Album Review: Ushers - The Front of House Musical

Ushers - The Front of House Musical
SimG Records
Released Monday 10th March 2014

Ushers - The Front of House Musical is a new show which premiered last year at the Hope Theatre. The musical is currently in previews at the Charing Cross Theatre featuring a new cast who have recorded a cast album. I saw the musical last year and while it was clear improvements were needed, Ushers was bursting with potential. I am yet to see the updated version of the show at the Charing Cross.

Yiannis Koutsakos and James Oban's score is fantastic. The songs are varied yet never lose Ushers' identifiable sound. If there was an Olivier Award for 'Stagiest Show' Ushers would win with ease, the constant use of theatrical references makes Ushers very funny and relevant.

The new cast, Ralph Bogard, Daniel Buckley, Ceris Hine, Ross McNeill, Liam Ross-Mills and Carly Thoms, are superb. My favourite tracks on the album include the ridiculously catchy 'Welcome' and 'Goodbye' as well as Liam Ross-Mills and Daniel Buckley's calm and heartfelt duet 'Loving You Is All I Know'.

Ushers is a fun and light hearted new musical which doesn't take itself too seriously. It is so important that we have a musical theatre record label like SimG Records to produce and release the music of exciting new shows such as Ushers. The album is a must-have for all stageys and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how the show has developed later this week.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

Ushers: The Front Of House Musical is available from iTunes, the Charing Cross Theatre and www.SimGProductions.com.

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