After Saturday’s fun which you can read here, Musical Con day two started on a more hectic note. On a cloudy and rainy Sunday my first train to Paddington was delayed and I rushed from tube to tube, a far cry from Saturday’s smooth and serene route via the Elizabeth line. Bolting it into the Excel, I just made it for the first panel I wanted to see for the day.
Let’s recap Musical Con day two!
Musical Con Main Stage
Celebrating 50 years of Cameron Macintosh shows – I missed this one as I was at a backstage panel, but let’s just say it sounded amazing. A massive influence on musical theatre as we know it, Musical Con gave four shows from producer Cameron Mackintosh’s roster the spotlight.
- Les Miserables – Jon Robyns brought the house down with Bring Him Home, Jordan Shaw discussed his experiences being in the show and the West End’s newest Eponine, Nathania Ong, sang On My Own.
- The Phantom of the Opera – One of my personal favourites shows, alternate Holly-Anne Hull sang a gorgeous rendition of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again which was a nice change to pace from the usual Music of the Night or title song
- Mary Poppins – Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp teach the audience the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious spelling dance.
- Hamilton – Joel Montague sang a hilarious version of You’ll Be Back
Back to the Future Spotlight – Writer Bob Gale, and stars Ben Joyce and Roger Bart discuss how Back To The Future became an idea rejected 40 times, an 80’s classic and finally a West End hit. Given my reservations before being pleasantly surprised by the show earlier this year, it was interesting hearing how they adapted the film for the stage while staying true to its spirit. Just like the musical, this panel ended with an exhilarating version of Huey Lewis’ Back In Time.
SVN Concert – A girl group formed by the original Six West End cast (Jarneia ‘Jaye J’ Richard-Noel, Millie O’Connell, Natalie May Paris, Alexia McIntosh, Aimie Atkinson, Maiyah Quansah-Breed and Grace Mouat) I went to their debut concert in August and it was phenomenal. Singing Stars, God Is a Woman, Free, Woman and their new single Boss, you could feel the bond they shared and their chemistry was on fire. To avoid repeating myself, you can read my review of the concert here.
Lip Sync Battle – Oscar Conlen-Morrey hosted a battle of words as the finalists lip synced their hearts out to some of musical theatre’s most beloved showtunes.
In The Heights Cast Reunion – David Bedella, Gabriela Garcia, Sam Mackay, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Emma Kingston reunited to perform an In The Heights medley. I saw the production during uni featuring most of this cast, so seeing them onstage six years later felt very nostalgic.
Cosplay Competition – I saw so many amazing cosplays at Musical Con including a group of Phantoms and Christines plus a Fanta of the Opera, more than Six queens and a gorgeous Sisi star dress (as an Elisabeth Das Musical lover, I felt seen) that made me wish I had as much skill and patience. Many of these entered the Cosplay Competition, with the winner being an elaborate replica of the Phantom’s Red Death costume.
& Juliet: Making A New Musical – Actors Miriam-Teak Lee and Tom Francis, Associate Choreographer Kendra Horsburgh and Associate Director Anna Fox share stories about the creative process behind & Juliet from incorporating the Max Martin songs to the set and costume designs. I saw the show again this weekend and caught some of the little Easter eggs which made me appreciate the detail the creatives put into its story and world. This celebration of the show felt bittersweet as it made me feel sad the show is closing, but happy that other people around the world will soon be able to see it.
Surprise Reunion – After much speculation on which show would have a special reunion, Oscar Conlen-Morrey unveiled the 2020 cast from the Hope Mill’s production of Rent. Featuring Maiyah Quansah-Breed (Mimi), Tom Francis (Roger), Kayla Carter, Luke Bayer (Mark), Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Benny), Dom Hartley-Harris (Collins), Isaac Hesketh (Angel), Millie O’Connell (Maureen) and Jocasta Almgill (Joanne), they sang a medley featuring Seasons of Love, Out Tonight, Santa Fe and What You Own. The show that caught my attention of The Hope Mill Theatre, I hope this reunion isn’t the last we see of this version of Rent.
Who did I meet at Musical Con Day Two?
Backstage Panel Day Two
Sadly most of day two’s backstage panels clashed with what I wanted to see on the main stage. However, the topics discussed mean so much to me when it comes to representation in theatre and I applaud Musical Con for spotlighting them.
The Alternate and Swings Superstars of the West End. I started my day at this panel featuring & Juliet cover Carl Man (who I caught before it started), Six superswing Harriet Watson, alternate Sally Bowles Emily Benjamin and Get Up Stand Up! swing Amarra Smith. As an advocate for understudy love, it was interesting learning how the process works including spontaneous vs. scheduled performances, covering roles they haven’t rehearsed, and how the culture has positively changed from the people themselves.
Surviving An 8 Show Week – Vocal Maintenance With The West End’s Top Team – Are you an aspiring performer and have wondered “How do I keep a Broadway level voice all week?” This panel taught you all the tips and tricks to maintain vocal health.
Black Lives Matter West End – Hosted by Trevor Dion Nicholas, stars Shanay Holmes, Kelly Agbowu (Tammy Faye), Jason Pennycooke (Moulin Rouge), Natalie Kassanga (Dreamgirls), Jocasta Almgill (Grease), Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Drifter’s Girl) and Jordan Shaw (Les Miserables) discuss the black experience in the West End. As Musical Con took place during Black History Month, this made the panel feel more poignant and necessary.
Destigmatising Mental Health the West End – A topic that’s become more prevalent in recent years, Musical Con highlights the importance of mental health and wellbeing for performers with Nikki Bentley-Jones, Brandon Lee Sears and George Francis.
Westerburg Yearbook – Sophie Isaacs, Tom Scanlon, Hannah Lowther and Emma Kingston reunite to celebrate their times working on Heathers with the Corn Nuts and producer Paul Taylor Mills.
Hamilfans – Trevor Dion Nicholas, Joel Montague, Karl Queensborough, Sharon Rose and Shanay Holmes celebrate Hamilton without throwing away their shot.
LGBTQIA+ Representation West End – Teddy Hinde (he/him), Maddison Bulleyment (they/them), Omari Douglas (he/him) and Claudia Kariuki (she/they) discuss their experiences on the West End and as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Musical Con Closing Ceremony
Shanay Holmes opened with a soulful rendition of Dreamgirls’ One Night Only before jumping into the disco version that got everybody excited.
Trevor Dion Nicolas – he started Musical Con as the Genie and ended it as Sebastian the crab with a fun version of Under The Sea!
Aimie Atkinson – The Pretty Woman star tackled one of the most notoriously difficult Broadway songs and slayed it with an astounding version Don’t Rain on My Parade.
Sophie Isaacs – a Heathers themed medley with Beautiful followed by a singalong of Candy Store (where I felt bad that I didn’t know the lyrics)
Jon Robyns – Til I Hear You Sing, making me hopeful he’ll play the Phantom one day!
Ending with You Can’t Stop The Beat
As we started to leave, Layton Williams came onstage to lead an encore of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s This Place Where We Belong, the fitting song to describe Musical Con. I sadly missed this as I ran to the first plug to charge my almost dead phone after my portable charger ran out of juice. I could hear it and saw Layton bolt out of the Excel greeted to torrential rain and thunder, so all was not lost!
Were there any standout moments at Musical Con?
I wouldn’t say there was a standout moment at Musical Con because there was so much to do that it’d be impossible to pick even a top 5. However, what I loved most was the atmosphere. No matter if you were with a group of friends going all out on the cosplay or on your own wearing jeans and a musical theatre t-shirt, you felt like part of a community who loved musicals. I was even surprised when a couple of people recognised me from seeing other shows! I also want to give a massive shoutout to Mickey Jo Theatre, Aeron James, All That Dazzles and Shaun Tossell who are some loveliest people I’ve met through the theatre community.
Shanay Holmes said she wanted to make Musical Con for the fans, and she definitely succeeded.
Did you enjoy Musical Con? Will you be going if one is announced for 2023? Be sure to comment below!
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