Les Miserables, Queen's Theatre

I consider it a sin that I have never before seen Les Miserables, arguably the most famous and popular musical of all time. Walking down Shaftesbury Avenue regularly, it has always irritated me that Les Mis is one I have never ticked off my ‘to see’ list, and as an extreme musical theatre lover, it is just not acceptable! I remember so clearly, in my first ever singing lesson at seven years old how I sang ‘Castle in a Cloud’, the little girl Cosette's number, and I have since sung many of the other ensemble pieces in various performances.

Finally the opportunity arose to see this musical - my friend Fra Fee joined the London cast in the role of Marius (the young and strapping hero). Most of the time he performs a smaller part in the show, but occasionally he gets the chance to shine as Marius, and I had to be at one of those performances. Armed with presumptious flowers, I went along with a fellow singer to watch our boy take to the stage. Seated in the £12 seats (severely restricted view, you will have to lean forward), I beamed with pride and excitement.

The show is as epic as you’d expect: grand revolving set, glorious period costumes and an exceptional band in the pit. Where Les Mis really stuns is with the vocal expertise and virtuoso of the two older male leads, there is nothing like it in any other musical. You need a rare talent to be cast in Les Mis, the ability to bridge classical and popular styles of singing; and currently on stage are the best in this field, Ramin Karimloo as reformed criminal, Jean Valjean and Hadley Fraser as the stern police officer, Javert. Both men are astounding, rich strong voices that easily resonate through the great theatre, yet succeed in remaining hugely affecting and sensitive. I particularly loved Karimloo’s rendition of ‘Bring Him Home’ sung almost entirely in his upper register - it is perfectly in tune, simple and beautiful. Fra is spectacular as Marius, just as expected he would be, bringing just the right mix of innocence and maturity to the part. His voice is effortlessly lovely with a unique and gorgeous tone.

Les Miserables is a spectacular show that has enjoyed many years in the West End, but seeing it somehow evaded me. To see Fra passionately perform such a vital role in the show made the experience very special. Still receiving a rapturous standing ovation after every show just proves how magical and memorable this show is, and now I can tick it off my long ‘to see’ list, at last.

Visit the website to book here.

LADY GAGA at The O2

With Lady Gaga comes a whole new kind of star; she is certainly one of a kind and has become a worldwide pop phenomenon in a flash.

I soon realised as I walked up to the epic O2 arena that I had never seen a gig at this venue, but had only visited it in its former life as the Millenium Dome. Inside I couldn’t believe the space and quantity of restaurants and bars, and then of course there is the 20,000 seat concert hall in the centre, unbelievable. I had on a new pair of big brown feather eyelashes for the occasion; as expected there were some other outrageous eccentrics dressed up for the gig wandering about. At one point a girl so perfectly identical to Gaga walked by that the crowd behind me momentarily thought they’d spotted the star herself.

Her show, ‘The Monster Ball Tour’ at the O2 is supported by Semi Precious Weapons, who are friends of Gaga’s that she spoke fondly about onstage. The performance she gave was a tour de force, physically and mentally. She certainly involves her audience, and at times even threatens us screaming: ‘don’t leave here loving me more...leave loving yourself more’. In fact the lectures continued throughout the show, shouted aggressively at the desperately keen listeners. There was a real feeling of vengeance in her speech, under all the make-up just a little girl who felt she needed to gloat at all those who have put her down over the years.

The most exciting thing about seeing Lady Gaga is the group speculation about what stunt she is going to pull next, how mad her outfits will be and how grotesquely great her staging will look. And she seemed to please her fans on all counts. The show was set out as a kind of musical reminiscent of the Rocky Horror Show and the gothic Addams Family, to give you an idea. Bright neon words hung from a brilliant twisted staircase and a car sat centre stage soon to be opened out into a keyboard. As the show proceeded the stage transformed frequently as did Gaga who seemed to have a different skimpy outfit for each and every song. The musicians played along with Her Highness, all live and yet prancing around the stage like possessed creatures. At one point she grabbed a Santa toy from a presumptuous fan only to stand on stage decapitating the poor little thing with her killer stiletto.

Beneath the wild character is a very talented musician, a fact that can easily be forgotten when watching such a devilish and daring performance. It seemed at times to be improvised on the spot, a pretty scary idea with 40,000 beady eyes watching your every move. I was reminded by my friend that little Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta started out as a pianist and this is a skill she still very much uses in her music. Towards the middle of the show she sat, or rather squatted, at the piano to play two calmer songs. At times her body was contorted or horizontal or strapped into a uncomfortably tight costume and yet she seamlessly sung every note, bang in tune; it was impressive to say the least.

‘Poker Face’ was the highlight number for me, the atmosphere just soared when those first notes beat out. It was the song that Gaga seemed to enjoy most too.

Thanks to my lovely friend for the tickets, and a spectacular night.

Godolphin Carol Service

A few nights ago I returned to my old secondary school to see my little sister’s carol concert. Being so busy, I missed her previous showcases and was pleased to be going back for this annual traditional service. Godolphin has quite recently acquired the neighbouring church and can now hold all its concerts in the fully equipped, wonderfully restored space.

I look forward to this carol service every year as the one real chance I have to belt out the classic carols. Annoyingly I seem to get ill just as the concert approaches each year, making the descants frustratingly challenging to sing. This year I opted for some harmonious alto parts instead, to complement the dulcet tones of the school choir. My parents standing nearby were wholly unimpressed.

The evening comprises readings, choir performances, carols sung by ‘all’ and a few inspiring words from Religious Studies teacher Dr.Wolfe, who I remember fondly from my schooldays. Familiar carols such as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ and ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ rocked the church and it was encouraging to look around and see so many people singing along. My favourite songs were ‘Veni, veni Emmanuel’ and ‘On this day earth shall ring’ with which the choir processed and recessed with just candles to light their way through the darkness; it was beautiful.

I left the church with lifted spirits, feeling the excitement of Christmas.

Andreas Scholl and Philippe Jaroussky sing Purcell at The Barbican

A few nights ago I trekked across London to the Barbican Centre again to see Andreas Scholl and Philippe Jaroussky sing their hearts out. The two esteemed counter-tenors were singing a programme of Purcell with the lively Ensemble Artaserse accompanying them. I have seen both men perform before, and have always loved the otherworldly sound of the countertenor voice, and as a teen I was obsessed with the phenomenon of castrati in baroque Italy.

The auditorium was full to the brim, the busiest I have ever seen the Barbican. Luckily my super organised mother booked us tickets almost a year ahead, otherwise I’m sure we wouldn’t have got seats. The musicians began the evening with the Bonduca overture, bounteous and jolly. Scholl and Jaroussky sat behind the players walking up to the front of the stage when required to sing. We heard suites, arias, and duets, all perfected and immaculately presented.

Vocally these two singers sound quite different: Jaroussky has a brighter, higher, clearer sound, which is sweet in tone and sounds not dissimilar to a woman’s voice. Scholl’s voice has a darker timbre, which I feel suits the more melancholic arias. This was particularly evident in ‘O Solitude’ and ‘Music for a While’ in which he sang the descending lines with moving phrasing. The Barbican acoustics are dreadful but I also thought Scholl sounded much quieter than usual, and wondered whether he was suffering from a cold or sore throat.

Jaroussky is adorable to watch, and the audience clearly loved him. His voice is so bright it almost sounds electric, and I felt shivers down my spine on the held top notes. His rendition of ‘Bid the Virtues’ from ‘Come, ye sons of Art, away’ was memerising. He accomplished complex vocal acrobatics with clarity and ease and there was some wonderful interplay with the obbligato oboe part.

The duets were the highlight of the evening; there were seven in total. The men were sweet on stage together, working well as a team. Scholl always took the lower part and this unfortunately meant he was occasionally drowned out while Jaroussky soared above with the higher part. They seemed to be having a lot of fun on stage together especially in the more upbeat pieces. ‘Sound the Trumpet’ was brilliant; both singers rose to the challenge of singing this familiar tune. Due to the staggering reception the men came on to do not one, or two, but three encores, including a hilarious final duet where they jumped between their manly low voices and their higher countertenor voices, playing up to the laughter and joking along. It was great fun to watch and a fantastic end to the evening.

Sing for your Supper at Zizzi

I must congratulate Zizzi restaurant for quite simply getting it right. This popular Italian chain have opened a stunning new branch in St Giles Plaza (near Tottenham Court Road) and it conquers the surrounding eateries hands down. The venue that boasts artwork by promising artist Camille Rousseau, is quite unique in its design. I particularly love the wall decoration leading the way downstairs to the toilets, twisted branches romantically depicted and painted by hand.

The real selling point of this restaurant though is the fantastic new jazz night every Thursday... ‘Sing for your Supper’, raising money for the Prince's Trust. The night is led by charismatic musician Becki Biggins and the Laurie Holloway Trio, and every week diners are invited up to sing (from a list of about eight songs). If you sing, your supper is on the house – what could be better than that? With the recent closure of Pizza on the Park, and Jazz Pizza Express always in demand, it seems bizarre that no-one else has thought of this brilliant idea. Not only does it encourage young talented musicians, but also provides those eating at Zizzi’s a wonderful soundtrack to their meal.

The Launch of Sing for your Supper and Zizzi, St Giles took place last week, with pretty pink Prosecco and hot canapés on offer to all the guests. Becki was there, looking just the part in a sparkly gold number. I couldn’t stay for long, but was so impressed with every aspect of the restaurant and concept that I promised myself I would return.

And so I went to Zizzi, St Giles a second night to eat, and can honestly say it was scrumptious. The food is fabulously fresh and full of flavour, and I realised I was scraping up every last crumb despite the very generous portions.

To start we ate:

TRICOLORE 5.15

Our salute to the Italian flag: buffalo mozzarella,

fresh baby plum tomatoes and avocado with

fresh basil

CROSTINI FORMAGGIO DI CAPRA 4.75

Light, crisp ciabatta topped with goats’ cheese

and oven-baked with balsamic onions. Served with

mixed leaves in a honey mustard dressing

For mains:

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA 9.25

Aubergine in a rich tomato sauce oven-baked with

mozzarella and a big sprinkling of Grana Padano

cheese. Served with a mixed salad

CARNE PICCANTE 9.25

Chicken, meatballs and Bolognese, with

mushrooms, chilli, mozzarella, and tomato.

Served with a mixed salad

And for dessert:

TORTA CIOCCOLATA 4.95

Thick, crisp hazelnut and chocolate base topped

with a rich chocolate torte. Served with vanilla

mascarpone

PANNACOTTA 4.95

A northern Italian speciality, our creamy vanilla

pannacotta is served with a fruit compote

All the food was excellent, and I can honestly say that Zizzi’s is now rivalling Pizza Express in my heart. I have included all the information above, so you can see what good value the food is.

The starters are wonderfully presented, no fuss, just good quality ingredients creating some of Italy’s favourite dishes. Mains are sublime in flavour and taste and my aubergine dish filled me up without making me feel bloated. The fact that I managed to fit in any dessert at all is a compliment to the standard of Zizzi’s puddings. I particularly loved the pannacotta, light but creamy with a subtle hint of vanilla.

Most of all though I found the service at this restaurant faultless. Friendly and yet discreet, I felt well looked after but not smothered as is often the case. Specials are given and extra condiments suggested at each course. I must also mention the complimentary homemade Zizzi ice-cream that came to our table with desserts (yes we looked like greedy pigs!) Two balls each of the most delicious gelati – strawberry, chocolate, creamy vanilla, and best of all a nutty pistachio.

You must visit this branch of Zizzi’s, try to go on a Thursday when the restaurant is transformed into a jazz soiree, with lucky hopefuls singing for their supper. I will be there singing a number on Thursday 23rd December, so come down and cheer me on, I may even give you a slice of my pizza in return.

Visit the Zizzi website here.

500 exclusive Zizzi goodie bags are on sale now for £6, with all the proceeds go to The Princes Trust.

X FACTOR - The Results Show

You can pretend not to be interested, but really X-Factor is irresistible, and inevitably most of our nation get involved in the hype, even if that is just ‘loving to hate it.’ I love to love it, and even auditioned for the programme this year, keen to experience the process for myself. (Read about my audition here.)

With a stroke of genius luck I got invited to the live show last Sunday, in none other than the VVIP section (that’s right Very VERY Important Person!) I went along with my best friend. We met up a few hours before the show to get ready and prep ourselves for the night ahead. With a little guidance from my younger sister and other helpers we decided on sequined dresses – of which I have two, a glitzy Primark number for my pal, and I wore my beautiful vintage Butler and Wilson dress that normally hangs in pride of place on my bedroom wall. Make-up was applied, sparkly gems glued to our cheeks, heels fastened and feathers tucked into our perfected hair. We were finally ready to go.

The journey in the car there was relatively easy, the venue, Fountain Studios in Wembley, isn’t far away from my house. We passed rowdy queues of excited fans as we circled the studios trying to find a parking space. Thankfully we didn’t have to queue, in fact we just quoted our names and waltzed in with the other lucky VVIPs. The ladies toilet was where we found our first exciting encounter of the night – one of Nicole Scherzinger’s dancers, noticing her (even more glittery) make-up we plucked up the courage to chat to her.

We were soon ushered into the, surprisingly small X-Factor studio which, I later found out, was in fact the largest in Europe. We sat in our seats (about 10 rows behind Louis Walsh), and waited for a painfully exciting 15 minutes. With five minutes to go the audience warm-up man came up on stage to prepare us with cheering instructions. It all came and went by very quickly, but I absolutely loved every second – the atmosphere, the music, the bitchiness, the celebrities. We decided that perhaps the most intriguing part was seeing the action in the studio when the cameras weren’t filming: who talked to who, which contestants were friends and which judges demanded the most pampering.

Performing on Sunday night’s show were The Wanted, Nicole Scherzinger and mini popstar Justin Bieber. They all put on a fantastic show, and it was fascinating to see how swiftly the management team transformed the stage. The Wanted boys drove around in dodgems and Nicole came down from a circular construction in the air. The star of the three was little Bieber, who I had previously dismissed as a phoney untalented kid... as it turned out, his new single is pretty catchy and as a dancer he is absolutely exceptional. Adorably he played up to the audience too, throwing his leather gloves to nearby screaming girls.

I don’t need to tell you who was evicted, I’m sure you all know, once Katie Waissel had gone it was down to Louis’ two contestants, Mary and Wagner to wow the judges with a final offering. Both belted out classic songs, but it was (unsurprisingly) Mary that made it through, with all four judges choosing the Tesco check-out lady over wacky Wagner. I liked Wagner and his presence in the show, and was sad to see him go; he left the stage with great dignity.

After the live show, we went into the special canteen-type room to greet (well more like mob) the remaining X-Factor contestants. The One Direction boys were super cute and very friendly, all of them willing and enthusiastic about having their photo taken with the fans. We chatted to One Direction Louis’s little sister for a while about what it was like being the sibling of one of these famous young boys, she seemed unphased and instead told us all about the news from the X-Factor house, and some excellent gossip! We shamelessly fought through the people to meet most of the X-Factor stars, and have the photos taken to prove it! I have to say after meeting them all, my alliances have changed rather dramatically... with One Direction and Matt Cardle firm favourites at the top.

An unforgettable evening!

Apologies for the ultra long post – I assumed you’d all want to know EVERY detail!

Dirty Dancing cast change

I’ve been to see Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage twice in London’s West End. Once because my friend from university was singing in the show, and for a second time because I enjoyed my first visit so much.

The musical is based on the hit film with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It captures both the love story and the impressive dancing. My only complaint is the lack of live music within the musical, it uses mostly recorded tracks. This focuses attention on the dances.

The cast of Dirty Dancing has recently changed with Hannah Vassallo as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, Johnny Wright as Johnny Castle and Dancing on Ice star Ray Quinn as Billy Kostecki. I often find that going to a show just after a cast change is the best time – the performance has a fresh energy that seems to fade later in a cast’s run.

Dirty Dancing has been enormously popular with London audiences. The show sold out for the first six months of its run before it even arrived on the London stage. Audiences are going back for more, with The Observer newspaper calling it “the biggest live theatre sensation of all time”, now is a good time to get your dancing fix.

Book tickets here.

Opera Holland Park Presents Carmen

Poster from an 1896 American production

Holland Park is my favourite summer opera venue. Every visit promises to be magical. As a child I performed regularly with the company, and so feel at home within the theatre, but it is a pleasure to now sit and enjoy the operas as a member of the audience.

For those of you who haven't yet been, the theatre is located in the middle of the park. With picnic and bar areas it caters for those wishing to stay the whole evening to leisurely eat, drink and experience lovely music. On the occasional balmy summer evening, it is a pleasure to be outside rather than in a stuffy West End theatre. More often, when the weather is typically English and wet, it is advisable to bring a blanket or coat, although I often find I am kept warm by the spirit of the music.

On Monday night I was lucky enough to be given tickets to see Bizet's opera comique, Carmen. A boisterous opera set in Seville, telling the tale of a gypsy girl working in a cigarette factory. Carmen is a femme fatale who lures and tempts men to fall in love with her, an attitude that Hannah Pedley portrayed beautifully with her seductive performance. The part is written for a Mezzo-Soprano, unusual as the leading lady's part is more often written for a higher Soprano. Pedley's voice was dark in tone and rough around the edges, not to everyone's taste, but I loved it, and felt it added greater realism to the character. It helped that she looked perfect for the part, a scruffed up, red lipped version of the stunning Rachel Weisz.

The voice of the night for me though was Mark Panuccio, who played Don Jose. Each and every aria was sung beautifully with ease and control. Snagged in Carmen's web of destruction, the final scenes show Don Jose in an unbearable state of powerless misery. Even as he plunges a dagger into his lover we feel great sympathy for this poor wretch. It is a tricky part to play convincingly, Panuccio did it justice. Another notable singer was Susan Young playing Micaela, not a very meaty part but certainly one with some fantastic music. Special mention must go to the superb Helena Dix who stepped in at the last minute to sing the role of Frasquita from the orchestra pit, covering the brave Stephanie Bodsworth who continued to act onstage. The chorus were hearty and the children well rehearsed. Matthew Willis' conducting was fluent throughout, he handled the orchestra firmly to ensure all of the risky dance rhythms were kept in time.

There are six productions at Opera Holland Park this summer, so there is no excuse not to go along to at least one opera. If you are lucky you might even hear the peacocks in the park singing along.

Puccini's Tosca at the ENO

The Original Poster for Tosca

The opera Tosca is, above all, an epic love story. Every year you are sure to find Puccini's masterpiece on somewhere, this summer it is being performed at the ENO.

My first encounter with the opera was at the age of 15 when I was given the part of Shepherd Boy (in my case they made it into Shepherd Girl) at Holland Park Opera. The power of the music blew me away, ever since it has been my favourite opera. This time around the music moved me close to tears.

The ENO's production is stunning. The three central protagonists: Tosca, Scarpia and Cavaradossi are all played by singers that seem fully engrossed in their roles; this makes the audience's job to watch and believe very easy. South African singer Amanda Echalaz makes a pretty Floria Tosca, her voice is unfaltering, but it is her acting which particularly impressed me. She is entirely convincing throughout and has genuine chemistry with her leading man. Tosca's suicide which concludes the opera is spectacular with Amanda falling backwards off the rear of the stage with shocking grace.

Julian Gavin who plays Mario Cavaradossi has a wonderfully creamy tenor voice, a pure delight to listen to. It is a difficult role to sing, but he easily hits the notes and manages to fill the entire theatre. The baddie, Baron Scarpia must be a fun part to play, in this production Antony Michaels-Moore takes it on with gleeful terror. Such a nasty character that the audience even booed when he came on to bow.

The set had a Neo-Classical feel that worked well with the production as a whole. Cavaradossi's painting in the first act is an important feature, and it is a shame that it is shown as a strange mosaic type picture, but apart from that the set is appropriate.

Conductor, Edward Gardner does a sterling job with the orchestra, although the music needs little help to sound beautiful. Puccini himself commented, 'Only with emotion can one achieve a triumph that endures' and this is entirely true of Tosca, which I believe has some of the most passionate, overpoweringly emotional music of all time.

Any well known opera is open to great criticism, but I have seen four productions of Tosca in my lifetime, and this is hands down the best. It is on until the 10th July, I promise you won't be disappointed, this is a show not to miss.

Book tickets HERE.

Some singing and The Word magazine

It is awful that it has taken me until now to put something on this blog about my singing. Even now my lack of IT skills are preventing me from actually managing to put the tracks straight on here - so if anyone knows how, please share the knowledge!

A few weeks ago, at a delightful summer BBQ, I recorded a few songs with my irrepressible friend, Mark Ellen. It was a lovely sunny day and as we sat drinking Corona in the garden, it seemed like the perfect idea to sing through a few light jazz numbers.

Listen to our tracks, Summertime and Dream a Little Dream here. An exciting collaboration and hopefully the start of many exciting songs to come, so watch this space.

I thought I'd take this opportunity also to introduce you to The Word magazine. As a musician and music lover I was embarrassed that I didn't know more about this exciting and informative magazine. It covers the best of the current music scene as well as looking back and exploring some of the greats. The articles are about REAL music rather than obsessing about the celebrity aspect of the business as many music mags do. Often they include a free CD too, with a carefully selected playlist.

Thoroughly wet Milly... my X-factor experience!

My saintly friend and I were up and out the door by 6.30 am and on our way to the Excel Centre for this season's X-factor auditions. As a singer it is an ordeal I felt I should go through once!

Sunday morning tubes are bad at the best of times, and then of course we had numerous track closures to avoid. Lukewarm tea in hand, we had to dodge the increasingly heavy rainfall, sans umbrella. Not fun. After our trek on the DLR line (basically a little railway train) we arrived at the Excel centre, and were greeted by crowds of thousands, all huddled together under a sea of brollies. Our spirits were lifted by the excitement of it all, although this euphoria faded as we got wetter and wetter. Soon even our makeshift plastic bag hats were blown away and I can honestly say I have never been as cold in my entire life. We waited from 8 am til 11.30 outside, screaming occasionally for a nearby Dermot O'Leary. We befriended a lovely group of music theatre graduates in front of us in the queue - they kindly donated an umbrella to us.

Inside it was almost as cold, although hot food was available here. Thank God. The sheer quantity of applicants became evident as we sat inside. There was certainly a buzz, and soon enough people began gently humming and running through their songs. I have to say I was slightly disappointed at the lack of freaks; at this stage everyone looks surprisingly normal! Around 2.30 we were taken through to the arena, a huge hall where thousands of hopefuls sat, armed with their X-factor stickers, I was number 197,058! The auditions were happening at the front of the hall in 18 small cubicles. Those who were successful came bounding out with a yellow slip of paper - this meant they were through to the next round. Now the freaks appeared. Michael Jackson and Nelson Mandela look-a-likes both came out with yellow slips! The familiar screams and tears filled the massive auditorium, the more athletic victors came out doing back flips and air punches (hugely embarrassing!)

Eventually, at 6 pm (ten hours after arriving) I got my turn. I waited in line and went into my allotted cubicle, still a little damp. I was singing Songbird, best known from Eva Cassidy's rendition. I stood in front of two female producers and was allowed to sing my whole song, which apparently is quite unusual. I wasn't nervous, but felt a mixture of relief and exhaustion. Unfortunately the verdict was a no; I wasn't going through to the next round. My lovely friend was waiting for me at the other side, prepared for my failure and saying all the right things. We gathered our things and began the trek home, smiling at the prospect of a hot bath. Despite the result it really was an unforgettably hilarious experience and a day I will never forget!!

Check out x-factor here:
http://xfactor.itv.com/2009/