Review by Beth
Straight from the gorgeous Adelphi Theatre, Marisha Wallace’s brand new album Live in London combines huge hits and a lot of heart and is a delight for any musical theatre fan. In her set, she interweaves her personal and professional journeys, bringing tales of her roots in North Carolina, divorce, fraud and her flight path to success. In her words, all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts. This is more than just an album; Marisha gives us her whole self in this record and leaves everything behind the mic.
For those who may be new to the musical theatre world and don’t know of the impeccable Marisha Wallace, firstly welcome, because this is a name you will be hearing again and again.
Marisha is a West End and Broadway star, gaining fame both in America where she performed in the original casts of both Something Rotten and Aladdin, and in the West End where her success knows no bounds. Be it Effie White in Dreamgirls, Becky from Waitress, Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Ado in Oklahoma or even the Sherrif of Nottingham on the famous Palladium pantomime stage, Marisha is an absolute force to be reckoned with and has the insane vocal talent to reach unprecedented heights. Most recently, her performance of Sally Bowles in Cabaret- one which I was lucky enough to witness live- has taken her from the West End back to Broadway in a very full-circle moment.
Wallace has recently become a UK citizen and whilst this album recalls how fond of her background she is, it also presents as a love letter to London and the life and success she has found this side of the ocean.
In Act One, Marisha recounts tales of her early upbringing and the first time she saw the bright lights of Broadway. She talks fondly of her teacher Mrs Grantham, a key influence in her life, as well as the strong gospel roots that gave her a love of music from childhood. Keeping the stories she tells in the recorded version of her show serve as heartwarming segue moments and make the songs chosen appear even more poignant and relevant to her journey. In this Act, we hear famous hits including Tomorrow from Annie, Some People from Gypsy and even a breathtaking Whitney Houston mash-up. We are taken on an emotional rollercoaster, hearing about her early marriage (My Man from Funny Girl hits hard here) and eventually her turn to the West End as she jets across the ocean to become Effie White in Dreamgirls when Amber Riley is taken ill. Act One concludes with the song Marisha is perhaps the most well-known for so far yet does not fail to impress in this recording; And I Am Telling You.
In Act Two, we hear how Marisha’s professional career begins to go from strength to strength whilst her personal life suffers sadness and heartache. We hear more songs from Dreamgirls as well as hits from Waitress, Guys and Dolls and Cabaret amongst others. Act Two also features a touching tribute to the late, great Gavin Creel whom Marisha last worked with in the Adelphi Theatre itself.
Every song features powerhouse vocals but her Waitress set feels even more emotionally open and vulnerable.
Also featured in this set are some guest appearances; Lucie Jones and Laura Baldwin reprise their roles as Jenna and Dawn in a Waitress reunion. In A Soft Place To Land, it would appear there was not a dry eye in the house and this translates beautifully to the live recording. Earlier in the album, we also see a powerful, belty duet of Listen with Sharlene Hector. The inclusion of these guest stars at no point feels tokenistic but instead only serves to further highlight Wallace’s journey. She touches on other influences for her and her characters including a beautiful Etta James medley. As the album comes to a close, Wallace gives a moment for her current Cabaret era; one which she should be incredibly proud of. Her rendition of Maybe This Time is one of the best I’ve heard both live and on this record. But for those who want a party atmosphere, the album ends with a fabulously fun Proud Mary.
Truly, this album feels like so much more than a musical record. Not only does she put her heart and soul into this show- a clear passion project- but it’s live nature makes the listener feel like they are in the room where it happened. You can listen to Marisha’s new album on all good streaming services now! I cannot wait to see what she does next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Post a Comment