On Wednesday 20 September, the rain couldn't dampen our spirits or dancing feet as the Best of Broadway returned to the Royal Albert Hall for a night of sing-your-heart-out hits from beloved musicals as the Orchestra joined with the voices of West End stars Kerry Ellis, Rachel John, Ben Forster and Michael D. Xavier, with conductor David Firman, presenter Clive Rowe, and BSL performers Paul Whittaker OBE and Stephen Heselton.
Read on to see more photos and reactions from the day!
The concert opened with all the appropriate glitz and razzle-dazzle with the overture from The Producers, which was followed by Waving Through a Window from Dear Evan Hansen, performed by Ben Forster.
Kerry Ellis then performed A Million Dreams from another Pasek and Paul musical, The Greatest Showman, before Michael D. Xavier made his entrance with the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard.
Michael later joined Rachel John for the iconic duet Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from The Lion King.
The conductor David Firman joined in for the closing of the first half as he added his voice to the ensemble for One Day More from Les Misérables.
After the Mary Poppins Overture kicked off the second half, Kerry Ellis channelled her Liza Minelli with Maybe This Time from Cabaret, and Ben Forster and Michael D. Xavier duetted with Agony from Into the Woods.
Clive Rowe had his moment in the spotlight with Broadway Baby from Follies, and after the proverbial curtains closed on The Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Show, the full cast gave a rousing encore with Oh What a Night! from Jersey Boys.
the theatre kid in me is buzzing after today! saw ‘best of broadway’ at the royal albert hall !!
— FENN 🔥🎭 (@FENN_IX) September 20, 2023
brb, off to rewatch the greatest showman 🏃🏻♀️💨 pic.twitter.com/fUqTnDBvzd
The show couldn't start without a selfie of all the cast beforehand...
The sound of musicals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returns next year with Let's Face the Music at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 5 November 2024.