A STUNNING night of Songs from Great Musicals was produced by The Jigsaw Players at Bromsgrove’s Holiday Inn.
The large cast of 37 each played their part in the well-chosen 34 numbers from hit shows, including Oliver, The Sound of Music, West End Story, Joseph, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.
The opening songs, which included the well-known ‘Consider Yourself’ and catchy ‘Oom Pah Pah’ from Oliver gave a lively start and then there was a good mix of fast and slow numbers, foot-tapping classics, a sprinkling of comedy, concluding with the grand finale – One Day More – from Les Mis.
The stage was fittingly minimal, placing all the emphasis on the excellent performers.
The live music and choreography were both a delight and there were some amazing portrayals.
Among them were Catherine Tabberner who showed perfectly her outstanding vocal range in the four songs she led on.
Greg Boughton and Thom Stafford also impressed, the latter particularly with From Russia With Love.
The comedic performances of the night went to Kevin Ward with The Gas Man Cometh and Sarah Townsend’s He Vas My Boyfriend which had the audience in hysterics.
Jenny Rose was amazing to watch with songs which included I Have Confidence, I Don’t Know How to Love Him and Defying gravity. She was so natural on stage she made it look effortless.
Emily Gilday was also excellent. As well as her pitch-perfect vocals, her facial expressions and mannerisms made for an all-round incredible performance. You got the impression you could give her any song or scene from any musical and she could faultlessly perform it.
But undoubtedly, the star of the show was Jack Giblen who was such an imposing presence on the stage in every song he performed. He is surely destined for bigger stages.
He and Gilday were a delight to watch in The Phantom of the Opera where you could hear a pin drop.
And the penultimate song by Giblen – the moving Bring Him Home – got him his very own standing ovation.
There were also some songs, such as The Mash Up, which showed the Jigsaw group could even put together a pretty impressive show choir if it wished. The harmonies during the three-song selection were second to none.
The evening was entitled A Musical Express but should have been called A Musical Rollercoaster, such were the levels of fun and entertainment on offer during a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
It ended with the audience on its feet and it was every bit deserved.
