the second act, dressed and performed as the one and only Norma Desmond –wearing her original cloak from Broadway, turban and sunglasses and a long sparkly black dress. It was fantastic to see how she actually performed that certain song, with the hand actions of disillusioned woman. Fantastic. She removed her garb after this behind the Piano, did her hair and donned an apron to sing ‘By the Sea’ from Sweeney Todd –a song she’s never sung in concert before, or recorded up until this album.
‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ followed, with a memory about meeting the Queen Mother and getting cramp during a courtesy at a performance of ‘Anything Goes.’ After this, she left the stage again to a scorching orchestral working of the Overture from Chess, incorporating ‘One Night In Bangkok.’ –It’s a shame that isn’t on the Live CD too, as it was truly fantastic. Paige returned to the stage in a shorter black velvety dress and sang ‘Someone Else’s Story’ from Chess –available on her album ‘Essential Musicals.’ This led, of course, into ‘I Know Him So Well’ without too much of a mention of Barbara Dickson, sat on a chair by the piano, singing solo –as unlike on the new Live CD.
Following this, she went to the back of the piano and changed her shoes to flats, put on a brown wig and red lipstick and hobbled to the front of the stage. Edith Piaf. She once again took on the character, and shouted at the orchestra leader, Chris Egan, a la Piaf, and sang my favourite from her Piaf album, the quirky ‘La Goulante Du Pauvre Jean,’ into ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and finally a massive applause followed the passionate ‘Hymne a l’Amour’ which she immersed herself in.
She sang ‘Cry Me A River’ –not the version you’re all thinking of, but one from her earlier albums, and left the stage. A standing ovation followed, before she returned to the stage in a long black velvet coat with diamante cuffs and down the front –glittering, to a fantastic version of her immortal ‘Memory,’ before leaving the stage, only to return to another ovation to close the show with a powerful ‘With One Look.’
Easily, Paige is the best ‘star’ I’ve seen on stage –her charisma for a 61 year old is fantastic. Her ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ comment drew wolf-whistles from the audience, and her continuous jokes kept the crowd please, breaking up nicely anecdotes and music. For a height of under 5 feet tall, her stage presence is much bigger.
Chris Egan provided arrangements and Piano playing for the fantastic band that accompanied Ms Paige, and the lighting was absolutely fantastic –often corresponding to the colour of dress she was wearing, and a net of fairy light-types hung on the back curtain, often changed colour in synch with the spots. In the interval, when queuing for my ice-cream, a ‘roadie’ went to the lighting desk and I heard quite loudly ‘Ms Paige is very pleased with the lighting.’ No wonder! It was great!
As said about this new ‘Live CD.’ A fantastic release of some new recordings, and a wonderful recording of the concert. The problem is that I feel it could have been made a double CD, and incorporated all the songs and chats, as opposed to cutting 5 of them out –one of them, the quirkiest in the show. It is also dubbed ‘her first live CD’ and she mentions this frequently in the programme and stated that it “now feels right to release a live recording.” The fact is, she released a live recording of her 1991 tour….Sorry EP, you’re wrong there m’love!
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