This is living proof that Rock n’ Roll is still king! In what is a tribute concert to six of the all-time greats who are no longer with us, the cast of Rock 'n’ Roll Heaven, backed by talented musicians, deliver an enjoyable evening of nostalgia for some and a great experience for those who missed out first time around.
Blessed with an older brother who was well into music I can remember lots of these songs and can admit to seeing one of the ‘stars’ in Edinburgh. If you were part of the original generation branded as teenagers and remember Radio Luxembourg, Embassy records, cigarette coupons and when Hearts and Hibs had great teams then you were probably the audience members who joined in at every opportunity of Tuesday’s opening night.
The ‘Famous Five' plus one in this production are Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison,Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Del Shannon. While Elvis never performed in the U.K., Del Shannon appeared in cabaret at the Baron Suite (Edinburgh Corn Exchange) and his ‘doubler’ (Damien Edwards) seemed just as good coping well with the trademark falsetto in old favourites such as ‘Runaway’ and even the yodelling in ‘Swiss maid’.
Liam Douglas as Ricky Nelson looked and sounded like the all-American boy and in a couple of numbers got the nuances of the voice spot on. A.J. Dean as Elvis not only had the voice but also conveyed the energy and movement of "the King" that was lost on film and T.V. His ‘Jailhouse Rock’ for me was the highlight of highlights in an excellent first-half that included a set demonstrating the raw music of ‘Eddie Cochran’. The deaths of stars in plane crashes is part of musical history but poor Eddie lost his life in a taxi between Bristol and London which while having the same outcome seems less rock star lifestyle as we know it.
Having seen a couple of productions of ‘Buddy’ I thought Reuven Gershon was absolutely the best in the role that I have seen. He brought an infectious enthusiasm to the role as he bounced around the stage with some great movement to go alongside tracks such as ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Oh Boy’ and ‘Peggy Sue’.
The second-half saw the introduction of the ‘Big O’, Roy Orbison (also Damien Edwards), who sang a number of his hits again with the voice being captured almost perfectly.
There were further songs from the others with the second phase of Elvis’s career being featured including ‘The Wonder of You’. The sight and sound of four of these great performers onstage together (whether or not the ‘real thing’) was a joy to behold.
The musicians supporting the singers were excellent as were the harmonies and, along with good lighting and an appealing set, all contributed to a good night’s entertainment.
Musical Theatre it is not, but the interaction with the audience, allowing them to ‘get in’ the lyrics before the artistes, was handled well and demonstrated that this was ‘live’ music and definitely not a soundtrack.
The audience was not that large and many of the usual Festival Theatre’s ‘first-nighters’ missed out on a show that brought a large number of the audience in the stalls to their feet.
Show runs Tue 27 September – Sat 1st October, 7.30pm, Matinee 2.30pm (Thurs/Sat only)