Ghost: The Musical

http://www.ghostthemusical.com/?gclid

Last weekend I took my mum to see Ghost: The Musical (based on 1990 film starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze) for a surprise for her 50th Birthday. I think most people would agree that Ghost is just one of those timeless films, in the same league as classics such as Dirty Dancing and Grease. A film that never gets old and can be watched again and again by all generations. So I think anyone that tries to recreate such an iconic film is taking a huge risk but I have to say, we were both thoroughly impressed.

The remake certainly does the film justice and doesn’t loose any of the magic from the original. It’s a brilliant piece of theatre, the staging and effects throughout the entire show is astounding, and every scene and illusion is created perfectly to the smallest detail. Likewise, the show is supported by a top notch cast.

Both vocally and visually, the entire cast were very strong. Sharon D Clarke, who stars as Oda May Brown, stole the show for me with her witty and believable portray of Whoppie Goldberg’s original role, keeping in perfect character throughout while still making it her own.

Cassie Levy (Molly Jenson) has a beautifully effortless voice, conveying great emotion throughout and maintaining brilliant chemistry on stage with Richard Fleeshman (Sam Wheat). Fleeshman’s strong vocals shone, alongside his great stage presence. Also....definitely one for the ladies to look out for!! The boy from Coronation Street has bulked out and looks super hot! ;-)

As for the songs, I'm not sure there is a classic in the making, but they were catchy, easy to listen to and worked well. As you would expect, Unchained Melody played a large role in the show, appearing several times but has been given a modern and playful twist.

I think Ghost works so well as a musical because the production doesn’t derive too far from original script and they have kept the charm and character, along with the moments people love about the film. One criticism I would have is that I felt the final fight scene was a little rushed and could have been made more powerful.

I would certainly recommend Ghost The Musical as one to watch. Fans of the film won’t be disappointed by a shoddy attempt at a show, and those who have never seen it can experience the magic of Ghost live. It’s an old classic refreshed and bought to life, and something to continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

                 

My beauty must haves....

1. Great Foundation - A good foundation can make even your worst skin day a good day. It's important to find a colour that doesn't leave the Essex boarder line on your face (aka, a big orange line!) and that gives you a fresh faced complexion instead of a caked, fake look. I use Estee Lauders double wear light foundation....it's perfect, it gives good coverage which is not too heavy, but heavy enough to cover blemishes. It also has a photogenic formula which makes so much difference. I used to use the double wear foundation by Estee Lauder but found that I looked like a ghost in photos!


2. Powder - It's a cheap and easy way to get flawlessly perfect skin! A little bit of powder over the top of foundation gives a smooth, matt finish. Natural collection (warm translucent) is fantastic, I swear by it! I tend to prefer the loose one to the compact but it can be harder to get hold of!


3. Bronzing balls - perfect to give a little bit of colour and define those cheek bones!


4. Lashes - Mascara is the one thing I don't tend to leave the house without wearing. I love long, thick lashes and usually apply a lengthening mascara followed by a volumising one (I'm currently using No7 and Rimmel London). Don't apply too much on the bottom lashes otherwise I find you tend to get a bit of a black eye effect (which is never flattering!!). On a night out, a pair of false lashes finish off a look but keep eyes looking seductive and sassy by wearing natural look lashes, nothing too long, too jazzy or OTT, otherwise you will end up looking more like a drag queen!! Eylure are pretty good and have really good glue...which is important otherwise you end up making a complete mess of your make up and have to start all over again (or end up walking around with one lash on and one off by the end of the night!)
 

5. Red Lipstick - I love red lipstick! It's my new favourite thing for a night out! A deep red looks great (nothing too orangey). During the day (or if you're not ready to jump straight into full on red lips), the Hollister red tinted lip gloss is brilliant, another one of my faves, and it tastes great too!




6. Eyeliner - I've got quite small eyes so I try to make them look a little bigger with big lashes and defining eyeliner, but eyeliner can make your eyes look smaller, so don't apply too much on the bottom of your eyes. I tend to use a thinner pencil to begin, drawing the shape I want and flicks at each corner (keep them small!) and then go over the liner on the lids with a thicker liner. I really like Scarlett &Crimson's line your eyes liner at the moment; it has a touch of glitter which adds a touch of sparkle and glamour on a night out! I also have a lot of problems with my eye liner smudging but this one seems to be great!

Les Miserables - anything but miserable!

I finally lost my Les Miserables virginity, but my god was it worth the wait!!! So much so, I've already seen my second show!

The Plot
Les Miserables follows the struggles and redemption of prisoner, Jean ValJean, and his life on the run. ValJean serves 19 years for a petty crime and after breaking his parole when released, he adopts a new identity and is a well respected man in the community. He is constantly overshadowed by his past through Javert, a prison guard who is determined to arrest him once again. In  his new life, ValJean meets Fantine and vows to take care of her and, as she lay on her death bed, he promises to take care of her daughter, Cosette. Cosette is in the care of scoundrels, the Theander's who treat her as a slave before ValJean rescues her and raises her as his own.

10 years pass and Cosette and ValJean move to Paris and it is the time of the rebellion. Here we meet the students, including Marius and daughter of the Theanders, Eponine. Cosette is a grown woman who meets and falls in love with student, Marius, who in turn falls in love with her. Marius enlists the help of Eponine to see Cosette again and unbeknown to them both, Eponine is also in love with Marius.....

We follow the students journey though the fight for revolution, where ValJean saves both the life of Marius and Javert. In turn, Javert's sense of morality is tested when he has the opportunity to arrest ValJean. After the rebellion, Marius morns the death of his fellow students and questions his survival. ValJean considers both his future, and that of Marius and Cosette and decides he must leave to prevent Cosette from future hurt and danger. Marius and Cosette marry, and upon realising that ValJean saved his life, Marius takes Cosette to see her father upon his deathbedone last time.

Was it any good?

So I may be a little bias, but I thought that Craig Mather (Marius) was fantastic (Craig is a friend of mine from school, hence the biasness!). Marius is Craig's debut role in the West End but he was completely at home and from his performance, he could have been there for years! At my first show I was a little disappointed that Alfie Boe (Jean ValJean) was unable to perform but his stand in was superb, especially for someone who is only 22! I had better luck the second time round and Mr Alfie Boe was just phenomenal, his performance was faultless and his voice, out of this world! The show would have been worth the second trip to see him alone if nothing else! I was also lucky enough to catch the 26th Birthday show, which made it that little bit extra special!

During my first show I was lucky enough to catch Matt Lucas as Theander and he completely made the role his own and provided light comic relief perfectly. Again, I could not fault him, he had the entire audience eating from the palm of his hand. Speaking to some of the more 'experienced Les Mis goers', it was the funniest rendition they had ever seen. Definitely a job well done!! The next Theander (Cameron Blakely) had some very big shoes to fill for my second show, but again, such a sterling cast, he didn't disappoint.

In both shows, I have to say all of the cast were top class. Eponine (Alexia Khadime) is no stranger to the West End and rightly so, she has such beautiful voice and I could listen to her singing On My Own time and time again. For me, Cosette (Lisa-Anne Wood) was the only one I thought was a little weak in comparison to such a strong cast. By no stretch of the imagination was she bad, not at all, but I think she stood out as the weaker link because the rest of the cast were top class!

As I said, this year is the first time I've seen it and I definitely wasn't disappointed, it was everything you could want from a musical - emotional, powerful, funny, charming and memorable. It comes highly recommended and I think a third trip may even be on the cards.........

http://www.lesmis.com/home_uk.php

Lee Evans - Roadrunner

Not much to say apart from...top show!! I went to see Lee Evans for the first time on Monday at the NIA in Birmingham and I definitely didn't leave feeling disappointed. The self dubbed, 'Monkey Boy' is a comic genius! He put on a fantastic show, I was laughing from start to finish with so many gags that I could relate to on a daily basis! He lived up to expectation and was on top form as he delivered his carefully crafted lines. As always, his stage presence was spot on and he hasn't lost any of his traits that make us love him, and was sure to deliver exactly what the audience wanted...a song, a sketch and two hours of brilliance! It's great to see a comedian who doesn't use any offensive humor and to see someone so humble and appreciative (he even took the time to sign autographs and shake hands while on stage at the end of the show). A genuinely nice, grounded guy and if your lucky enough the chance, I definitely recommend going along to one of his shows. I can't commend him enough and can't wait for the DVD to be released :-)

http://www.leeevans2011tour.co.uk/

This Week I'm loving.......

1. JEDWARD! I hate to admit it, but I've been hooked on celebrity Big Brother, particularly Jedward....a nightmare to live with but brilliant to watch! They definitely live in their own little world of Jedward where sharing baths and straightening clothes is completely normal, and it's great! I love their dodgy fashion sense, creative designs and 'imaginative' ways.......brilliant!

2. Christina Perri - Jar of hearts <3

3. Victoria Beckham's shoes....how she walks in them I will never know my god are they pretty! And already in leather trousers 8 weeks after giving birth?! Who else could pull those off that quickly!

4. Kelly Rowland bites back! After a contestant gave Tulisa some grief on Saturday’s X Factor, Kelly came to her defence and to that of women all around the world. Go Kelly, girl power!!! (Also loving Mr Gary Barlow, simply for being Gary Barlow!!! :) )

5. Becoming Barbie for the night.......

Ok, so blonde isn't a good look for me, but so much fun!

The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners Movie

This is probably going to be quite controversial but after all the hype and build up for this film I have to say that I left feeling a little disappointed......

Set in Malia, The Inbetweeners movie follows Jay, Neil, Simon and Will on a lads holiday after they finish their final year at school. Its two weeks filled with sun, sea, sand, clubs, alcohol and sex. And to be honest....thats about it....!! Unsurprisingly, the lads book a cheap clubbing holiday and end up being stuck in a grotty old hotel. They meet a group of girls on the first night and each fall for one of them by the end of the film. The story line is predictable, lazy and sloppy and it felt like they were trying too hard to be funny...

Any real 'Laugh Out Loud' moments were very few and far between, the plot was lacking in substance or story line (and the acting wasn’t great either.....). I know they aren't trying to re-create Shakespeare but some ryhmye or reason would have been nice. The film is pretty stereotypical and even though the cast specified that they didnt't want the film to come across as one long episode of The Inbetweeners, well sadly, thats all it was.
One of my favourite scenes was the dancing scene (part of it is shown in the trailer). This is something that will be replicated in clubs up and down the country I'm sure!!!!

Maybe this is one for the guys but for me it doesn't compare to the likes of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, and old school comedy classics like Kevin and Perry Go Large. I expected to leave the cinema with tears streaming down my face and my sides sore with laughter, sadly I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I've definitely seen worse but I just wasn't blown away.

You Against Me

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

You Against Me is a modern day Romeo and Juliet, tackling everyday struggles, stereotypes and issues. It is a story of courage, revenge, loyalty v's honesty, intimacy, betrayal, morality and forbidden romance.....


Following the discovery that his sister has been raped, Mikey McKenzie is intent on seeking revenge on her attacker.


With allegations that her brother is a rapist, Ellie Parker tries to defend her brother and wants to believe his innocence.


Downham sensitively tackles a very serious and complex theme, highlighting the effects on both families after such a horrific incidence and how love and loyalty effects an already delicate situation. It is a battle on both sides between doing what is right and protecting the ones you love.


Mikey and Ellie’s relationship begins as a strategic way of obtaining information about each other’s families to use against each other but becomes complex as they inadvertently begin to fall in love with one another.

This tests their values and virtues and their perspectives change as they have experienced the full force and consequences of their sibling’s actions. Both characters go through a life changing and character defining experience. Ellie is bound by her parents' increasing pressure to protect and defend her brother and their family. However this is challenged by the knowledge of what is right, her conscience and her love for Mikey.


Downham also explores two completely different families in social standing. One that appears to have everything and one that has seems to have nothing. It shows just how similar they really are and shows the strength of relationships and family ties, and of family love and first love. We see that often outside perceptions and social expectations are far from reality.


This is a true tale of love conquers all and once you start reading it you will struggle to put it down. It’s an easy read with a powerful message and shows that life is not just black and white. It is compassionate, compelling and brilliantly written. This is the first book I've read by Jenny Downham but definitely a name I will be looking out for from now on!