50 Favourite Musicals: 16: TABOO (2002) (Boy George, Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens / Boy George)

The 50 shows that have stood out down the years and, as we get up among the paint cards, the shows that have become the cast recording of my life:

 First performed: 2002, Venue Theatre

First seen by me: as above

Productions seen: one

Score: Boy George, Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens
Book: Mark Davies

Plot: The fictional Billy James leaves his drab suburban life for the excitement of Soho and London in the early 1980s, where he witnesses the rivalry between underground club icons Leigh Bowery and Philip Salon and the birth of a pop icon as George O'Dowd becomes Boy George...

Five memorable numbers: PETRIFIED, STRANGER IN THIS WORLD, TALK AMONG YOURSELVES, LOVE IS A QUESTION MARK, OUT OF FASHION

There hopefully comes a moment when you are seeing a new musical when you realize the show really has won you over and you can just RELAX - the show is working and you have heard enough of the score to know it will be a keeper.  With Boy George's TABOO that magical moment happened about a third of the way in when two of the fictional characters in the show, Billy and Kim, realize that their verbal fencing is hiding the fact that they are in love but are too scared to give in to these feelings.  There are bigger numbers in the show but "Love Is A Question Mark" was so well-placed and winningly performed by Lucy Newton and Luke Evans that it hit that new musical sweet spot.  It also confirmed that rather than just a jukebox show squeezing in any Culture Club song to fit a plot moment, Boy George had written an excellent musical theatre score - I had already heard scene-setting ensemble numbers, an 'I want' number, an introspective solo and a comedy duet - and there was more to come!  My Saturday matinee ticket came through my Flashbanks shop customer Adam Longworth who was on that afternoon playing the larger-than-life club legend and designer Leigh Bowery and he was excellent in the role.  But the show was packed with vital performances that spilled off the split-level stage and filled the intimate space of The Venue off Leicester Square.

In the two main roles Euan Morton was sensational as the mouthy young George O'Dowd finding fame but not happiness as Boy George and Paul Baker was on Olivier Award-winning form as the eccentric Philip Sallon.  Lyn Paul was surprisingly good as Josie, Billy's put-upon mother who also discovers liberation in Soho, David Burt gave two contrasting examples of toxic masculinity, John Partridge was a charismatic Marilyn and Drew Jaymson as Steve Strange was marvellous in the "Out Of Fashion" quartet.  In later visits to Christopher Renshaw's production, we saw Declan Bennett as Billy, Jackie Clune and Mari Wilson as contrasting Josies, and finally we saw Boy George himself as Leigh Bowery, an extraordinary and dangerous performance - it was a terrifying experience when he came into the audience during ICH BIN KUNST, his ad-libs were toxic but delicious!  US star Rosie O'Donnell saw the show and personally produced it on Broadway - TABOO ran for nearly a year and a half in London but on Broadway it ran for only three unhappy months.  TABOO was re-written for New York with new characters and songs added and in the melee of all this, the theatre columnist for The New York Post Michael Reidel took aim at Rosie O'Donnell and put out bad publicity on a regular basis about the show and despite a devoted audience following it was not enough to survive.  Despite all this, it achieved four Tony Award nominations including a deserved nod for Boy George's excellent score.  The Broadway production also won Euan Morton a Theatre World Award and Raul Esparza won a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Philip Sallon.  TABOO's Broadway life is wonderfully covered in Dori Berinstein's documentary film SHOWBUSINESS: THE ROAD TO BROADWAY but more wonderful than that, the original London production was filmed and released on DVD and while it would never win any awards for filming, it does capture the excitement of being in that theatre for that show.  Another reason TABOO is very special show for me as it was Owen and I's first Christmas theatre trip.

So... what to choose to illustrate this fabulous show?  Here is Euan Morton as George and his spine-chilling rendition of STRANGER IN THIS WORLD with contributions from Luke Evans and Lyn Paul

but I have to include the Boy himself so here he is singing ICH BIN KUNST, recreating Leigh Bowery's 1988 'residency' in the windows of the Anthony d'Offay gallery in Bond Street...

CHROMA / MULTIVERSE / CARBON LIFE at Covent Garden - Wayne's World

A week or so ago we returned to the Opera House Covent Garden, which is fast becoming a second home!  This time it was to see a triple-bill celebrating resident choreographer Wayne McGregor's 10th anniversary with the company; it centred on a premiere work MULTIVERSE and this was bracketed by two previously seen works CHROMA and CARBON LIFE.

McGregor's choreography is not always easy and he evidently wants to push the boundaries of the music that can be utilized for the Royal Ballet but his WOOLF WORKS was our entry point to the Royal Ballet so he will always be interesting to us.

CHROMA premiered in 2006 and in this revival McGregor has invited dancers from the Alvin Ailey company to join his Royal Ballet troop to bring their particular brand of dynamism; indeed the first two dancers seen are the hypnotic partnership of the delightfully-named Jeroboem Bozeman and Jacqueline Green who were quite amazing.  The company also included such stalwarts as Sarah Lamb, Federico Bonelli and Lauren Cuthbertson - the recent birth of a child might be good news for Steven McRae but sadly it robbed us of a chance to see his excellent dancing!  John Pawson's cool and formal set design and McGregor's intricate yet flailing choreography was danced to tracks by Joby Talbot and Jack White of The White Stripes, however they all sounded vaguely like attempts at writing James Bond car chase themes.  It was however a fantastic piece of dance theatre.

The premiere work MULTIVERSE sat in the middle of the evening and has not received the warmest reception.  It is an incredibly hard piece to like; admire possibly, but very hard to like.  It is set to two looped verbal works by the minimalist composer Steve Reich which were taken from a speech by an American black preacher in 1965 and called "It's Gonna Rain".  This phrase repeats and repeats, words are dropped, the phrase is multi-tracked starting at different moments to create a dense soundscape that batters against your ears.

Sadly - after a day of being on the phone listening to complaints from annoyed people - the preacher's multi-tacked rant left me ice cold and if I am honest, McGregor's choreography displayed all the characteristics of "modern dance" or to quote the legend that is Nicola Blackman, "six dancers running around trying to find the toilet with the light out".  Danced on a raked triangular stage, one could admire the commitment of the dancers who included Marianela Nunez, Eric Underwood and Edward Watson and towards the end, during the second Reich composition "Runner" from last year, there was finally some orchestral input and some interesting visual imagery, but by then I had disengaged from it.

It was with a suspicious heart that I took my seat for the last piece CARBON LIFE but here we were back to the McGregor we know: provocative, exciting and with a fluid sexuality.  CARBON LIFE premiered in 2012 and is danced to a score of Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt songs.  The music is played by an onstage band and a roster of singers - sadly absent was Boy George who had appeared in the premiere run four years ago but among the onstage singers was fellow-gayer Sam Sparrow.

Over nine songs the 18 dancers perform duets and small ensemble pieces, all with the signature McGregor moves of stretching, spinning, counterpoint movement and strong lines, but also clothed in the minimalist, futuristic costume designs of Gareth Pugh and lit by Lucy Carter's lighting design.  By the time of the last song "Somebody To Love Me" I was totally won over by McGregor's fusion of dance, pop music and fashion.  Ronson's songs sounded fantastic bouncing around the auditorium and all concerned are missing a trick not having the music recorded and available to buy.

I guess two out of three ain't bad - I would really like to see CHROMA and CARBON LIFE again.  Make it happen Covent Garden!

 

My Last.fm Top 30 Male Singers Q&A

I noticed I haven't done this Q&A for 5 years so will have another go.

So... questions about my 30 most listened to male artists according my Last.fm page.

What it shows is that male singers are not my favourite listening choices as the artists in the lower reaches are ones I don't go out of my way to listen to...

1. How did I get into Boy George?   Through Culture Club silly!....

2. What was the first song I ever heard by Morrissey?  As a solo artist SUEDEHEAD

3. How many albums by Prince do I own?   27 cds!

4. What is my favourite song by David McAlmont?   SNOW

5. What is my favourite album by Marvin Gaye?   WHAT'S GOIN' ON

6. Is there a song by David Bowie that makes me happy?   YOUNG AMERICANS

7. What was the first song I ever heard by Luther Vandross?   NEVER TOO MUCH

8. What is a good memory I have involving Bobby Darin?   The first time I heard BEYOND THE SEA

9. Is there a song by Jimmy Cliff that makes you happy?   THE HARDER THEY COME

10. How many times did I see Ronnie Dyson live?   Twice, supporting The Supremes and then supporting The Four  Tops

11. What is the first song I ever heard by John Legend?   NUMBER ONE

12. How many albums by Dennis Brown do I own?   One, MONEY IN MY POCKET...

13.Do I have a good memory involving Ne-Yo?   Um, nope...

14. Have I ever seen Linton Kwesi Johnson live?   Yes, once at Barbican Hall.

15. What is a good memory involving Sylvester?   That first time seeing him erupt off the screen on Top Of The Pops in the video of MIGHTY REAL

16. How did I get into Kanye West?   Through the song TOUCH THE SKY...

17. What is my favourite album by Barrett Strong?   Don't have one...

18. What is my favourite song by Eminem?   THE REAL SLIM SHADY.

19. What is the first song I ever heard by Alexander O'Neal?   IF YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT

20. What is my favourite album by Chuck Jackson?   Just have one, THE MOTOWN ANTHOLOGY

21. What is my favourite song by Noel Coward?   SOMEDAY I'LL FIND YOU.

22. How did I get into Raphael Saadiq?   Through the album LUCY PEARL

23. How many times did I see Ray Davies live?   Maybe 5 times

24. What is my favourite album by Barry White?   Just have the one, THE COLLECTION

25. What was the first song I ever heard by Edwin Starr?   WAR

26. What is my favourite song by Malcolm McLaren?   WALTZ DARLING

27. What is my favourite song by Will.I.Am?   HEARTBREAKER.

28. Is there a song by David Ruffin that makes you happy?   WALK AWAY FROM LOVE

29. What is my favourite album by Dennis Bovell?   ALL OVER THE WORLD.

30. How many albums do I own by Stevie Wonder?   Just the one Greatest Hits collection

CLOSER TO HEAVEN is still out of reach

Since it's unsuccessful first run in 2001 I have often wondered when the Pet Shop Boys musical CLOSER TO HEAVEN would get a revival.  Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's electronic score finds room for both their signature dance beats and their introspective ballads and I've played the original cast recording regularly over the years.

Despite showcasing a magnificent star performance from Frances Barber as the drug-addled Eurotrash hostess Billie Trix, the original production foundered at the Arts Theatre after 5 months with most critics pointing the finger at Jonathan Harvey's paper-thin book which fundamentally damaged the show despite the goodwill that the score and cast generated.

But now - and I might have guessed this would be the case - the enterprising Union Theatre in Southwark have revived the show and the fact that it sold out in a few days shows that I wasn't the only one wanting to see it again.  I had hoped that Harvey's book would be re-hauled for this second twirl round the go-go pole.  Sadly that is not the case - and it looks even more threadbare on the unadorned Union stage.

I suspect that this is also down to the equally threadbare casting.  Like the Bridewell Theatre in the 1990s, it's great to have a theatre which regularly stages musicals that otherwise would not be revived but it must be said that the shows are cast with performers from the second or third rungs of performers.  A scan through the programme mostly reveal understudies, fringe and regional productions, cruise ship performers or first-job from Drama School.  Now I know everyone has to start somewhere... but not the lead surely?

CLOSER THAN HEAVEN follows two young characters whose lives intersect at a Soho gay club run by Vic, a hard-drinking, hard-snorting self-confessed "vampire" who lives at night.  Vic's daughter Shell from a short-lived straight relationship makes contact with him after many years and they struggle to establish a relationship.  At the same time, the effortlessly sexy - and Irish - Straight Dave arrives looking for work as a bartender although he soon establishes himself as the club's lead dancer.

Shell and Dave are attracted to each other and through her job as a PA to a gay record producer Bob Saunders, Dave is lined up to be the new member of his boy band Up & Coming.  Dave warily keeps the nasty Saunders at arm's length but finds himself attracted to the surly Mile End Lee, a young drug dealer who supplies Vic and his temperamental Eurotrash hostess Billie Trix in drugs.

Vic tries to clean up his life and club to impress Shell but when he discovers Mile End Lee delivering a large drugs package to Billie, he fires her and confiscates it.  Shell sees Dave and Lee getting physical in the club toilet and she dumps him.  Lee and Dave have a night together but Dave later dies from a ketamine overdose.  Dave becomes a pop star in his own right.

The End.

All the characters are expertly introduced during the opening number MY NIGHT but after the interval, Harvey's anorexic book starts coming apart at the seams.  Vic, Shell and Billie are neglected midway through the second act as the spotlight is switched to Straight Dave and Mile End Lee who promptly dies which leads to the big eleven o'clock teary ballad FOR ALL OF US, but it's efforts to get the tear ducts working fail because we are being asked to care for a secondary character who has had minimal effect on our sympathies up until then.

The show's climax - Dave's ascent to stardom - is unexplained and is obviously there to end the show with an uptempo number - but in this revival, the original last number, the excellent Barry White-sampled POSITIVE ROLE MODEL is ditched for VOCAL, a track from the last Pet Shop Boys album.

Director Gene David Kirk plods through the troublesome second act relying on the lights, music and his seven-strong ensemble to bump their crotches - no hiding when you are in the front row believe me - and grind their bums to hopefully distract from the paucity of content.  Said ensemble are excellent by the way but sadly Owen pointed out the similarity in Philip Joel's choreography to the famous, embarrassing flailing-about of Westlife's first appearance on Irish TV.  Once pointed out I couldn't get it out of my mind.

As in the original production some actors made the most of what they had to work with.  Although a bit shrill, I liked Amy Matthews' Shell as well as Craig Berry's blokey Vic while Ken Christiansen made the most of the viperous Bob Saunders.  Praise too for Ben Kavanagh as Flynn, Saunders' bitchy assistant.

The main problem was in the performances of Katie Meller as Billie Trix and Jared Thompson as Straight Dave.  As I said above, Frances Barber created a wonderful sacre monstre that covered up some of the dodgy, fag-haggy type lines Harvey gives her and sang her big solo FRIENDLY FIRE with a world-weary sadness that was really stopped the show.  Sadly Meller just doesn't have the wattage to deliver, her casting is a complete mystery other than I guess she's affordable.

Jared Thompson was even more problematic.  Paul Keating played Straight Dave at the Arts and was believable as the sexually-confused new kid on the go-go box while also being charismatic enough to make you believe in the other characters' interest in him but Thompson appears to not so much act as point his lantern jaw, floppy hair and erect nipples at people.  There was another more irritating problem - I had to laugh when he lisped through the line "Why does everyone think I'm gay".  Because they have ears?  What made me truly baffled though was in Thompson's duet with Connor Brabyn's Mile End Lee in the second act, Brabyn showed he had an excellent, strong singing voice - how on earth was he not cast as the lead?

So there we are, CLOSER TO HEAVEN has been revived and it is still has problems.  Not the first time a great score has been allied to a weak book but all the more frustrating when you can see it's obvious potential.  I am guessing we might not see another production anytime soon.

PSB have been very supportive of the show which is good of them and Neil Tennant was actually in the third row at our performance - I was quite sanguine about it, I only looked round a handful of times!  Oh for the chance to question him about what he really thinks of it.

I have been playing the original cast recording ever since seeing it and believe that this show could be successful if they dropped Jonathan Harvey's script which has all the depth of a Boyz magazine comic strip.

Three months after CLOSER TO HEAVEN closed, Boy George's TABOO opened a few minutes walk away from the Arts and ran for over a year.  Both dealt with gay club culture, had a bisexual leading character and of course both had scores by artists who had come to prominence in the 1980s.  In retrospect I think why TABOO survived was down to a sympathetic, inclusive outlook which CLOSER TO HEAVEN ultimately lacks.  You simply don't care for any of Harvey's characters no matter how good the songs they are singing.

I have seen quite a few live acts recently but haven't felt sufficiently moved to blog - but as my poor noggin can only hold *so* much information here goes...

First up was Beverley Knight at the Royal Albert Hall.
What?? I saw Bev for the 11th time and didn't blog immediately? The trouble was I had kinda forgotten the show by the time I got home.

I am usually bouncing with joy after seeing her but this time I felt becalmed. I suspect my malaise might have been down to several things - we were in a box stage-left and while this gave an ok view of the stage, we were in the second row within it - and in the front row? Some Italian gayer with his equally Italian fag-hag. Now I was okay with them standing up to dance - but their incessant yakking during the numbers - uptempo or ballad - got on my TITS. I actually shouted at them at one point to shut the fuck up. Owen was a bit more restrained and had a quiet word with them - I'm amazed he could get a word in edgewise.

After that they both buggered off to the bar - only to come back for the encores to stand at the back of the box taking photos each other. Now I despair that whenever I go to a gig I appear to have some mong-magnet that attracts twats who NEED to yap through every song but these two were truly something else. I can only wish them a slow painful death.

So apart from them pulling my focus, I also had to contend with a show which sadly delivered no surprises. She played the tracks I wanted to hear and she was in excellent form - but the show held no surprises at all. I think also there was a feeling of having waited nigh-on 6 months from booking the show to the actual event there was some fall-off in expectation.

The last time I saw Bev was at the ICA at the launch of "100%" and while there is the kudos of being able to fill the Royal Albert Hall, she works better in a smaller venue.

I remember having a similar feeling about a Beverley show in 2006 - I think she needs to maybe get some new arrangements, a new band, something...

The next show was the incomparable Boy George in his Up Close And Personal show at the Leicester Square Theatre (the old Venue Theatre where his show TABOO had it's successful run).

Again there wasn't too much difference in the set than when we saw him there just after Christmas - a couple of new songs including "Grand Scheme of Things" and the truly infectious Lovers Rock of "Ken".

Da Boy has a new album out later this year - it would be great to have some of the countless unrecorded songs he has been singing in gigs in the past few years on cd.

He sounded in great voice and sprung a surprise at the start of the second half when he dedicated "Blue Moon" to the Pet Shop Boys - who were in the audience. I nearly swooned.

I think this was the eighth time I have seen George in concert - and I can't wait for the next one.

Last week we saw another star who first really came to prominence in those mad 1980s - August Darnell aka Kid Creole accompanied of course by his Coconuts!
This was my third gig by the Kid and as always he gave 110% - working his band, the Coconuts and the audience while remaining unflappably cool.

Sadly we saw him from the front row of the circle of the stubbornly un-atmospheric Barbican Concert Hall so although the stalls were up and dancing I was too aware of my surroundings to surrender to the music.
Um... also I was BUSTING for a wee and kept thinking "Ah this is the last one.... no? well this must be the the set-closer..... ok, THIS is the last one then..." But I had forgotten about the Kid's propensity for the extended jams on his songs so being stuck in the middle of a row with what felt to be a small pachyderm sitting on my bladder was No Fun.

After an EXTENDED encore of "If You Wanna Be Happy" - which isn't even his bloody song! - and the obligatory invitation to a "Lifeboat Party" I happily started bundling my way along the row - only for the shagger to come out again! Well tough... thanks for the show Kid but a man's gotta wee what a man's gotta wee.

So that brings us to the final show. Last Saturday we went to the chintzy Bush Hall to see Amanda Palmer and regular support Jason Webley presenting their new discovery... the co-joined twins from Walla Walla, Washington Evelyn Evelyn.As you will have heard on their debut album, life has not been easy for the twins - oddly every person or animal that crosses their path ends up dead or mad - or both!

As befits this - and the lengthy abuse they have suffered at the hands of the people who have adopted them along the way - they are a bit shy in public so, when introduced, they edged on quietly and sat behind Amanda's keyboard, clutching a large Kelly handbag and using their free hands to demurely clap us.
Owwwwwwww I can't keep this up - it was great to watch Amanda and Jason as Evelyn Evelyn! They must have rehearsed for ages to do it, co-ordinating playing an accordion then a guitar as well as all the shtick of fishing things out of their handbag - hankie to wipe the germs off the microphones and off each other. To say nothing of when they did an impromptu Q&A and improvised their answers - each saying a word at a time!

The second half consisted of Jason and Amanda doing short sets before a rampaging encore of Jason's Drinking Song which had us all spinning around 10 times looking at our aloft fingers to give us the suitable experience of being drunk! They are daft buggers them.
Amanda didn't hang around afterwards as she was visibly suffering from a cold on stage but Jason was out front signing and having his picture taken with the fans.

So there you go... four gigs, some enjoyed more than others.

And the music don't stop... am seeing the titans of pop Alphabeat tonight!

It's not a good week for tawny-heads... it was sad to hear of the death today of Malcolm McLaren.

Love him or hate him, you couldn't ignore him.

It appears he has been ill with cancer for some time but it had been kept quiet.

His ex-partner Vivienne Westwood has said "When we were young and I fell in love with Malcolm, I thought he was beautiful and I still do. I thought he is a very charismatic, special and talented person. The thought of him dead is really something very sad"

From New York Dolls to The Sex Pistols, from Bow Wow Wow to Boy George, from bringing the underground sounds of hip-hop and Vogue house to a wider public to mixing electro beats to classic opera... he had an unerring knack for seeing a new area for discovery then moving on as soon as it was spotlighted.

His confrontational behaviour won him enemies - and it's a shame that his Situationist activities ostracised the very people he had put in the front line, but the world will be a poorer place for his absence.

He had said in January "‘I have concluded that this is the year that pop culture has finally become a crumbling ruin. No matter where I look and listen, the ruins are all I am beginning to care about. I believe in the ruins."

It has crumbled a bit more with today's news.

My 10 favourite reads of the year...

not saying all well written but the 10 books I enjoyed the most!