Ladies, gentlemen, and those who are yet to make up their minds. Movies to Musicals are back with their 2022 tour!
Movies to Musicals 2022, produced by the Glasgow Philharmonia, are back with an all singing, all dancing superstar performance. Founded by Ross Gunning, Movies to Musicals are a charitable organisation who live and breathe making theatre and dance accessible for anyone and everyone. This show – for 8 consecutive years and counting – allows brilliant young people the chance to showcase their incredible talents. With the kids cast ranging from ages 10-16 and the Musical Theatre cast ranging from 17-31, this company gives them an avenue to get the experience to grow their skills and fall more and more in love with their craft.
The show itself brings you songs from beloved musicals and movies and has something for the whole family. The variety in the song choice gave a really great range to the show, giving you moments of joy and entertainment – for example, the Sunshine on Leith medley – then hitting you with a tear jerker like I Know Where I’ve Been from Hairspray. This kept the audience on their toes and created a lovely emotional arc leading to the finale of the entire night. The range of style with the music also gave the cast a chance to showcase their versatility in both singing and their acting which was great to see.
The lighting was very impressive throughout the whole performance. Normally, the lighting can just become a part of the background in shows, however, the lighting displayed in Movies to Musicals added so much atmosphere and made each visual look slick and clean. The tube lighting was a nice addition and it added a warmth to the stage but every visual was extremely eye-catching and memorising and gave that extra polish to everything.
The sound was great overall, good levels and no feedback whatsoever which was very clean. The only downfall of the technical side was the fact the wireless headset microphones would cut out from time to time during the first half, mainly when there was a crossover in singing. This seemed to get resolved in the second half at least and never became an issue again.
Rebecca Curbelo Valdivia was the choreographer for the show and should be incredibly happy with themself for the amazing job done on every piece of choreography in each number. Regardless of it being dance numbers within a song or the designated dance number with the amazingly talented team of the Karen Bordon Dance Academy – the audience were blown away. Valdivia’s routines were very impressive and the execution was second to none from the young cast. The beautiful professional level of choreography elevated the entire piece and was captivating to watch.
The band – conducted by Gunning himself – were excellent from start to finish. Bringing the music to life and giving that live, authentic feel that viewers love and cherish.
The guest artists for this run are West end and River City star Brian James Leys and powerhouse singer and also River City star Gayle Telfer Stevens. Both artists put on a great show, blowing the house down with their singing ability and technique. Both artists took on solo’s, performances with the entire cast and a duet together with a massive fan favourite of Circle of Life from the illustrious The Lion King. Leys voice was very smooth and had an old
school musical theatre tone which was lovely to listen to. His range was amazing, highlighting this with a different variety of songs, especially I Know Where I’ve Been – where he could bring out the bass and falsetto from his arsenal. Stevens was a powerhouse performer. She had such a stage presence, commanding the area whilst barely using the entirety of the space. She was funny and emotional all at once, using her multiskilled vocals to bring different genres to the table – from her more recitative style of Everybody’s Girl, to her wonderful performance of Big, “Red” and Beautiful. Both artists brought a great structure to the show, breaking up the cast order to allow a smooth flow to the show.
Now the main event was evidently the young, spectacular cast. Ranging from 10-31, each member gave their absolute all and produced a magnificent level of skill and execution in all areas. The level of talent was at such a high standard you couldn’t help but be impressed and more importantly, inspired by the sheer dedication, drive and desire these young performers have for this show and for the art. The cast consisted of; Beth Angus, Elisha Beveridge, Chloe Bloice, Noah Brotherton, Christy Bullock-Walker, Jessica Butler, Caoimhe Clough, Lexi Cooper, Ross Creelman, Mia Currie, Darla Dempster, Olivia Deveney, Beth Donaldson, Amy Dougall, Katie Francis, Liam Gavin, Rosemary Gold, Robyn Goodfellow, Daniel Haggerty, Harriet Harper, Eve Harvey, Isabella Hay, Alasdair Honeyford, Aaron MacGregor, Hannah Martin, Francesca McGoldrick, Millie McGowan, Jennifer McLean, Sarah McManus, Antonia Micallef-Eynaud, Abi Morrison, Katie Ponsonby, Eilidh Reid, Mhairi Steel, Georgia Wiggan, Lily Woolridge and Christopher Young.
Due to their performance every performer deserves a shout-out for the fantastic job they done. The cast’s singing ability during the numbers was terrific, a standout being Fabulous Baby, performed by Jennifer McLean, Eilidh Reid and Amy Dougall who dominated the stage during the number, nailing the character of the song and smashing the vocals in the process.
Another great example of the singing ability of the young group is young Aaron McGregor, who blew the audience away with his mature tone and refined natural vocal ability during the Wiz medley at the beginning of the second half. As well as his genius portrayal of the photographer in Flash Bang Wallop, showing he has the acting side nailed down. Isabella Hay had a memorable stand out moment, bringing highland dancing to the table and entering to a thunderous applause from the audience.
The finale was a great way to round off the show. Previously in the night Gunning made a great speech speaking on his love for the company and their goals and and beliefs in the company – speaking on self expression, removing the stigma of elitism in theatre and inclusivity. This was beautifully rounded off with a finale of Raise You Up from the legendary Kinky Boots, which had Liam Gavin, Christopher Young and Ross Creelman come out in full drag, high heels included, and delivered a performance Lola would be proud of. The finale was visually great, with the choreography keeping you peeled to the action whilst the performers told a wonderful story, emphasising the importance of self expression and belief.
In conclusion, Movies to Musicals 2022 was a performance that brought you everything you could ever want. With an atmosphere like it was in The Beacon and the caliber of talent on show – you are guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face and about 10 songs stuck in your head!
Theatre Scotland 
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