Synopsis
Flyer
Impressions/Performances
For her current tour, consummate performer and popular soprano Lesley Garrett has put together what is certain to be a crowd pleasing selection of classical compositions and show tunes - or, as she tells us at the outset, "the first half is entirely classical, the second half is entirely not." Lesley is much loved by her audiences, and has such an open and natural way of communicating that the rapport was immediate as she led us through the evening introducing each of the characters she was about to portray.
The show opens in baroque style with Lesley singing for us a selection of Handel arias, beginning with a beautifully sung rendition of "Zadok the Priest" - setting the scene for the remainder of the evening with a promise of musical excellence that was in no way reneged upon. Next, it was on to Purcell and she was joined by her special guest for the evening, Nicholas Folwell, in a selection of duets. Folwell is a fully-toned, rich-voiced baritone who has sung with the Royal Opera, English National Opera and Scottish Opera among others. As well as duetting with Lesley in a further selection of operatic numbers from Mozart, taking in "Don Giovanni" and "The Magic Flute," he also delivers us a few solo numbers including an excellent rendition of "Le Nozze fi Figaro." The undoubted highlight of the half was one of the two singers joint collaborations in the very spirited Papageno-Papagena duet from "The Magic Flute".
For the second half, Lesley lets her hair down and shows her versatility in a number of show tunes, beginning with Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." Lesley sings us "Summertime" after which her special guest returns to sing "I Got Plenty of Nothin." Later we have a selection from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," including a very touching rendition of the perennial favourite "Edelweiss" from Lesley. Folwell agains gets to sing a few solo numbers and his rousing rendition of "The Road to Mandalay" was one of the highlights of the evening. But the best came again from Lesley in a beautifully sung and hilariously acted rendition of Noel Coward's comic song "A Bar on the Piccola Marina" - which tells the story of Mrs. Wentworth-Brewster who "had two strapping daughters and a rather dull son - And a much duller husband who, at sixty-one - Elected to retire ... and later on expire - Sing Halleluhua, heigh-nonny-no!"
The only musical accompaniment throughout the evening was the excellent piano of lone musician Andrew West, but if that appeared at times a little thin, with vocalists of the calibre of Garrett and Folwell that hardly seemed to matter.
Verdict
Amply illustrates why Lesley Garrett is Britain's best loved and most versatile soprano. A superb musical evening.
Don Gillan - www.stagebeauty.net