Kerry Ellis and Brian May – Anthems: The Concert Review
Name of Show: Anthems: The Concert
Date: 1st May 2011
Starring: Kerry Ellis, Brian May, Adam Pascal, Escala, Dan Gillespie, The West End Chorus
Words and Music: Various!! Queen, Steven Schwartz, Don Black
Opened: One day only at RAH but first day of national tour
Theatre: The Royal Albert Hall, London
Seats: Originally 3rd Tier but we were upgraded for free to Stalls L Row 4 Seats 84 & 85
Seat Review: Amazing view and the RAH has these awesome swivelly chairs so you can face any part of the hall!
Price: £35 for 3rd tier seats. The people in the stalls near our upgraded seats paid about £60
Visit number: First and only!
Rating out of 10: 100
Recommend: Absolutely – you MUST see this tour!
Describe it in 5 words: A truly spectaular anthemic extravaganza.
MiniHobo’s Review:
WOW! It is so hard to know where to start with this review. Do I start with the magnificant building in which I cheered, clapped and standing ovated? Or perhaps I should begin with the ecstatic atmosphere filled with musical theatre fans, rock fans and Brian May pilgrims? Or would it be disrespectful not to mention first the unquestionably important work of Leukemia and Lymphona Research? Do I go with my head and review in detail the set, lighting, sound, direction and the many costume changes? Or do I go with my heart and start with the reason most of use were there – KERRY ELLIS!!
Nearly 2 years to the day since she left WICKED (May 9th will always be known as Kerry Ellis Day!), Kerry signed, sealed and delivered, confirming that she is indeed the QUEEN of musical theatre. With 4 impressive costume changes, rifftastic anthems (both vocally and guitarally!) and flawless, stunning vocals, she went from stage songstress and friend of Brian May to international megastar. She growled the crowd into no less than 3 standing ovations and her vocals could’ve become a live recording with NO editing necessary – at one point I was longing for her to miss a note just to show she’s not perfect but, I am jealous to confirm that indeed, she is!!
Kerry has an incredible way of effortlessly making her concerts a personal performance; I felt she was there for me and only me. And while proving herself a superstar, never once did she show diva tendencies – she gave recognition where due to every single person on the stage; a very humbling trait in such a well-loved performer.
You may notice I haven’t mentioned too much detail about the performances. This is because you, as the reader, will fall into one of the following 3 catagories:
- You were at Anthems: The Concert. In which case you are looking at this with your own opinions already in tact….please stick them in the comments so I can have a nosey at them…I’d love to know what you thought!!
- You are going to Anthems: The Concert when it tours. In which case I don’t want to give away anything except that you will have the time of your life and the Ellis and the May will not disappoint.
- You didn’t go and you aren’t booked in. In which case…whyever not? If you love Kerry, or Brian, or rock, or musicals, or music full stop…you need to book tickets. It’s a showstopping production that puts X Factor alumni and many of the chart topping artists to shame!
We were very lucky last night to also witness the musical talent of Adam Pascal, Escala and Dan Gillespie. Dan (from The Feeling) joined Kerry and Brian on stage to sing ‘I love it when you call’. He added an extra dimension that we hadn’t heard on the CD and they were having a ball up there on stage!! Adam Pascal sang a selection of songs from RENT, HAIR and Spring Awakening. My personal favourite was Seasons Of Love! Escala performed a couple of Anthems however I don’t think the concert would have been any more or less enjoyable without them there.
If you were at Anthems…what did you think? If you are going…how excited are you? If neither…why not?? Leave me a loverrrrly comment!!
Thanks
Jo xXx
What an amazing night!! Apart from a few slight dislikes, like the choir was too quiet and Escala only performed 3 songs, the concert was BRILLIANT! With Brian Mays legendary, and still epic guitar playing combined with the pitch perfect Kerry Ellis the concert was always going to be a success. I saw Ellis’s second show of the day, the evening performance, but still she hit every massive note of every song. Classic Queen songs like We Will Rock You and We are the Champions got the crowd rocking but it was the songs from the album that blew everyone away. It is one thing recording big songs but another thing to sing them and songs such as Anthem, Dangerland and of course Defying Gravity didnt let anyone down. It was definitely the concert which provided many hairs standing up on the back of your neck moments. I have to give this concert 10/10!
I have been a huge Queen fan for a number of years, in fact, longer than I can really remember. So when We Will Rock You hit the west end I had to go! In fact, in the first run of the show the earliest date we could get tickets for was 6 months from the time we booked them. I shall always remember that night, in part due to the amazing Nigel Planer, together with Tony Vincent, Hannah Jane Fox, Sharon D. Clarke and of course a certain blonde girl who managed to bring me to tears during No-one But You (Only The Good Die Young), Kerry Ellis.
When she and Brian released the E.P. in the lead up to the album, I thought ok, she really can sing, and couldn’t wait for the album. Of course when the album came out, and rumours of a tour… I knew I would be going.
This was my first visit to the Royal Albert Hall, and it certainly did not disappoint. A quick walk around the building to find the door number on my ticket, which also led my past the stage door. Arrived at 3:20 for the afternoon performance went in and was instantly stunned by the building, certainly beats the concrete and cold greyness of most other large concert venues I’ve been to. Led in to the arena section where I was sat on row 9 on stage left (The Queen fan in me booked seats here because Brian almost always takes up position on stage left, which he did here also) and was instantly struck by the sheer size of the hall. An individual standing on the arena floor is almost swallowed entirely by the volume of the building. Looking up at the seats all around one is humbled by the immensity and beauty, especially with the orbs, or UFOs hanging from the domed ceiling. The low stage allowed me to take a quick sneaky look at the setlist, and equipment everyone was using, always a bonus in my eyes!
Anyway, the Concert it’s self was a well put together tribute to the rockier side of musical theatre. The voice of God announced the arrival on stage of Dr. Brian May C.B.E. who gave a wonderful introductory speech. Now, this was something I did not expect, I was mainly expecting a full blown extravaganza of Rock and Musical Theatre, so a quiet introduction took me a little by surprise. After glancing through the programme I soon realised I would be treated to a lot more than I expected. The City of London Philharmonic Orchestra, and a wonderful West End Singers Chorus, who unfortunately seemed far too quiet throughout. This was however my only disappointment, other than not being able to stay for the later show as well! After the fanfare, and introductory rendition of The Show Must Go On by the Chorus, and a medley of songs from Hair, Adam Pascal kicked things off. This is a voice that needs to be heard by more people. Not a single note that could be faulted, a humble speaker in front of such a big audience, and a range that just seemed to keep getting higher and higher with every key change. Escala continued the mood, and did a fantastic job. I would however had liked to see the orchestra performing with them, rather than what seemed to be a backing track. I find groups like this quite intriguing, when they bring together classical anthems with a more modern feel, giving it a twist with electric instruments and my second surprise of the night, 6 gorgeous dancers. The choreography suited the performance perfectly, and given the limitations on space, as the string quartet moved around with grace and flare, the dancers moved around them with a great enthusiasm. After Escala, Cathy Gilman, a representative for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research gave a very passionate and welcoming speech about the charity and the concert, reflecting on why everyone was there. The first half concluded with a wonderful arrangement of Love Changes Everything conducted by David Firman that, I’m sure, was stuck in everyone’s heads for the interval.
After the interval came the main event, The conductor (Steve Sidwell, who is very highly acclaimed, having worked with artists such as Robbie Williams, Seal and a great many others) brought the orchestra in with another wonderful fanfare, leading the band into Dangerland. On came a number of cloaked male dancers performing a routine creating images of birds in flight, incorporating a number of lifts. After the boys came the girl dancers, also in cloaks, adding numbers to the routine congregating around a central point on the stage. After the climax of the fanfare and Dangerland introduction, the distinctive sound of Brian May’s Red Special guitar came to life. Brian entering on stage left with the opening licks of Danger land. The band kicked in and Kerry Ellis appeared almost from nowhere, centre stage. Ripping through Dangerland with the orchestra and band, with Brian in what appeared almost to be a black kimono with gold detailing, and Kerry in a glittering diamondesque bodice and heels. They continued with a fantastic version of Somebody to Love, Kerry smashed the high note in the finale of the song, along the chorus doing justice to Freddie Mercury’s masterpiece. The Anthems album was played in it’s entirety, with a few words from Kerry in between some of the numbers, especially introducing the Don Black/Brian May collaboration written especially for her. Kerry left the stage for a while leaving Brian to his solo section, which consisted of a song called Last Horizen, which started bluesy and shuffley feel which morphs into a half time epic showing off May’s guitar, he also incorporated a delay solo section reminiscent of Bright Rock from the Sheer Heart Attack album. To top it off, at the climax of the song the spotlights moved up above the orchestra, onto a giant spinning disco ball, which showered the audience in starlight.
May also came to the front and sat on a stool with an acoustic guitar, and played an emotional version of Love of My Life, appearing to have a tear in his eye throughout. Ellis joined in half way through, both seeming visibly moved afterwards, giving each other a cheeky smile, they then went into I Loved a Butterfly. Ellis’ third costume of the evening came with some of the bigger songs of the album, and after Save Me she again seemed quite moved, re-composing herself for the next song. Another surprise came when Dan Gillespie Sells was introduced to duet on I Love It When You Call, Kerry, Dan and Brian seemed to be having great fun ripping through the Feeling cover, with Brian adding his distinctive touch to the already Queen-esque composition. The evening concluded with a rendition of We Will Rock You and We are The Champions, kicked off in the style of his father by Rufus Taylor on the drums. Adam Pascal re-joined the group for Champions, with the crowd on their feet, arms aloft singing along.
The encore clearly pleased all of Kerry’s Wicked following ending with Defying Gravity, bathed in green light, in a wonderful, flowing green dress, Ellis tour through the song leaving the entire audience on their feet wishing we could have more.
This is a must see concert for all of Kerry’s fans, and with Brian May on top form, in fact playing better than I’ve seen him play in a few years it was most certainly worth the ticket price, if not more so. It felt like such a privilege to be amongst such talented performers for the afternoon and I truly wish I’d been able to stay for the evening concert as well.
And I’ve just realised how long that review is, so I do apologise if you got bored halfway through!
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Dan