AIDA

ELTON JOHN and TIM RICE'S AIDA

Springers at the Civic Theatre Chelmsford

09.06.15

Verdi rewritten for the millennium by John and Rice. Embraced by Broadway, but still unseen in the West End, while Giuseppe's original still packs the Albert Hall.

Like Billy Elliott and Lion King, it relies on an existing success. But here the new version adds little, bringing only bathos and banality to the “timeless love story”.

A splendid start to Springers' ambitious staging, with 1920s ladies in cloche hats wandering amongst museum vitrines, including the life-size statue of Amneris, who steps out of her glass case to start the story.

Gary Jarvis's production is at its best in the set pieces, like the Nile laundry, or the witty spa number with its elegant fashion parade, or the torches for the patriotic Act One finale.

The chorus – Egyptian guards and Nubian slaves, all women – is effectively used and strikingly costumed. Ian Myers leads his singers confidently through the various genres – gospel, reggae and the rest.

Amyserin Leslie is a funny, forceful Amneris, Kieran Young a nicely characterized slave boy. In the title role, Lex Phillips makes an excellent advocate for Elton's pop ballad tunes; her youthful, ripped Rameses is done with some style and a strong vocal presence by Ben Wilton.

ELTON JOHN'S AIDA

ELTON JOHN'S AIDA

BOSSY at the Brentwood Theatre

06.10.12

Carmen Jones, Miss Saigon, Rent, they've all been pinched from the Met and bastardised for Broadway. None, perhaps, as shamelessly as this reworking by Elton John and Tim Rice, a long way after Giuseppe Verdi.

Elton's melodies are not especially memorable, so it was lucky they were so well served by these young singers, leading ladies especially. Chloe Rickenbach was strong in the title role, with Rosie Tooze-East on superb vocal form as her shallow, fashion-plate rival, the Princess Amneris.

The ensemble numbers worked best dramatically, with some fine duets and an eloquent quartet ["Not Me"] for the two girls and Radames [a confident James Durowse – better in his many numbers than in the dialogue] and Mereb, given a promising performance by Jonathan O'Neill, who brought out the simple sincerity of the Nubian slave-boy.

The dialogue was sometimes hard to catch, and the chorus had few opportunities to shine, though the bathrobe number was amusing, and I think Verdi might have approved of the rousing nationalistic chorale which is the climax to Act I.

The design was striking, though the scene changes sometimes seemed awkward, and there were some magnificent costumes – I liked the subdued russet tones for the captives.

Aida was directed for BOSSY by Gaynor Wilson; Andy Prideaux was the Musical Director.