Singing star Rebecca Storm spoke to Limerick Post Newspaper about her upcoming show.
IT is exactly 30 years this month since Elizabeth Hewlett, better known to us today as Rebecca Storm, attended her very first audition for a musical theatre part in Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’. The 24 year-old nailed the part of Mrs Johnstone, playing a Liverpudlian Catholic mother of seven children and displaying a talent and versatility that has led to roles such as Fantine in ‘Les Misérables’, Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ and Florence in ‘Chess’.
Rebecca devised, co-directed and starred in ‘Hollywood Ladies’, a tribute to the silver screen’s musical sirens. She had a Top 20 hit with ‘Putting On The Show’ and released successful albums ‘Ireland by Storm’, ‘Celtic and Broadway’ and 2011’s ‘The Essential Rebecca Storm’.
Her upcoming concert will touch on all parts of her illustrious career and will include some new tracks such as ‘Upside Down’ by Paloma Faith and Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’. Gary Lightbody’s indie classic seems like an odd inclusion in Storm’s set amongst all the Broadway blockbusters but Rebecca told Limerick Post that the new material is going down well with her audiences, particularly the young who are attending her concerts for the first time.
“There were lots of young people at the recent show at Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin. There were lots of lovely Facebook messages afterwards from young people saying that they loved it.” The musical ‘Blood Brothers’, about young fraternal twins, is a perennial favourite with young people and has a cult following. Singing Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’ is described by Rebecca as a “high breathy song” which is a style she doesn’t often take on. “It’s different, certainly different from any songs that I’ve sung. But it’s not way out there, I’m not turning into Arctic Monkeys or anything like that,” she laughs.
Rebecca is bringing to Limerick the show she debuted earlier this month in the Bord Ghais Theatre in Dublin. It will feature songs from ‘Blood Brothers’, ‘Evita’, ‘Chess’, ‘Les Miserables’. Duetting with Kenny Shearer, her husband and musical director, they will perform Neil Diamond’s ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’. There will be plenty of comedy moments and opportunities to sing along as well and Storm is particularly delighted about her multiple costume changes. She tells us that her new dresses for this tour are fabulous and got the singer more than a few wolf whistles when she made her entrance in Dublin which in the theatre world is a 10/10 review for the costume department.
Rebecca has brought back ABBA’s ‘I Wonder (Departure)’ into her set. It was the song she sang in 1979 for her first TV appearance, a talent show called ‘Search for a Star’. Her 2014 show promises to be a set of songs that will take the audience on a journey through her life. From old standards to the new hits, Rebecca loves singing and the fundamentals of her stage performance remain the same.
She says that it is important that she gets into the character of all her songs and gets lost in them.
“I try to tell a story, because lyrics are as important as the melody, it’s the sign of a good song. It is great to be taken away for a couple of hours and not think about anything else. I love singing, I have been singing for 30 years, and I’m very lucky to still be doing it. Telling stories and making people laugh and cry.”
Rebecca Storm performs along with musical director Kenny Shearer and special guests The Shannon Gospel Choir at Lime Tree Theatre on Saturday March 1.
