American musical theatre powerhouse Marisha Wallace has taken the London theatre scene by storm in the last few years,
Marisha Wallace: Live in London, captures the energy and dynamic vocals of her live performance, whether heading into gospel, offering a tribute to Whitney Houston, or simply enjoying the interaction with an adoring audience.
Recorded in front of a full house at the Adelphi Theatre in March 2025, Live in London is a two-act party and story of Wallace’s life from childhood to professional success.
With the anthems, the ballads, and the showstoppers all present and correct, each chapter in this concert adds to the story of how Marisha Wallace started singing in the church and ended up lauded on the biggest of stages in the West End.
For Wallace, singers like Whitney Houston, Heather Headley, and Etta James led the way as prominent Black women singing out their hearts and following their dreams.
We hear their songs, as well as those associated with Wallace herself, from Waitress, Dreamgirls, Guys and Dolls, and Cabaret, her West End successes as a much-loved performer.
The life in this album makes you want to get up and dance, open all the windows wide and let the light flood in.
It’s beautifully produced as a piece of music, and wonderfully articulated as a story of a performer who never gave up and played anywhere and anyhow until she got to where she wanted.
It’s no coincidence that “Some People” from Gypsy opens the show, with its “they can stay and rot, but not me” message.
Marisha Wallace doesn’t just rip open the Great American Songbook, she turns it into sparkling confetti.
Her “I Cain’t Say No”, from Oklahoma (seen first in the Rodgers and Hammerstein anniversary concert last year) has all the bravado and flirtation you’d expect from Ado Annie, and her diction is absolutely on point.
Her softer side is also on display in “My Man”, a song most associated with Jewish vaudevillian Fanny Brice, that ties into a deeply personal decision.
Even a Waitress reunion is on offer, with Lucie Jones (Jenna) and Laura Baldwin (Dawn) returning to the stage to form the cafe trio once more.
The very stage where they made Sara Bareilles’s musical win the hearts of the West End audience, and where Wallace was advised by fellow American, the late Gavin Creel, to make the UK her home.
Finishing up with a rousing “Proud Mary” (proud Marisha?) as an encore, Marisha Wallace proves that she is one of the greatest talents in musical theatre. Hell, music full stop.
An easy 5* success.
Marisha Wallace: Live In London is available on 15 Aug from Westway Music as a 2-CD set.