BWW Reviews: LIZA ON AN E, The Vaudeville Theatre, May 15 2013

Lydia Shaw

Trevor Ashley makes his West End debut impersonating the one and only Liza Minnelli. Liza (on an E) takes us through the various highs and lows of Liza Minnelli's career (from her pill-popping habits, to her love life, to her showbiz family). The show is an explosion of sparkles, spotlights and sequins amongst an array of comedy sketches, songs from the shows, new songs (written for this show), and a wonderfully jazzy arrangement of Lady Gaga's Pokerface!

Trevor Ashley was phenomenal, with such an energetic vibrancy which he impressively maintained throughout the show. His approach to being 'Liza' was incomparable - his grasp of Minnelli's mannerisms was hilarious and the vocal tone uncannily accurate.

Whilst Act 1 was more heavily focussed on the biographical (or should I say autobiographical) details, comprising mainly of comic songs written by Ashley and Dean Bryant, Act 2 had more showtunes and was, in my opinion, far more amusing, opening with a splendid rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Some People (Gypsy), demonstrating his acrobatic vocal skills. The comedy sketches had the audience laughing uncontrollably whilst the rendition of Sondheim's painstakingly beautiful Losing My Mind (Follies) held the audience captivated in silence.

Integral to the success of Liza (on an E) were Tom Boucher's lighting, which mirrored every change in tempo, dynamics and sentiment, and the band, led by George Dyer, who made a terrific, jazzy sound.

Liza (on an E) runs until Saturday 18th May at the Vaudeville Theatre and is well worth a watch for anyone looking for an evening of glitzy, humorous fun.

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