Michael Xavier

REVIEW: A Christmas Carol, Lyceum Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

Reviews, West End
London Musical Theatre Orchestra A Christmas Carol Lyceum Theatre

A Christmas Carol London Musical Theatre Orchestra Lyceum Theatre, 11th December 2017 5 Stars Book Tickets Seeing this sprawling, grand, majestic musical entertainment again in the once splendid surroundings of Bertie Crewe’s opulently spacious rococo interior (behind Beazley’s proudly neo-classical facade), with the full resources of the LMTO massed on stage, complete with a chorus and a line up of superb soloists, all in evening dress, flanked by a brace of sparkling Christmas trees, and beneath the trademark red banners of this specialist orchestra, in this melodramatic, sentimental story of vice and redemption, it is easy to think that there is rather more of nineteenth century French grande-opera about it than the conventional trappings and concerns of Broadway showbiz.  Hearing Alan Menken’s stunning score, given lush and vivid life in Michael Starobin’s gorgeous orchestrations, it is easy to imagine oneself back in the world of Meyerbeer, Gounod and Berlioz, where … Read more

REVIEW: The Barricade Boys, The Other Palace ✭✭✭✭✭

Off West End, Reviews
The Barricade Boys

The Barricade Boys The Other Palace Studio, 7th December 2017 5 Stars Book Now If there’s something that is guaranteed to make a festive season truly joyful, then it is a perfectly constructed and executed cabaret, and that is what you get – in spades – from this tightly focussed and intimately presented entertainment, designed, produced, directed and performed by a quartet of male alumni of ‘that’ long running show in the West End about revolution, dreams and bringing him home.  Since their foundation a couple of years ago, ‘The Barricade Boys’ have become a welcome addition to the occasional lighter end of musical theatre entertainment, with their well constructed and expertly delivered packages of the familiar and the much less well known, smart outfits, nifty stage moves, and a glamorously generous band of seven, as they have toured an interesting choice of medium sized venues around the country.  Now, … Read more

Rufus Hound Hosts Twelve Musical Theatre Stars At Actor’s Church

Concerts, Events, News, West End
Book tickets for Musical Theatre Stars at Christmas

Rufus Hound will host a charitable concert on the Sunday before Christmas (18 December 2016) at The Actor’s Church in Covent Garden featuring an incredible line up of musical theatre stars. The concert will be held in aid of Children with Cancer UK. Rufus Hound will be joined by Ramin Karimloo, Cassidy Janson, Ben Forster, Emma Kingston, Peter Polycarpou, Sandra Marvin, Jordan Shaw, Emmanuel Kojo, Carole Stennett, Norman Bowman, and Chris Johnson. The concert will also feature the Musical Theatre Masterclass Choir – a group of talented students from the London performing arts school, run by Michael Xavier. Michael says: “I am so grateful to these incredible musical theatre stars who are performing in this very special Christmas concert. They are already so busy, starring in hit west end shows like Phantom of the Opera, Murder Ballad, Motown, The Bodyguard, In the Heights, Beautiful and Stepping out. It’s incredibly generous … Read more

REVIEW: Bumblescratch, Adelphi Theatre ✭✭

Reviews, West End
Bumblescratch at the Adelphi Theatre

As it stands the score is far too dense and thematically all over the place, the plot far too complex and several characters seemingly irrelevant. Once I got home after the show, I digested the shows two and a half pages of plot in the programme, and I found it all thoroughly convoluted. As a first public outing, it’s not bad, but there’s a long way to go until this show is ready for any further public outing

OPENING NIGHT: Sunset Boulevard

Gallery, News, West End
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close

BritishTheatre.com is pleased to bring you these great images of the Opening Night of Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum. This semi-staged production stars the incomparable Glenn Close, Michael Xavier, Siobhan Dillon and Fred Johnason together with the 48 piece ENO Orchestra.

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FIRST LOOK: Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard

Features, Gallery, News, West End
Tickets for Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard are available through Britishtheatre.com

Performances begin today for Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s musical based on Billy Wilder’s iconic film of the same name is being presented for 43 performances only. Co-starring Michael Xavier, Sionhan Dillon and Fred Johanson, Sunset Boulevard looks set to be the theatrical event of 2016. Read our review of Sunset Boulevard BOOK NOW FOR SUNSET BOULEVARD Photos: Richard Hubert Smith

REVIEW: Hey Old Friends, Theatre Royal Drury Lane ✭✭✭✭

Events, Reviews, West End
Millicent Martin in Hey Old Friends

There was a charming mix of reverence and irreverence as well, making the audience feel specially entertained and complicit with the in-jokes. The warm up prelude, People Who Like Sondheim (performed with zing by Kit and McConnel) was good fun and the duo appeared throughout as a kind of Sondheim Statler and Waldorf with witty and barbed repartee. In the second Act though, one of the unarguable surprise sensations of the evening was a five minute romp through 33 Sondheim compositions, “Ladies and gentlemen may we have your attention please…” presented with real style and panache by Martin Milnes and Dominic Ferris. These cabaret contributions provided some much needed innovative content.