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Thriller LIVE!
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
*****
Spectacular is a word bandied about quite
a lot but Thriller Live certainly earned it.
There were at times 19 people plus band on stage
at any one time plus some innovative special effects often doubled this
up.
Special effects and lighting, in particular,
never get mentioned but they should; they were amazing!
Plus, it was an interesting mixture of live
performance and screens that presented some of the history including of
Michael Jackson himself. (Lighting: Nigel Catmur and Special effects:
The Twins FX Visual.) There was no implausible story linking songs
together and I don’t know enough to be certain but there seemed to be a
chronology about the choices. The two main singers (Britt Quintin and
Bizzi Dixon) also acted as presenters of the history of Michael
Jackson’s life.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was the
best-selling album of all time and you can see why, although this
included some material from earlier and later albums. Songs included
early ones from the Jackson Five for example I Want You Back and ABC.
Then there was Blame it on the Boogie, Can you Feel it, Beat it, Man in
the Mirror, Earth Song, They Don’t Care about Us and to round off Smooth
Criminal. The audience was on their feet 30 per cent of the time
including the disabled cupboard.
It was also testament to not only the songs but
also the performers. The Moon Walk was great tackled by Britt Quintin, a
real triple threat as a performer, also Bizzi Dixon, a great voice, Rory
Taylor who, in contrast, silenced the house with She’s Out of my Life;
it was simply gorgeous. Adriana Louise as lead vocalist presented a
range of songs with a great voice and presence.
The standard of performance was amazing and most
of the vocalists were also involved in some exhilarating dance
sequences. The dancers also appeared to add backing singing. It is worth
looking up some the people involved in the show for their extraordinary
talents – and a fitting tribute to Michael Jackson himself who always
made it look so easy. If you are a fan of the King of Pop you’re
probably already signed up, but if not, this was simply a great evening.
Directed by Gary Lloyd, Thriller runs to 10-03-18
Jane Howard
06-03-18
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