This three-part celebration of musical theatre graduates of 2020 and 2021 showcases 39 singers who will surely be names to watch in the future.
In the surroundings of the sumptuous Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square, these talented vocalists belt out their best numbers in style, and although we will inevitably have our favourite numbers and interpreters, every individual performer proves to be a name to watch. They don’t shy away from the trickier numbers of musical theatre, either.
In part one you can enjoy a bit of Sondheim (Finishing the Hat, by Jay Worley), a medley from the glorious Hadestown (Aoife O’Dea, accompanying herself on the harp), She Used To Be Mine from Waitress (by Alice Croft), and a lovely cover of Etta James’s I’d Rather Go Blind from Lewis Snell.
Part two has another heady mix of musical and pop with highlights including All Fade Away from The Bridges of Madison County (by Henry Shine), a bit of Disneyana from Olivia Lallo with Go the Distance, Jennifer Adab at the Rock with Me and the Sky, and Niels Bouwmeester with Something To Hold On To .
Sondheim, and a lesser-known track, appears in part three, with a gorgeous I Remember from Evening Primrose from Beth Mabin, and Markus Sodergren with Marry Me a Little. Elsewhere, we have a powerful Pity the Child (by Nathan Shaw), and Amelia Atherton singing the Diva”s Lament from Spamalot.
I was deeply impressed by the fortitude and talent of all these artists, who have graduated at the most precarious time for the theatre industry but still radiated positivity. Some of this group have been showcased already in the Untapped series at the Union Theatre, and I look forward to seeing future appearances of the others.
A nice touch with these concerts was not just to have established MT hosts – Grace Mouat, Luke Bayer, Courtney Bowman – but also messages of support from big names in the industry like Gary Wilmot, Bonnie Langford and Sophie Thompson.
Graduates at Cadogan Hall tickets are available here until 4 April 2021, and are £15.
LouReviews received complimentary access to review Graduates at Cadogan Hall.