Some of you might know Mark Read as a member of the popular boy band called A1. What you probably don’t know is that he began playing the piano when he was only three. So, it is natural that he called this show “Piano Legends”. It is a journey through the history of some of the greatest piano Legends, from the 60s until today. And what a journey! You’d better fasten your seat belt.
Mark is not alone on the stage. At all.
With him, three other great artists: Sandy Grigelis, Miranda Wilford and Carole Stennet. All of them, with a long list of musical theatre credits. Clive Dunstall conducts the London Concert Orchestra that sounds amazing, as always.
As if all this is not enough, to complete the cast of this show, there are the Piano Legends Dancers: Crystal Leah, Chloe Nestor, Julia Fernandez, Joshua Moore, Christopher Tendai and Andrew Lyle Pinnock who is not just a great dancer, but also a good rapper (in the song Empire state of mind).
The show flies away song after song like a holiday that goes too fast: you enjoy it so much, that you don’t even realize the time is going. Billy Joel, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Lady Gaga, Ray Charles, John Legend and Carole King for a parade of hits like Your song, Sorry seems to be the hardest word, Paparazzi, Ordinary People, Uptown Girl, Just the way you are, Hit the road Jack, Great balls of fire, Superstition, Candle in the wind and many more.
It is difficult to find a weakness in this high energy show packed of talent: Mark, Sandy, Miranda and Carole sing no stop one hit after the other and seem to have great fun. The choreography is also brilliant and the lighting (Adam Nicholls) beautiful.
Most of the hits have different arrangements; some highlights of the show are Mark’s rendition of Sorry seems to be the hardest word, the original mash-up Can’t smile without you/Smile and the beautiful duet Mark/Carole of Stevie Wonder’s Lately (one of the best songs ever written).
Hopefully, we will see the show coming back in 2019: it is a feast for music lovers and I can’t think of a better way to end this year.