So here we go, the first live show. And while some of the prospective Nancies are familiar to us through the pre-recorded shows one and two, many were under-served by those programmes’ editing, so it would be unfair to have a favourite at this stage. Besides, I had one at this point last year, and that proved fatal. Won’t be making that mistake again.
Similarly, while there has been criticism of the way Francesca was put through despite being too ill to stay on in Nancy School (compounded by her recent professional engagement in Rent with judge Denise Van Outen), she deserves to be treated the same as her eleven fellow auditionees.
Clean slates all round, then, as we open with a rambunctious group rendition of I’d Do Anything. All twelve Nancies and a dozen cherubic Olivers fill out the Studio One stage. Over the next ten weeks, twenty of them will fall by the wayside, with only four making it to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Update: UK users can now view the show performances again. Video after the jump.
Obviously with so many performers in the opening number there’s no real opportunity for any of them to either succeed or fail. I was left with the feeling that Sarah is going to have to work hard for her bright and breezy persona not to come through, and Ashley has been given a hair style that makes her look uncannily like Geri Halliwell (in her “I’ve just left the Spice Girls, and I so can look glam if I try” phase), the poor love.
New judge Barry Humphries is given a VT package to introduce him to the audience. He starred in the original Oliver!, says Graham Norton’s voice-over — as the screen shows a poster not for the original production, but the Piccadilly Theatre revival, the first of his stints in the role of Fagin. Small details, but it’s worth remembering that TV has a tendency to elide over facts when coming up with an effective narrative. It’s also worth remembering that Andrew Lloyd Webber said he wanted a young Amy Winehouse type for Nancy, and a streetwise tough kid to play Oliver. Twenty four actors less appropriate for such descriptions I have never seen…
As much as there is ever a theme for these live shows, tonight’s is “songs that showcase leading lady potential”. Does this finally mean we’re going to get an evening of great musical theatre numbers, after the pop-heavy Any Dream Will Do? First up for solo spots are Jessie Buckley and Jodie Prenger singing, respectively, River Deep Mountain High and Chasing Pavements. That puts paid to that theory, then…
Now, I’ve seen many Tina Turner tribute acts in my time. They have the luxury of not having to outshine the diva’s rendition of River Deep, but to imitate it (although that’s a tough job in itself). Jessie had to bring her own dimension to it, and for me didn’t quite manage. A solid performance, I’ll grant you, but it didn’t show me any side to her that I haven’t seen from a cabaret artiste — but I think that’s down to the tough song choice, rather than any lack of ability on her part. John said that she needs to perform like a thoroughbred, while Denise gave her some tips on posture. Barry thought she had a touch of the guttersnipe. I like Barry.
After the boisterous Jodie we’ve seen for the last two weeks, I think it was a sensible choice for her to kick off the live shows with a slower number. Sensibly, she delivers Chasing Pavements as if it were a musical theatre number, rather than mimicking the style and delivery of the original. Plus points to her for that — but for me there’s a breathy quality to her voice which doesn’t sit too well. John congratulated her on connecting with the whole audience, and Denise said that the life experience that Nancy needs to convey came through. Barry thought she combined toughness and tenderness, while Andrew compared both of the girls favourably, saying they could both absolutely play the role.
Next up, Tara Bethan sings KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See. I must say, her voice doesn’t do anything for me. It’s an all-too-typical cod American accent, consonants freely dropped at the end of lines, and too prone to go into shouting rather than showcasing her talent. Does this demonstrate leading lady capability, as the show’s theme professes? Not for me.
Ashley J Russell’s rendition of Black Velvet has much clearer diction when she remembers not to shout the chorus, but what little choreography there is (basically, “sit down for a while, get up, walk upstage and stand”) still managed to make her look ungainly. I’m not expecting kick-stepping around the stage every time, but poor Ashley looked uncomfortable with what she had to do.
Denise thought both girls were going for it a bit too much, and maybe needed to sit back on it a bit — Tara’s movement was a little too polished, and Ashley’s a little too ‘jazz hands’. Barry had trouble envisaging Tara in the 19th century, but thought Ashley was passionate and engaging. John says that he was watching a different performance, and they are both leading lady standard — but again, they need to rough it up. Andrew agrees. And here he points out that it’s not his production, it’s Cameron Mackintosh’s — conveniently forgetting, of course, that he too will make money out of it, as the Really Useful Group owns the theatre where it will play.
A quick saccharine break, as the Olivers sing Food, Glorious Food. Most of the Olivers still look like cut from the same cookie cutter for me — apart from the one who looks like Anne Widdecombe, and once you’ve had that comparison pointed out to you it sticks in the head, believe me. There are a couple, though, who look far more at home on a stage than any of the others. I just wish I could tell you which ones they are…
Back to the Nancies, and it’s the turn of Amy Booth-Steel, who delivers a very bouncy version of Aretha Franklin’s Respect. And, I know this is fickle and I should be judging vocal, dance and acting performance, but who had the idea to cut and straighten her hair? With her curly ginger tresses she looked like she’d stepped straight out of an oil painting — now she looks like she’s walked off a production line. On the performance side, there was too much jiggling, and her voice sounded like, as Tara and Ashley did before her, she was giving a bit too much due to the thrill of her first live performance. John and concerns about the top end of her voice, but Denise disagreed and thought she gave the song real “Oom-Pah-Pah”.
A complete contrast as Keisha Amponsa-Banson sang the sultry classic Mad About the Boy. Except it wasn’t that sultry, really, at least to begin with. The verses of the song are quite low, and seemed to stretch her capabilities in ways that she’s not quite ready for. Once the song flies higher up in her register, though, she began to deliver. I can forgive her one very brief tuning issue, because she managed to act her way through the emotions of the song well. For John, it was possibly too sophisticated for Nancy. Which is probably something that’s more appropriate to say to whoever chose the song for her. Barry said her heard every word she sang (“but then, it’s the only song I recognise,” he added). Andrew compares Keisha favourably with the young Shirley Bassey — which was another of the casting touchpoints he and Cameron mentioned in the first show of the series.
On to Francesca Jackson, who gets to sing Maria Carey’s Hero (one of these days, they’ll make a girl sing the Chad Kreuger number of the same name. That’ll be fun to watch). Is it just me, or does it sound like there are big tuning problems? It sounds like they’ve given Fran far less musical support than the previous girls, leaving her vocally very exposed. That’s a situation that’s very unforgiving, and here it really does her no favoures. Can’t fault her on the other aspects of her performance, though. Denise loved it, though, while John though it was solid except for the pitch problems. Andrew isn’t worried, as she sang better in rehearsal. Which is all well and good, but that’s not a line that would go down well with an opening night audience, is it?
Next, Rachel Tucker ups the tempo with the Sugababes’ About You Now. In contrast to Fran’s solitary vocal, the chorus of this song demands a huge backing, which any performer will benefit from. Again, I think she risked shouting at the top end of her vocal in this song, which seems to be a common theme tonight. Maybe it’s just getting used to the TV studio environment — not, as we noted last year, the best acoustically, and potentially a space that is harder for trained theatre singers to get used to. Other than that, I thought it was a great performance. Denise loved her delivery, while John thought she was fantastic. Barry thought she had the qualities of a street urchin. I guess that since we’re basically trying to find a girl who can play a common prostitute, that’s a good thing. Andrew loved it, too, but right now I want Barry in the big throne, full Edna garb optional, with Andrew Lloyd Webber taking on the mantle of Madge Allsop now that dear Emily Perry has passed away).
Over to the Olivers again, and Cameron and Andrew give them a magic task. As a result, Gwion is picked as the first boy through to the semi-finals. Don’t ask me any more than that, I took the opportunity for a loo break.
Samantha Barks gives a rendition of I Love Rock’n’Roll that certainly delivers the raunchiness and rawness that Nancy needs. Normally the song isn’t that demanding on a voice, but Samantha ramps up the power effectively in a way that truly showcases her voice — powerful without ever getting out of control. My favourite performance of the night. Mesmerising, thought Barry, and John thinks she could run away with the competition. Denise agrees.
Sarah Lark slows things back down with a charming and evocative Get Here. It’s beautifully sung, but for me it lacked an emotional connection. Again, the distancing power of television must be at work, because the studio panel loved it. Barry thought it brought out the cuddly side of Nancy. Which is sort of the polar opposite of what they’re supposed to be looking for, isn’t it? John says she reminds him of a young Elaine Page, and then immediately says “she played my daughter once”. And for a while, the whole nation takes an in breath and asks themselves, “How old is John Barrowman if EP played his daughter?” before they realise he’s talking about Sarah. A reminder, though, that Francesca isn’t the only professional actress who has crossed paths with the judges. Denise compares her favourably to Meryl Streep, while Andrew gives her a note to work on her diction.
Cleopatra Royer, who is now being introduced to us as Cleo, sings P!nk’s Who Knew?. It’s one of the lesser known songs we’ve heard tonight, but it allows Cleo the best opportunity of the evening to deliver a performance that’s close to the one she’ll have to portray on stage if she gets the Nancy gig. A weak opening couple of bars quickly gives way to a spirited, confident performance. Again, a little too much shouting at the top end of the vocal, but in a less extreme way than some of the other performances tonight. John spotted some nerves creeping in, while Barry compliments her on the dramatic side to her performance and Denise agrees that it’s great to see her acting coming through.
Niamh Perry finishes the solo performances with The First Cut is the Deepest. And for me it feels like we’ve come full circle — like Jessie’s opening number, it feels more like a good cabaret performance than a musical theatre one. John melts when she sings, he says, and Barry says she’s going to be a star. In a musical version of The Addams Family. I heart Barry Humphries. Denise says she looks like a young Bernadette Peters, and she’s not wrong. Expect the make-up team to accentuate that in coming weeks if she gets through…
So after all the live performances, TV Today’s “performance of the week” award (prize: a 25p vote, 14p of which goes to the BBC Performing Arts Fund) goes to Samantha. Least favourite this week was Tara.
Tomorrow, we’ll get to find out how wrong I was… Who was your favourite? Discuss in the comments below — but please, please, if you get to find out any details of Sunday’s show (which is recorded tonight), keep them to yourselves!
I wont go through the Nancys as I thought it was hard to choose between them although I didn't think the two 17 yr olds would be able to hack 8 shows a week. But what does let the show down for me is Barry Humphries, I thought he was dreadful, very weak and adds nothing to the judging panel, if he doesn't improve, he'll be a major embarrassment. Bring back the wonderful Bill Kenwright and even Zoe... also the 24 hour wait now has spoilt it for me. What I was pleased about is that Shaemus is to be in the touring Evita, good old Bill K .. hasn't he employed all the Jospehs now, in one way or another apart from Bob the Builder!
I have to say while I think that all the girls were pretty good for a first show, the ones I like are still Cleo and Francesca. I was a bit disappointed in Jessie, but hope she is back as I do think she is good. Jodie, well the jury is still out there for me not too sure. Rachel good but didn't think she was so great vocally, a bit shouty.On the rest mainly agree with you Scott and I had Tara down as the weakest link, so as I'm usually wrong (notable exception last year!) that'll be two of us with egg on their face!
Thought that some of the girls' outfits left a lot to be desired, especially Jodie who looked as though she was bursting out of hers! Unimportant maybe but just thought I say.
Too early for favourites for me, again unlike last year, so we'll see.
Scott Dear, this new system is taxing my skills, hope it works to keep the baddies out.
Something’s just not right, set looks familiar, must be like some other show I’ve seen.
Jessie-she can belt the song out, looked good.
Jodie-Good singing, needs more appropriate acting for the song.
Tara-Slight worry over voice, bit squeaky a couple of times.
Ashley-Should there be smiles with this song?
Amy-Not a natural mover, not the song for her. Voice does not seem to have the depth needed for it.
Keisha-Good song for her voice. Possibly needs to work on her breathing, some of the phrase ends seemed to be cut. Good perf.
Francesca-Good voice and perf, couldn’t see her as Nancy from this though.
Rachel-Something about her voice I’m not certain of, I think it is as she goes high voice goes thin. Good perf.
Samantha-Wow, tingles (or has it just got cold here?). Couple of dodgy notes, but loved it.
Sarah-Voice seems good, but she didn’t grab me with perf.
Cleo-Sorry bored now.
Niamh-Voice of 12 year old, still bored.
Jo4’s summary: Best performance Samantha, 2nd best Jessie. Who should be Nancy? I still don’t really care.
Maybe I'll learn to care.
Adding to my first post -I think the speaking/acting tasks - starting tonight - will sort some of the girls out as it will be interesting to see how those with heavy Irish/Scottish/plummy accents cope with the cockney. Hopefully then some for-runners will emerge to enable us to choose between them as at the moment I find them very similar.
These are my comments:
Jessie,- strong voice. Looks older. Yes.
Jodie,- love the voice- too dramatic? Yes.
Tara,- not a strong voice. Good acting. Don't know.
Ashley,- love the song. Expressive face. Yes.
Amy,- didn't like the song,- not strong enough voice. No.
Keisha,- yes, yes, yes. Great!
Francesca,- beautiful, rich voice. Strong contender.
Rachel,- here I disagree with the whole panel. Not special enough. Did she miss a couple of notes? No.
Samantha,- again disagree with the panel. Popstar, yes. Nancy ??? Don't know.
Sarah,- very sweet, strong voice. reminds me of Jodie. Yes.
Cleo,- voice a bit sharp. Lovely, expressive face.
Niahm,- too young and unfinished voice. Acting not good.
Who gets my vote today? Keisha.(My first scribbled notes were Yes, yes, yes. Great!)
Who came last? Amy or Rachel.
First comment - what were they all wearing! Some of those dresses were horrible!
As far as the Nancys are concerned I really liked Samantha (hubby ADORED Samantha!) and Rachel.
I'd like Jodie to do really well too, partly because she's from my home town, but also because I like her personality.
As for the Olivers - sorry I couldn't tell them apart!
And Shirley2 - I agree, I found myself wishing Zoe had been there!
Forgot to add last night. I thought the dresses were not flattering. The satin look does hightlight any bulges and does the Nancy's no credit. The cut of Cleo's dress (she has no bulges, where there shouldn't be) was not flattering either.
As for the judges, yes, hard for me to say, but we are missing Miss 'a bit rubbish'. Scott perhaps you should send her back? I had hoped JB would take her place, but doesn't look like he is going to.
As for the Olivers, well there is one that I can tell apart from the others, but not for the right reason.
Have to agree with Shirley2 - BH is dire. Bring back BK and Zoe. I thought BH would be a bit edgy but he is just BORING.
Not really impressed by many of the Nancies - But 2 really stood out for me.
Jessie - Not impressed
Jodie - Loved her
Tara - liked her, but not a big voice
Ashley - but not enough to vote for
Amy - And??? Not at all memorable
Keisha - Oh Yes!! The first of my 2 outstanding Nancies
Francesca - sorry but her singing was BAD. Like Scott the notion that she sang fine in rehersal did not reassure me.
Rachel - Shouty - with Rachel and Francesca I wondered if the judges were watching the same performance I was....
Samantha - Oh Wow!!! Stunning - Give her the job Andrew.
Sarah - Ok - but sweet - and that is not a compliment.
Cleo - another one with tuning issues. But dont know how she sang in rehersals so dont know if I should take account of that.
Niamh - another sweet performance.
Who would I have voted for if I saw it in time - Keisha and Samantha.
Who do I think is for the sing off - Francesca and Sarah
And have to agree with all the comments about the dresses and styling. What on earth are they trying to do?? We are told they are supposed to be rough and they do smooth them to within an inch of their lives.
I picked out Sarah in the opening number, but was a bit disappointed by her solo performance, not helped by the fact that Samantha preceded her!
Shirley - sis and I were obviously watching the same show as you as neither of us were impressed with the two "west end" nancys (Francesca and Rachel) Sorry but Keisha didn't do much for me, I liked her voice but don't think she's right for Nancy. No obvious choice yet.
As for the Olivers I'm still not sure we know who's who yet, Gwion didn't stand out, but then again nor did any of the others! I did have my eye on a dark-haired Oliver wearing a red scarf but couldn't for the life of me tell you his name!
Not at all surprised that ALW saved Francesca. Not even remotely surprised. Not sure hers was the better preformance though. There is something about her enunciation that I dont like. Almost like a slight lisp.
I was surprised Francesca was in the sing-off, band ALW was right to save her. Amy was sharp several times on the high notes.
Ah well, bring on next Saturday. Oh, I just remembered,- I have a birthday party to go to then.
Oh dear, I forgot to watch, playing on my pc. Now that would never have happened last year.
Shirley I agree with the slight lisp of Fran. Jenna gets away with it.
Shame, I would have liked to see Amy go further. Oh well, roll on next week!
Glad Francesca was saved - Amy had some real tuning problems in Tell Me (one of my favourtie songs), whereas Francesca really acted it out. Thought Amy did well in the farewell song - that is until she totally lost the last note!
Yes well as Francesca was a pick of mine , although realise I'm in a minority here! I was suprised to see her in the sing off. Although not convinced she is Nancy I do think she is better than some of the others. Amy going? well she didn't really stand out in the main show for me and she definately missed her notes in the sing off so yes I think it was fair. Have to say I thought Tara was much better in the group song, so glad she got through really. Fickle, me?
I'm not surprised Amy went, I thought she was one of the weaker ones and I cant see her roughing it as Nancy. Also her singing at the end was very hard on the ears. I was suprised about Francesca, I suppose that might be the public backlash against a WE pro beginning.. if so ALW is going to have to do an awful lot of saving as the weeks go by if he and the panel have her in mind for the final stages. She is a bit polished for my mind but then again what they say they are looking for is not whats happening viz the Oliver they chose for SF is still blond, soft looking and cute, not streetwise. They shouldn't bother with the Nancy's hair before the showa, just left it tangled and they should be dressed in RAGS. No boddice ripping for the finale Shirley, the necklocket was a nice touch and the songs appropriate of course!
Maybe Niamh might not be able to cope with 8 shows a week, but Samantha definitely has what it takes.
She's already been used to working on the stage 8 or maybe 9 times a week!
She's got star quality and has what it takes to win!
SAM TO WIN!
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i think that niamh would be more than capable of coping with 8 shows a week she has the drive in her and thats more than i can say for some of the older girls. also Eva i disagree that her voice was too young i think she sounded older than her years in that performance and surely an unfinished voice would be good for the "raw edgy" nancy that the judges keep talking about? i was glad to see she didnt have to rely on her cleavage or short shorts to get votes!
I was lucky enough to get tickets for the live show and it was an amazing night, if not somewhat emotional towards the end. I have picked a favourite-Ashley. The girl does not get nearly enough coverage and its clear to see who the judges want, hence domination by few and clear favourites already...not that people would be sucked in by the attempt of a judging panel! I think ALW made a mistake last night but I'm not too worried as I don't see Fran going much further anyway.
A lot of the girls were good, but not only does Ashley have the look, she has the figure, she is the ideal age (some life experience about her) but her acting ability is amazing. She knows exactly what she's singing and interprets it. Watch her audition. I think the whole occassion was overwhelming for every single one of them but I'm looking forward to the up coming weeks and hopefully equal air time for all!! My moneys on the Scot!
I agree with the 'Bring back Zoe' sentiment - Barry was poor this week, so fingers crossed he gets better...
Francesca was in the bottom 2 because viewers have higher expectations of the professionals (which is not unreasonable) and she wasn't as good as she should have been... However, I thought she was far better in the sing-off and definitely deserved to be saved.
More thoughts on my own blog!
If I'd voted (which i didn't) it would have been for Samantha on Saturday nights performance but I also like Cleo. No firm favourites at the moment.
I thought the 2 in the sing off shouldn't have been. I think Francesca is having a public backlash on several fronts (knowing DVO, already being on the WE stage, getting through the auditions whilst missing an audition) She does appear to have a bit of a lisp which I think you wouldn't notice on the stage because it doesn't actually effect her voice (which is lovely and she looked the best. Half of them were at risk of falling out of their dresses.) Is it me or does Jesse sing out of the side of her mouth? I was least keen on Tara.
I'm thinking the Olivers are a bit of a waste of time. I've already picked one I like based on looks which is wrong I know but we don't see anything of them individually singing and acting. I know we are not picking so why show us them? And Scott next week I will only have eyes for Anne Widdecombe Oliver. You cruel man.
Thank goodness for Matt - I was starting to think I was the only one who heard the 'noise' that was Tara 'singing' "Suddenly I See" - how on earth she got through without having to do the sing-off I'll never know!
I don't think the public should pre-judge the professionals - they may have some experience, but within the confines of the show they are all equal and have to prove themselves just as much, if not more! Go Fran, Sarah and Rachel!
I still like Jessie, and agree with Alison as to the reason Francesca was in the sing off. BH was pretty dire, and I'm with the folks who say bring back BK and Zoe.
The Olivers don't move me at all, and having the results the following night is a daft idea.
Honestly, I don't see what's wrong with experienced performers winning these shows. After all, performing 8 times a week on the West End for months is a huge difference from 'just' getting a record deal like in the X-factor and Idols. In the Dutch version for Evita, 7 or 8 of the 10 finalists all had had professional musical theatre experience, and the others had finished their musical theatre higher degrees. It's one of the reasons these shows are so much better than those other 'talent' shows, over here training matters and for good reasons. So a 'backlash against Francesca because she used to do Rent at the WE' seems a bit ridiculous to me, and it certainly didn't seem to exist for Lee last year. So why would the public suddenly turn against 'the professional'? I was shocked when she got in the bottom 2, but she didn't wow me nearly as much as Rachel, Keisha, Sarah and especially Samantha did.
They did Samantha a big favour with those hot-pants. I'm sure she got lots of votes from male members of the audience.
I wish we could get to know the Olivers a bit better - even the BBC web-site which gives descriptions doesn't match them to faces.