Conductor: Michael England
Under the baton of conductor, Michael England, and with the assistance of a quartet of fabulous voices, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) sets out to put a spell on us with an evening of Musical Magic.
And the name isn’t just hyperbole: the programme has been curated with magic firmly in mind – although if you didn’t read the programme notes, this fact could pass you by as you revel in the power that England is able to unleash.
So the programme has plenty of songs from the Disney stable, from the magical nanny, Mary Poppins to Aladdin. But the cartoon mouse doesn’t have it all his own way: Sondheim sneaks in with In The Woods, we have excerpts from Matilda and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and, of course, Wicked and Frozen. And perhaps because magic is often used to create mayhem as one tries to complete a mission, we have plenty of “I want …” songs, especially before the interval.
Even given that the CBSO is several times larger than the typical pit orchestra, it would be easy occasionally to forget its power in the presence of such big voices and personalities. But we are firmly reminded in the purely orchestral pieces that open both halves. We’re introduced to England’s fluid conducting style as the evening opens with the overture from Beauty and the Beast, featuring all the familiar themes. And to open the second half, the Mary Poppins Overture lets the orchestra show off its more quirky side, especially the percussion in the opening segment, reflecting Poppins’ character. It also enables the orchestra to demonstrate a more introspective, atmospheric style in the Feed the Birds section.
But the rest of the night belongs to the singers, all West End or Broadway veterans. We meet them all in Be Our Guest and have our first experience of the evening of the rich velvety voice of Trevor Dion Nicholas, the crystal clarity of Stephanie McKeon, the purity of Caroline Sheen and a fine light tenor from Rob Houchen. Their voices blend well. Given the nature of the evening, with many of the songs being aspirational, there are relatively few duets. Nevertheless, we do have romantic duets in A Whole New World (Aladdin) and Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful (from the American TV Cinderella broadcast in 1957) brought to us by McKeon and Houchen whose voices complement each other nicely. Sheen and Nicholas join forces to bring the slow burner that is The Circle of Life (The Lion King), skilfully building to its majestic climax, supported by the subtle lighting that floods the stage with the warmth of a savannah sunrise.
Nicholas reprises his role as the Genie in Aladdin in an uplifting and joyful A Friend Like Me, which bursts with energy. In the perhaps lesser known This is the Moment (Jekyll & Hyde) he provides an aspirational build-up as he captures the feeling of anticipation. He also brings a more pensive, introspective feel to the evening when his syrupy voice delivers If I Can’t Love Her from Beauty and the Beast, during which England coaxes climax after climax from the CBSO.
McKeon brings a plaintive air to Somewhere Over the Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz) supported by delicate orchestration, and also to the gentle air How Are Things in Glocca Morra? She is altogether more self-centred (in a good way) in Popular, the first of two songs from Wicked, the other, of course, being the showstopping Defying Gravity delivered with power and conviction by Caroline Sheen.
Sheen also brings us Let It Go, but she isn’t just about the power as she counts her blessings in My House from Matilda. One’s heart goes out to her as she sings “It isn’t much, but it is enough for me”
Houchen has a fine voice that he puts to good use in Can You Feel the Love Tonight. It has an understated beginning with just a piano initially, with a gentle crescendo as the rest of the orchestra joins in; one feels as if Houchen is truly inhabiting the character. He is similarly wide-eyed as he tells us that there are Giants in the Sky, from Sondheim’s Into the Woods: Sondheim’s carefully crafted songs are rarely the easiest to sing, but Houchen pulls it off.
There are moments of levity too. The four singers join together to give high-octane performances of Super calif…(you surely know the rest!) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in the latter skilfully avoiding tripping over the rapid-fire lyrics.
A packed house at Symphony Hall leaves with broad smiles as the magic woven by the CBSO and the singers gradually fades.
Reviewed on 31 January 2025
The Reviews Hub Score
A Musical Magical Mystery Tour