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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

Music: Michael Feinstein

I caught Michael Feinstein's final concert at the Leicester Square theatre and he is sounding as good as ever. The last time I saw him he was performing with a big band at the Palladium. There was much gushing and gratuitous cameo celebrity appearances. This time around things were much smaller scale and far more enjoyable...

The programme included a selection of songs from the likes of Gershwin and Porter, which is now classified as "The American Songbook" A rather generic label for any song that is old (in danger of being lost), with a pleasant tune, and lyrics that are usually well written.


While his performance introduced a few new songs into the mix, what is nice about listening to Feinstein is his ability to give these songs a new lease of life. Even for songs you have heard him sing before he manages to make them sound as fresh and as interesting as they could ever be.

He has two new albums out as well - one with Barbara Cook and the other Fly Me To the Moon with guitarist Joe Negri. I still like his songs by the Gershwin's album best, Nice Work If You Can Get It. It must be fun travelling around singing this songs. And for a man in his fifties he is looking good for his age and in great shape... Maybe that is the trick to looking young and fit by being surrounded by audiences that are older and fatter... Or perhaps a sign that his fanbase could be broader...

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