Broadway Singers Review by  The Beat, Arts in London

A Night at the Tonys: 10th Anniversary Show

by Donald D’Haene

Musical Direction by Julie Pietrangelo

Master of Ceremonies: Ken Sadler

Piano: Janis Wallace, Percussion: Greg Mainprize, Bass: Jim Smythe

Wolf Performance Hall

May 29, 2010

The Broadway Singers consists of a choir of 35 men and women who love to sing Broadway tunes. They began in September of 2000 under the jurisdiction of the then London MusicalTheatre. They have stepped out from under the umbrella of Musical Theatre Productions and operate as a separate entity.

I can’t believe this 10th Anniversary show was my first attendance at one of their concerts! I was lucky I had a ticket as the place was packed. There was a celebratory feeling in the air and it had the feeling of an awards night. I’d venture to say that Master of Ceremonies Ken Sadler did a better job of emceeing than some of the “big names” Hollywood picks. Sadler’s dry sense of humour, extensive research into the history of The Tony Awards combined with the poster visuals of scores of Broadway posters projected on the stage contributed greatly to the fast-paced evening.

This kind of show is just up my alley as I love Broadway’s history of musicals. I don’t think I was alone. The audience was very interactive which I found very interesting and refreshing. (Many of the shows I see you can hear a pin drop). People reacted to their favourite tunes, historical tidbits, prop jokes, and the occasional hamming in comical moments on the stage.

It’s a personal treat seeing performers I’ve worked with in the past up there on stage. For example when the emcee arrived at The Pajama Game and the choir sang Steam Heat, I notonly enjoyed the performance but it was fun seeing two of the singers I worked with in the ’94LMT production sing practically off book, Iain Paterson and Susan McKone – they knew thesongs so well.

I believe everyone in the choir was able to sing a solo line here and there. All did so with spiritand passion. Paterson has a wonderful, powerful tenor voice and his lines in Cabaret and Sweeney Todd’s Not While I’m Around really stood out. Lauren Suitor also sang beautifully in that later song. The four performers who sang harmony on Till There Was You from Music Manwere exceptional [singers for the individual parts were not listed in the program]. KathleenGranger, McKone, Joseph Alfano, Charleanne Hardcastle, Ken Minogue all had terrific moments. Susana Aires aced Seasons of Love from Rent, probably my favourite individual and choir performance of the night.

It’s interesting and a credit to this choir that although Sondheim’s music can be extremely difficult to sing, I thought they shone most with his music: Comedy Tonight, Company, Send In The Clowns, Not While I’m Around and Loving You.

I tip my hat off to musical director Julie Pietrangelo. Her energy and direction had everything to do with the success of this evening.

The purpose of the Broadway Singers is to allow people in the community who love to sing todo so in a structured environment, while at the same time adding to the cultural mosaic of London and the surrounding area.

Mission accomplished.

Donald D’Haene is the editor of beatmagazine.ca. He is co-producing The Producers along with John Pacheco which will run at the McManus Studio Theatre, Dec 1-11.