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| 2011 Movin' On Up |
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Act One Our first half opens with a tribute to the most successful duo in UK music, Pet Shop Boys. Together, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have sold over 100 million records worldwide, achieving 42 Top 30 singles and 22 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart. Your narrator for this section is Brett Herriott. Our medley begins with the introduction to their 1988 number 4 hit Left To My Own Devices, which David has meticulously recreated for this show. Tonight we feature the soaring soprano vocals of Gillian McNeill and great modern dancing from Louise Hunter. The full company then takes to the stage for a quick burst of Suburbia (number 8 in 1986), Love Etc. (number 14 in 2009), Always On My Mind (the Christmas number 1 in 1987) and Go West (number 2 in 1993). Following this, Katie Becher recreates the legendary Dusty Springfield, who famously duetted with the band on their 1987 number 2 hit, What Have I Done To Deserve This.Jealousy was one of the first songs that Tennant and Lowe wrote together and it was eventually recorded and released as a single in 1992. The song is sung tonight by Jamie Morrison, with a suitably angst-filled dance performed by Louise Hendrie and Fraser Paterson. The company then return with a closing medley, starting with 1987 number 1 hit It’s A Sin, closely followed by 1009 album track All Over The World, before we close with the duo’s groundbreaking first single West End Girls, the song that launched their career, topping the charts in both the UK and US, eventually winning the Brit award for best single of 1986.
Our next section pays tribute to some of the phenomenal ladies who have graced the charts over the decades. First up is a song from last year – Imelda May’s Inside Out, performed for us tonight by Corrina Campbell (and her backing singers Debbie, Laura and Claire). There is no way this section could have ignored the most successful artist of this century, Adele. Her most recent album, 21, has now sold over 9 million copies worldwide and tonight Louise Hunter performs the standout single from that album, Someone Like You. This is the only single to sell one million copies this decade. Next up is a medley of songs that celebrate New York City. Firstly, Gaynor Boe gives us her take on Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind (Part 2) Broken Down. Released in 2009, the single reached number 4 in the UK charts. Emma Riddoch then performs Paloma Faith’s 2009 number 14 hit New York. In complete contrast, the next piece is Leonard Bernstein’s New York, New York, taken from his 1944 musical On The Town, most famous from the 1949 film version. The medley continues with Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. Written by Broadway giants Kander and Ebb, the song was written as the theme tune to the 1977 Martin Scorsese film of the same name, but will forever be associated with Sinatra. We’d like to dedicate these songs to the memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11. We continue with a number by one of the great divas, Cher. You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me is taken from the 2010 movie Burlesque; the song was written by Diane Warren and won the 2011 Golden Globe for best original song. Tonight, Cat McInally is stepping into Cher’s fishnets! We continue with Abigail’s Song. Written in 2010 by Murray Gold for that year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, A Christmas Carol, the song was created especially for the great Katherine Jenkins and is performed for us tonight by Christina Kirkaldie. The section closes with Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Written and produced by the legendary Jim Steinman, the song reached number 1 around the world. Performing the song for us tonight are Marjorie Hunter and Rebecca Leslie.
We close our first half with a celebration of show tunes, starting with Live With Somebody You Love, from the 1996 musical Martin Guerre, performed tonight as a duet featuring Susan Galloway and Robert Walker. Next up is Defying Gravity, from Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 musical Wicked. The version you hear tonight is based on the version recorded in 2008 by Kerry Ellis, produced by (and featuring) Queen legend Brian May. Cassie Dougal sings this modern classic for you tonight. The next number is taken from the 1996 Broadway musical Ragtime. Written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynne Aherns, Make Them Hear You is performed tonight by Ian Hunter. We follow this with a mini section of Rogers and Hammerstein classics, kicking off with Audrey Dixon and Alan Hunter performing the ever green Sixteen Going On Seventeen from the 1959 musical The Sound Of Music. This leads into a beautiful choral version of If I Loved You, taken – of course! – from the 1945 classic Carousel. Following this, Gillian McNeill leads the entire company in a rousing version of perhaps Rogers and Hammerstein’s most famous song - You’ll Never Walk Alone. Our first half closes as the entire company performs You Can’t Stop The Beat, a rousing finale taken from the 2002 musical Hairspray - we hope you’ll agree, a fitting end to our first half.
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Act Two
Our second half begins with a tribute to one of the most enduring stars this country has ever produced – Thomas John Woodward, better known as the inimitable Sir Tom Jones. Jones was born in Pontypridd in South Wales in June 1940 and was launched as a solo artist in 1964. Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength, and he remains as popular now as he was in his 60s heyday. Our section opens with Sex Bomb, Jones’ collaboration with German DJ Mousse T. Taken from his hugely successful 1999 album Reload, the song was a number 3 hit in 2000. The song is performed tonight by Harry Dozier. We proceed with a medley of some of Jones’ most famous hits, starting with his breakthrough single, It’s Not Unusual, a number 1 hit in 1965, the original of which featured Jimmy Page on guitar! We continue with Keith Kilgore performing She’s A Lady, which reached number 13 in 1971, and Fraser Paterson singing the theme from Peter Sellers’ movie What’s New Pussycat. The full company then performs You Can Leave Your Hat On, famously used in the 1997 movie The Full Monty. Andy McGarry then joins with the whole company to perform Jones’ number 2 hit from 1968 - Delilah - while the section ends with yet another number 1, this time from 1966: The Green, Green Grass Of Home, performed for us this evening by Craig Macbeth.
Our next section features some more up-to-date music, showcasing (yes…) four songs that were hits in the last twelve months. First up is Pack Up, originally released by singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle. The song was a number 5 hit last year and is performed tonight by Joanne Skilling, ably assisted by Harry Dozier. We follow this with The Flood, the comeback single of the recently reformed Take That. Released in November 2010, the song debuted and peaked at number 2 in the UK charts. Tonight, Take That are Stuart McLaren, Robert Walker, Andy McGarry, Keith Kilgore and Jamie Morrison. You can decide which one is Howard! Keith Kilgore is then joined by Jennifer McIntosh to duet on Cee Lo Green’s classic hit Forget You. Released in August last year, the song was a huge worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in both the UK and the US. The section concludes with She Said, released by London rapper Plan B in March last year. The song reached number 3 and is performed tonight by well-known Edinburgh rapper, Peter Tomassi. The last two songs also feature the return of our backing trio, Laura, Debbie and Claire.
Our next section begins pays tribute to one of the biggest bands in the world today – U2. Formed in 1976 in Dublin, the original four members are still working together today. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr are responsible for an amazing 34 top 10 Uk hits and a total of seven number ones. We start with a choral version of the lead single from the 1987 album The Joshua Tree - With Or Without You. A number 4 UK hit on its first release, the song was U2’s first number 1 in the US. This is followed by Where The Streets Have No Name. Also taken from The Joshua Tree, the song was also a number 4 hit in 1987 and tonight’s performance is based on the Pet Shop Boys’ 1991 cover version, which also incorporates sections of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You. The cover was also a number 4 hit. We continue with a third track from The Joshua Tree, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, featuring a soulful solo from our very own Ibiyemi Osinaike. The section concludes with Arlene Cassidy leading the company in Pride (In The Name Of Love, a number 3 hit from 1984. Take from the album .The Unforgettable Fire, the song was written as a tribue to Martin Luther King.
Our finale this year begins with perhaps one of the most famous songs ever written: Amazing Grace. The words were first composed by the English curate John Newton in 1773 and were first published in 1779. It wasn’t until 1825 that the words were set to an existing tune, New Britain. A version recorded by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was the bestselling single of 1972 and remains to this day the biggest selling instrumental in UK chart history. Tonight it is performed by Ibiyemi Osinaike. The second song in the finale is Noel Gallagher’s Stop Crying Your Heart Out. Originally released by Oasis in 2002, the song reached number 2 in the UK. Tonight’s version, sung by Jennifer McIntosh, is based on a cover version recorded by Leona Lewis in 2009. The company take their bows to Freddie Mercury’s fantastic Don’t Stop Me Now. Originally released in 1978 from the album Jazz, this Queen track only reached number 9 at the time. Tonight, Andy McGarry takes the lead vocal. We close our show with the full company singing tonight’s title tune, Movin’ On Up. Taken from the classic 1991 Primal Scream album Screamadelica, the song was never released as a single in the UK but has become a classic of its time. Lyrically, the song mirrors Amazing Grace and it brings tonight’s show to a resounding, soulful climax.
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