Ariana DeBose: Authenticity

Whether you know her as the Bullet from Hamilton, the second Academy Award winning Anita from West Side Story or the woman who rapped “Angela Basset did the thing” at the BAFTAs, Ariana DeBose has been a rising star I can’t get enough of. So when the news came she’d be making her concert debut at the Palladium, I knew I had to be in the room where it happened especially when Fourth Wall Live was producing it. Given their amazing track record of one night only concerts featuring big West End and Broadway stars, I frantically searched for a ticket the second they went on sale (with my Wifi conveniently dropping while in the queue no less).

Luckily my persistence prevailed, and I know the question on everyone’s mind as we dive into this review: did Ariana DeBose do the thing?

Venue: London Palladium
Musical Director: Benjamin Rauhala
Back-Up: Claudia Kariuki and Allie Daniel

Rating: ★★★★★

What did I think of Ariana DeBose: Authenticity?

Normally I’d pass judgement on a show or concert once it’s finished, but I was already set on five stars as soon as it started. Why? The woman G she is, Ariana DeBose took back full ownership of the meme that undeservedly made her the Internet’s latest punching bag and we were all here for it (something I anticipated when spotting tote bags with the oft mocked quote in the lobby which I of course bought). Singing a mash-up of the rap with Madonna’s Vogue and encouraging the audience to sing along, it set the mood for the concert which was fun, fabulous and often moving.

The theme of the night was authenticity as Ariana DeBose guided the 2,200 seated Palladium on a joyous and pensive musical journey. An eclectic setlist with genres ranging from disco and pop to traditional theatre and ballads, the songs gave insight into her career and personal life. Whether it was the hip hop remix of Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold that she used in So You Think You Can Dance, Madonna’s Ray of Light to capture her feelings of returning to New York or a mash-up of Quiet Thing and One Hand in My Pocket to describe her feelings after winning her Oscar, each song carried weight.

While Ariana DeBose was the one killing each song with her powerhouse voice that had insane range alongside her wonderful backing singers Allie Daniel (Legally Blonde) and Claudia Kariuki (Six), one person I must also praise is musical director Benjamin Rauhala. Having seen his phenomenal West End Besties concert this February, yet again he showed his musical genius with a collection of amazing mashups and rearrangements. Still sat by the piano making quips in his dapper suit, his ability to thematically and musically connect songs to create a whole new one was mind-bending in the best way.

Were there any standout moments?

Amongst all the glitz of the musical numbers, what I loved about Ariana DeBose was her storytelling, especially when she allowed herself to be vulnerable. While sharing hilarious stories about Barack Obama awkwardly saying Rita Moreno was always his favourite in West Side Story and making a Mamma Mia! joke while filming a scene with Meryl Streep for The Prom, another shocking one came. She revealed a director told her she wasn’t “black enough” to take over a role she understudied on Broadway (after some sleuthing I think I know which one) and struggled fitting in with its all Black cast as an Afro Latina to the point she wore a different wig to work everyday to feel accepted.

Performing the fabulous mash up of Ladies Who Lunch and Poor Unfortunate Souls she used as an outlet for her frustrations at her first cabaret, Ariana ultimately turned a negative experience into a positive lesson as she realised rejections can lead you to where you really want in life. Given that she became the first (hopefully not only) queer woman of colour to win an acting Academy Award and is voicing the lead in Disney’s movie to celebrate its 100th anniversary, I’d say those rejections were for the best. Sadly Ariana wasn’t allowed to preview her solo in Wish, but she made up for it with a gorgeous rendition of composer Julia Michaels That’s The Kind of Woman.

What were my overall thoughts?

Ariana DeBose did more than the thing. She smashed it and sent it home all while bringing the London Palladium roof down. While a giant venue, like Audra McDonald’s concert before it, there was something intimate about the whole affair as she sang and danced to her fabulous setlist. With Benjamin Rauhala still proving his musical talents, I had such the funnest time and it’s amazing seeing Fourth Wall Live’s shows somehow get better each time. Given that the next musical theatre superstar they’ve managed to book is reportedly a massive one, I’m curiously excited over what will come next.

If you missed this concert and happen to be in the Big Apple next week, Ariana DeBose will be bringing Authenticity to the Lincoln Center on April 11th!

Setlist

Act One

Vogue/BAFTAs Rap – Madonna
Shall We Dance (Disco Remix) (The King and I)
Come Rain Come Shine/River Deep (Ray Charles/Tina Turner)
Sorry I Asked (Liza Minnelli)
Black and Gold (Sam Sparro)
Ray Of Light (Madonna)
You’ll Be Back (Hamilton)
Quiet Thing/One Hand In My Pocket (Liza Minnelli/Alanis Morissette)
MacArthur Park (Donna: The Donna Summer Musical)

Act Two

Diva Medley (Various)
Alyssa Greene (The Prom)
That’s The Kind of Woman (Julia Michaels)
Ladies Who Lunch/Poor Unfortunate Souls (Company/Poor Unfortunate Souls)
Manhattan/Move On (Sara Bareilles/Sunday in the Park With George)
Don’t Start Now feat. Claudia Kariuki and Allie Daniel (Dua Lipa)
Fix You/Turning Tables (Coldplay/Adele)
Somewhere (West Side Story)
Close To You (The Carpenters)

Encore

Waterloo (ABBA)