I spend A LOT of time reading theatre blogs, press releases and online discussions. Sometimes though it’s nice to step away from the phone screen and have a magazine to devour from cover to cover. Now my stagey prayers have finally been answered!
Musicals is a brand-new theatre magazine that has just hit the shelves. I've had to miss two planned theatre trips this week, so this couldn't have come at a better time to help scratch that theatrical itch! My main gripe with many magazines is that more often than not, you end up paying a lot of money for a lot of glossy ads with little content. This couldn't be less true of the Musicals magazine; it’s absolutely jam packed!
What I perhaps enjoyed most were the interviews with some of the stars including cover girl Marisha Wallace, fan favourite Carrie Hope Fletcher and the incomparable Sam Tutty. They have made sure not to ask the type of questions that come up on Instagram Live, giving a really interesting insight.
I loved being able to look at reviews cast recordings. I'm the sort of person who rarely listens to a cast recording before a show. I'm not sure if it is just me but I usually want my first reaction to a song to be in the theatre. However, I am very keen to know the overall tone and have a brief idea on what to expect before parting money to buy a ticket. For this reason, I relished reading each and every one of the 16 cast recording reviews. If anything, it has made me want a West End transfer of A Strange Loop even more than I already did!
There are also lots of show reviews. It was fun to read about some of the shows that I had been to earlier this year before starting this website, bringing back lots of memories! It was great to hear about shows not only on the London stage but also regionally and from across the pond on Broadway. Not stopping at just shows, it has some pieces on recent and upcoming musical film which I am looking forward to reading next!
It was clear that a lot of effort has been put into the magazine with credible contributions from David Benedict (official Sondheim biographer) and Matt Wolf (London theatre critic for the International New York Times) amongst others. Despite spending a long time tucked up in bed with this fab magazine, I still have loads to read. I can see myself with this as a companion for solo theatre trips over the coming months. Really looking forward to future editions of this already!
You can pick up a copy at all good newsagents (and probably some bad ones too). Or you can order it directly from the below website: