![]() ![]() Harry Warburton, also from Guildford School of Acting, gave a witty and charming rendition of “Class” from Sondheim’s early musical, Saturday Night, while Pétur Svavarsson from the Royal Academy of Music was spell-blinding with “I Wish I Could Forget You” from Passion.īut there were plenty of more familiar choices such as Sara Bartos from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with “Stay With Me” from Into the Woods, Emily Ridge from Leeds Conservatoire with “Broadway Baby” from Follies and Isobel Twist from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School with “Losing My Mind” from Follies. Lucy Carter from the Royal Academy of Music sung its best-known showstopper, “I Remember”, with beauty and clarity while Tom O’Kelly from the Royal Academy of Music presented “Take Me to the World” and Harry Lake from Guildford School of Acting impressed with an engaging and charismatic performance of “If You Can Find Me, I’m Here”. ![]() A quarter of the Sondheim songs came from Evening Primrose – the rarely staged short musical originally written for TV in the 1960s. Josh Lewingdon from Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama opted for “Multitudes of Amys”, cut from Company, while Ritesh Manugula, also from Royal Welsh, found “Flag Song”, cut from Assassins. Lesser-known Sondheim songs proved a popular choice for the student performers too. She partnered another guest, Ellie Nunn, in a glorious, hilarious duet, “There’s Always a Woman” – a song cut from Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle. Alex Young even performed her own winning solo of yesteryear (2010), the title song in “Sunday in the Park with George”, this time accompanied by an actual George, the actor George Kemp. She was reunited with musical director Nigel Lilley who accompanied all 12 of the finalists on the piano on stage throughout. One of the competition’s previous winners, Alex Young, returned this year to host the event, holding the show together with confidence and playful charm. It is a wonderful opportunity to catch the stars of tomorrow before they hit the big time, and the levels of talent and skill on display this year suggest that many will be seen on stage sooner rather than later. The contest, known affectionately by the acronym Sssspoty, is now in its 15 th year and has previously featured some of today’s musical theatre stars including Cynthia Erivo, Courtney Bowman, Amara Okereke, Jamie Bogyo, Danielle Steers, Carl Au, Shaq Taylor and Oscar Conlon-Morrey as well as 2011 winner Taron Egerton, 2013 winner Turlough Convery and 2015 winner Erin Doherty. The song from Merrily We Roll Along, about the tempestuous and flawed careers of three friends, is tinged with irony but in this annual show at London’s Sondheim Theatre it radiates nothing but hope and promise. “Behold the hills of tomorrow,” sing the finalists at the start of the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2023 competition. Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2023 Julia McKenzie with runner-up Emily Botnen and winner Milly Willows. The Prize Giving will be led by Julia McKenzie, a founding patron of The Stephen Sondheim Society and one of the most celebrated interpreters of Sondheim’s work.Last Updated on 12th June 2023 Mark Ludmon reviews the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2023 held at the Sondheim Theatre, London. The Society is also honoured to partner this year with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), and feature a performance by a chorus drawn from the current cohort of young performers. It was the express wish of Mr Sondheim that for every one of his songs selected by the finalists, a new song is performed, in order to encourage and support the creation of new work. Confirmed as a judge is award-winning composer, lyricist, orchestrator, arranger, musical supervisor and pianist Theo Jamieson, whose credits as Md include: ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ (Apollo, UK Tour, Australia), ‘Funny Girl’ (Savoy), ‘High Society’ (Old Vic), ‘Putting it Together‘ (St James).Įach finalist will be required to sing one song by Stephen Sondheim, plus a new song chosen by them from the selection at NEW UK MUSICALS – the organisation founded by composer Darren Clark to showcase the UK’s best new musical-theatre writing for the stage. The students will perform for a panel of highly respected judges drawn from West End performers,ĭirectors and MDs. This year, Edward Seckerson is also inviting the winner to be the subject of one of his Comparing Notes sessions – his series of intimate conversations and performances at the Crazy Coqs. The winner will receive a £1,000 first prize, and the chance to headline their own Sondheim-infused cabaret in London. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |