Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: The Other Palace, London
Cast: Roshani Abbey, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Connor Carson, Lucca Chadwick-Patel, George Crawford, Charlotte Kennedy, Donald Craig Manuel, B Terry, May Tether and Sydnie Hocknell
James Evans-Jones and Zac Frieze team up to present a second edition of this special night of entertainment; a showcase of solos sung by a cast featured in some your favourite musicals such as Newsies, Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera, Heathers, Mamma Mia, Bring It On, We Will Rock You and many more. Hear their stories from both on and off stage along with how it feels to step in at a moment’s notice and the joys that come with playing these roles.
Alternates, covers, swings, standbys - these incredible people can go by many names, and they're the unsung heroes of musical theatre. This event was a special celebration of those that are ready to jump in whenever needed and rescue the shows we all know and love, with little notice. With a cast of talent from shows such as Phantom of the Opera, & Juliet, Newsies and Les Misérables - classic and modern theatre were acknowledged in the evening's set list.
Most performers started with an anecdote about their time on the stage, which segued smoothly into their song(s) of the evening. We had songs from modern cult classics such as Bonnie & Clyde, Heathers and Newsies, plus old time favourites such as Les Misérables, My Fair Lady and Funny Girl.
The wonderful songs performed were:
ACT 1
I Didn't Plan It (Waitress) - Casey Al-Shaqsy
The Music That Makes Me Dance (Funny Girl) - B Terry
Little People/Show Me (Les Mis/My Fair Lady) - Charlotte Kennedy
Make Them Hear You (Ragtime) - Donald Craig Manuel
I Say No (Heathers) - May Tether
ACT 2
I'm Not Afraid of Anything/Moving Too Fast (Songs for a New World/The Last Five Years) - Lucca Chadwick-Patel
I Can't Stand Still (Footloose) - Connor Carson
I Can't Stand Still (Footloose) - Connor Carson
How 'Bout a Dance? (Bonnie & Clyde) - Sydnie Hocknell
It Won't Be Long Now (In the Heights) - Roshani Abbey
Santa Fe (Newsies) - George Crawford
As a huge Connor Carson fan, it goes without saying that he was the highlight of the evening for me; particularly as Footloose is extremely different to what he's been doing for the past year in Phantom! His stage presence and charisma shone through during his performance of I Can't Stand Still.
Other standout moments for me were George Crawford's performance of Santa Fe (truly devastated I missed seeing him cover Jack in Newsies!) and May Tether's performance of I Say No. However, the entire line-up from this evening's edition of Uncovered were incredible, and it was a true celebration of the heroes of theatre that aren't honoured enough for what they do.
Uncovered was such a fun evening in an intimate setting, with an absolutely stellar cast. I'm hoping for another evening of unmatched talent from the geniuses behind it very soon.
Who's the best alternate/understudy/cover/swing you've seen in a show? I would love to know!
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