★★★★ | Somewhere Under the Rainbow- the Liza Minnelli Story, Landor Theatre, London
Liza is about to go on stage, pacing nervously round her dressing room in a silk robe she bursts into song, tells a few anecdotes and even shows us a few of her dance moves.
Following on from sell out runs and rave reviews in Dublin and Edinburgh; this show is making its London premiere at The Landor Theatre in Clapham.
Minnelli is a hard act to capture well but Sharon Sexton absolutely nails it as the gay icon. She’s got an amazing voice and her acting skills are second to none. This isn’t just a tacky cabaret style impression of Liza but a wry yet touching portrayal of a woman full of paradoxes. By turns feisty and brash yet also vulnerable and fragile, this is a Minnelli you can believe in. Sexton’s version of Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind” is heart wrenching and her Mein Herr is performed with breath taking skill. Her whole repertoire is performed with dazzling panache.
If you know much about Liza already then you’re not going to get a deep and detailed insight into her life and her marriages, drug addictions and traumas. The show does, however, give us a glimpse of what Liza is about and how she’s fought her way through life with a smile on her face and a pair of tap shoes never too far away.
This is definitely fringe theatre at its best and a show worthy of a larger venue. This is definitely one to catch during its short run
Somewhere Under the Rainbow runs until the 17th of May 2014
Buy tickets here: http://www.landortheatre.co.uk/index.php/booking-office/musicals/somewhere-under-the-rainbow-84/
