Described as “a rhythmic surge of communication through sound”, Old Kent Road’s Oscillate was performed for two days only at Sadler’s Wells’ Lillian Baylis Studio, ahead of its appearance in the London Tap Dance Intensive and its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

I was so intrigued to see this as, for the majority of my childhood, tap dancing was my main passion. So, knowing just how hard it is, it was such a joy to watch these highly skilled tappers in this innovative new piece. This was a completely new league of tap than I’ve ever seen before, with so many different styles portrayed in unique ways.

Whilst the whole company were incredible, I could not possibly write this Roundup without mentioning Dre Torres’ performance, in particular. WOAH. I’m not sure I’ve ever watched a dancer with so much charisma and stage presence. She was sliding around the stage, whooping; this girl did it ALL. She absolutely commanded the stage and somehow barely looked out of breath even after being probably the most frequently featured dancer in the piece….how?! Seriously impressive.

One of my favourite sections of the piece was a solo of hers which I can only liken to the “angry dance” from Billy Elliot but like, on speed, and even cooler. It was insane. I also particularly enjoyed the segment with 3 couples using chairs which resembled a physical theatre/contemporary piece; which further showcased their diversity as dancers.

I’d also like to applaud the lighting design as this was used so effectively throughout. There was a section where the dancers on stage had standing lights, which they switched on and off, which served not only as an innovative way to drive the attention of the audience to certain pivotal moments, but the sound of the lights clicking on and off added yet another layer of rhythm. The piece also featured some amazing body percussion and even used their voices to create rhythms in an almost tribal style.

But on top of all of this, they then took off their tap shoes, and tapped barefoot. I’m just gonna write that again.

*They took off their tap shoes and literally tapped barefoot*

I cannot tell you how impressive this was. It was such a bold decision and a credit to this company’s fresh approach to the dance form. It made their movements so rooted and raw and was extremely effective.

Hats off to the whole company who produced such a dynamic performance. There was such a great energy in the room and, without trying to sound too soppy, there are few things better than watching people do something they clearly love. Every single dancer had such a sparkle in their eye, as if to say “you don’t know the cool bit that’s coming up next but weeeeeee dooooo!” The setup, consisting of the rest of the company sitting on chairs at the side of the stage while others were performing, also allowed the audience to be able to watch them watch their peers dancing with what appeared to be such pride. This seems to be a company with a clear vision and a greater sense of comradary between them.

There’s something really special about sharing the joy of dance and acknowledging genuine skill and talent, from a group of such effervescent performers. The intricate blending of different styles was so refreshing to see.

If you’re up in Edinburgh this summer for the Fringe, I’d HIGHLY recommend seeing Old Kent Road’s Oscillate for a thrilling and hugely impressive showcase of dance.

To find out more about the company, you can visit their website here.

Olivia Rose 🌹

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to discover this show. Admittedly, I’d been aware that there existed a musical depicting stories of those on the Titanic for several years, but I think I’d almost been subconsciously avoiding it. Perhaps I thought it would feel disrespectful to watch people singing about such a tragic event, or maybe that I would feel uncomfortable watching it? Well whatever I was thinking, I was wrong. So wrong.

Oh. My heart.

I want to start by saying how blown away I was by the sheer class of this cast. The energy between them was incredible and, being a true ensemble piece, it was wonderful to see a show where so many different cast members got to portray their story. These were performers who clearly knew what they were singing about and had done their research, and there was an overwhelming sense of respect for the people they were portraying.

Secondly, the SOUND of this cast. Maury Yeston’s score is so gorgeous and the recurring themes throughout the piece are just stunning. The variants of the “There She Is” theme stood out the most for me and I’ve definitely found myself humming this days after seeing the show.

It’s very rare that I see a musical and after each song has finished I have a new favourite. The vocals were just so tight and unified. I’ve seen shows before where I’ve been frustrated at the inconsistency of vocal styles used, with some delivering the material in an entirely legit style and others putting a more modern twist on their solos. Thankfully, Titanic showed no trace of this and clearly has a very diligent Musical Director in the form of Mark Aspinall, alongside a cast with a clear vision, meaning the score itself soars and can be appreciated in its full glory. I, for one, would LOVE to hear a new cast recording from this wonderful production.

The fact that the conductor was (rightly) given a bow at the curtain call, reaffirmed my feelings even more of the care that had gone into the music for this production. With so much happening on stage, it’s easy to forget that throughout the whole evening, the magic is also being created by the equally hard-working orchestra, so it was wonderful to be able to acknowledge this through the conductor’s bow.

It is, of course, a hugely sensitive subject; you’re dealing with one of the most famous tragic events in history and addressing the death of thousands of people. There were definitely tears, but at the same time, it’s not a tear-jerker for the sake of being a tear-jerker. Indeed, a significant amount of the show is so warm and uplifting that it’s this that makes the whole piece so heartbreaking.

I think the fact that I went to see the show with my friend, Nicole, who’s from the US, also impacted my experience. We spoke about how it’s a tragedy that’s shared between the US and the UK as it literally happened in between the two. So many people were on board hoping to find a new life, so along with the death of thousands of people, died so many dreams and plans for a better future. Like so many tragedies, there’s also no single figure to blame as there were so many different factors involved in the disaster, which is certainly a reason the story is still so compelling over 100 years after the tragic event itself.

I also think the portrayal of the actual sinking of the ship was also done in such a clever way. I was dreading this moment as I’d been so impressed with the production so far that I was worried about how they were going to portray the sinking of a ship that was in reality 175ft tall. But, in keeping of course with the class and respect with which the rest of the show was delivered, this moment was equally well-executed. The characters slowly joining centre stage and lightly bowing their heads to each other, before exiting upstage was one of the most simple yet effective pieces of direction I’ve seen. This was definitely helped by the reprise of the waltz and, as anyone who knows me will know, if you put something in 3/4 – I’m gone. That waltz broke me.

It’s a show that moves from highlighting how entrenched the class system and the idea of social hierarchy is in our existence, to proving how ridiculous a concept it is when a group of people find themselves in the face of death.

The combination of Maury Yeston’s incredible score and the production’s beautiful direction by Thom Southerland hit me hard, and I won’t be forgetting it any time soon.

Titanic is playing in Bradford, Liverpool and finally in Hamburg before it’s 2018 tour comes to a close. If you are able to see this production then please, please do. You can buy tickets here.

*Also* my wonderful friend Nicole uploaded a video sharing her thoughts on the show as well, and speaks so eloquently of why this production is so effective. She addresses things like the innovative set, the strong performances of individual characters and even shows off some of the show merch, so you can watch her video here!

Olivia Rose 🌹

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with the lovely and hugely talented Rebecca LaChance. Rebecca was both a featured ensemble member in the original Broadway cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and also understudied Jessie Mueller in the lead role of Carole. She has since starred opposite Michael Ball in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Mack and Mabel and has now moved to London.

Next up for her is Give My Regards to Broadway at Upstairs at the Gatehouse – a brand new musical revue celebrating Broadway’s best show tunes between 1902-1942. We spoke about training in New York City and entering the industry, her move over from the US to London and, of course, Give My Regards to Broadway.

Hi Rebecca! Thanks so much for being my first guest on the blog. So, you moved to New York City at the age of seventeen to study at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts – what was that like?!

It was definitely a big deal becoming a New Yorker. Tisch was very exciting and cool; it was very inspiring for me. It’s a really big programme, so in my year there were around 250 students in Tisch Drama, just in my studies. That breaks down into studio groups so you end up in smaller groups, but ultimately there’s just a lot of people. Not everybody’s gonna get to be in the main stage productions, not everybody’s gonna get to study in the best classes. So you really have to claw your way through to get what you can out of it, and I feel like I did do my best to do that.

Was there a big pressure to get an agent once you graduated from Tisch?

Definitely. I was lucky enough that, without getting into an NYU showcase, I was involved in the Broadway Rising Stars concert which happens at Town Hall in New York on 43rd Street. It’s actually right across from where Beautiful is so, when I was in the show later on, I thought “wow – how full circle!” as that concert was the first thing I did out of NYU. It sort of functioned like a showcase, so after that I did meet a couple of agents and people through connections from school.

I was able to get my equity card through doing a touring children’s show for a few months, so I was then able to go to the Equity auditions. They have all these required calls so it’s a really great way to meet casting directors. I very rarely would get a job from those kinds of calls, but the relationships I made with those casting directors through seeing them so frequently, like singing 32 bars with them every two months, helped a lot.

Stephen Kopel and Jim Carnahan ended up putting me in the show I did prior to Beautiful which was at Williamstown. I’d compare it to Chichester as there’s a lot of out-of-town, starting things that move to Broadway and just great regional theatre. They then put me into Beautiful and they also put me into Mack and Mabel. So meeting them was really important!

Did you ever have to have a “side hustle” to support yourself whilst pursuing your performing ambitions?

Oh I have had every single side hustle there is! There was a good chunk of time where I had literally every job in the book, and many of them at the same time. And then still struggling to pay my rent and pay my student loans, so it’s definitely not easy. In 2013, I just hit this wall… but then things suddenly turned around for me – I booked Beautiful and my whole life switched around.

What did you do when you found out you’d been cast in Beautiful?

I freaked out completely. I actually found out the night before my sister’s wedding so my mom and I were secretly celebrating that I’d got this job, but we couldn’t tell anybody because it was her day. It was a very bizarre moment.

You were in the original cast and so, for a time, it was only you and Jessie Mueller who had played Carole King. What was that like?

Yeah, for over a year. It was kind of crazy. The first time I went on was when we were still out-of-town in San Francisco. We hadn’t even frozen the show yet so we were still in development. The understudies had costumes but nothing else – you know, we knew the music, we were getting updated pages but they were changing a lot.

Do you remember the first time you went on as Carole?

It was our last day in San Francisco and Jessie [Mueller] just got sick. And she’s the biggest trooper of them all, like, she genuinely has to be so unwell to say I can’t do something, especially knowing how huge it is and what it might mean because we were sold out; it was 1500 seats sold out on our last day in San Francisco. So the Stage Manager called me, and I had been out the night before, my best friends from college were there and we were having brunch. I had, like, a grilled cheese sandwich and an apple pie with ice cream, you know – the most dairy you could put into your vocal chords possible! And suddenly I was like “Oh, I’m about to be Carole King.” Just like weeping, actually – just so many tears. I went and they were fitting my wigs and I was just crying! It was genuinely a complete feat of company ethics because everyone was there holding me up, as you almost never go offstage in that role.

It seems like Carole King herself has been pretty on board with the whole process?

Yes. She saw a reading of it and when she first came, she left at the interval and was like “It’s great – I don’t want to watch it anymore”. The end of Act One is where Gerry’s cheating on her. She had to experience that already herself, and then had to watch it again with other people doing it. But we got to meet her during rehearsals and she came and told us stories. She didn’t come and see the show until about four or five months after we’d been doing it on Broadway but once she came, she loved it. She literally came in disguise, because she doesn’t want to sit there and have people watch her, watch her! She’s got wigs and glasses…it’s amazing.

What was it like coming over to the UK to star in Mack and Mabel?

I hadn’t actually heard of Michael Ball and I think that made a much better dynamic for the show between us and really worked for our characters. Originally I’d thought it was a one-off job but I really loved London, and then being in Chichester it was this idyllic setting in the UK countryside. But really the deciding factor in staying was that I met my now boyfriend working on Mack and Mabel; he was one of the production carpenters for the show. So I decided that when the contract was up, I was gonna get a lawyer and I was gonna try and come back. And that’s what happened – I moved over at the end of February last year. I love London and we live in a suburb-y part of town, and so I have a garden and a guest room; things I would never be able to touch in New York.

How would you compare auditioning in London and auditioning in New York?

It’s pretty similar. I’d say it’s probably a bit more laid back here. There’s the ethic in New York that if you’re not off-book, you’re a fool, because there will always be someone else who is off-book. In New York, if you asked someone if they juggle they’d be like “yup!” even if they don’t, because they’d go home that night and they’d learn to juggle. Whereas if you asked someone in London, they’d more be like “Not really, I might be able to learn.” It’s great and frank, and it’s nice to not lie about your skills! But it is true that in New York you’d just be like “yup!”

We’re here, of course, because you’re about to appear in Give My Regards To Broadway at Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

Yes! I’m really excited for it, I think it’s gonna be great. Some of the arrangements are so different from what I’ve heard before so that’s gonna be really fun for the audience I think. There’s already the joy of going to see a show where you know all the songs and you’re like “Yes! I love that song, and that song, and that song!” and so to hear them in a way that’s unique to what you’ve known before is gonna be really good fun.

Do you have a favourite song you get to perform?

I think Bewitched is among my favourites. It’s just such a great song. The intro is not always used but it’s so good. With so much of Gershwin and Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart, they have these openings to the songs…Somewhere Over The Rainbow has one too – there’s this opening that’s so beautiful (*side note* we both had a bit of a moment over this as, I too, am in love with the opening of this song…seriously check out the full version!) It’s a very time period specific thing where the lead-in melody gets chopped, but it’ll be nice to bring them out.

There’s a lot of romanticism surrounding the songs of this era (1902-1942) and these classic tunes. Would you say this is a favourite style of yours?

The things I’ve tended to do are either more jazzy or very contemporary. Not even like musical theatre contemporary, more folk-pop stuff. I’ve learned over time that my voice is not a typical musical theatre voice, which is difficult when people want it to be this thing that it’s not. I developed a show for Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York that was called Broadway: What the Folk? I loved that show – it was really fun. I developed that with my friend, Mark, and he helped make incredible arrangements and things. That’s something that is a package that exists so I would definitely be interested in doing that here.

Would you ever consider releasing an album?

I’ve been talking about releasing an album for so many years. That’s a project that would also be a labour of love with my friend, Mark, as his collaboration is just invaluable to me. We have the problem of an ocean between us at this point, which is a little bit challenging when you’re talking about developing an album..! But we’re working on it and it’s definitely something I want to do.

Finally, I’m hoping to ask everyone I interview for Rose’s Supposes this question: If you could do one thing to make the world a rosier place, what would you do?

The thing I would encourage other people to do more of is just volunteer your time. I did a tonne of volunteering in New York and I’ve always been very service-minded. One of the first things I did when I came here was reach out and found places to volunteer and it’s my favourite way to spend my time other than acting and making music. I think there are so many organisations that need help and people, myself included, are like “I don’t have money” or “I don’t know how to offer this”, but the thing you can always offer is your time. There are so many ways to do it and you can use your skill set; find the thing that speaks to you and it’s fun. If everyone put in even a few hours a month towards helping other people or giving their time to an organisation, the world would be a better place.

(Great, right?)

I, for one, will definitely be going along to Upstairs at the Gatehouse to catch Give My Regards To Broadway. It’s running between 17th July – 5th August and promises to take audiences on “an exciting journey down the Great White Way.”

For more information and to book tickets, here’s the link you need: http://www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com/give-my-regards-to-broadway

You can also follow updates of the show over on their Twitter account, which is:@BroadwayRegards

A huge thank you to Rebecca for being such a wonderful first guest here on Roses Supposes! To stay up to date with her work, her Twitter is @RebeccaLaChance and her website is http://rebeccalachance.com. 

Olivia Rose 🌹

I first stumbled across Crazy Ex-Girlfriend a few years ago, probably scrolling through Netflix avoiding my A Level revision. To say Rachel Bloom and the whole creative team behind this show are inspirations to me would be a HUGE understatement. I think the tagline to the theme tune of Season 1, “The situation is a lot more nuanced than that!” pretty much sums up my feelings about this show.

Perhaps due to its name, when I’ve mentioned the show to others (because I do, like, all the time) I’m often met with that familiar sceptical look about another teen tv series. But Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is nothing like you’d expect just from the title. It has so much depth and meaning, and addresses some serious issues in such a unique way.

To give some context for those who are unfamiliar with the show, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend follows Rebecca Bunch, played by Rachel Bloom who also co-writes and produces the show (I KNOW right??). She tries to reconnect with her first true love from Summer camp, Josh Chan, by following him all the way back to his home town of West Covina, California from her well-paid but dreary law career in New York. The show explores mental health in such a unique way that I haven’t seen in any other TV show. Did I mention it’s also hilarious and heartwarming all at the same time?

The amazingly witty dialogue reminds me of all the reasons I love Gilmore Girls. In the same way that Gilmore Girls is crammed full of pop culture references, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend feels like a love letter to the theatre kid of the room who makes jokes nobody else understands. It’s like I’ve finally found a TV show that GETS my sense of humour, without having to explain the whole plot of a musical in order for someone to get the joke or *gasps* who Stephen Sondheim is (which I have to do on a soul-crushingly regular basis).

Another reason it’s so perfect for theatre kids, aside from the fact that there are several original musical numbers in each episode is that, as a form, it so cleverly makes fun of itself. It’s both an ode to and a parody of musical theatre.

I can’t explain what I’d give to be able to sit in on some of the creative meetings on this show. Imagine working with a writing team that’s focusing on tackling the stigma surrounding mental health, promoting self-worth and also casually writing literally hundreds of original songs with niche Broadway references throughout – seriously, where do I sign up?? 🙏🏼 I can only hope that one day I’m able to create something that makes people feel the way Crazy Ex-Girlfriend makes me feel.

Now, onto the frankly iconic guest appearances. Can we talk about the fact that QUEEN PATTI LUPONE casually swoops in during Season 2?! If that isn’t enough to tempt you to watch the show, Broadway stars Lea Salonga and Josh Groban have also appeared. It’s like Rachel Bloom went “who would make theatre kids FREAK if they appeared on the show? Cool, let’s give them a call!” and then she only went and got them.

I thought I’d put together a list of a few of my favourite songs from the show. I should say that, when going through all the songs from the 3 seasons so far, I tried to put a playlist together of my favourites for this blog post. Guys, there were twenty-eight songs on the playlist I made. TWENTY-EIGHT. That’s more than a lot of musicals have in their whole score and these are just my highlights??? The sheer volume of work produced by the creative team is astounding. So here are just five of my all time favourites from the show so far:

(*side note* The fourth and final season is yet to air and I know this is gonna have some absolute bangers as well)

The Moment Is Me

Serving some major High School Musical vibes, Vella Lovell is hilarious in this “finding yourself” number. It’s just another example of how clever the writers are in poking fun at the very thing they’re doing, with the character of Heather reluctantly breaking into song.

Settle For Me

Santino Fontana (aka actual Prince Charming from Cinderella) and Rachel Bloom dance around like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It’s magical.

(Tell Me I’m Okay) Patrick

I’m not even kidding, I’ve genuinely considered using this as an audition song on several occasions. It’s SUCH a good song. The camera shots in this number are just genius as well.

We Tapped That Ass

Tap is my all time favourite form of dance and so I absolutely love this song and dance routine. It’s similar to Avenue Q in the way that the music is so upbeat and charming that you forget the risqué nature of the lyrics. (Okay risqué is definitely the wrong word but you know what I mean😂)

This Session Is Going To Be Different

Michael Hyatt is AMAZING in this “Maybe This Time” style number. I’d loved her character as Rachel’s therapist up until this point so was thrilled she was given an entire number to shine in.

Where’s The Bathroom?

This is SUCH a great number performed by the incredible Tovah Feldshuh and the lyrics are just genius. Tovah is such a skilled actress and I love it when she appears in the show.

Some of my other faves from the show:

Season 1:

– What’ll It Be?

– After Everything I’ve Done For You (That You Didn’t Ask For)

– One Indescribable Instant

Season 2:

– Maybe This Dream

– George’s Turn

– Remember That We Suffered

Season 3:

– Let’s Generalize About Men

– I Feel Like This Isn’t About Me

– A Diagnosis

Finally, a note on Rachel Bloom herself. It baffles me that she’s so involved in so many different elements of this show. As someone who aspires to be not only a performer but also a creator (be that composing, writing, directing) it’s so incredible to see someone absolutely smashing all of those things respectively. Oh, and if you need another reason to be a fan of hers, she wore a t-shirt with Stephen Sondheim smoking a joint on it to the Tony Awards this year. Need I say more?

For the US readers out there (thanks for tuning in to my blog – I see you!), you can catch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the CW and for my fellow Brits and beyond, it’s on Netflix!

I really hope this post makes you at least a little intrigued to check out the show. I want this blog to encourage people to be unapologetically stagey so, if you need that little extra push to believe that, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a great place to start.

Olivia Rose 🌹

So last weekend was a stagey one to say the least. On 16th and 17th June, THOUSANDS of people gathered in Trafalgar Square for a big old sing song and it was wonderful. This was actually my first year attending West End Live (I know right?!) and I’m so glad I got to share it with such amazing people.

I thought I’d share some of my favourite performances from the weekend. I didn’t manage to catch every single one but saw a fair few over the 2 days and these were the ones that stood out for me:

* Little Shop of Horrors *

This cast literally hadn’t even started rehearsals when they performed last weekend but they were on fire! I absolutely love the music in Little Shop of Horrors and their set made me so excited for their production that’s coming to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre this August. Matt Willis absolutely smashed it as the Dentist and I can’t wait to see more from this cast. There was so much charisma up on stage and it definitely got me and my pals bopping along. This production sounds so innovative with their choice to cast US drag queen, Vicky Vox, as Audrey II (the plant) so it’s definitely not one to miss this Summer.

* Heathers *

Of course this was going to be in my favourites but guys…they were incredible. After just completing a week of previews and still in the midst of full days rehearsing and tweaking the show, they then turn up and deliver the insane performance they did on Sunday?!?! This cast are simply a sensation. I’m not going to go on about Heathers too much as if you want to hear all the reasons I love it so much, check my Rosy Roundup of the show after I was lucky enough to watch their dress rehearsal. All I will say is, the fact that even standing there alongside thousands of other people, in a very informal setting outside the context of the show, I STILL welled up watching Carrie Hope Fletcher and Jamie Muscato sing “Seventeen”. This show and the people in it are magic.

* Bat Out of Hell *

This is a show that I strangely haven’t managed to get round to seeing. However, their performance at West End Live has really made me want to get to the Dominion Theatre and have a watch. Andrew Polec’s vocals are actually insane. He’s a proper rockstar. I also really loved the choreography in their numbers and the cast were just giving it their all; the energy they brought for their whole set was incredible. It’s a show that really suited the festival/concert vibes of the event so was unsurprisingly a huge crowd-pleaser.

* Eugenius! *

There must be something good in the air conditioning at The Other Palace because, similarly to Heathers, the cast of Eugenius! just seem like a lovely bunch of people. I was gutted to have missed this show when it was on before so was THRILLED when it was announced they’d be returning to The Other Palace in September. We were truly living our best lives fist pumping in “Go Eugenius!” and their whole set was just loads of fun and put a big old smile on my face.

So those are just a few highlights of an incredible weekend. The event is organised so well that even for someone like me, who isn’t the biggest fan of standing in amongst such huge crowds, it remained a positive and fun experience. A huge well done to all those involved in running the event and who work so hard to make it happen every year. The fact that it remains completely free and open to all theatre-lovers makes me so happy and long may it continue.

Olivia Rose 🌹

I had the absolute pleasure of watching It’s Only Life last week at the Union Theatre. It’s a musical revue featuring the songs of John Bucchino and has a cast of five INCREDIBLE performers. It’s about love, life and everything in between. I’ll admit that I had never heard any of John Bucchino’s music before but after this production, I really want to check out more of his work.

The piece was directed really well by Tania Azevedo, with William Whelton’s slick choreography ensuring the piece flowed seamlessly, despite having no dialogue in its entirety. The scene changes were really well executed and linked each different story really well, so as an audience it was clear there was a change of situation and we were now onto a new character. There’s always the risk with a musical revue that, without any context, there could be a lack of coherence in the performance as a whole if each song is a stand-alone number, but I didn’t get that at all with It’s Only Life and was pleasantly surprised by its overall clarity.

I should probably mention that I am a massive harmonies geek. I was also that girl at school who ran the a cappella choir, so when the performers soared into some stunning five-part harmonies, I think I was in actual heaven. For this, I’ve got to take a moment to acknowledge the Musical Director, Nick Barstow, for doing such an incredible job and for  his accompaniment throughout the whole show. You forget that it’s literally just 5 singers and a piano, but it never felt lacking in energy. (When I was making notes straight after the performance for this blog post I wrote: “SUCH tight harmonies. Like so on it. Omg. SO GOOD.” 😂)

The cast consists of Will Carey, Sammy Graham, Jennifer Harding, Jordan Shaw and Noel Sullivan and WOAH they can sing. It was so nice to watch a piece where each individual performer had substantial material, with around 8 company numbers and each singer having several complete solo songs to perform as well. Each singer has such a unique sound so it was wonderful to watch them all have moments where they could shine.

I don’t think I’ve ever raved so much about lighting in a show before so, Clancy Flynn (cracking name by the way…), I salute you. Seriously though, I’ve never properly taken in light sequences before but the changes were done in such a creative way that added a whole different dimension to each scene. The Union Theatre is such a small space that I can imagine formatting lighting must be challenging, so I was so pleased that this worked so well. Who knew good lighting could be so emotional?? It was seriously good.

I don’t know if this has been done in other versions of this production before or if it was an addition for this new production, but one thing I really loved was the representation of same gender relationships. This was done in such a “normal” way, in that they didn’t make a huge deal about it because, why would you? These songs are about love and life and, to truly represent that, you’ve got to include relationships that aren’t solely heterosexual. I almost didn’t mention it in the roundup but it’s something that, because they didn’t make a big deal about it, is kind of a big deal. (You know?) I just thought it was done so beautifully and was a real reflection of love in this world, so it was absolutely right that several numbers were set with two actresses or two actors. Being a musical revue helped, I think, as it stripped away all the other layers of judgment we place onto a relationship and could just sit back and appreciate a representation of two people in love – amazing!

They involved the audience in such a wonderful way too. Don’t freak out – you don’t have to get up on stage or anything, but the informal atmosphere created by the actors properly interacting with the audience created such a warm environment which gave the piece an even greater sense of integrity and truth. Being in such a small space, you’re right in front of the performers, and with no microphones they’re so exposed but it made it such a personal and intimate experience. With nothing to hide behind, their stagecraft was made all the more impressive.

It’s a thinker, this one – and boy, did it make me think. I got really emotional in the final number but when you’ve got gorgeous music, insane vocals, beautiful lyrics and DID I MENTION THE COOL LIGHTING, what more could you want?

It’s Only Life is currently at the Union Theatre until 7th July so I urge you to try and catch it while you can.

 

Olivia Rose 🌹

So in a wonderful twist of fate, I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the dress rehearsal of Heathers the Musical at The Other Palace….I know right?! Mad!

I’m beyond pleased that my first “Rosy Roundup” is of this wonderful production. It’s a show that means a huge deal to me, as I know it does to many people. It’s got such a loyal fan base and I have to applaud the marketing team for Heathers and The Other Palace for embracing the incredible community of Heathers fans around the globe in the lead up to this production. From their “Big Fun Fridays” on Twitter, to ensuring a huge amount of lower-priced tickets were available for audiences, it’s safe to say Heathers has made its mark on London. There are so many elements of the show I’ve barely even touched on and this is by no means all of my thoughts but I wanted to write something that was genuine and fresh so here goes…

I was lucky enough to catch the workshop of Heathers last year at The Other Palace and was THRILLED to see the return of several cast members. One of these was the amazing Jamie Muscato, playing J.D. I could genuinely write a whole blog post on Jamie’s performance. He’s such an incredibly skilled performer and I am so pleased he is reprising this role. He portrays J.D in such a subtle and distinct way, with just the right amount of psychopath (!) I think with a character like J.D it could be tempting for an actor to go down the really crazy route, but the impressive thing about Jamie’s performance is that he manages to make J.D so likeable as well – so, just like Veronica, the audience want so badly to root for him despite the horrendous things he does. For me, good acting is so much to do with the eyes and, without trying to sound cheesy, his are just magnetic and his stage presence is incredible. I will stop gushing now haha but it was just such a standout performance that I think deserves so much recognition.

Of course, Carrie Hope Fletcher was a joy to watch. Probably one of the most iconic moments in the show is right at the start where Veronica runs out onto the stage for the end of “Beautiful” after her infamous makeover from the Heathers. There’s something about the orchestrations of this song that just makes it so moving , and Carrie absolutely nailed it. I can only imagine how daunting it must have been to step into a role that is so engrained in the minds of Heathers fans but Carrie has truly made the role her own and brings a fresh new take on Veronica. She showcases her diverse vocal talents in what is a HUGE sing, and is able to present Veronica as the complex character she is because of this.

I’m not gonna lie – I definitely sobbed a bit throughout “Seventeen” and “Our Love Is God“.  I think “Seventeen” in particular is SUCH a gorgeous song and it just gets me in the gut. In all of Veronica and J.D’s duets in fact, it’s just like time stops and for a second you forget about all the craziness that has happened in the plot and just see two lost teenagers who have fallen deeply for each other. Great, right?

Some of my other favourite moments included “The Me Inside of Me” and especially Jodie Steele‘s hilarious ending to this number. (*Side note* – kind of in love with Heather Chandler’s dressing gown too; Jodie rocks it.) I also LOVED the new song for Heather Duke, sung (/slayed) by T’Shan Williams. I don’t want to ruin anything but there’s a moment in this song…guys…you’re gonna love it. I’m so on board with this new number and felt it really gave another layer to Heather Duke’s character which only added to the story. Sophie Isaacs, playing Heather McNamara, also displays some of the best comedic timing I’ve seen and is one of the other cast members who I’m so thrilled is reprising their role from the workshop last year.

Another standout performance was “Shine A Light“, led masterfully by Rebecca Lock as Ms Fleming. This is such a great number with some amazing choreography and use of props (like super shiny fun props – trust me). Especially in The Other Palace which is such an intimate space, the engagement of the audience is so key and this was done SO well in this number. Rebecca’s vocals are MAD. Get ready for all of the riffs – you’re gonna love it.

I’m so glad that Heathers exists. It’s such an important piece of theatre and one that truly holds up a mirror to us as human beings. We have the capability of being truly awful to each other, but we also have the capability of being kind, accepting and loving. Heathers highlights the fact that we’re all damaged; all of us. There’s no way to get rid of pain in the world, but that doesn’t mean it is not a world worth living in – and by sticking together, it truly can be made beautiful.

It fills me with so much joy that everything I witnessed will only grow and blossom as the run goes on and I feel so privileged to have gotten the opportunity to see it before the first preview. It’s certainly an experience I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. The fact that this was their first proper run through and it was already at the standard it was is, like….mind-baffling. I doubt many dress rehearsals get standing ovations?!

To all those involved in Heathers; the cast, crew, creative team – thank you. Whilst I have given it a go, I really can’t put into words what this show means to me and I’m just so happy that the production is everything I hoped it would be and more.

* I know that there are very few tickets left so please (PLEASE) if you’re considering booking at all, do it – you won’t regret it. There’s also a lottery you can enter on The Other Palace’s website (https://www.theotherpalace.co.uk/whats-on/heathers-the-musical) every Friday for the chance to get £25 tickets! How very! *

I hope you enjoyed the first of many Rosy Roundups!

You can stay up to date with all the latest Heathers news by following their Twitter account which is @HeathersMusical ✨

Olivia Rose 🌹

Here on Rose’s Supposes, I’m all for making life a little bit rosier. I was recently watching the Instagram stories of Caroline Kay (an actress/singer/songwriter with an INCREDIBLE EP out called Notes which I highly recommend…) who spoke about the importance of supporting one another’s creative endeavours in an industry that is often deemed highly competitive. She mentioned the idea of people promoting their peers with #FriendToFollow on social media. What a great idea! 👏🏼

This got me thinking about the people I follow on social media who I’m certain have a positive impact on my day to day life through their posts. A huge number of us use social media so often now that you really have to filter what’s coming towards you if you want to be seeing positive content. I’ve recently made a huge effort to ensure that I’m following people who produce content that adds to my life, rather than feeding in negative energy that I could do without.

It’s so easy to focus on your own social media presence and your own content, but some of the most innovate creative projects emerge when people choose to join their platforms and use them in a positive way. The theatre community in London seems to be going from strength to strength, with a huge rise in charity events and fundraisers. These include West End Bake Off in aid of Acting For Others and the already thriving West End Does series- their first concert, The Magic of Animation at Cadogan Hall, not only wowed audiences with a star-studded line up, but was also in association with the Make A Wish foundation. Events like these are so important in maintaining this sense of community in the West End and it seems we are gradually catching up with Broadway who arguably have a much more established sense of community between shows and with their collective audiences. I’m so happy to see this change and can’t wait to see where it leads.

SO, I was inspired by Caroline to join the #FriendToFollow bandwagon and share some people who make the internet (and the real world!) a little bit rosier. Whilst I don’t have the privilege of calling these people friends of mine as I don’t know them personally and still have a very humble platform here on my new blog, I can’t see how steering even a few people over to some positive influencers could possibly be a bad thing. So, from my stagey little corner of the internet to you, here are some cracking individuals who I’d recommend you get following. They are not only INSANELY talented, creative individuals, but use their platforms in a refreshingly uplifting way.

1) Carrie Hope Fletcher

@CarrieHFletcher

Carrie is a very well known figure in the industry, having established herself as not only an extremely talented performer, but a hugely successful author and vlogger too. She is the perfect example of not allowing yourself to be pigeon-holed, and by embracing her multitude of talents has become a respected individual in several creative fields. That’s pretty badass. Carrie undoubtedly lives up to her middle name by tirelessly providing a positive and encouraging platform for her followers that is ever Hopeful. Having admired her career for several years now, I have loved watching her become a leading figure in promoting kindness and positivity online.

*Great for* Authenticity, body positivity and origami dragons (no, really!)

2) Lin Manuel Miranda

@Lin_Manuel

Lin’s good morning and good night tweets have helped me personally on countless occasions. I’m constantly sending them to do friend who isn’t on Twitter as they honestly make such a difference to my day. We all know from In the Heights and Hamilton that Lin has a way with words. It’s kind of his thing. But these little snippets of genius is like a getting a glimpse inside that wonderful brain of his. So, if you’re looking to feel inspired and uplifted, give him a follow. I’m certainly following Old Man Miranda all the way.

*Great for* Daily motivation, energy boosts and classic old school home videos.

3) Lesli Margherita

@QueenLesli

If you haven’t come across Lesli before, I’m pretty excited for you. She won an Olivier Award for her role in Zorro the Musical and played Mrs Wormwood in Matilda on Broadway for 2 years, so she’s a basically a multitalented superstar. She’s established herself as “Auntie Lesli” to theatre kids everywhere and, if you’re looking for some motivation, check out her “Here is what I know” posts that’s pinned at the top of her Twitter. She consistently reminds people to be unapologetic for who they are and recognise their worth. She is the Queen of “keeping it real” and embraces the not-so-glamorous elements of the industry. Did I mention she’s also a Star Wars mega fan? Yeah. She’s like, seriously cool.

*Great for* Self-confidence, relatable audition struggles and hilarious NYC anecdotes

4) Sierra Boggess

@sierraboggess

My, oh my. This lady. Sierra has been a huge inspiration to me for several years now. Not only is she one of the most talented sopranos out there, she brings so much positive energy and she just shines. Her signature phrase is “You are enough! You are SO enough! It’s unbelievable how enough you are!” How great is that? You can even subscribe to her blog at sierraboggess.com to read exclusive posts based around her word of the month. Sierra’s goodness recently came to the forefront when she announced she would no longer be taking part in the BBC Proms concert of West Side Story this summer, saying “if I were to do this concert, it would once again deny Latina’s the opportunity to sing this score, as well as semi the IMPORTANCE of seeing themselves represented on stage.” Turning down such an iconic role to acknowledge the bigger picture and highlight the need for diverse casting (ESPECIALLY in this show), is just one of the many reasons Sierra is an inspiration to so many. She’s also a huge Barbra Streisand fan so it’s safe to say we’re on the same wavelength.

*Great for* Mindfulness, focus and all of the cat pictures.

5) Caroline Kay

@CarolineKay117

There’s no way I could have written this post without the inspiration from Caroline’s Instagram but I also know that, had the idea come from somewhere else, she would definitely still have featured amongst my favourite positive influencers on social media. She recently proved this to a huge degree with her support for the Repeal the 8th campaign. I will admit that I had no idea what this was before Caroline explained it on her social media a few months ago and was consistently spreading awareness of the issue right up until the day of the vote. She’s extremely active on all her social media channels and I urge you to watch her Instagram stories of you need a giggle. She’s also got her own EP out called Notes which showcases what a talent she is as a songwriter as well as a performer. I honestly can’t wait to see what’s next for her.

*Great for* Iconic Irish humour, songwriting sneak peaks and the snack combo of dreams

#FriendToFollow

I also couldn’t write this post without properly taking part in #FriendToFollow so head over to my Twitter, @OliviaDowden where I’ve posted about why you should follow my gorgeous friend Ellie’s blog; Noise of London. She gets to know Londoners through their love of music and is cooler than I’ll ever be. Go show her some love. (She also has a super artsy Instagram account at @eleanor_dalton) ✨

Even if you don’t check out the influencers I’ve mentioned above, I urge you to consider using whatever platform you have to celebrate your friends and their achievements. It goes such a long way in making the world a bit nicer.

If you do use #FriendToFollow, feel free to tag me in your posts! I would love to discover some new creatives out there who are crushing it 💪🏼

Olivia Rose 🌹