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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 for desperate nights: Desperate Divas @St_JamesTheatre

Desperate Divas
It was only for one night, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we see the Desperate Divas return (if they can find the time between their busy schedules).

Tiffany Graves and Anita Louise Combe presented their show last Sunday about love and the fruitless pursuit of it. It was inspired by their real-life adventures dating men (and sometimes the same men). Both are exceptional singers with long careers on the West End. Their voices and be powerful yet nuanced - and when singing together they produced some sublime harmonies in this show.


The premise was that they are two young ladies on the internet dating scene. The most memorable moments from the evening came from the lesser known songs. Combe’s performance of Where In The World is My Prince, from William Finn and James Lapine’s musical Little Miss Sunshine, was a delight. Graves was sweet singing about unrequited like in Scott Burkell and Paul Loesel’s song, Parsley. Combe also played up her Australian roots, with My Shattered Illusion (or pronounced in Australian, Moye Shaahturd Eelooshon).

They capitalised on what seems to be a regular occurrence at cabaret performances nowadays, people taking photos, to encourage everyone to take pictures and live tweet it. It has been a while since I live tweeted anything but this time at least it was something lovely (well the ladies are lovely, the quality of the photography is a bit suspect). Of course when your audience takes the pictures they may not show your best side...

Graves and Combe closed their show with music from Chicago. Both had appeared at various times in the Kander and Ebb musical. Their familiarity with with the material came through as they sung Class with a bitterness in the phrasing that made seem fresh and new.

As they explain in the show, it has taken them a while from coming up with the idea to do the show to actually putting it on as they are both getting ready to appear in new shows. Graves will be seen in the touring production of The Producers as "If you got it, flaunt it" Ulla. Combe will be the demure Tessie Tura in Gypsy. But hopefully it won’t be too long before we see them appear again in their cabaret show.

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

First impressions with @johnnyfoxlondon are as follows…

listen to ‘Desperadoboom: first impressions of Desperate Divas @cabaretdivas with @johnnyfoxlondon’ on audioBoom

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