Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Crazy Coqs, London
Cast: Zachary James and George Francis
Zachary James, currently starring as Hades in Hadestown in the West End, makes his Crazy Coqs and London solo show debut. His solo shows have toured the US, garnering him Broadway World’s Vocalist of the Decade title. He is a Grammy Award winner and has played the London Coliseum in three sold-out runs of Akhnaten with the English National Opera.
Having seen Zachary James as Hades in the West End production of Hadestown, I knew his solo concert would be nothing short of magical, and what an "enchanted evening" it was. Zachary James has performed this show (Zachary James on Broadway) all over the US but last night was the first time it's been performed out of the states, and what a treat that was for London audiences. Staged in such an intimate venue with musical direction from George Francis, the venue and unstoppable duo were a match made in heaven.
Crazy Coqs is in the heart of London's West End and there is no better venue to encapsulate the class and calibre of James' talent. He enters the room in a suave black suit and exudes a charm that brings to mind classic Hollywood stars and hypnotises the audience immediately with his opening number, "Pure Imagination", from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Throughout the evening, James takes us on his journey through theatre, Broadway and his eventual current run as Hades in Hadestown. As he navigates the audience through his many performing credits with ease, he opens up about his time as a performer and gives us a glimpse into why each song is important to him. Each song seamlessly segued into the next, and he had the audience in the palm of his hand.
As a fan, it was incredibly interesting to hear him speak about the highs and lows of becoming an actor, and how he first became a star on Broadway. From gaining his union card, to his time on South Pacific, to originating the role of Lurch in The Addams Family, it's clear through these anecdotes why his career is as successful as it is.
The entire 75 minute set felt like a dream, and there were so many standout numbers for me. "Move Towards the Darkness", from The Addams Family, "Some Enchanted Evening", from South Pacific and "The Impossible Dream", to name but a few. However, Sweeney Todd is my favourite musical of all time and to hear "My Friends" being sung in a way that was nothing short of perfection moved me to tears.
The most impactful part of the evening came from a medley of "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel) and "No One is Alone" (Into the Woods). James has the ability to sing every song as though it was written for him which is no small feat. Particularly when he's singing songs like the iconic, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". It's here I must also mention George Francis who made not a single fault behind the piano all evening, and his piano solo during this particular number was exceptional.
The show ends with an encore of "Flowers" from Hadestown which was met with much deserved rapturous applause from the audience. From opera, to classic MT, to contemporary MT, the weight and power of James' voice is a force to be reckoned with. As well as having one of the smoothest voices I've ever heard, he oozes charisma and charm in a way that's rare to see from any performer. An evening that reminded me why Zachary James is one of the all-time greats.
You can find out more about this event, here.
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