Review Centre: Wedding Singers

"IT WAS billed as A Night At The Musicals, and it was certainly a title which attracted a packed house to the Howden Park Centre last Friday evening when Darren Shaw and three dancers took the stage and sang and danced their hearts out. Two for the price of one took on a whole new meaning in this show in which we, the audience, were encouraged to join in with some of the well known songs. If you looked around, all you could see was a sea of smiling faces having a great time reminiscing and sharing some of their favourite moments from the musicals. This was courtesy of one very talented young man sporting a George Clooney haircut and diamond earring, some nifty costume changes, an incredible voice range and an endearing smile. Using a variety of spectacular, if sometimes dazzling lighting effects, and the obligatory dry ice creating an atmosphere that makes the singer appear suspended in clouds, the show began with a spotlight into which sauntered Mr Shaw in top hat and tails singing On The Street Where You Live, from My Fair Lady. Once again the excellent acoustics of the Brian Duguid Theatre played host to emotive, full orchestral music courtesy of impeccably timed tapes. Maybe it was just a shade loud in the first half which saw something very unusual and totally original. Everyone is familiar with The Sound of Music and the recent Connie Fisher version of The Hills are alive. Enter Darren Shaw looking splendid in lederhosen, like a denizen of Austria and straight from the Alps. To everyone's amazement and some barely concealed audience mirth, he became a soprano and made the hills come alive in his own special way. As the show progressed, the format of two songs by Mr Shaw interspersed with dance routines by the hardworking dancers began to win us over. For the first time ever, the famous duet from Grease, You're The One That I Want, was sung by Mr Shaw who performed the male and female parts. Using his falsetto voice – an attribute which was once taught in Italy in the middle ages resulting in the singers being known as castratto (please, don't ask) – Shaw sang the SuBo hit from Les Miserables as he duetted with himself in I Know Him So Well. In The Phantom of the Opera sequence he once again sang the famous duet which takes Christine, the soprano and The Phantom to perform, all by himself. As for the three dancers, two glamorous blondes and a bonny brunette, they proved their versatility by dancing a variety of styles from musical comedy to modern with a brave attempt at Irish River Dancing which drew cheers from the audience. The finale saw Shaw resplendent in a mint green sparkling shirt and matching flares with the dancers in glittering jump suits so there was no doubt that we would hear something from Mamma Mia and we certainly did. This night at the theatre was indeed a feast of tunes from the musicals which at first, thanks to Mr Shaw's dual voice, seemed a little hard to digest but soon became an acquired taste."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Merci à Frédéric et Cinzia pour cette parenthèse enchantée. Très belle prestation de ce duo, qui a su animer notre soirée d'anniversaire pour le plaisir de tous. Frédéric est à l'écoute et agréable. Ils sont très professionnels. Nous recommandons à 100 %. Merci à eux 2."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mr D and Bonita, a fantastic group to dance to. They play all types of dance music, waltz, tango, rumba, mambo....everything....perfect dance tempo, not too loud so you can still have a conversation with the other dancers...We love this group and have followed them for several years...best dancing and entertainment in Springfield and Branson area..."

Reply by Mister D & Bonita
Thank you so much Mike. Your support has meant a lot. Dave

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Solo basta decir que en luego de cantar, dos parejas amigas decidieron contratarlo, una para su boda el año entrante y otra para el aniversario de su padre! La verdad que les encantó a todos! Felicidades Juan! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Atul’s band performance was outstanding from start to finish. He tailored his set to our needs perfectly and was professional throughout. Our guests were highly entertained. The music made the night! Thank you so much!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had a fab night at cavern club listening to Jonny Parry what a great mix of music fantastic entertainer and a really nice guy thank you x"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Adam performed at our annual client conference awards dinner, his performance was great and created the atmosphere that we wanted for a corporate event. Attendees enjoyed it and we would not hesitate to recommend him to others!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We organized a small wedding in Dubrovnik, and we have suggested an engagement with "Duo Ankora" for music by local people. That was a real goal :) They entertained us and everyone was delighted. Many thanks :) "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I am from America and I have to say that when I first heard these beautiful ladies sing in Fara San Martino their music was magical and I went back to see them as many times as I could."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Atul (Soul waves band) perfomed at my bhaiya's wedding anniversary on 22nd Oct. Band's music was soulful and when these guys picked the music all our guest were on the dance floor. Totally rocked the evening. Superb Band"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was lovely chill out music that suited the time slot. Everyone enjoyed Sarah's singing and the acoustic guitar playing was brilliant. Value for money. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Nora and Josh were absolutely fantastic right from the second I sent an enquiry through. Their communication was fast and everything covered right up until the day. The actual set itself was amazing, the crowd loved the upbeat vibes and Nora’s voice was incredible! Will definitely be rebooking for future dates! Thank you"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Nazim K. (Private) 27/7/2022, Rehearsal dinner Having the Cherry Pickers at the event - be 100% sure of success. This is a very special band with beautiful energy and super feminine vocals. Beautiful to look at, great to listen to. Always precise, always arrive on time and leave beautiful memories with the guests. Highly recommended!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for last night Steve "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We have used Damien for many of our parties and he is always excellent! Great music, very professional and also a lovely guy."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: