Dan's Review, Photos AND Video!!!!

As I took a video and pictures, I thought I may as well do a little review for all you guys who weren't lucky enough to live near London.

I'd been looking forward to West End Live for months, especially seeing Rachel! And I'd honestly been having the WORST week that I've had all year - a few things at work and stuff like that. Anyway, I'd made a little Rachel Banner/poster thing, which I thought she might like. Having finished it, I thought maybe I'd check twitter the night before and slowly realised that Rachel was Ill, and not been at Wicked since the Tuesday. I also read on the WICKED twitter page, that Nikki Davis Jones and Sarah Earnshaw had done a sound check for West End Live.

You can imagine how gutted I was.
- also the morning of West end Live the glitter glue I'd used, some of it had kinda melted down... - although that looks quite good cos it's on the WICKED part.
Here's the poster i made, but didn't in fact take with me...



Anyway, Whilst in the queue I heard a quick sound check for W&I, and assumed it was Nikki Davis Jones.... but I thought hold on, she sounds VERY good.... almost like Rachel.... WAIT!..... These rather annoying girls were in the queue near me, one of them said "is that Rachel.... I don't like her" ... I raised my eyebrows and glared at her in disgust.

I still wasn't sure... but I got as near to the front as possible with the many hundreds of people. Whilst the first few acts were on I checked twitter on my phone again, and there was a message on the WICKED page saying "please support Rachel Tucker at WEST END LIVE!!! "

THE EXCITEMENT!!!

Before Rachel came on there was a video message from the cast of Wicked saying they were sorry they can't be there but they've sent Rachel Tucker along to see us and to take care of her. Unfortunately the sound was completely out and delayed by about 10 seconds... much to the amusement of the crowd. If you've seen a longer version of her performance on youtube, you might notice her saying "Hopefully I'll be in time".

Anyway Rachel came out looking STUNNING! with kinda reddy brown hair in a tumbling curl, white jacket and top and sparkly black leggings. Here's a few pictures before she performed.







I wanted to get a few photos before I started the video or I'd have had no photos! Luckily I think I only missed the first line. Rachel of course was incredible, vocally she did not sound ill at all! - although I did sense in her breathing she didn't sound 100% well. I swear she smiled and winked at me at one point, but then I was grinning from ear to ear as I didn't think I would get to see her! She really went crazy with the riffing as I guess it's the only time she's allowed to do it! the crowd went mental at every one, Wicked fans seem to love adlibs and changes actresses make to the songs.

Here's the video link, I would like the think the quality is VERY good.




Funnily enough I saw that irritating girl... who was looking very sheepish... clearly she was proved WRONG! A lot of the crowd when asked by Toby Anstis who their favourite performance was, 3 out of 4 asked said WICKED! :)











The rest of West End Live was very good... especially seeing my first Elphaba, CASSIDY JANSON in Avenue Q being as funny as ever.

If i'm being picky the guy who played Frankie Valli was AWFUL, he clearly couldnt hear the music and went spectacularly off key quite a few times :s
who else.... uh Siobhan Dillon, I've met her a few times randomly and she's lovely and I am a fan... but I was not very impressed with her as SANDY. - I think she's got more of a classical voice.
Couple of snooze shows... Dirty Dancing (aka Bad dancing) and Love never dies (aka Paint Never Dries)
...also sweet Charity.... WHY NO SINGING? the audience were dumbfounded. I was expecting to see Tamzin outhwaite.
shock Impressiveness has to go to Thriller Live - ZOE BIRKETT!?!? all of them were incredible. I'm not particularly a fan of Michael Jackson, but the talent in this cast, I'd consider seeing it!
The Brazil brazil gymnastic guys were astounding! One guy doing somersaults so fast he appeared to just be spinning in mid air.

Can't wait for Pride in 2 weeks, definitely going to take my RACHEL banner.... I wonder if she would like to keep it? :)