This Is London 16 May 2019

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12 A CAPPELLA CHORAL CONCERT AT ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE On Friday June 7 (19.30), the premier choral ensemble from Southern California will give an a capella choral concert at St. John's Smith Square. The programme includes O filii et filiae by Leisring, Sicut Cervus by Palestrina, The Lord’s Prayer by René Clausen, Sanctus by Craig Courtney, Wana Baraka by Shawn Kirchner, O Nata Lux by Morten Lauridsen, Stars by Ēriks Ešenvalds, Unclouded Day by Shawn Kirchner and The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Lutkin. The ensemble from Loma Linda Academy is comprised of thirty-eight high school students from Southern California. They have received consistent ‘Superior’ ratings from the Southern California Vocal Association since 2010. The choir have also travelled regionally, nationally and internationally, with recent tour destinations including Hawaii, New York, Chicago, Germany and Thailand. Loma Linda Academy perform each year for various civic functions, area churches, San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra ‘Holiday Concert’ and choral festivals throughout Southern California. Director, Dr Brenda Mohr, has been teaching high school choirs for more than thirty years. Under her direction, choirs have won several choral competitions and performed as a showcase choir at the Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. St John’s Smith Square is a significant music venue in central <strong>London</strong> and a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture. The beauty of the building is matched by an exceptional acoustic and from its restoration as both church and concert hall in the late 1960s. St John’s plays host to today’s leading international artists, and has presented some of the finest classical talent in a programme featuring choirs, chamber orchestras and period instrument groups. Tickets are free. Box Office telephone 020 7222 1061. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT TO OPEN IN THE WEST END DreamWorks Theatricals (a division of Universal Theatrical Group), Michael McCabe and Neil Laidlaw have announced that The Prince of Egypt, the new stage musical based on the celebrated DreamWorks Animation film and featuring the Academy Award®winning song When You Believe, will begin performances at the Dominion Theatre on 5 February 2020. Tickets go on sale at 10.00 on Monday 3 June. A milestone in cinematic achievement, DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt captivated movie audiences across the world and recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary. www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Lyric Theatre <strong>This</strong> truly lovely show is a breath of fresh air in the West End. Amidst the thunderous amplification of many musicals and the tense intellectual thrill of some serious drama, this tribute to a couple of much loved musicians has a quiet and wholly enjoyable brilliance. Indeed since rock stars the world over are known for their wild lifestyles and broken relationships, the lack of any sleazy back story comes as something of a shock. Here are two nice Jewish boys from Queens, New York, who become friends at high school through their love of music. They get their first gig at the age of fifteen under the assigned names, ‘Tom and Jerry’. They encourage and inspire each other: Art has the ‘voice of an angel’, Paul writes songs and has the drive to escape their neighbourhood and become something else. Their musical legacy is wonderful. Not only was it a first for a successful group to use their own, Jewish, names, it was also the first time that a pop song could be about something other than teenage love/angst – for example, the Sounds of Silence, which talks about the ‘words of the prophets’ etc. The demands of a long theatre run mean that several sets of actors play Simon and Garfunkel at different performances. However none of them make any attempt to impersonate the two men, except as singers. At the opening performance, Kingsley Judd played Art and Adam Dickinson played Paul. They seem to be British Northerners with a diffident demeanour. Judd stands stock still to sing, thumbs in his belt loops, while Dickinson plucks his guitar, both of them unsmiling. It is fascinating to watch and impressive to hear – their harmonies are spot-on – and the sheer youthfulness of their presence is exhilarating. Behind them, virtuoso bassist Leon Camfield, who is probably old enough to be their Dad, makes an interesting contrast by cavorting with his guitar whilst dressed in what seems to be the band uniform of Marks and Spencer cardigan and buttoned down shirt. A video backdrop mixes newsreel footage of events such as the student protests and race riots of the 1960s with films of contemporary performers like Elvis Presley. The house was naturally packed with Simon and Garfunkel fans and the simple reverence with which their heroes are brought to life brought the house down. No one could pretend to be Art and Paul in front of this crowd – but this fantastic performance is winning new fans every night. Sue Webster 13 t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS Events 4 Merlin’s Magica
Page 6 and 7: 6 CELEBRATING 200th BIRTHDAYS OF QU
Page 8 and 9: 8 BEATS ON POINTE AT PEACOCK THEATR
Page 10 and 11: 10 Photos: Crown Copyright. THE HOU
Page 14 and 15: 14 Photos Polunin: Alexei Kerkis. S
Page 18: 18 Lords Lion and Unicorn. NEW ROYA
Page 21 and 22: 2020 EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS AT THE T
Page 23 and 24: WINNER! 4 OLIVIER AWARDS INCLUDING
Page 25 and 26: MATILDA Critically acclaimed Royal
Page 28: presents SERGEI POLUNIN at The Lond

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