Palladium-palooza

'Radio 2 Celebrates Elaine Paige' and 'Tim Rice: My Life in Musicals'

I’d only previously been to the London Palladium, the home of variety, a handful of times in my life, yet I ended up visiting twice in a few days for celebrations of Elaine Paige and Tim Rice, both of whom are celebrating 60 years in showbusiness (and who happen to be closely interlinked – each was present at the other’s show). These shows were both dividends from my Musicals career and very enjoyable they were too.

First up was ‘Radio 2 Celebrates Elaine Paige’. We’ve never met or even corresponded directly, but I think I can call Paige a former ‘colleague’ having edited her Musicals column (well, it wasn’t just me). She consistently filed her copy in plenty of time and I always enjoyed her chatty, ebullient style that read like having a cup of tea with a neighbour who has lots of juicy stories. I’m also very envious of her natural affinity with puns. Unfortunately, I wasn’t around for Paige’s mega-stardom in Evita and then Cats, Chess, Sunset Boulevard, etc, and the only time I’ve seen her on stage was in The Drowsy Chaperone (back in 2007, which means I can’t be that young myself). She’s done a huge amount as a broadcaster and ambassador for Musical Theatre – a very worthy second act to an exceptional performing career.

Among the fantastic line-up, there could hardly be a more talented and charming trio of leading men than Julian Ovenden, Charlie Stemp and Clive Rowe (as a regular visitor to the Hackney Empire panto, it was a bit odd to see him as one of the most conservatively dressed cast members – and I do wish he’d record an album of jazz classics). Mazz Murray received the biggest ovation of the evening with her full-throated ‘Hymne à l’amour’ and Sunset Boulevard medley (she’d be a brilliant Norma in a concert version – since I doubt there’ll be a full run of a ‘proper’ revival anytime soon) and Samantha Barks performed a sensational rendition of ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ (I’m sure Rachel Zegler will be wonderful but I couldn’t help but wonder…).

Don Black and Tim Rice took to the stage to pay tribute and there were also video messages from friends who couldn’t be there, including Bernadette Peters, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, Cameron Mackintosh, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more. And Paige herself made a speech at the end. There was the expectation that every line spoken by host Zoe Ball would be met with a round of applause but you can’t really criticise such events for over-indulgence... The audiences at these things are also interesting – at Patti LuPone’s concert at the Coliseum in February, the audience was predominantly male (in fact, I’d never seen so many men at the theatre) while for Paige, the key audience was women of around her age (though there were some gentlemen in sequinned jackets. Is Elaine Paige a fully-fledged gay icon? Discuss!). Angela Rippon looked fabulous in a turquoise velvet trouser suit and Gloria Hunniford, in my row, was wearing a beautiful green ensemble. Both are much more stylish than I’ll ever be.

And, just like that, I was back at the Palladium for more nostalgia and some of the same songs with ‘Tim Rice: My Life in Musicals’. I interviewed Sir Tim before Christmas, back in an age of innocence when there was every reason to think the magazine was doing well. He was ever so charming and fatherly, the very embodiment of what the Mitford sisters would have called a ‘terrific hon’ (essentially, a good egg). Rice was also on Gyles Brandreth’s podcast recently, which is one of the two podcasts that my mum (who accompanied me to both shows) listens to, and she’s very proud that her beloved Brandreth and I have an interviewee in common.

Rice is such a gifted raconteur with his mellifluous voice, impeccable timing and self-deprecating humour that would almost have you believe that his entire career has been a fluke. And he even sings a bit. In addition to the four singers (Shonagh Daly, Laura Tebbutt, Sandy Grigelis and Patrick Smyth, with a band led by Duncan Waugh), David Essex appeared to perform his Christmas single ‘A Winter’s Tale’ and Rob ‘Uncle Bryn’ Brydon performed the song that Rice and Lloyd Webber wrote for Elvis Presley (that was news to me). Will wonders never cease.

Oh, and there was a special surprise at the end when Andrew Lloyd Webber appeared on stage with the original letter that Rice sent in response to ALW’s request for a ‘with-it’ lyricist – just about exactly 60 years to the day since they met for the first time. Bless (and I’m not usually one to sentimentalise ALW).

Despite being one of the younger audience members at both events, it’s a touch depressing to think that I’m now quite a bit older than both Paige and Rice were when they rose to prominence. The best professional opportunity of my life has come and gone within 18 months and it isn’t easy to see a way ahead but I don’t want to be stuck ‘All alone with my memories / Of my days in the sun’ (I loved Cats, Tim). However, I will share my Musicals interview with Sir Tim – it feels fitting that such a wise gentleman had the last word in our final issue.