Review: I’M EVERY WOMAN THE MUSICAL, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Big vocals, bold visuals and iconic songs make for an entertaining tribute of Chaka Khan, even though the story struggles to finds its beat.
I'm Every Woman is the biopic of the living musical legend, Chaka Khan. From its opening moments, the show immediately establishes Chaka Khan's influence and legacy, culminating in Alexandra Burke's entrance. Burke is the star of the production, delivering a confident and commanding performance as Chaka Khan, with vocals that do justice to this iconic catalogue of music.
Unfortunately, after such a strong opening, the musical takes a little while to find its rhythm. The pace moves incredibly quickly through Chaka Khan's early life and rise to fame, which leaves many of the emotional moments not having the time to deepen or be explored. Rather than allowing the audience to connect with Chaka and the people around her, the story often rushes from one milestone to the next. Characters appear, make an impact, and disappear almost as quickly, leaving little opportunity to become invested or moved by them.
This fast pace also affects the storytelling. While the musical does a good job of covering the key moments of Chaka Khan's life and introducing the many artists she collaborated with, such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, and Joni Mitchell, to name a few, it can sometimes feel messy as the narrative jumps between different periods and people. Joni Mitchell, played by Sophie Earl, is one of the exceptions, remaining a consistent presence throughout the show. Her vocals are stunning, and she adds warmth whenever she's on stage. But often the inclusion of the characters feels a bit disjointed.
One of the production's most interesting aspects is its staging. Scene changes are slick and effortless due to moving walls and clever lighting design. Although we did miss the use of traditional, more substantial physical sets, the creative use of lighting and projections on the back wall make the transitions seamless. The production also makes effective use of live camera work and projections, while social media posts displayed across the back wall cleverly mark significant moments.
The revolutionary sequence is another standout. It's visually impressive and captures the atmosphere well, although we couldn't help feeling this tension and the political themes could have been explored in greater depth, as this was an important part of Chaka Khan's story.
Musically, there are some real highlights. After the opening performance of ‘I'm Every Woman’, there aren't many immediately memorable numbers for a while, but ‘Ain't Nobody’ is a clear standout. Miles Anthony Daley gives the song a fresh and new introduction before Alexandra Burke delivers the iconic version in a colourful fairground sequence that becomes one of the evening's more enjoyable moments. However, many of the musical numbers do not feel so well thought out or substantial, and are not influential in advancing the plot.
The choreography is solid at points, with one sequence in particular being especially impactful; the interpretive dance between Alexandra Burke and Miles Anthony Daley following Chaka's second marriage. It's beautifully performed and tells their relationship story without relying on dialogue, showing another side to Burke's talents that is unexpected. The costume department also deserves recognition. Alexandra Burke seems to have a different outfit for almost every scene, with remarkably quick costume changes that refresh the visual spectacle constantly.
The final section of the show brings everything together effectively. There's an unexpected twist towards the end that leaves you rethinking the show, although it is not completely a surprise as there are big clues throughout. The way the finale scene mirrors the opening is one of the production's stronger creative choices and ends the show nicely, before the megamix at the end, which is arguably the most enjoyable moment of the show.
I'm Every Woman is a celebration of Chaka Khan's remarkable life and career, and Alexandra Burke leads the cast brilliantly. Although there are moments of memorable musical and visual elements, the production would benefit from slowing down and allowing its emotional beats to land. With a little more focus, tighter storytelling and songs that are integrated more naturally into the narrative, this could become a much stronger musical. It’s an entertaining tribute that captures the scale of Chaka Khan's legacy, even if it doesn't always capture the depth of the woman herself.
** Two stars
Reviewed by: Alexandra Tullah
