FROZEN - FILM REVIEW

FROZEN

Release Date: 6 December 2013
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk (voices)
Screening Reviewed: London Press Screening

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Make no qualms about it, Disney’s animation department are undoubtedly bathing in the deserved success and glow of a second renaissance period following on from the recent critical, box office and artistic successes of Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and now the beautiful and vintage Frozen. Picking up the reigns from their creative partners at Pixar, whose output has been a touch more inconsistent recently with the disappointing and muddled Cars 2 and Brave, the house of Mouse has masterfully managed to strike the zeitgeist with  their latest release, harmonising elements of classical Disney Princess convention with some of Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph’s vim and sass and proudly crafting the tale as a big, Broadway-beating musical to boot, as old Uncle Walt himself would have wanted it.

A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET - THEATRE REVIEW

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: Thursday 05 - Saturday 07 December

Performance Viewed: Thursday 05 December (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

I’m going to go out on a limb and say the majority of people who pay to go and see a musical version of ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ are likely in the market for something to top up their festive spirit. Either those familiar with the movie version (be it the 1947 or ’94 incarnations) or generally enthused about the time of year to indulge in a bit of added mirth and merriment.

THEATRE INTERVIEW - Stewart Clarke (Ghost the Musical)

GHOST THE MUSICAL INTERVIEWS:

Part Two - Stewart Clarke (Sam)

Fresh off of it's run at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last month, and garnering a 5 star rating from us here at (A)musings (click here for Kyle's full review), the superb Ghost the Musical made a pitstop at the opulent Laurent Perrier champagne bar in Birmingham on a fittingly drizzly Thursday afternoon (fans of the show will understand) for a launch event to promote it's run at the New Alexandra Theatre this coming December.

Last time we brought you editor Kyle's interview with leading lady Rebecca Trehearn (which for those who have not yet read it can be found here) and in this second part he talks to the shows leading man and local-lad-done-good Stewart Clarke...

Stewart Clarke (Sam) at the Birmingham
launch of Ghost the Musical last month

Well Stewart, thank you very much for your time!

No, it’s fine!

So we saw the show in Wolverhampton last week and loved it, but we’ll kickstart for the uninitiated - how would you describe the experience of Ghost the Musical in a nutshell?

Well it’s a heart-wrenching tale of this undying love that triumphs through adversity, and how people deal with loss and how they move on from that. But underneath all that it’s a thrilling tale of action and deceit and all sorts. It’s a great show, I love it.

THEATRE INTERVIEW - Rebecca Trehearn (Ghost the Musical)

GHOST THE MUSICAL INTERVIEWS:

Part One - Rebecca Trehearn (Molly)

Fresh off of it's run at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this past fortnight, and garnering a 5 star rating from us here at (A)musings (click here for Kyle's full review), the superb Ghost the Musical made a pitstop at the opulent Laurent Perrier champagne bar in Birmingham on a fittingly drizzly Thursday afternoon (fans of the show will understand) for a launch event to promote it's run at the New Alexandra Theatre this coming December.

Editor Kyle attended the launch, conducted the photocall at the end and sat down for a chat with the show's leads. Today we bring you the first in a set of three interviews for the show, beginning with it's wonderful leading lady, the delightful Rebecca Trehearn...

Well Rebecca, thank you very much for your time!

Rebecca Trehearn (Molly) at the Birmingham
launch of Ghost the Musical last Thursday

My pleasure!

We saw the show in Wolverhampton last week, but before discussing Ghost, I was just wondering if we could talk about yourself a little first, and how you got into acting and musical theatre. Was it something you always wanted to do?

Yeah, it kind of was. I started very young because I grew up in North Wales, and singing and performing is very much a part of the culture there, I would say. There’s an annual competition called the Eisteddfod that kind of moves around the country, but basically you can do choral singing or solo singing or a specific Welsh form of singing, so I started competing as a singer there when I was 7 or 8, something like that, and then joined a local Am Dram group when I was 9 and I never really looked back.

I did my first professional theatre job when I was 10 or 11, I can’t remember! But I’ve been doing it ever since... I have no other skills! (laughs).

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL: DOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS OFFER!

'HAVE A DOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS!' With the cast of 9 to 5: The Musical at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham!

The Cast of 9 to 5: The Musical, including Amy Lennox, Ben Richards and Jackie Clune. Photo credit - Phil Hitchman. 

A cast photocall was held at Centenary Square by the ‘Wheel of Birmingham’

on Thursday 6th December 2012.

Prior to their Christmas run opening at the New Alexandra Theatre on Monday 17th December for 3 weeks, the cast of 9 to 5 The Musical were in Birmingham to wish the people of the city a very Merry Christmas and invite them to see 9 to 5 The Musical where the parking and first drinks are on them! See the foot of the article for details on how to claim this great festive offer!

Our ‘Have a Dolly Good Christmas!’ promotion offers customers a premium ticket or price band A – B ticket to the show, free parking at the NCP Albany Car Park on the night of the show and a free soft drink or glass of wine in the bar.

9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL - PRESS LAUNCH PREVIEW

9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: 17 December 2012 - 5 Jan 2013

Previewed by Kyle Pedley

This Friday saw the press launch for 9 to 5: The Musical prior to it’s UK touring run, including a Christmas tenure at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham beginning December 14.

On hand to preview the show were its cast, including Footballers Wives and The Bill alumni Ben Richards, West End veteran Jackie Clune, Natalie Casey who most will know from Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and Television and Theatre supremo Bonnie Langford, and director Jeff Calhoun who brought a winning enthusiasm and self-deprecating charm to the launch very much in-line with what one has come to expect from Ms. Parton herself.