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| Seven great reviews. Seven great songs on the original Bat. Interesting, hey? n/m | |
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rockfenris2005 02:14 pm UTC 03/15/17 |
| In reply to: | Another Fabulous Review - Jacqueline 02:07 pm UTC 03/15/17 |
> > > http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/14/reviews-news/102564/ovation-earned-for-new-stunner > > Ovation earned for new stunner > > Reporter: Paul Genty > Date online: 15 March 2017 > > Bat Out of Hell, > > The Musical > > Opera House, to April 8 > > It has been kicking round in composer Jim Steinman's mind > since the Seventies, apparently - and now Bat Out Of Hell, > The Musical arrives in Manchester with one of the newest > leading men in the business. > > Andrew Polec went to an open audition not long out of > college, and weeks later found himself invited to perform > in it in the UK. > > Which brings us to the Manchester Opera House and the > world premiere of a show that since the middle of February > has been seen by around 30,000 fans. > > That's a lot to take in, and not just for the youthful > star. > > Over two hours and 40 minutes the evening overwhelms in > almost every department, with the sort of sound you > normally get at big-name rock concerts, walls of light, an > epic set that reaches out to the circle balcony, > projection, live video on multiple screens, TV monitors > everywhere, sheets of flame, glitter cannons... even a car > being pushed into the orchestra pit! > > This is an immense project with a hugely impressive > pedigree (and budget), that happily rests its reputation > on no-name performers - all of whom are good enough to > remain when it arrives in London. > > Immense project > > The story is a Dystopian-future riff on Peter Pan, > actually not bad. There's a Peter - Strat (Polec); leader > of genetically perennial 18 year olds outcasts in the > abandoned subways of New York. > > Above ground is everyone else, ageing normally, including > industrialist Falco (Rob Fowler), his wife Sloan (Sharon > Sexton) - the Darlings - and their 18th-birthday-girl > Raven (Christina Bennington), our Wendy. > > There's even a Tinkerbell - well, Tink (Aran Macrae), a > mutant, stuck at 17, and a nurse, Zahara (Danielle > Steers). > > Raven falls for Strat, her father sets on a path of > vengeance and hatred - of course - and there's an eventual > resolution wrapped in a lot of singing and some > surprisingly soft-centred choreography for such a > hard-driven show. > > The cast members, leading and supporting, are uniformly > excellent. > > The band is brilliant, the evening super-slick and the > performances worthy of their standing ovation. > > If you can get a ticket, don't hesitate. > > PG > > > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail > > https://opening-night.org > > > > Bat Out Of Hell > > > > Over 50 years in the planning and boy is it worth the > > wait, Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The > > Musical explodes into life from the minute you enter the > > theatre, the looming set is immense, the transformation > > of Manchester’s Opera House to accommodate this ground > > breaking world premiere is astonishing. The set designed > > by Jon Bausor uses every inch of height available; it is > > vast, intriguing and innovative. If you weren’t sure > > before you certainly are now, Bat Out Of Hell is without > > doubt the biggest theatre event of the year. > > > > Set against the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city we > > meet Strat (Andrew Polec) the forever young leader of The > > Lost, a tribe of wasted youth who will never grow old. > > Classed as mutants by Falco (Rob Fowler) the oppressive > > ruler of Obsidian, The Lost live for love, freedom and of > > course rock ‘n’ roll. Falco’s daughter Raven (Christina > > Bennington) gets a taste for life on the dark side when > > she meets Straton the eve of her eighteenth birthday and > > from that moment on things will never be the same again. > > > > Telling Strat when he sneaks into her bedroom at Falco > > Towers, “If you don’t go ‘over the top,’ then how are you > > going to see what’s on the other > > side?” Raven and Strat begin their adventure and take the > > audience on the ride of their lives. The talent on stage > > is staggering, Andrew Polecembodies absolutely everything > > you would want from a rebellious, tribe leading, rock God, > > he is wild, wired, dangerous and utterly mesmerising. His > > performance is quite simply incredible, strutting and > > swaggering he draws you in and completely seduces you, the > > chemistry between him and Christina Bennington (Raven) is > > pure magic, their relationship a total meetings of minds. > > They perfectly illustrate the angst and heartache of > > forbidden love, Bennington’s vocals are heavenly, at first > > seemingly delicate and pure she soon morphs into the > > ultimate rock chick, the power in her voice is > > astonishing, we soon realise the wide-eyed innocent > > daughter of Falco and Sloane (Sharon Sexton) has been > > waiting to be corrupted as she discovers a whole new kind > > of freedom with Strat. > > > > Of course Strat and Raven’s relationship was never going > > to be accepted by Falco, who sets about destroying what > > they have found, trying to end things before they have > > even had chance to begin. Rob Folwer as Falcois > > exceptional, brooding and intimidating; he has great stage > > presence and a superb rock voice. Falco’s seemingly long > > suffering wife Sloane (Sharon Sexton) delivers a fine > > performance, constant cocktail in hand she is so bored > > with this life yet so tied to it she is lost in a > > seriously wretched place. Their scenes together offer some > > real stand out moments, Paradise By The Dashboard Light is > > a riot, raunchy, wild and superbly staged, they deliver > > the narrative exquisitely. Both give a deeply heartfelt > > performance of new song What Part of My Body Hurts the > > Most, emotional and moving the quality of the writing is > > so good even for a new song it feels strangely familiar. > > > > Danielle Steers and Dom Hartly- > > Harris as Zahara and Jagwire give knockout performances, > > powerful and emotionally charged their interpretation > > of Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad is staggeringly good, they > > really feel the music and deliver Steinman’s lyrics with > > real heart and grit. Their second act performance > > of Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through is bursting with > > attitude and sass, backed up by a magnificent ensemble who > > give absolutely everything to this production. > > > > This is a piece that proudly showcases the talent on > > stage; Director Jay Scheib really has created something > > magical here. Cutting edge and dynamic choreography > > from Emma Portner compliments Steinman’slyrics > > and Scheib’s direction perfectly and adds even more > > attitude to already explosive performances. Special > > mention also must go to Giovanni Spano (Ledoux) and Andrew > > Patrick-Walker (covering as Blake) who together with Dom > > Hartley-Harris deliver a strikingly heartfelt rendition > > of Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than > > They Are. > > > > The staging of this production is truly something > > spectacular, designed by Jon Bausor, it’s a struggle to > > find words to do it justice, the set continually evolves > > to deliver more and more intricate layers and surprises > > you just didn’t see coming, add to this the innovative use > > of multiple screens and live filming projected over almost > > every inch of the set, it’s quite literally a multimedia > > masterpiece, it feels as if the set is alive, I’ve never > > experience staging like it, it’s such a visual feast. The > > beauty of this multi-layered, multi-levelled set is that > > it allows for every person sat in any seat within the > > theatre to feel part of the production, in effect breaking > > down that third wall, you are scooped up into the action > > and fully immersed in the experience. Costumes > > from Meentje Nielsen combined with video design from Finn > > Ross and lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe further > > confirm the sheer quality of this production. > > > > Bat Out Of Hell is astonishingly good theatre, immersive, > > incredible and utterly mind-blowing, there is no doubt in > > my mind that Manchester has witnessed history in the > > making tonight. This is a journey that is only just > > beginning, the success of this show is unlimited, a > > stunning production with the most sublime of casts, a > > monster of a hit, which oozes world wide appeal. > > Spellbindingly epic, an absolute must-see! > > > > Undoubtedly ***** theatre, bold, dynamic and sexy as > > hell! > > > > Tickets available > > here; http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/bat-out-of-hell/opera-house-manchester/ > > > > > > > > > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail | |
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