By Christy Hudson
Cache Theater Company presents the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Utah Theatre in Logan. The concert is comprised of singers and musicians from throughout Cache Valley. It is directed by Jared Rounds. The live band is conducted by Patrick Clark, and the musical director is Karlee Larsen.
The great Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most well-known composers in the world of musical theater. Even people who are unfamiliar with musicals have probably heard of at least one of his shows (and that show is probably Phantom of the Opera). He has composed thirteen musicals, including a couple of the longest-running Broadway shows to date. He has won Tony Awards, Oscars (also known as Academy Awards), Golden Globes, Olivier Awards, and Grammys. He was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 1992. He was also recently showcased in a version of James Corden’s “Crosswalk the Musical” on the Late Late Show. So, if anyone is deserving of a tribute concert, it’s Webber.
The concert is a tribute to Webber’s work as a composer. It could easily be someone’s Spotify playlist of his best hits (an ALW concert can’t be complete without “Memory” and “Music of the Night,” right?). The songs featured were from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Love Never Dies, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Song and Dance, and Aspects of Love. Webber worked with several lyricists on these shows, including Tim Rice, Don Black, Charles Hart, Glenn Slater, Richard Stilgoe, and Christopher Hampton.
The performers portray an array of characters from ALW’s hit shows. There are notably two Phantoms, played by Maxx Teuscher and Ryan Leonhardt, as well as two Christine Daaès, played by Karlee Larsen and Leah Kennedy (they performed songs from both Phantom and its sequel, Love Never Dies). The cast of characters also features Eva Perón (Elisabeth Spencer), Joseph (Levi Hopkins), Emma (Chrissy Webster Busy), and Norma Desmond (Lindsey Kelstrom). The other soloists are Travis Leondardt, Amber Kacherian, Wyatte Strazzo, Avery Simms, Kaden Bundy, and Rebecca Gee.
All the singers are talented—t heir voices are strong and beautiful. One number that particularly stood out to me was “Another Suitcase, Another Hall” from Evita. Rebecca Gee plays Perón’s mistress, and her voice was exceptionally powerful. Evita is not a show whose music I am very familiar with, but the number was well-done and impressionable.
Even though it is a concert, the performers do not simply stand and sing the songs. The musical numbers are performed as though they are being pulled directly out of the shows, complete with blocking and, in some cases, choreography (provided by Rounds). It does make for a more interesting presentation. However, there are times that this becomes a little distracting, particularly if the song is from a show I am not very familiar with. Without the context of the stories, it might even be somewhat confusing. But the concept of the singers also playing the characters from the shows is entertaining and fun, and it gives them more opportunity to sing with emotion.
Lighting Designer Aaron Gubler helps set the tone of the concert. There is not a set, or many other effects used throughout the show, but the lighting changes to match the mood of each song, and it moves with the singers in their performances.
Cache Theatre Company has created a sweet tribute with The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is a nice production put on by the community and features some talented local performers. If Webber got the chance to witness it, he would be touched.
Cache Theatre Company Presents The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Utah Theatre, 18 West Center St, Logan, Utah 84321
August 10-11, 2018, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $12.50
Cache Theatre Company Facebook Page
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Facebook Event
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