Tag Archives: Rutherglen Town Hall

REVIEW: Oh! What a Night with The Sherry Babys

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The popularity of Jersey Boys seems to know no bounds, with the first national tour running for nearly two years, the West End production in its eighth year and numerous tribute acts touring the length and breadth of the country. It’s the turn of The Sherry Babys (formerly The Rag Dolls) to deliver the greatest hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as well as some of the most famous songs of the Doo-Wap era in their production Oh! What a Night.

The hits of the Four Seasons are delivered with slick choreography clearly influenced by Sergio Trujillo’s signature choreography for Jersey Boys and some chat in American accents of varying degrees of success. The vocals are universally on-point, the only bug-bear being the changing (forgetting?) of lyrics by the singer with the Frankie Valli falsetto which prompted a bit of interval chat – these songs are now so well known by the audience that they really need to be perfect. The live backing band are competent and add an immediacy and energy to the production that is lacking in some tribute acts who sing to backing tracks, though the levels in the venue were a little over-amped at times. The doo-wop hits are delivered with the same enthusiasm Overtones-style.

The almost universal popularity of this music means that you are always going to be on to a winner. A highly entertaining evenings entertainment, thoroughly enjoyed by the sell-out crowd.

 

REVIEW: Scottish Opera Highlights 2013

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“Full of energy, versatility and plenty of humour, a cast of four young singers and a pianist introduce a line-up of excerpts from well-known operas along with some surprises from lesser-known works. A favourite with audiences across Scotland, this gem of an evening has something for everyone, from seasoned fans to opera first-timers.”  Scottish Opera

The programme for this year’s Opera Highlights is inspired by 50 years of Scottish Opera, featuring a winning formula of musical highlights from favourite productions over the years woven together with stories and anecdotes from the Company’s history. The cast of up-and-coming artists features Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Katie Grosset, Scottish soprano Eleanor Dennis (finalist in 2012’s Kathleen Ferrier Competition), baritone Gary Griffiths (an Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera) and Scottish tenor Nicky Spence, who is also appearing in The Magic Flute and The Flying Dutchman this season.

The talent, carefully chosen programme and staging make for a highly entertaining and engaging evening. The personalities of the singers (in particular Nicky Spence a man with a personality as big as his voice) as well as the undoubted talent, meant that the evening flew by.

There were many highlights in particular: Dennis’s affecting rendition of Oh Pale Blue Dawn from Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel; Spence’s beautifully heart-rending take on Kurt Weill’s Lonely House from Street Scene and a fabulously comic rendition of Offenbach’s The Typsy Waltz from La Périchole  by Grosset, which also highlighted her fine acting skills.

Included in the programme was the world premiere of Hand by Gareth Williams (Scottish Opera’s composer in residence) with text by the highly talented Johnny McKnight. Beautifully sung it promises much as a piece of modern opera if developed into a full-length work.

The evening is, as always, a combination of the familiar and the challenging. A fine introduction to opera which will inspire new fans and delight afficionados equally.

Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Scottish Opera Highlights 1st February 2011

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In the pursuit of entertainment of a more cultural nature, it was a concert of highlights that Scottish Opera are touring around the country. The programme was;

La finta giardiniera – Che lieto giorno

Le nozze di Figaro – Non piu andrai

Don Pasquale – Quel guardo il cavaliere

Giulio Cesare – Son nata a lagrimar

The Magic Flute – Bei Männern welche liebe fühlen

La jolie fille de Perth – Serenade

Werther – Letter Scene

Il barbiere di Siviglia – All’idea di quell metallo

Hansel and Gretel – Evening Prayer

Carmen – Séguedille

Count Ory – No one can see

La Traviata – Brindisi

The Queen of Spades – Pauline’s Aria

Il barbieri di Siviglia – Non dubitar, o Figaro

The Cunning Little Vixen – Gracious me he’s so gorgeous

I Puritani – Ah! Per sempre io ti perdei

Goyescas – La maja y el ruisenor

Cosi fan tutti – Il core vi dono

Utopia Limited – Oh Zara, my beloved one, bear with me

Countess Maritza – Let’s go to Varasdin

The Merry Widow – Red as the rose of maytime

Die Fledermaus – Champagne!

performed by;

Soprano – Marie Claire Breen 
(Scottish Opera Emerging Artist)

 Mezzo Soprano – Catherine Hopper

Tenor – Nicholas Watts

Baritone – Njabulo Madlala

It was a diverse programme, designed to appeal to the masses – really enjoyable, delivered by talented singers. Keep a look out for this as it tours every year and to different places each time. Well worth the admission price.