Wow what a show this is.
Phil Aldridge produced and presented the most talented musicians and vocalists I’ve seen in a while grace the Palace Theatre stage. Tonight the 13 piece orchestra was truly enchanting as they effortlessly played the iconic music that complimented the lyrics of the Carpenter songs. Richard Pardy was my stand out musician, as he played the tenor sax beautifully, with a talent that electrified the evening. I certainly was captivated and seduced by the deep sexy tones that only a saxophone can produce in the hands of a world class sax player like Richard. Brent Keefe on drums, Jon Bower Bass guitar, and Lorraine Kelly lead violinist all along side their fellow musicians held the audience captive by their stunning musical talents. Leaving the orchestra pit empty and seeing the orchestra on stage is always an indulgence for me, as often the stunning musicians are invisible to the audience as we rarely get the chance to glimpse these talented folk, who make musical theatre the enchanting arena that it is.
Tonight’s show burst into life as Claire Furley glided onto the stage showcasing her velvet voice by singing ‘we’ve only just begun’. The 13 piece orchestra ruled the stage that was completely stripped back to basics with nothing more than a backdrop screen that flashed images throughout, (sadly not all this screen was in view for the seats in the circle) however it was Claire that illuminated the stage with her stage presence and dazzling vocals. Her vocal sound is uncannily like Karen Carpenters and if I closed my eyes and just listened I would have sworn it was Karen herself who was singing to us tonight. Claire beautifully delivered many of the Carpenters well know songs ‘I’m on top of the world’,’ I wont last a day without you’, ‘Groupie (Superstar)’, ‘jambalaya’, ‘Please Mr Postman’ , ‘masquerade’ to name but a few. Interestingly a few of the less known songs were also sang tonight and I have to admit even though I considered myself as quite well versed with the songs of the carpenters I hadn’t heard some of the songs before such as ‘bless the beasts and the children’ that apparently had won the best original song for the movie in 1971.
Phil narrated the story of Richard (born 1946) and Karen Carpenter (born 1948) and took us through their fourteen year career in the music industry. I’m sure most people have heard of the tragic story of Karen Carpenter but tonight I learnt something I never knew before. I knew as many people do that Karen tragically died at the very young age of 32 years old ravaged by anorexia nervosa but what I didn’t know is that Karen’s psychological difficulties stemmed well before her music career when her mother was said to have favoured Richard due to his interest in music, and somewhat oversaw Karen who didn’t shown much interest in music until she was 14 years old. Talented and beautiful but Karen was clearly psychologically troubled all her life. Tonight’s show was undeniably magnificent for many reasons, but on a personal level as it gave me new insight and the opportunity to hear some of the songs I hadn’t acknowledged to be from The Carpenters collection prior to tonight’s spectacle.
Sadly as with many of these tribute shows it does tend to draw an audience that often consider the show as more of a gig or a concert than a theatre show and can become a little too rowdy. It is here that I feel compelled to comment on the fantastic front of house and security staff of the Palace Theatre. Once again they handled a challenging situation and de-escalated it with professionalism and fairness. Carol the theatre manager quickly acted on the unruly behaviour of some of the inconsiderate audience members ensuring the rest of the patrons could relax and enjoy the rest of the show. A huge ‘Thank you’ to the staff and management of the Palace Theatre from me and my companion as you quickly diverted a potential disastrous evening into one that was phenomenal.
Phil Aldridge has such a charismatic presence on the stage and his introduction to each of the band members was a lovely touch. Introducing Cathy the harpist, Christian for his first show on electric guitar, the 6 lady violinists, and Ashley the newly wed oboists (apologies for no surnames but some of the musician’s weren’t listed in the programme).
The finale was a magical medley of the Carpenter songs and yet again Claire dominated the stage and charmed the audience with her velvet voice and perfect delivery of every note. I can’t commend this performer enough as she was an absolute pleasure to watch and her voice commanded attention and the ‘Goosebumps’ factor with ever song.
This show has been touring the country since the early 1990’s and I am sure it will continue to be a huge success for many more years as this assembly of vocalists and musicians is superior to many I have seen before.
The show continues to tour and for more details visit www.thecarpentersstory.com or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/TheCarpentersStory this really is a show that evokes many emotions and is a guaranteed night of stunning entertainment.
Reviewer: Victoria Wilmot
Reviewed: 27th April 2016
