Review: WEST END WEEKEND: AN EVENING WITH KERRY ELLIS, The Old Joint Stock Theatre
As part of their new West End Weekend, The Old Joint Stock Theatre welcomed the ‘Queen of the West End’ Kerry Ellis, for a series of intimate performances. With a rich and varied career in musical theatre as well as being a successful recording artist, Ellis treated audiences to an afternoon of classic songs and personal stories.
Hosted by Michael Neri, Kerry Ellis opened the show with ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from My Fair Lady, the production that marked her big break. Ellis then alluded to an unexpected evening she had the previous night on Birmingham’s Broad Street. Accompanied by a pianist, Ellis’s vocals were, as expected, the standout feature of the afternoon. An emotional rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’ from The Wizard of Oz moved several audience members to tears, a true testament to Ellis’s vocal talent and ability to tell a story without the need for elaborate production.
Host Michael Neri was on hand to discuss Ellis’ life and about her upbringing in a non-musical household, as well as the challenges of touring while raising young children. Their rapport felt effortless, as if they had known each other for years, despite only meeting the day before. While the host brought plenty of personality to the conversation, there were moments where the focus shifted a little too much. Ellis however came across as warm, genuine, and charming, closing the first act with an energetic performance of ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love.’
Act Two opened with the song everyone had been waiting for ‘Defying Gravity’ performed in a stripped down yet still powerful version, showcasing Ellis’s iconic role as Elphaba in Wicked followed by an interesting tale on how she had to retrain her voice for the role. She then invited audience member Mitchell Phillips to join her for a duet of ‘As Long As You’re Mine,’ also from Wicked, after he had earlier impressed with his rendition of ‘Freeze Your Brain’ from Heathers. The show closed on a high with another We Will Rock You fan favourite: a performance of ‘Somebody to Love’ complimented with an array of backing vocals from the audience members present.
In contrast to her extensive UK tour, this performance took place in an exceptionally intimate venue. A light-hearted quick fire question round, which was anything but quick, featured questions about Ellis’ knowledge on Birmingham and whether she preferred cats or dogs during a this or that round which offered some fun moments, but it felt like a missed opportunity to explore her many iconic roles and more undoubtedly fascinating stories from her time in musical theatre. Audiences rarely get the chance to be this up close and personal with a genuine West End star, especially in the Midlands and it would have been more insightful to hear these anecdotes rather than if Ellis knew which tv shows had been filmed near by etc.
An audience Q&A reengaged the crowd, with Ellis sharing entertaining stories of on stage mishaps and the gruelling seven rounds of auditions she endured for both Wicked and We Will Rock You. These insights were what the audience wanted to hear and it would have been great to hear a broader selection of songs given their impressive résumé. The absence of numbers from major West End shows she had starred in was disappointing when we had several songs from the same musicals. Ellis’ vocal performance and natural wit cannot be faltered though and proved why she is one of the most talented and sought out performers there is.
Hopefully, the start of a series of concerts that will bring West End stars to the Midlands, West End Weekends are the perfect way to get up close and personal with your favourite musical theatre stars filled with vocals, laughter and personal stories.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Jordan Potts