Review: Music of the Night's ode to Lloyd Webber is as polished as a Phantom chandelier
Soprano Caitlin Wood, tenor Caulin Moore among the standouts in a production that shows the power of songs in musicals from Evita to Sunset Boulevard
Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre presents Music of the Night: The Concert Tour at the ACT Theatre in Maple Ridge on October 17, at Surrey’s Bell Performing Arts Centre on October 18, at New West’s Massey Theatre on October 19, and elsewhere
FROM FEATURING FALLING chandeliers to high-kicking cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals are cultural icons. But strip away the spectacular production values associated with his shows, and you’ll find that the driving force behind everything is the score.
Music of the Night: The Concert Tour proves that Lloyd Webber’s music, along with the lyrics of collaborators like Rice and Don Black, can stand alone, captivating and entertaining audiences without the theatrical bells and whistles.
Presented by Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre and created by Alan Corbishley and Frederik Robert, Music of the Night showcases four singers who perform Lloyd Webber’s most well-known songs from shows such as The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Starlight Express. While the concept is simple, the experience is mesmerizing. Each number is performed as an excerpt from its respective show, with the singers completely immersed in the character—be it Eva Peron or Grizabella—and context of the number. The vocals are excellent, backed by an equally stellar band. The minimal choreography is enough to help the performers round out their characterizations and fill spaces between musical interludes without distracting from the songs themselves.
The show has a roster of acclaimed singers who alternate performances. At the performance that was reviewed (in Vancouver), soprano Caitlin Wood, mezzo-soprano Georgia Bennett, tenor Caulin Moore, and baritone Adam Fisher took the stage. Wood, with her nightingale voice and elegant demeanour made for a quintessential Christine Daaé in excerpts from Phantom, including nailing those famous high notes in the title song. An operatic-trained singer, Wood’s performances of “Unexpected Song” from Song & Dance and “With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard offered rare experiences to hear these tunes performed with classical technique, as musical fans will likely be most familiar with these songs as sung Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, and Glenn Close.
Bennett provided abundant style and personality, showing off fantastic vocal and acting versatility. Throughout the evening, she offered a sultry performance of “Buenos Aires” (Evita), a heartfelt country-tinged rendition of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” (Jesus Christ Superstar), and a wistful portrayal of Norma Desmond with “As If We Never Said Goodbye” (Sunset Boulevard). Moore showcased incredible tenor vocals and captivating stage presence, including the sensitive “Love Changes Everything” (Aspects of Love), the playful duet “King Herod’s Song” (Jesus Christ Superstar) with Fisher; and his rock star performance of “Heaven on their Minds” (also from Jesus). With his tremendous commitment to character and superbly dynamic vocals, Moore provided two of the most powerful moments of the evening—a gripping performance of “Gethsemane” (Jesus) and spellbinding rendition of “Till I Hear You Sing” (Love Never Dies).
The charismatic Fisher, also served as the evening’s host, led the cast off in the opening “Starlight Express”, before offering an engaging “Any Dream Will Do” (Joseph). He also dove into the dark and mysterious, showing off his impressive vocal capability with “Music of the Night” (Phantom). To balance out the evening, Fisher later joked with the audience as he introduced the show’s band, cast, and production team, before smashing the Elvis-flavoured “Song of the King” (Joseph), complete this pelvis thrusts.
John Webber’s lighting design goes a long way in dressing up the show, despite its minimal staging and set, transporting us to the various musicals. In “Heaven on their Minds”, bright concert-like lighting provides the amped-up experience associated with Jesus. In “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, a lone spotlight shines on Bennett, giving the look of a movie studio set. And in “Memory”, we get Cats-appropriate lighting that’s spooky and theatrical.
With innovative new productions of Sunset, Cats, and Starlight worldwide, and Phantom still haunting the West End, Lloyd Webber’s work is proving to be as relevant, malleable, and beloved as ever. Music of the Night—as polished and bright as any chandelier—shows us why, by celebrating the source material at the heart of his musicals. 
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