THE MAGIC of the Musicals came to life when talented choristers performed alongside outstanding West End professionals in a special concert.
Budding singers from Grace Academies in Solihull and Darlaston, and a choir from a Lea Hall school, and stars from the stage delighted the audience with a feast of songs from the shows ranging from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The line-up included Keith Jack, the runner-up of BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and star of the UK tour of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’; Rachael Louise Miller from ‘Les Miserables’; Kinky Boots cast member Catherine Millsom; Jonathan Alden, David Covey; and Tom Fitzpatrick, the UK’s youngest professional crooner.
The Magic of the Musicals was directed and produced by Adam Hepkin, new Artistic Educational Developer for Grace Academies in Solihull, Darlaston and Coventry, and has enjoyed sell-out performances on the South Coast for the past three years.
He said: “For the students on stage, many of whom want to go into performing arts professionally, this was an invaluable experience and one that they could not get anywhere else.
“Becoming a professional performer can often seem intimidating and out of reach, but having the students stand shoulder to shoulder singing with West End professionals allows them to see that their dream can be attained with hard work and determination, bringing it into focus with blinding clarity.”
The Grace Academy pupils will be travelling to the De La Warr Pavilion on June 14 to support West End and Broadway star, Ruthie Henshall in the final Magic of the Musicals performance of the season.
