Synopsis
Tour Brochure
Impressions/Performances
Whilst it may have been a lucky break that shot Jane McDonald to national prominence, there can be no denying that the down to earth Yorkshire born singer has worked hard for that success. After a number of years spent making a living in the show-business shadows of the clubs and cruise-ships, Jane's big break came when whe was featured in the BBC's 1998 reality TV series, "The Cruise" - a docusoap charting life aboard the holiday cruise ship on which Jane was the headline singer. Her obvious innate charm made her an instant favourite with the show's TV viewers, and earned her overnight celebrity status. That led to appearances on TV variety shows, record deals and UK tours cementing her position as one of the UK's favourite entertainers. Having graduated from the club circuit (where she once had all her equipment smashed in a brawl!) she can now fill mainstream theatres across the country with hordes of adoring fans and joke (accurately) about being the most famous cruise ship singer in the world.
Here in Bradford, less than twenty miles from her Wakefield roots, she is, of course, especially appreciated and came on stage to tumultuous applause, and from the moment that she opened the show by launching, without preamble, into her own powerful arrangement of "Is This Love" she had the entire audience in the palm of her hand. Powerful ballads are very much her forte and other first half highlights in that vein included "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and the County classic "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Other popular numbers included a more upbeat country song in Dolly Parton's "Nine to Five" and her medley of Stevie Wonder hits was amazing.
Jane is supported on this tour by two backing vocalists and eight musicians, including the very talented percussionist and vocalist Daniel Pearce with whom she sang a very passionate duet of her own composition, "I Can See It In Your Eyes" - which, we tells us, she wrote around the time of the break-up of her marriage. Little wonder, then, that it was sung with such emotion, fully deserving of the stand-up ovation it received at the end. Daniel was then given the opportunity to sing his own solo number, the self-penned "Move On". Second half highlights from Jane alone included the disco classic "Doctor's Orders", a medley of her own numbers, and, best of the whole show, the intensely powerful "I Can't Go On Living Without You". Before the final number, Cilla Black's "You're My World", Jane tips us the wink there may be a little bit more, and, after slipping away at the end of the song reappears a couple of minutes later in a slinky disco dress to encore with a medley of disco numbers that had many of the audience, quite literally, dancing in the aisles.
Throughout the evening Jane proved, if ever she needed to, that she is a fine vocal talent, never once faltering or missing a note. But she amply demonstrated also that she is more than just a singer, she is a personality, and celebrity status has done nothing to dull her Northern candour and earthy Yorkshire wit. A couple of songs into the programme, spotting a couple of people entering the auditorium late, she seized the opportunity for a bit of banter before launching into a quick precis of her first two songs so that they hadn't missed anything! The rest of the evening, she filled the gaps between the songs with corny jokes (which she somehow managed to make sound like the height of wit), ribbing her band and backing vocalists, and wrestling comically with her bosom arrangement and the split train of her purple gown as she tried to climb up onto her tall stool. The band also did a great job and kudos especially to musical director Barry Robinson, who was responsible for the fantastic musical arrangements.
I have to say that I have, until now, not been a particular fan of Jane McDonald - in fact I would even go so far as to say I was among those who thought she was, at least a little, overrated. I could not have been more wrong! This was my first experience of Jane McDonald live, and the Jane McDonald of this UK tour is very different from anything you may have seen of her on TV. Consequently, I acquired a whole new respect and enjoyed her performance far more than ever I expected. With a great voice, charming smile, ready wit, and impishly mischevious sense of humour, this Jane McDonald, far from being overrated, is probably one of the most rounded vocal entertainers in the UK today.
Verdict
A superbly enjoyable evening in the company of one of the most rounded entertainers in the UK today.
Don Gillan - www.stagebeauty.net