Total Eclipse

There’s a constant sense of movement with performers who rarely seem to stand still unless they’re about to unleash something vocally outstanding and those vocals are the real engine. This cast doesn’t just sing Steinman’s songs, they attack them. Glenn Adamson anchors the evening with a kind of unforced authority that suits Steinman’s world perfectly. There’s a rugged clarity to his voice and he doesn’t overplay the drama, he tells the story and with hits such as ‘Paradise By The Dash Board’ and ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’ Adamson proves he is an absolute showman, getting the biggest cheers as he enters and exits. Danielle Steers, by contrast singing ‘Ravishing’ and ‘Catwoman’s Song’ leans into the emotional extremes which are exactly what this material demands. Her range is impressive and her performance feels fearless, almost volcanic at times, with a belt that doesn’t just hit the notes but seems to bend them to her will.

The one night gala lineup adds a different kind of electricity, less narrative and more of a showcase. Christina Bianco brings her trademark precision and playful control, turning even the most repetitive phrases into something sharply defined. Not to be controversial but Bianco could have taken the lead on ‘All Coming Back To Me Now’ her duet with Tyce Green. Zoe Birkett has that lived in grit that suits Steinman’s darker edges, giving her duet’s ‘Dead Ringer For Love’ and ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’ a sense of history rather than pure spectacle. Birkett really is a force to be reckoned with powerhouse vocals. Tyce Green delivers with a smooth, contemporary edge, offering a contrast to the more theatrical styling’s around him to his ‘Making Love Out Of Nothing At All’ Karine Hannah feels entirely at home with the material taking on ‘Safe Sex’ and the title track ‘Total Eclipse’. Natalie May Paris injects a brightness that cuts through the gothic density, her tone adding lift without losing power, it was lovely seeing a different side of Paris in duets ‘Good Girls Go To Heaven’ and ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’. Red rounds things out with act I finale ‘Holding Out for A Hero’ a raw, almost rock concert energy that reminds you just how close this score always sits to its arena roots .