Spotlights’ latest show ‘Behind the Curtain’ is a musical theatre showcase, performed on the 19th and 20th of February at the Exeter Phoenix, and is a must see for any musical theatre fan.
Walking in, you can see the set up for the live band, complete with drum kit, electric guitar, saxophones, trumpets, and more, and to begin the show, the band plays an overture of the songs that will feature in the show, just like if you were seeing a full-blown musical.
This show has something for everyone, featuring famous songs that are popular in jukebox musicals, musical classics and some more niche songs that only the musical experts among us will know. You get to sit back and enjoy a tour of the best musical theatre out there. The style of the songs ranged from jazzy 20s/30s numbers to swinging 50s style rock n roll songs to 80s power ballads, to comedic numbers, all of which were executed excellently. The show is a rollercoaster of big energetic group performances, which wouldn’t be complete without a classic musical theatre kick-line, and tender emotional solos or duets, where the heartfelt emotion of the performers is captivating.
The show has something for everyone
The cast is also amazing, with powerful voices, lovely harmonies and impressive dancing to match. The often extravagant dance breaks featured great choreography — by Harriet Phillips and Eleisha Harvey — with jumps, kicks and flips worthy of the Newsies themselves. Furthermore, with different soloists in each song, every cast member gets the chance to stand in the spotlight (pun intended).
The standout performances for me were ‘Greased Lightning’, from Grease, and ‘Hot Patootie’, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (although I could be biased as these shows are very close to my heart). There was also an amazing rendition of ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’ from Chicago, complete with puppeteering-style dancing.
The cast is also amazing, with powerful voices, lovely harmonies and impressive dancing to match
The smiles of the cast are infectious, and you can tell that everyone involved in this show is having a good time. At one point, even the audience were clapping along to the catchy tunes. One thing is for sure, ‘Behind the Curtain’ does not disappoint.
The Spotlights’ next show is Made in Dagenham, which will run 22nd – 25th May in Kay House, Duryard.
