10KM Sponsored Walk in Aid of Birmingham St Mary's Hospice

Just a short blog regarding the Sponsored midnight walk I did back on July 4th. I completed the walk in 2 hours and 5 minutes. I have raised £65 pounds for the charity. Although that doesn't sound like a lot of money it will of course help the hospice. I am unemployed and have relatively few people to ask to sponsor me so £65 is quite good. I walked the course with 6 other women. I am unsure of the total amount raised between the seven of us but I am sure it a fair few hundred pounds.

We Will Rock You Touring

It's been a while since I last blogged. Over a month ago now. I really need to blog more often but being unemployed still, my life is just not that exciting at the moment.

I went to see the touring production of We Will Rock You on July 29th at Birmingham Hippodrome. I haven't seen the show in London as I was unsure whether I would like it so when I heard last year that it was going to tour I was excited to say the least. I really loved the show and have been listening to the soundtrack non stop since seeing it. The storyline is not perfect but I knew that before I saw it and the music more than makes up for it. I'm not a big Queen fan but I enjoyed the music a lot.

There were two understudies for the performance I saw. Amy Hathaway replaced Sarah French-Ellis in the Role of Scaramouche and Ashley Russell replaced Brenda Edwards in the Role of Killer Queen. I thought Amy Hathaways performance was excellent she has a very good voice. I loved her singing Somebody To Love. I have not seen Brenda Edwards in the Role so I do know how good she is compared to Ashley Russell. I enjoyed Ashleys performance as well. The rest of the cast Alex Gaumond, Georgina Hagen etc were really good there voices were phenomenal. I was surprised at how well Kevin Kennedy can sing. His role in the show is relatively small but he was very funny. Jonathan Wilkes also surprised me in regards to his singing voice it was much better than I was expecting.

My favourite songs were I Want To Break Free, Under Pressure, No One But You, Who Wants To Live Forever and of course We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody.

I enjoyed the show so much. You just can't help singing to the songs as they are so well known. I have booked to see it again on September 9th and I hope to see Sarah French-Ellis and Brenda Edwards this time around as I like to compare actors and actresses I have seen in the same role. After the show I had an overwhelming urge to learn the Electric Guitar. Sadly the closest I will get is Guitar Hero.

I also saw the Freddie Mercury statue in Selfridges in Birmingham Bullring. It was a good statue I don't think it was a brilliant likeness to Freddie Mercury but there won't be another Freddie so that's the next best thing.

Since seeing We Will Rock You my top 5 musicals have changed again. Every time I see a show for the first time it changes my top musicals around. My top 5 are currently

1. Wicked

2. Sister Act

3. We Will Rock You

4. Les Miserables

5. Miss Saigon

Anastacia, Heavy Rotation Tour & Wicked

I've had really good week! I went to see Anastacia at Birmingham's NIA on Sunday. She was fantastic her voice gets better and better every time I see her. My favourite is still her concert in the grounds of Warwick Castle in 2005 during the Encore Tour. That concert was amazing. She sung most of my favourite songs including Left Outside Alone, Paid My Dues, Cowboys and Kisses and You'll Be Fine. It was great to see her back after 4 years and although the latest album isn't as good as her previous ones the songs are still really good.

My favourite part of the week was Wicked. I really love that show i've now seen it 9 times and i'm not going to stop seeing it. Only Oliver Tompsett was missing from the cast although his understudy was very good. Alexia and Dianne were perfect as always. Alexia's Defying Gravity was probably the best Defying Gravity i've ever seen or heard she has really grown into the role since I last saw her.

The new cast were also brilliant. I remember Sam Kelly from 'Allo 'Allo I used to watch it with my mom when I was little and I really enjoyed seeing him on stage his Wizard of Oz is very good. Natalie Anderson was also very good I thought however I do prefer Katie Rowley-Jones and Caroline Keiff as their voices are much stronger when singing The Wicked WItch of The East. I can't fault Natalie Andersons singing or acting though.

This Weekend is my 10KM midnight walk. I'm looking forward to it a lot hopefully we will all raise plenty of money for Birmingham St. Marys Hospice. Here is the link to the Hospices web site http://www.bsmh.org.uk/

The weather this week has been unbearable. It was boiling inside the Apollo Victoria on Wednesday and the Underground was even worse. There's no pleasing the British though if it gets too hot we complain and if it's too cold we still complain.

I will Blog again after the walk.

A Busy Fortnight

I'm really busy over the next two weeks. I'm on the compulsory Pertemps Gateway To Work course until 3rd of July. It's really not very exciting and it's at St John The Baptist Community Centre. The place can't have been cleaned or decorated since John The Baptist walked the earth. I'm up at 7.50 to get there on time. I have a lie in on Saturday but on Sunday evening i'm going to see Anastacia at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. On Monday and Tuesday I'm back on the course apparently there is going to be a group talk on Drugs and Alcohol awareness. Like I need to know about that i've never done any drugs, I hardly drink and I don't see how it will help me to get a job.

Next Wednesday is the most exciting day, I will be back in London for Wicked I really can't wait i'm so looking forward to it. I'm back on the course on Thursday and Friday then it's finally over. On Saturday evening (4th July) and into Sunday morning I will be taking part in a sponsored 10KM midnight walk in aid of Birmingham St Mary's Hospice. As it falls on the 4th of July there is an American theme. A member of our party suggested red, white and blue pyjamas. So far I have £58 which isn't great but every little helps. There is still a few more

sponsors to get so the total will be pushed up.

I'm doing it with My aunty and her friends. That's my schedule for the next to weeks. Theres not enough lie ins if you ask me.

West End Live & Sister Act

Yesterday was such a cool day. West End Live in Leicester Square was fantastic I got there about 10:40 but the queue was massive so didn't get in until 11:05. I got in just in time to see Alexia Khadime sing The Wizard and I. It was brilliant her voice gets better every time I see her. I left at about 1:30 because I had to get to the Palladium for Sister Act. My favourites were Wicked, Sister Act and We Will Rock You. We Will Rock You sounded really good I can't wait to see it now on July 29th at Birmingham Hippodrome.

I saw:

Hairspray

Wicked

Sister Act

Dirty Dancing

Chicago

We Will Rock You

Jersey Boys

Priscilla Queen of The Desert

Thriller Live

Oliver

The King and I

My favourites were Wicked, Sister Act and We Will Rock You. We Will Rock You sounded really good I can't wait to see it now on July 29th at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Now onto Sister Act. I loved it it's such a fantastic feel good musical. You can't really compare it properly to the film because it's all brand new music and it's set in the 70s so there's lots of disco music. I thought Patina Miller, Katie Rowley-Jones, Claire Greenway and Julia Sutton were fantastic as Deloris/Sister Mary Clarence, Sister Mary Robert, Sister Mary Patrick and Sister Mary Lazarus, they kept me laughing all the way through the show. My favourite song was "How I Got The Calling" for me it was the funniest part of the show. The entire audience seemed to enjoy themselves immensely and the standing ovation at the end went on for about 10 minutes. I didn't hear a single person say they didn't like the show on the way out. I will definitely go and see the show again I hope it is in London for a very long time. Sister Act has cemented it's place as my number 2 favourite musical after Wicked. That spot was previously held by Les Miserables.

I went to the stage door afterwards I don't always but I had plenty of time before my train home so I did. I got signatures from Ian Lavender, Chris Jarman, Ako Mitchell, Claire Greenway and Julia Sutton.

I got home at about 9:00 I had such a great time immersed in Musical Theatre I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Next up for me is Anastacias Heavy Rotation Tour at the NIA in Birmingham this Sunday and Wicked for the 9th time a week on Wednesday.

Job Hunting

So the job search is not going well :(

It's getting really difficult finding anything to apply for it seems that every job needs a qualification that I don't have. Some of them are worth applying for but are too far away and I don't drive. Jobs I apply for have to be in a town or city centre somewhere with good public transport. If someone offered me a job outside of Birmingham with decent money and a good location I would bite their hand off. The chances of that happening are slim to none.

I know there are thousands of people with out jobs but after 8 months of unemployment it's getting me down in that time i've only had 2 or 3 interviews and most recruiters can't be bothered to get in contact about vacancies. I can't wait to get back into employment it will mean more trips to my favourite shows.

On the bright side it's only 16 days until i'm going to see Sister Act at the Palladium I really can't wait. I'm also going to see Anastacia on June 28th and Wicked on July 1st. At least they are something to look forward to.

A Little About Me and My Love of Theatre.

This is my first foray into the world of blogging so here goes nothing.

I'm from Birmingham and i'm 21 years old. Some people get landed with Hawaii or California but not me no i'm stuck with dull and dreary old Birmingham. Currently unemployed after being made redundant last year (unfairly in my opinion but apparently I shouldn't be bitter.) I'm seeking employment because being unemployed has drastically cut down my trips to the Theatre and that is not good at all.

I love a good musical be it a serious musical or a feel good musical. I've given up caring what my small minded friends think about the Theatre I love to go and that's all that matters to me. My favourite musical is Wicked it's amazing and that is closely followed by Les Miserables. Friends look at me oddly when I say that i've seen Wicked 8 times they ought to see it before they comment.

I do go and watch plays though they are usually local and not very often. I haven't seen one in the West End yet. Ahh the West End one of my most favourite places to be in all the world. I have no desire to ever be a performer but I admire those that do perform night after night. I made every effort to escape performing in drama lessons at school that also goes for dance lessons. I'm fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes and the people that along with the performers bring a show together every night.

Compared to some my list of musicals and plays I have seen is probably not very long but I have only recently been earning enough to go to the Theatre as often as I do or rather did as I now don't have a job and have had to cut down. So here's my list.

Musicals

Grease - UK Tour I can't remember the year sometime in the 90s Ian Kelsey played Danny.

Miss Saigon - 2006 UK Tour - Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham

Acorn Antiques - 2007 UK Tour - Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham

Wicked - 2007& 2008 West End - Apollo Victoria Theatre

Mary Poppins - UK Tour - Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham

Marguerite - 2008 West End - Theatre Royal Haymarket

Dirty Dancing - 2008 West End - Aldwych Theatre

Les Miserables - 2008 West End - Queens Theatre

Blood Brothers - UK Tour 2008 - Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham

Little Shop of Horrors - 2009 UK Tour - Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

All The Fun Of The Fair - 2009 UK Tour - Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham

Phantom of The Opera - 2009 West End - Her Majesty's Theatre

Soon to be seen

Sister Act - 2009 West End - London Palladium, I so can't wait for this I haven't been this excited about a musical since the first time I saw Wicked.

Wicked - 2009 West End - Apollo Victoria Theatre

Plays

An Inspector Calls - 2005 UK Tour - REP,

Birmingham

For King and Country - 2009 UK Tour - Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Boeing Boeing - 2009 UK Tour - REP, Birmingham

So there we go my very first attempt at blogging is finished.