Michael Courtney’s Mad About the Musicals returned to The Theatre Royal to delight an audience who love their songs from the shows and this five piece act with backing tracks delivered that punch of there being no business like show business.
Alan Bowles charmed with Reviewing the Situation from Oliver! And the three classy ladies Kerry O’Dowd, Leanne Howell and Jacqueline Hughes showed their quality with Sondheim’s Broadway Baby.
Bradley Jaden showed his paces in electricity from Billy Elliot, as a Little Shop of Horrors sequence moved into Cabaret with Jacqueline in sultry mood for Maybe This Time. Kerry O’Dowd belted out an emotion filled As Long As He Needs Me.
A Phantom selection moved into a newish Avenue Q medley with Jacqueline and Bradley in fine comic form for It Sucks To Be Me.
The young stars from the Richie Hayes Stage School joined the others for a snappy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
A Miss Saigon sequence opened the second half, with Alan Bowles in powerful form for the cutting The American Dream (selling you mom is a wrench, perfume can cover a stench) as Bradley got all energetic in Dancing Fool with the girls.
Alan and Kerry got a lot of crowd-pleasing comedy out of Anything You Can Do. Bradley had a show-stopper in Martin Guerre and Leanne wowed the audience with an operatic pastiche.
The Fosse version of Big Spender showed the girls in a new light before all five moved into a pleasing and rapturous selection from Les Miserables to bring a great night of musical hits to a thundering finale.
