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DIVA DELIGHTS
DAN BROWN REVIEWS VIVA LA DIVA
WEST END BOYS
It was a very warm Sunday evening in
May when I took myself off to the O2
Arena to catch prima ballerina Darcey
Bussell and operatic mezzo-soprano
E 3 2 = : = D 3 / E 7 B B G 0 7 B 1 6 G E 3 0 A 7 B 3 A = E 3 @ 3
Katherine Jenkins in their hugely
7 ; ; 3 2 7 / B 3 : G B / 9 3 < 0 G E 3 A B 3 < 2 E 6 7 < 5 3 @ A / < / @ 1 6 : G
successful joint show, Viva La Diva.
This unlikely pairing have already
E @ 7 B B 3 < 0 : = 5 = 4 E 3 A B 3 < 2 B 6 3 / B @ 3 @ 3 D 7 3 E A 0 G B 6 3
sold out a nationwide tour, and these
; G A B 3 @ 7 = C A > 6 7 : / < 2 / < 2 @ 3 E = C B 7 < B 6 3 1 7 B G 1 / C 5 6 B
O2 dates follow a sell-out run at the
Hammersmith Apollo last year. It’s
C > E 7 B 6 B 6 3 > / 7 @ B = 4 7 < 2 = C B ; = @ 3 � defi nitely a mark of their popularity with
the British public. Under the direction
of choreographer Kim Gavin, the much-
E 6 3 < 2 7 2 G = C A B / @ B E 3 A B 3 < 2 E 6 7 < 5 3 @ A - 6 / D 3 G = C 3 D 3 @ 0 3 3 < B = B / : : G A > : 7 B = < / loved stars take us down memory lane
> V W Z ( : S a a b V O \ b e ] g S O ` a O U ] P c b W b T S S Z a [ c Q V Z ] \ U S ` > @ = 2 C 1 B 7 = < E 7 B 6 = < 3 6 / B 7 < 5 7 B E 6 7 : 3 B 6 3 with a tribute to their entertainment
/ \ R ` S e ( 7 b e O a O T b S ` a S S W \ U A O [ A V S ^ O ` R � a 4 ] ] Z = B 6 3 @ : = D 3 A 7 B - heroes. For Darcey, of course, it’s dance
4 ] ` : ] d S E S e S ` S e V W \ U W \ U b ] S O Q V ] b V S ` W \ O ^ c P / ( < S W b V S ` ] T c a V O a S d S ` Z ] d S R O \ g b V W \ U P c b g S a W b stars, but it’s not all ballet. With big Bob
O T b S ` e O ` R a O \ R b V W \ U a U ] b O P W b T ` O Q b W ] c a a ] e S R S Q W R S R R ] S a V O ^ ^ S \ Fosse and Busby Berkley numbers, we
b V S P S a b b V W \ U e ] c Z R P S b ] e V W \ U S ] c b e O ` R a W \ a b S O R > ( A ^ O [ O Z ] b O \ R [ ] ` S ` S Q S \ b Z g B V S 5 ] ] R A ] c Z ] T were treated to the many infl uences that
G = C 2 = < � B A 3 3 ; B = 3 < 8 = G B 6 3 / B @ 3 D 3 @ G ; C 1 6 A S h V c O \ P c b T ] ` ] \ Q S / \ R ` S e W a ` W U V b ) � Z ] d W \ U � W a O e ] ` R have shaped both performers. Katherine
A = E 6 G 2 = G = C 5 = - e S c a S a ^ O ` W \ U Z g takes on Judy Garland and Doris Day, to
E 3 E ( 7 b � a b V S e V W \ U W \ U e S S \ X ] g G = C D 7 3 E / D 3 @ G E 7 2 3 @ / < 5 3 = 4 A 6 = E A / @ 3 name just two examples. Her take on
G = C @ A B / < 1 3 A 3 3 ; A B = 0 3 D 3 @ G / < B 7 B 6 3 @ 3 A = ; 3 G = C / B B 3 < 2 E 7 B 6 E / @ 7 < 3 A A - Day’s ‘Whip Crack Away’ at the beginning
7 < B 3 : : 3 1 B C / : / ( / Z Z ] T b V S [ 3 d S ` g b ` W ^ b ] b V S b V S O b ` S W a O b ` W c [ ^ V ] T of the show is cute and funny, if not a
> ( E S � ` S \ ] b ` S O Z Z g O \ b W O \ g b V W \ U ] ^ b W [ W a [ ] d S ` S f ^ S ` W S \ Q S little bit cheesy.
/ ( / Z b V ] c U V > V W Z � a \ ] b b ] ] a b ` c Q Y ] \ A W [ ] \ @ c a a S Z Z > ( E S P ] b V c a S R b ] P S e O ` g ] T 5 S ] ` U S 0 S ` \ O ` R A V O e The shows works best when the ‘divas’
0 S O Z S O ` S g ] c - P c b \ ] e e S S [ P ` O Q S V W [ Z W Y S O e O T T Z g ] Z R T ` W S \ R B V S return to the genres for which they’re
E 3 E ( 0 c b e S � ` S d S ` g ^ ` ] ] b V S ` b V W \ U a > ` ] U ] ] R d O Z c S Z ] d S O T T O W ` e W b V A V O Y S a ^ S O ` S W a a b W Z Z W \ b V S ` S V S O ` a O Z best known. Darcey performs a very
^ ` ] Q V S O ^ S ` P O ` R ` W \ Y a / \ R e S b V W \ Y b V O b \ ] b S \ ] c U V ` ] ] [ / \ R ` S e � a d S ` g e O ` g ] T > W \ b S ` O \ R ^ c ^ ^ S b a stylish and engaging version of The Red
O b b S \ b W ] \ W a U S \ S ` O Z Z g ^ O W R b ] e W U a E S e ] c Z R Z W Y S b ] a S S / ( / \ R > V W Z W a O Z e O g a e ] ` ` W S R b V O b O a V ] e b V O b [ W U V b Shoes with her dance partner Jonathan
O e W U Q O b S U ] ` g W \ O Z Z ] T b V S [ O X ] ` b V S O b ` S O e O ` R a T S O b c ` S O ^ O ` Y P S \ Q V ] ` O P O Z Z ] ] \ c a S R O a O [ S b O ^ V ] ` Cope (who features heavily through
2 = G = C B 6 7 < 9 B 6 / B G = C 6 / D 3 4 / 7 @ : G 6 = E 2 7 2 B 6 3 E 3 A B 3 < 2 E 6 7 < 5 3 @ A ; 3 3 B / < 2 out the show). Jenkins performs the
; / 7 < A B @ 3 / ; B / A B 3 A / < 2 B 6 / B G = C @ = > 7 < 7 = < A / @ 3 G = C / < / 1 B C / : 1 = C > : 3 = @ 8 C A B 4 @ 7 3 < 2 A - signature song from Carmen and a rather
/ @ 3 : 7 9 3 : G B = @ 3 4 : 3 1 B B 6 3 D 7 3 E A = 4 ; / < G / ( E V S \ g ] c a O g � O Q b c O Z Q ] c ^ Z S � R ] g ] c [ S O \ � O a lovely Maria Callas tribute. The girls then
/ C 2 7 3 < 1 3 ; 3 ; 0 3 @ A = @ 2 = G = C B 6 7 < 9 G = C ] ^ ^ ] a S R b ] d W ` b c O Z Q ] c ^ Z S � ] ` e V O b - E S [ S b W \ O P O ` ] T try to take on each other’s speciality…
6 / D 3 ? C 7 B 3 A > 3 1 7 4 7 1 / < 2 7 < 2 7 D 7 2 C / : D 7 3 E A - Q ] c ` a S � 4 ` W S \ R a � W a ^ ` ] P O P Z g ] d S ` a b O b W \ U W b with varying success. Let’s just say that
/ ( B ] P S V ] \ S a b 7 � d S \ S d S ` ` S O Z Z g b V ] c U V b O P ] c b W b / a > ( B V S E V W \ U S ` a e S ` S b V ` ] e \ b ] U S b V S ` P g b V S W ` [ c b c O Z Katherine is a better dancer than Darcey
/ P ` O V O [ : W \ Q ] Z \ e ` ] b S ( � > S ] ^ Z S e V ] Z W Y S b V W a a ] ` b ] T R W a U c a b ] T b V S E S a b 3 \ R is a singer.
b V W \ U e W Z Z T W \ R b V W a b V S a ] ` b ] T b V W \ U b V S g Z W Y S � 2 = G = C 6 / D 3 / < G / ; 0 7 B 7 = < A - With mock deco staging and some
> ( / \ R V S O Q b c O Z Z g R W S R e V W Z S e O b Q V W \ U O ^ Z O g a ] b V O b � a E 3 E ( E S V O d S \ � b [ O \ O U S R b ] U S b b V S e ] ` R � T S P ` W Z S � ham-fi sted backing dancers, this does
a ] [ S b V W \ U b ] b V W \ Y O P ] c b W \ b ] O ` S d W S e g S b have the feel of a West End musical done
/ ( B V S ` S a S S [ b ] P S _ c W b S O T S e ^ S ] ^ Z S e V ] a S S b V W \ U a 4 7 < / : : G 7 4 E 3 6 / 2 ; = < 3 G B = A 3 3 = < : G = < 3 on the cheap. You can’t help but feel
b V S e O g e S R ] B V ` ] c U V O R ` c \ Y S \ V O h S = @ B E = A 6 = E A 7 < B 6 3 E 3 A B 3 < 2 / B B 6 3 that this is an indulgent bit of fun for the
> ( E S V O d S d S ` g a ^ S Q W T W Q O \ R W \ R W d W R c O Z d W S e a b V O b O ; = ; 3 < B E 6 / B E = C : 2 G = C @ 3 1 = ; ; 3 < 2 - two stars of the show. One doubts that
Z ] b ] T O c R W S \ Q S [ S [ P S ` a R ] \ � b S d S \ ` S O Z W a S b V O b b V S g / ( E S Z Z b e ] b ] ^ ^ ` W Q S a V ] e a Q ] c Z R Q ] a b g ] c � a ] W T if lesser-known performers had wanted
O Z ` S O R g a V O ` S e W b V c a 4 ] ` S f O [ ^ Z S ( c \ ` S a S ` d S R ] ` g ] c V O R b V S [ ] \ S g g ] c [ W U V b e O \ b b ] a ^ S \ R W b ] \ O to put on a show like this, it would have
c \ Q ] [ T ] ` b O P Z S a S O b W \ U V ] b O c R W b ] ` W c [ a ] d S ` ^ ` W Q S R e S S Y S \ R Q W b g P ` S O Y W \ a b S O R been anywhere near as successful. That
P O ` a ^ Z O g a b V O b O ` S b ] ] Z ] \ U O \ R P O R a W U V b Z W \ S a / \ R > ( 6 O W ` a ^ ` O g ] ` ; O X ] ` 0 O ` P O ` O O b b V S < O b W ] \ O Z B V S O b ` S said, if you are fans of either diva, this
S a ^ S Q W O Z Z g ] \ S � a ` W U V b b ] Z S O d S W \ b V S W \ b S ` d O Z W T b V S ^ Z O g W a / ( = \ Z g O T ] ] Z Q ] c Z R \ ] b Z ] d S 6 O W ` a ^ ` O g is a suitably light-hearted evening of
` c P P W a V E V W Q V b V S g ] T b S \ O ` S undemanding entertainment.
/ ( G ] c R ] \ � b V O d S b ] Z S b W b a ^ ] W Z g ] c ` S \ b W ` S S d S \ W \ U Check out West End Whingers at
http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com
! &
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