This is our review of Music Of The Night at Liverpool‘s Epstein Theatre. So, let’s take a look at Music Of The Night!
Music Of The Night
Description Of Music Of The Night
The show begins with the pianist Per Neilsen playing on Roy Locke. So, after an introduction, Locke starts with Oh What A Beautiful Morning with the Oklahoma! logo on the projector screen. We then meet Leigh Rhianon Coggins as she joins in with People Will Say We’re In Love. As this indicates, the show covers vintage tunes from timeless musicals, both on the stage and on the big screen. So, Leigh sings such songs as I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady. Roy picks up with tunes such as Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific). Both then perform numbers from West Side Story: Tonight, I Feel Pretty and Hushabye Mountain.
Mind you, someone else also sang: a guest, Ron, who travelled from Germany to see his friend Roy perform. And Ron sang Old Man River incredibly well in a bass tone, earning a standing ovation in the process. Somewhere Over The Rainbow was next before Roy’s dedication to the people of Ukraine, Anthem. After One Day At A Time, we heard Mack The Knife as it was originally performed in Die Dreigroschenoper. And All I Ask Of You ended the first half in style.
Second Half
The second half sees both Roy and Leigh continue to pay tribute to classic musicals. But we also get snapshots of recent works, such as Roy’s tune I Am The Pirate King from Hurrah For The Pirate King! After Leigh sings If I Love You, we get a homage to The Lion King via Can You Feel The Love Tonight. It’s then onto Sweeney Todd and a chilling version of My Friends with Roy holding a razor! From there, we get a tribute to Les Misérables with On My Own, Empty Chairs and Bring Him Home.
So, the final main part of the show concerns arguably the most famous show ever, Phantom Of The Opera. For this section, Roy and Leigh sing Music Of The Night amongst several recognisable tunes. A joint rendition of The Prayer was spinetingling and drew another standing ovation. For the Liverpool audience, though, the cast saved the best for last. That’s because the night ended with the most famous tune from Carousel, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Analysis Of Music Of The Night
This show sets a high bar from the beginning and maintains that standard throughout. Both Roy Locke and Leigh Rhianon Coggins have vast experience performing in major theatre productions. And it shows because both are truly brilliant at singing in an operatic style. There are two key elements that make this show stand out. So, one is the simple approach where we focus solely on the singing rather than special effects or costumes. But the other element is vital: Roy and Leigh don’t just sing these songs. Indeed, they perform the tunes as if they’re actually in Les Mis, Phantom Of The Opera etc. The upshot is that this is more than just a snapshot of classic songs. It almost feels like we get mini previews of all of these unforgettable musicals. Small touches help too, such as Roy donning a Phantom-style mask towards the end.
Meanwhile, Per Neilsen is a fabulous pianist and adds drama to each song, especially the more emotional tunes. Speaking of emotion, a number of hits drew tears from some spectators. (On a side note, it was nice to attend a show where the audience could sit silently and appreciate the performances.) Mind you, there were also chances to sing along (YNWA was understandably a great choice in this regard!). And not forgetting Ron, who almost stole the show with his much-welcomed cameo. All of which made for a great Mother’s Day weekend treat, as Roy pointed out during the show.
Summary Of Music Of The Night
This is a must-see show, especially for those who truly love the art of music itself. Yes, we get a lot of songs from timeless musicals, but the vocal performances are what carry this splendid production. I loved it when I watched it during the 2020 Liverpool Theatre Festival, and I enjoyed it even more this time. So, if you’re a die-hard musical lover, make plans to see this show when it returns.
Notes
Target Audience: Ages 35+
Content: No Content Likely To Offend
Recommendation?: Yes
