charles busch you should be so lucky intermission music

There was even a surprise video from Luke Evans! There was a wonderful ensemble too. From Julian Clary, Boy George and Sam Buttery sharing the role of Leigh Bowery and Mark McGee and John Partridge sharing the role of Marilyn to the likes of Paul Baker, Declan Bennett, Paul Treacy, Gail Mackinnon, Phil Nicholl, Lucy Newton, Niamh Perry, Sally Ann Triplet, Dianne Pilkington and many more making an appearance. This special evening had a star-studded cast list of known names and mega West End talents. While there are elements and moments of a few existing and known songs featured, it’s mostly an original score but it holds all that you’d expect from the Boy George sound. It’s a really fascinating insight into that world and era, yet its an insight that still feels important and relevant today.īoy George wrote the lyrics, with music aided by Kevan Frost, John Themis and Richie Stevens and the Book is by Mark Davies Markham and Charles Busch. The show also focuses on Boy George’s life prior to and after achieving fame. It’s a partly imagined story of a group of club ‘names’, set more specifically in what was the city’s most fashionable nightclub, the now-legendary Taboo (1985–87), the title of which was created by Leigh Bowery.

The characters depicted in the piece include Boy George/George O’Dowd, Philip Salon, Leigh Bowery, Steve Strange and Marilyn to name but a few and it takes you into their world of underground night clubs on the queer 80’s scene of London. It’s about art, fashion, fame, self-expression, freedom, ‘freaks’, love and acceptance. For its about the heart in the stories and lives of the people and characters depicted in it. The set was simplistic, but I believe it mirrored that of its original staging given the intimate house it played in (Leicester Square Theatre originally, for context) and besides, the show isn’t intended to be all grand and flash in that way. I snapped up tickets immediately and waiting patiently for the big day to arrive.Įven as I hit this point of the blog where I try to review Taboo: The 20th Anniversary Charity Concert, I still feel a state of loss for words and disbelief that it really happened, and that it was everything I wanted it to be and more. Tears of pure joy that I would finally have an opportunity to not only see the show – but to see it celebrated in a special reunion performance with original and previous cast members. In fact, the day the news broke of this special 20th Anniversary Charity Concert, I had tweeted that exact morning about lusting for a revival, which was a strange stroke of coincidence…Īnd when the news did break, I cried. Just think of how many other young queer people need a show like this injected into their lives I’d tell myself. I had spent the years since longing for it to return, thinking of how the world has changed so much since its premiere that it deserves to reach a new generation and inspire all over again. And as a show, it’s outrageously naughty, sexy and fun too! The music is obviously infectiously catchy too, I’ve always been a fan of the 80’s sound and style, and this show encapsulates a slice of the era so brilliantly. And given my connection to Dianne, I always drew to the character of Kim in particular and related to her sweet soul but fiery angst. Therefore this show made me think about the beautiful boldness of the people depicted in this show – their pride rises above it all. I didn’t have a label, and I still don’t, but I just knew heterosexual no longer fitted. And thus my sweet love-affair with the show began…Īround the time this happened, I was nearing the end of my teens and approaching my twenties and learning a little more about myself, such as the fact I knew wanted to work with theatre and the arts somehow, and realising my own queerness. The beauty of finding one performer you really like, is that it often leads you to discovering new (well, or in this case, old) shows, and that’s how the musical Taboo stumbled into my life, as I’d delved into the archives of Dianne Pilkington’s career and came across her solo song from the show, followed by the cast recording.

Charles busch you should be so lucky intermission music