(seen at the performance on 29th April 2025)
“Some folk dream of the wonders they’ll do” sings Shonagh Burns. An appropriate sentiment to open this personally narrated autobiographical concert.
Her three co-star singers Laura Tebbutt, Patrick Smyth and Sandy Grigelis help the build up, sharing “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door To Me,” before the man himself enters to “Jesus Christ Superstar.” From which we really do “return, to the beginning.”
In a pale blue casually worn suit, this Big Friendly Giant of Musical Theatre welcomes us to the “Lords Cricket Ground of musicals” for over two hours of reminiscences, interspersed with always perfect renderings of his greatest lyrical hits.
If you have already read his excellent autobiography, there is nothing new in his chat. Well, there wouldn’t be. “That’s My Story” was his first song, and we all know he eventually got his idea of a book about pop records published too, with great success.
Not a total theatre naïve either. His parents, like many of his childhood era, had record collections full of Broadway cast albums, and young Tim consumed with glee Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe and the rest.
When a record producer paired him off with Andrew Lloyd Webber (should change that name, quips Rice), their second project together was nearly a James Bond musical for schools.
Luckily, we got “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” instead. That lead to “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Laura Tebbutt delivering “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” with an authentically 1970s sound, Grigelis on guitar to good effect.
We are treated to the full lyric that originally accompanied the tune. A song called “Kansas Morning” about a felon locked up and missing his home state, which runs (the monkey got most of it down, it hopes!) something like,
“I love the Kansas morning, Kansas dawn comes to greet me.
Kansas winds, shift and sigh,
I can see you now, we’re flying high,
Kansas love of mine.
I long for Kansas morning, Kansas mist at my window.
And the birds, the Kansas birds, sing their words and songs of love.
Kansas in my brain, I’m stuck in Maine”
On the whole, the monkey prefers the ones he eventually went with.
A stunning “Heaven on their Minds” from the quartet before Tebbutt breaks out with “Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” a bewildered, innocent and wronged young girl.
Pausing to note that “Evita” was less well received on Broadway thanks to American allergies to dictators (a witty dig made at the current White House), we find out Tim’s Womble connections as he recounts writing hit Christmas song “A Winter’s Tale” with composer Mike Batt.
Major surprise of the evening: David Essex in full 'Papa Bear' glory to sing their hit number. A ‘thumbs-up’ exchanged between the pair, Essex displaying his instinctive professionalism and good manners thanking band and backing singers as he exited.
A Grammy and Tony award carried on stage, finally getting to James Bond as well, as his quartet “The Octopussies” launch into a guitar 4-piece of “All Time High” from “Octopussy”. It’s another stunner before we are back to musicals.
Shonagh Burns and Laura Tebbutt may or may not know Elaine Paige is in the audience as they sang “her” number “I Know Him So Well”, cruising around each other on stage, locked in emotional combat. They certainly won’t know Ms Paige herself praised their performance to all around her (monkey included) at the interval. It can only concur.
Rounding off, Mountview Theatre School choir appear upstage to augment Patrick Smyth’s wonderfully fresh interpretation of “Anthem” before the act one curtain falls.
Second half, and a fetching pink jacket for Mr Rice, hair up and new dresses for the ladies. “Superstar” is an upbeat opening number before we jump back a few biblical years for “Aida”.
The show never made it to London, but did 5 years on Broadway and got Elton John hooked on originating musical theatre. “A Step Too Far” is rather lovely, the four singers dramatizing things sufficient to suggest a West End producer should begin manoeuvres.
Not catching onto the drama, the idiocy of US radio DJs didn’t prevent “One Night In Bangkok” being a Stateside hit, and the team here gave it their all.
Apparently, Mike Tyson recorded a version – and Bjorn and Benny declined to tell him what they thought of it...
“Chess” on Broadway was a rare (enormous) disaster, and Rice also skips over the rather lovely “Blondel” – not a mention. He does, though, linger on “From Here to Eternity” – a show the monkey loved on both its West End outings.
Sandy Grigelis with his guitar gives “Fight The Fight” everything. That it can hold the vast Palladium spellbound shows there must be a future for it somewhere.
Surprise two (possibly also three, if you didn’t know this fact): Elvis recorded a Rice / Lloyd Webber song, which appeared on his final album. “It’s Easy For You” was chosen over “Please don’t let Lorraine come down” (plot as bad as the title suggests).
Rob Brydon, in full 70s mode – costume included – strikes the poses of “The King” and goes bananas on the tune, to our delight. A “thank you so much, see you soon” embrace indicates the warmth between lyricist and performer.
Onward to another composer, Gary Barlow. “A Matter of Love” reveals a vast difference between him and any other musician Rice works with. Far more ponderous, the tempo ‘opening out’ the lyric by unwinding far more slowly than other composers.
Hollywood. “Hamlet with Fur” isn’t much of a title, but (once a good deal convinces him) brings Elton John and Tim Rice together again to work with Disney on “The Lion King.”
Following the untimely death of Ashman, Rice being available (and cheap), was brought into “Aladdin.” Rice admits strolling into that writing room after only 3 months in the industry and clutching an Oscar (the final award on his EGOT display on-stage, itself a marvel to see such famous awards together) didn’t do a lot for writing room friendship at the time.
Ready for the final run-in. “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” begun by Shonagh, everyone else taking a part. A chance for her to recharge as Sandy and Laura access their Prince and Princess sides for “A Whole New World” against appropriate starry backdrop.
Shonagh returns with Kaa eyes for an unsettlingly hypnotic “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Rice pointing out that if that tune hadn’t made it into the show, the surviving lyric would have caused problems if recycled for “The Lion King.”
And on that note, “Hakuna Matata” and “Circle of Life” concluded joyously the evening...
Except...
Young Tim Rice wrote to Andrew Lloyd Webber on 21st April 1965. Rice calculated that 29th April 1965, exactly 60 years ago to the day, they first met in person.
60 years to the day later...
They meet again. Andrew Lloyd Webber walking onto the stage of the theatre he now owns, to present his old friend and collaborator with a framed copy of that letter.
One for the history books, and hugely appropriate for the show to finish with a full audience, company and Sir Tim himself, sing-along of “Any Dream Will Do.”
If the country is looking for a new national anthem, they just might have found it. Everyone knows the words, and the King could do the “oo oo” responses as required, each time.
While this particular evening featured extra guest stars and material just for the night, without them it is clear that every night on the tour is a beautifully crafted event, with much credit to Musical Director Duncan Waugh and the accompanists.
The songs shine even more brightly for being heard live in a theatre, and Sir Tim Rice is a compelling raconteur and host.
If this comes your way, do not miss it.
5 stars, standing ovation given.