REVIEW:
Wit and Whimsy: Alexander S. Bermange, London Hippodrome
30/04/17 - 7.30pm
Reviewed by:
Koala: 🐨🐨🐨🐨/5
2nd May 2017
Koala: 🐨🐨🐨🐨/5
2nd May 2017
I happened to be in London this Sunday on a mini bank holiday adventure with my sister. With both of us being massive musical theatre fans, we were very excited to see a concert of songs by Alexander S. Bermange being advertised at the Hippodrome, with some of the West End's leading stars as special guests. I didn't know much about the composer and we went along not quite sure what to expect. I came away grinning from ear to ear, determined to buy the album once I get paid (because, apparently, you need money to buy things!) and still humming "just another opening number" from the start of the show! I definitely wasn't disappointed by my decision to go.
Bermange writes and performs comedic songs. One of my favourites from last night was performed by him about Brexit. It was very topical and touched on points that I'm sure all remain voters have thought at some point since the referendum; all while making you laugh, whilst thinking you probably shouldn't be laughing! Whilst there were more topical songs, including one about Donald Trump, others spoke about the 'secret truths' of working in the entertainment industry. Sooz Kempner, a musical stand up comedian, performed two songs in this genre. One about the 'joys' of auditioning and another detailing the less than glamorous job of being a standby, both of which I'm sure have resonated with all the stars on stage at some point during their careers. Bermange has a knack of stating the obvious, putting the opinions of many to music, all whilst making it rhyme!
Other personal favourites were performed by Lucy May Barker (Sophie in the UK Tour of Mamma Mia), Oliver Savile (Fiyero in Wicked), Richard Carson (Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia) and Olivier-award winning Rebecca Trehearn (best supporting actress for her role in Showboat).
Their song topics ranged from being dumped, only to find your boyfriend is now dating your deaf, blind Granny; discovering that whilst you got all the lead roles in High School it doesn't necessarily mean you will throughout your career; marrying a man you thought was a woman, then discovering they're a woman after all; and singing a lullaby to a baby who turned out to actually be a boyfriend with a rather weird kink! All very funny but made even more so by the performers themselves, as they acted their way through the songs.
One of the final songs performed was by Bermange himself and was the first comedic song he ever wrote - about being a trainspotter on the London underground, which I'm pretty sure included the names of all the stations you can possibly travel to at some point during the song, along with all the line names too. From memory, this included "Jubiliee-ation" and "Northern else quite like it"!
Bermange is a genius in lyric writing and every song performed during the night was as funny as it was intended to be. I'd definitely go to another of his concerts in future and would urge anyone to find and buy the "Wit and Whimsy" album.
Bermange writes and performs comedic songs. One of my favourites from last night was performed by him about Brexit. It was very topical and touched on points that I'm sure all remain voters have thought at some point since the referendum; all while making you laugh, whilst thinking you probably shouldn't be laughing! Whilst there were more topical songs, including one about Donald Trump, others spoke about the 'secret truths' of working in the entertainment industry. Sooz Kempner, a musical stand up comedian, performed two songs in this genre. One about the 'joys' of auditioning and another detailing the less than glamorous job of being a standby, both of which I'm sure have resonated with all the stars on stage at some point during their careers. Bermange has a knack of stating the obvious, putting the opinions of many to music, all whilst making it rhyme!
Other personal favourites were performed by Lucy May Barker (Sophie in the UK Tour of Mamma Mia), Oliver Savile (Fiyero in Wicked), Richard Carson (Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia) and Olivier-award winning Rebecca Trehearn (best supporting actress for her role in Showboat).
Their song topics ranged from being dumped, only to find your boyfriend is now dating your deaf, blind Granny; discovering that whilst you got all the lead roles in High School it doesn't necessarily mean you will throughout your career; marrying a man you thought was a woman, then discovering they're a woman after all; and singing a lullaby to a baby who turned out to actually be a boyfriend with a rather weird kink! All very funny but made even more so by the performers themselves, as they acted their way through the songs.
One of the final songs performed was by Bermange himself and was the first comedic song he ever wrote - about being a trainspotter on the London underground, which I'm pretty sure included the names of all the stations you can possibly travel to at some point during the song, along with all the line names too. From memory, this included "Jubiliee-ation" and "Northern else quite like it"!
Bermange is a genius in lyric writing and every song performed during the night was as funny as it was intended to be. I'd definitely go to another of his concerts in future and would urge anyone to find and buy the "Wit and Whimsy" album.