An Evening With Maddison Firth
Rating: ★★★★★
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: The Turbine Theatre, London
Cast: Maddison Firth, Nate Landskroner, Rebecca Wickes, Lizzy Parker and Kellie Gnauck
Alistair Lindsay for Unusual Theatre is proud to present for one night only, An Evening with Maddison Firth, in an intimate concert at The Turbine Theatre on Sunday 17th September. With original musical arrangements by Olivia Zacharia and Musical Director Bob Broad (Heathers the Musical) along with his live 3 piece band.
In the past few years, Maddison Firth has taken the musical theatre world by storm, and I knew it wouldn't be long before she had her own solo show. When An Evening With Maddison Firth was announced a few weeks ago, I booked tickets immediately (I mean, you had to - they sold out in 8 minutes!). I knew the audience would be in for an evening of world class vocals and talent, but Maddi exceeded my expectations...and then some!
With a concert this intimate, it's important to have a varied set list that spans decades and genres, and Maddi's set list was incredible. Check out the full set list below. From Barbie, to Les Mis, to Whitney Houston, to Frozen - there was something for everyone.
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Before you even entered the auditorium, the effort that had been put into the planning of the concert was clear. From Maddi's iconic Heather Chandler costume on display, signed posters and even a wall of her journey in musical theatre; it all helped to build the excitement of the show. Upon entering the theatre, there were small touches like a blue slushie, a How Very mug and even a light box with Maddi's Heather C shoes and mallet from Heathers on display!
Maddi opened the show with Into the Unknown from Frozen, alongside Kellie Gnauck and Lizzy Parker. The opener was almost ethereal from the trio and because of the intimate setting, every corner of the venue was filled with the magic to come from the evening.
While the set list was wide-ranging, there were a few songs which stood out for me. That's the Way It Is from & Juliet is one of my favourite musical theatre songs, and by the end of the number, I'm wondering when the & Juliet tour will be announced because we must see Maddi as Anne Hathaway.
Another iconic number was Defying Gravity from Wicked, which was the closing song of the concert. After just recently being announced as cover Elphaba on the Wicked UK tour, it felt like an honour to be there to witness this moment. I've seen Wicked many times, and I've truly never heard Defying Gravity sound as good.
The duet of Seventeen with Nate Landskroner was unbelievably captivating and the chemistry between the duo was undeniable. Another great aspect of the evening was the audience song choice that had been on Maddi's social media a few weeks before and was decided on the night. The song chosen was Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid and was learnt on the night during the interval! Maddi sung Halle Bailey's version of the song (which is infinitely more difficult to sing) and it was hauntingly beautiful.
As a huge Maddison Firth fan, it was wonderful to hear stories and anecdotes of her life as performer, and where her passion for musical theatre started. While she told the audience she was nervous, it was difficult to fault anything she said or performed from the evening. In all, it was an exceptional night of raw talent and humble beginnings.
**photo credit to Ella at @thewestendcorner**
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